MC Fireside Chats – November 15th, 2023

[00:00:00] 

Brain Searl: My name is Brian Searl. I’m not on [00:01:00] camera today because we’ve got a great crowd of people here that you can see in front of you at the KOA convention 2023 here in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cole Reinhardt, a couple, just introduce yourselves. Let’s start with Toby because I feel like I knew some of you don’t know some of you by name, so go ahead.

Toby O’Rourke: Hi, I’m Toby O’Rourke. I’m the President and CEO of KOA. 

Brain Searl: Pass the mic, Toby, sorry. I’ll get back to you, I promise. 

Marc Peterson: Hi, I’m Mark Peterson. I’m the owner and operator of Paris Landing, Kentucky Lake, KOA, and Tennessee. 

Nate Thompson: I’m Nate Thompson. I’m a multi park owner. We own parks across the U. S. of the KOA franchise system.

Kimberly Wootteon: Yeah, I’m Kim Wooten, I’m the Vice President of Commercial Strategy for KOA. 

Cole Reinhardt: I am Cole Reinhardt, I’m the Executive Director of Digital Strategy and Transformation for KOA. 

Angie Bower: Hey, I am Angie and I’m one of the owners at the Fancy Gap KOA in Virginia. 

David Bower: I’m Dave Bauer one of the other owner of Fancy Gap 

Marc Peterson: KOA.[00:02:00] 

Cam Bowen: I’m cam Bowen multi park owner and partner of Nate Thompson. 

Brain Searl: Awesome. Go back to Toby if you want. Toby, let’s just start with you, right? Talk about the convention in Las Vegas, what you’ve seen so far, what your expectations are for the show. 

Toby O’Rourke: Yeah we’ve had a kick, a great kickoff to convention.

This is our second highest attended convention ever, so that, that’s exciting. A lot of people came out this year for convention. We had a really great kickoff last night. We went in to see the Beatles Love Cirque du Soleil show at the Mirage, which was fun, and everybody had good energy bringing into today.

Today was opening session talking about a lot of new things happening at KOA and things we’re working on more importantly, really trying to demonstrate that we’re providing tools and support for our campgrounds to run their businesses and making sure we’re bringing in those new campers. 

Brain Searl: Alright, I’m going to give you something hard.

Pick one thing that you’re most excited about from this morning.

Toby O’Rourke: I am super excited because this morning we announced that our system achieved a 70 net promoter score, 70. We had a balloon drop and music [00:03:00] played. It’s a big deal because a 70 NPS is considered world class level. And then we, we didn’t invent the NPS system.

This is. Something that’s used by a variety of industries. And we’ve been using this for 15 years. And so to see us grow over time and hit 70 other brands that have achieved that level or above our brands like Costco and Starbucks and Southwest. So we’re really excited to be among really great company and demonstrate the quality and service that our campgrounds have.

Brain Searl: Awesome. Let’s let’s go to cam. Let’s just do a corporate focused thing first, and then we’ll talk about the franchisees experience. So camp. Just introduce yourself a little bit. I know you did briefly, but what do you do at KOA? 

Kimberly Wootteon: Yeah, so I have the privilege of leading multiple business units across the KOA organization, predominantly local marketing, revenue management, business development, business intelligence, which is really exciting, and now retail.

So we’re really focused on all the ways that we, capture demand, attract new campers, and grow revenue for [00:04:00] our organizations, predominantly through camper night. 

Brain Searl: So we talked this morning a little bit about how, if I’m correct, that KOA is going to try to have a more hands on approach. You already do, but a little bit more, being more involved with the franchisees, you were talking about on stage, right?

Yeah. Can you go into a little bit about how that support is so vital to the success of KOA? 

Kimberly Wootteon: Yeah, so I think first and foremost we’re a franchise organization, and it is truly about the success of our franchisees. Individuals have invested their blood, sweat, and tears into our brand, and so we, we have a responsibility to deliver.

Best in class service and support to ensure their success. And so that comes in a, a multitude of ways from the people that we support them with, making sure we have the right people in the right positions and really are focused on relationships and understanding who they are and what they’re trying to accomplish.

And. Building that roadmap to help them get there. And then, technology and tools are we, advancing the business of outdoor hospitality and staying at the forefront so that we continue to meet their [00:05:00] growing needs as our, franchise portfolio diversifies.

Brain Searl: Same question to you, I asked Toby, what’s the thing that most excites you but you can’t say data? 

Kimberly Wootteon: Oh, Brian! Oh man I’m gonna, I’m gonna talk about relationships. Because, I it is at the core of not only what our team does, but what we do as an organization. And we’ve really renewed our focus on the people piece of our business.

And I think that’s going to be a really key driver in our success going forward. So not only the relationships that we have with our franchisees, but the relationships our franchisees have with our guests. 

Brain Searl: Awesome. Let’s go to Cole. I’m obviously a big techie cause Cole’s super excited to see some other things you put up on stage here.

What do you want to 

share with us? 

Cole Reinhardt: Yeah, no, I think from a technology standpoint, we’re working on a lot of great things. We’re leaning into the innovative technologies that are coming out there. We always have been but I think we’re accelerating at the pace that we’re innovating and really leaning into those things and really excited about those things.

Brain Searl: So a little bit about what you do for the people that. 

Cole Reinhardt: So I I’ve been with KOA for 13 years and I started in digital [00:06:00] marketing and over time have rolled into digital strategy and technology helping with digital transformation opportunities at KOA. As we’re a 62 year old company.

And so with that comes a lot of years of technology and doing different things. So just. Staying at the forefront, keeping us modern, keeping us innovative that, that’s what I do. 

Brain Searl: So how do you address a challenge where, as we know, technology continues to move faster and faster, right? From the A TRAC to the records, to the assessing, to the digital, right?

And now to AI and everything else. But how do you keep up with the pace of that rapid change at an organization that’s as large as KOA? 

Cole Reinhardt: A lot of research and, study, I guess you could say. I’m personally very interested in technology. So even outside of my working hours, I’m keeping up with what’s going on and what’s happening.

And KOA really gives me and us as employees the latitude to explore our interests and explore areas where we have opportunity to grow and where we can find competitive advantages. 

Brain Searl: Awesome. Same question to you. What are you most excited about? 

Cole Reinhardt: Woo. I, there’s a lot of good energy. I’m really excited about the organizational structure that we’re heading in.

And I think to Kim’s [00:07:00] point, to the support that we’re going to be able to give our franchise partners, I think we’ve aligned our consumer and operation product teams really well to get some good momentum. Going with our technology innovation, so that’s what I’m most excited 

about. 

Brain Searl: You are allowed to say data, I just want to say.

Cole Reinhardt: No, I know I know, but obviously data goes without saying, I think, with me a little bit. 

Brain Searl: Okay, let’s talk to a couple of the franchisees behind you. You guys want to introduce yourself briefly, talk a little bit about your campground briefly. 

David Bower: The Fancy Gap, Virginia we’re in the southwest corner of Virginia about a 3, 000 foot elevation, small campground, 80 sites We love it.

Our guests that come in, they love it and they keep coming every year. We have a great time. Seasonal Park, of course. Too cold to support water up there. And too cold to support me. And too cold to support the wife. 

Brain Searl: First convention? Fifth convention? 

David Bower: This is our fourth out of our seven years owning the campground.

Brain Searl: So what do you think of it so far? 

David Bower: I love it. 

Angie Bower: Phenomenal. 

David Bower: I love it. I just… I was not in person when we [00:08:00] decided to buy a campground, 

but talking to her and then having the resources and talking to other people that own KOA’s and do not own KOA’s, it was very clear that it’s going to be a big help to try to keep the business successful and then going forward to this date, as they said in the opening meeting, it’s All the dots are starting to line up now.

So everything’s getting organized and being able to streamline, which is critical um, in this pace that we’re in so.

Brain Searl: As you guys sit through a general session this morning and you hear all the announcements I think this is my 11th or 12th convention. So they’re always announcing something, always doing something new, but it feels like the pace as we spoke to Cole is a little bit faster this year.

They’re changing a lot of things around. What strikes you the most? This is really going to help my business. 

Angie Bower: I’ll jump in on that one. So our mission statement for our little campground, if you will, is to care for people like family. And that is what [00:09:00] we are and who we are. And I got a taste of that today in the general session as they’re rolling out all of these wonderful things that are coming down the pike.

And I know this is, Call it what it is, but when we got the information about the shirt for our maintenance guys, that gives me the ability to care for my team, like family, because believe you me, my maintenance guys, they want to be sharp. They want to look the part. They don’t want to be in a ratty yellow shirt.

They want to look the part. For me, that was a gift that your corporate is giving me. They’re caring about what we’re saying and what we’re thinking. And so that’s at the heart of who we are as campground owners. And it’s just a testimony to this team sitting here in these yellow seats. 

Brain Searl: Cam, you want to go next?

Cam Bowen: Yeah. Sure. 

Brain Searl: Cam, KCN, Multipark. We’ll introduce ourselves.

Cam Bowen: Right? Yeah. Cam Bowen, KCN partner, Multipark owner. This is my third convention. I started owning KOAs in 2020, so we’ve come every year. And, uh, I, [00:10:00] I guess just to go off the same question, what excites me most about convention. I love that KOA, even though they are the leader in this space, they want to keep on pushing further into leadership.

The innovation and like the trajectory is something that I’ve always just grabbed onto and love. And then just the innovation that comes out of these breakout sessions and just the communication with corporate and other franchisees is key for us to just take back and start incorporating and trying to push our business further.

Brain Searl: So how does your view of the way KOE supports its franchisees change from I have one or two to I have seven to the future? Or maybe it’s the same? 

Cam Bowen: I think that they probably don’t try to. play favorites, but and I don’t think they do. So to answer your question, I don’t think [00:11:00] it’s changed from day one.

I think KOA has done a great job. We’ve had a number of business development consultants. Everyone’s brought their own kind of viewpoint and their own experiences to really help us out and so we value those relationships and we value the other relationships we have with corporate.

So to answer your question, I don’t think it’s really changed as we’ve grown. We’ve just, we continue to get a little more just meet more people at that level and just see different perspectives.

Brain Searl: Do your needs change as you own more parks? Do the questions you ask change? Does what you need change? 

Cam Bowen: tHat’s a, yeah, that’s a good question. 

Nate Thompson: I think that 

Cam Bowen: Yeah maybe our problems maybe get a little bit bigger as our organization gets bigger and grows. And so we, we maybe have other challenges.[00:12:00] 

But at the end of the day, some of the key challenges that I think have already been brought up at the convention, camper nights driving new business repeat business, I think that’s core across all of our parks, no matter if our market is in a small town in Kansas or in Wisconsin.

It really it’s some of those key things. Things that drive this business that I don’t think it’s going to change whether we have one or 20 parks. 

Brain Searl: I want to get to Mark and Nate in a second, but let’s split it up with Toby for a second. Just another question. As you walk through this convention in the next few days, What does it have to accomplish for it to be a win in Toby and KOA’s eyes?

Toby O’Rourke: a Big win is, I’m just always gauging vibe. So I’m always, what’s the vibe? What’s the vibe? Are there smiles? Positive feedback? I’m not one to shy away from conflict. I want people giving us the feedback, telling us what might be a point of friction. Something that we could do better.

And if we walk [00:13:00] away from this convention with solidi every franchisee’s been Met with somebody has had a quality conversation has given their feedback and felt our support in their business. That’s a win I don’t want anyone leaving here feeling disconnected from the brand and from corporate And so my whole goal and is connection And so we have a lot of people in yellow here on the ground all oriented to make everybody feel You know part of this system and making sure we’re meeting their needs.

Brain Searl: I think that goes a lot of people respect you as an organization and you, Toby because you’re willing to tackle some of those hard questions.

It’s very easy to stand up there and say everything’s great, and a lot of it is, but also, this is some of the headwinds we’re facing that you talk about. 

Toby O’Rourke: Yeah this opening session we just did was a little different flavor than some I’ve done before. And that we wanted to have some of the tougher conversations on the stage.

What are some things that we’re hearing from you that we need to fix? And we wanted to show the progress we’re making towards addressing those concerns. That could be things like fixing our cancellation policy [00:14:00] or modifying our quality assurance program or addressing, Uniform policy typically in, in my time here, I’ve, we like to have everything done and ready to go and have a grand reveal.

And this year we decided, let’s just have some conversation about, here’s where we’re at in the process, this is the stuff we’re working on, so it can open up a dialogue for feedback throughout the rest of the convention, and then we can go back and get things right. 

Brain Searl: Can I ask what led you to that change in philosophy?

Toby O’Rourke: Oh, it’s just the way we operate in the home office. We like feedback. We like dialogue. We’ve got a very active franchise advisory committee we work with. A lot of franchisees, that we tap into for various things. And I just think it’s important to be transparent. So that’s a big core philosophy of how I like to lead, is let’s just be transparent, tell people where we’re at, and have the conversation and and move forward.

So I think it’s just an infusion of the way my team operates. And bringing that then on the stage today. Yeah, I think it’s just saying, we hear you, we’re working on it. Let’s work on it together, versus, let us [00:15:00] reveal. And we learn that. So if I go back 12 years ago, maybe, we introduced brand positioning.

That was a big change for the system. And we did the grand reveal. And then had dialogue throughout the convention. Things people didn’t like and then we went back and modified. I’d rather get in front of it and say, Okay, here’s what we’re working on. This is what we’re thinking about. Visit with us throughout the week and then we’re going to keep working with our, OA and Franchise Advisory Committee and just be transparent where we’re at in the process versus just keeping things so tight to our chest because we’ll get to a better.

Yeah, absolutely. And quicker. 

Marc Peterson: Okay. We are in Northwest Tennessee. It’s Parris Landing, Kentucky Lake KOA. And we’ve had it for about five and a half years. And I always get the opportunity to say this. I always brag about this. My wife and I and family were absolute. K addicts, if you will, before this.

We we counted out approximately 55 K A W As [00:16:00] that we had visited in just a short window of a few years when we had children and camping before I even thought about getting, buying a K A W A. I bled yellow, if you will, before that, and I still do very much. And you have the shoes. And I have the shoes.

We can do that. I think we’re on video, aren’t we? But I love this franchise. And just… Your opening remarks and Darren’s and everybody’s today, I get real invigorated. This is when I come to these conventions, to me, it is, it’s like going to a family reunion where you have a bunch of cousins, most of them you love and you like, but you just, you hit it right back off and then you meet new ones.

We knew each other, but we hit it off the other night and really talked a lot, and now they’re friends, they’re my family. They’re my yellow family. We’re making plans to go see each other at some point in the next, near future. I don’t know if that’s the question you asked, but I needed to say that.

This is fair enough. All right. So this is how I do things. Sorry. To her point, I Toby’s point, I’m on the FAC. I’m part of the OA. It’s this kind of stuff really, and it makes you get involved. [00:17:00] It makes you want to get involved, at least, and explore those opportunities, and I think this year you guys have done, all of you guys that have been in the planning process of this, have done an excellent job of, this whole space up here is really warm and welcoming.

You still see people standing around, hopefully not getting the back audio of this, but they’re just having a great time laughing over here and stuff. Real positive vibe that I’ve seen in the last few days that I’ve been here. Anyways, our park’s about 75 people, it’s being run by me and my wife who’s…

Trying to learn something new at one of these breakout sessions, hopefully. We’ve got kids that are growing up on the campground. I’m telling you, we looked at non branded campgrounds before we got here, other brands of campgrounds, nothing against them. But KOA just really does it right.

They’re proven and every convention, I haven’t missed a one since 2018 that we’ve been here. Every convention is just a reinvigoration of that. Why did I get into this? Recharging my yellow batteries, whatever, so that’s us. 

Brain Searl: So talk a little bit about just briefly, because Toby talked about how they do a great job of listening to their [00:18:00] franchisees, just from the FAC and OE perspective, briefly, how they…

Marc Peterson: FAC is an honor for me to be a part of. I, I didn’t really fully understand that before I got out into it a couple years ago. I’m telling you, I, it’s a contractual thing that we’ve got to do it, but it makes sense to why we have to do it. And when I got there, I thought, Oh, this is just going to be a corporate thing, a bunch of smoke and mirror and just tell, and no, they listen, they talk.

They should let me talk for a while on a couple of ideas, thanks, Toby. But yeah. And, but we had a few, I listen to a lot of other, I’m in a 20 group as well. So I’m connected to a lot of KOAs and I, on purpose, I want to learn this more in the beginning that was selfishly to get involved in all that stuff.

How can I grow my business? But now I’m getting to that five, six year point of ownership and there’s all these new people out. And I love helping other people that in these new, the newbies out there that probably have done wonderful things in life and business, but when you go out to the franchise advisory committee and those kinds of things, they listen.

We sat there and had a huge round table for probably an hour plus. And they just listen when there’s cancellation policies or [00:19:00] uniforms or optimization, all these things, these wonderful ideas and getting in front of it is what they do. And I can see that you guys, I absolutely will agree with that statement.

They are, they’re not doing the, let’s get it out there. Let’s figure it. We’ll just fix it on the back end. There’s some things I’ve experienced that we’ve in different corporate environments, that’s how it happens. And it always falls apart. How many people can you get on board? Before you implement something is so incredibly valuable, and that’s what they’ve realized and they implement.

And when I say they, all of us, we’re a big team.

Nate Thompson: All right, so where do you want me to start, Brian? That’s a hard act to follow. Oh, geez, all 

Brain Searl: tell me a little bit about, you talked to Cam from PCA. 

Nate Thompson: Right? 

Brain Searl: A little bit about how that dynamic works with you coming in with a tech background, right? 

Nate Thompson: Sure, yeah that’s one of the things coming out of the keynote and whatnot, the early sessions that we’ve had so far, that is exciting for me. The first though, before I get to that, is just the relationships Kim touched on as [00:20:00] well. Like we work with a lot of people at corporate, and through the course of the year and the season, the off season and whatnot, being here together with that larger group, that family, is always invigorating to use your word as well, Mark.

So reinvigorating those personal relationships. is a big part of why we’re here. So that being said, coming out of the early sessions and the technology, the being a recovering technology person, nerd, professional, fill in the blank and having participated in some of the different things that KOA has been looking at over the last year, it’s great to see the trajectory of where we’re on K2 staying in and the ability to really double down on that as a proprietary, but also real kind of unfair advantage in the space for us I think is really important and seeing how that’s going to feather out into a bunch of the other ways that we interact with customers and consumers and campers.

That’s really exciting for me just with that kind of background that you touched on. More generally looking at some of the programs that the team talked about when you were on stage earlier, [00:21:00] Toby. Driving camper nights, looking at the user flow and how do we actually remove friction across those points to get more people to the campgrounds?

How do we manage that more effectively as operators? A variety of different programs that we’re going through this morning that are all going to really help us both manage and operate our campgrounds more effectively and efficiently, but also elevate the guest experience while we’re doing that.

So yeah, a lot to be excited about over the course of just, the first couple of hours. Let me pick one. I think that the technology direction, I can’t help but index on that. So seeing some of the stuff that Cole went through on stage and being part of some of those conversations and whatnot as well leading into convention there’s a lot of exciting stuff in the pipeline from that perspective.

Brain Searl: That’s why I asked you with the technology and let in with that, right? Because we all have different backgrounds and different specialties sitting here and it’s interesting just to hear. How the same kind of opinion flows with KOA, right? Yeah. They’re good in all different aspects, no matter what you’re doing.

Nate Thompson: Yeah, and so there’s a good kind of a feedback loop, right? As far as KOA does a lot of really great [00:22:00] research. Comes out monthly, comes out annually, rolls up in the state of the industry and whatnot. And a couple of months ago, one of those months was about AI and the use of AI for people planning trips.

People basically wanting to get out into the outdoors and using AI to help with that. Now we’re on stage and we’re seeing KOA having cycled that all the way to the point of demoing AI with a bend of how do we use that to help campers engage with the brand to come onto the parks? That feedback loop, that’s part of maybe the 60 year old startup, right?

Talking about that from last year. It’s really internalizing that, that external data into how can we move further, faster, better. And I think KOA is doing a great job of that. 

Brain Searl: All right. I want to wrap up a little bit early. Recognizing everybody’s time, we got to get in there for a 12 o’clock keynote.

Just one, pass it around one more time. What are you most looking forward to this week in Las Vegas? Anywhere you want to take it. 

Kimberly Wootteon: Yeah. I think one of, one of my favorite things is watching like the light bulbs go off. Being able to connect dots for our [00:23:00] owners and getting them to the point where they’re like, oh, this is something new that I can implement at my park that’s going to make my business better and my camper experience better.

So just watching those light bulbs go off is. Super rewarding for me.

Cole Reinhardt: I think for me the most exciting thing is just the conversations that we’re gonna have this week with people I don’t get to talk to and interface that you guys have already talked to this, Led with this a little bit, but I just love being able to interface with the franchisees with other corporate employees So we got corporate employees who are out across the US and Canada A lot of times you don’t even get to see them face to face either.

So just the whole Bringing everybody together and really just getting that hoorah, that rah going is exciting. That’s what I’m most looking forward to. 

Angie Bower: I’m with kim. I on a personal level, I have a retail background and I am super phenomenal excited about seeing some light bulb moments go off with people recognizing that Boy, we have a missing opportunity to make some phenomenal camp campground stores and I really want to launch people into the thought of [00:24:00] just maybe as a KOA we could also be known as not only beat yellow, but also have be known as great campground stores.

So that’s, I’m really looking forward to seeing those light 

bulbs go off. 

David Bower: It’s the relationships. We met two, three conventions. Now we’re even stronger. The new relationships that I’m going to find this week is going to be, it’s going to be awesome.

Cam Bowen: yEah same with me. It’s relationships and ideas. I think that just having everybody in one place, I think it naturally happens and that’s that’s really the biggest thing that I take away from convention. 

Toby O’Rourke: I’ll go a different direction. I love the people. I think that’s important and I love seeing people we don’t get to see every day, but we have my favorite thing about. 

is something we call Idea Exchange. That’s tomorrow, and that’s when we have six or seven people on my team that are coming up and sharing, and it’s based [00:25:00] off TED Talks, ideas we’re sharing, right? So it’s our version of TED Talks, and it’s really new, compelling ideas meant to drive action at the campground right away.

So that’s our chance to start releasing even more innovation and more new thinking into the… And then lots of good things come from that and that all sparks more creativity and, builds on our Campground of the Future initiative, which we’re deeply committed to. That’s my favorite part of convention every year.

I’m looking forward to that. 

Marc Peterson: All right. I’m going to be a little selfish about this. My favorite part, I love building relationship and idea exchange is great, but I’m going to be in the murder mystery tomorrow night. Are you too? Okay. All right. Me and my wife are. I, you, It is tonight. Oh my gosh, whatever.

No, we do not, but we, I can tell you this much. It’s going to be a riot though. So it’s they KOA does such great, whether it’s the OA or the Care Camps, they do such a great entertainment and that’s not just entertainment. It’s networking. You can associate that all with it. But I, He said, be honest, [00:26:00] whoever, and that’s really what I’m looking forward to is that murder mystery dinner tonight. So it’s going to be great. 

Nate Thompson: At the risk of being boring, I’m going to bring it back to relationships because I think that’s super key. Certainly has been for us to the point where we’re at with our business. But I think it’s also it’s through the relationships, what we can accomplish together.

And there’s a person that we work with that has this mantra that has stuck with me that I love, which is if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together, and I think that speaks to what we’re doing here this week. 

Brain Searl: Alright, last question I have for Toby. Obviously, all your franchisees are here, or everybody that can make it this year, right?

The people watching at home are the rest of the outdoor hospitality industry. What do you have to say to the rest of the industry about KOA? What do you want to communicate to the industry? 

Toby O’Rourke: We really, we’ve been around a long time, 62 years I think we’ve led, paved the way on a lot of initiatives in outdoor hospitality, but we’re, I mean it, we said this last year, it was our slogan, we’re just getting started.

There is so much [00:27:00] energy, so much innovation, new thinking, we’re looking to advance the whole business and hope to bring everybody along with us, and even if you’re not a KOA, Please connect with us. Our research is for everybody. The ideas are to advance the business. I’m all about category growth.

Bringing as many people to the outdoors as we can is what’s so important. We’ve had just so many people wanting to camp, wanting to be outside, and that’s good for all of us. It’s good for all of our business. So there’s just so many good things, good reasons to be a part of this business right now, and KOA or not, we’re excited about it.

Brain Searl: tHank you guys. I appreciate you. I didn’t even appear on camera. I feel like the entire episode, so it’s probably gonna be way better for everybody at home. Thanks for joining us on another episode of MC Fireside Chats. We’ll see you guys next week and really appreciate y’all being here. Take care.

Nate Thompson: Thank you. 

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