Shining bright as ever, Florida awaits all park owners in the Mid-Atlantic states to attend a conference organized specifically for them. Beginning February 27 until March 1, the 32nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Campground Conference (MAC) will serve to be one of the annual industry events that will help business owners widen their knowledge and expand their network.
Joann Delvescio, the conference organizer and executive director of the New Jersey Campground Owners Association (NJCOA), told Modern Campground that a slate of educational sessions, networking events, and more are being lined up for attendees this year.
In a letter attached to the registration information, Delvescio shared that the organizers are looking into hosting ten educational seminars that will help campground and RV park owners make their businesses successful.
Topics from the tentative schedule include: If Disney Ran Your Business – What Would It Look Like?, All Things Legal, Attitude and Why It Matters, Digital Marketing – Are You Into It?, and Real Talk: Campground Management 101 on the first day.
Day two is set to see a series of industry updates from leaders in the outdoor hospitality industry, such as Jeff Sims of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), who will deliver a morning session on ARVC Updates.
Nichole Poisson, Kampground of America’s (KOA) senior manager of franchise development will follow with a discussion on the SWOT Analysis of the Campground Industry.
Just before lunch on Tuesday, conference attendees will hear from Scirocco Insurance’s Warren Oliver on insurance as he delivers a session titled “Employers’ Professional Liability and Why are Premiums Increasing?”
On Wednesday, the last day of the conference, Rachel Godbout of Advanced Outdoor Solutions will spearhead a session on taking the guest experience to another level as parks aim to stand out in a competitive landscape.
Last but not least is a session titled “Understanding Diversity, Equality & Inclusion for You, Your Employees & Your Guests” by Cavita Sawh, MS. Sawh is from The Ginsburg Center for Inclusion and Community Engagement, Office of Diversity Education and Training at the University of Central Florida.
“[E]very year, I try to find topics that I think are timely and of interest to campground owners, and we try to change it up every single year,” the campground association’s executive director told MC.
“We try to do some marketing information, some legal information, [and] some just kind of like general industry information. So we just kind of try to be [in line] with topics that we think will be of interest,” she added.
Set to take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando,
Florida, MAC will also feature a trade show that will keep park owners in the know of the up-and-coming products that can help improve both guest and employee experience.
“We do have a fair amount of new exhibitors, so that’s kind of interesting for us this year,” Delvescio told Modern Campground, saying the trade show is also something attendees look forward to.
“[T]hey like to see what exhibitors are going to be there and hopefully get some ideas for new products and things for their campgrounds,” she added.
As of the time of writing, exhibiting companies who will be present include Business Finance Depot, CampersCard, CampSite 360, CheckBox Systems, Eljen Corporation, Farmtastic Fun, Firefly Reservations, Ginast Outdoor Wellness & Pet Park, KJ RV Portal, and KOA.
Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Insurance, Little Bucket Firestarters Co, Live Oak Bank, Northeast Campground Brokers, Pull Start Fire, ResNexus, Scirocco Insurance Group, Smart Industry Products, Staylist, and Ty Plush will also be vendors as well as Utility Supply Group, Vacavia Cottages & Cabins, Wilcor International, and Yale Realty & Capital Advisors.
Aside from educational sessions and the trade show, there will also be an anniversary event on Tuesday evening, where an auction will be held as well.
This year, organizers are inviting everyone in the industry to join the show, with registered attendees from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Delaware, Tennessee and Virginia coming.
“[T]he conference is not Jersey specific. Our programs are more of a general nature, so anyone in any state could use the information that’s happening at any of the sessions,” NJCOA’s executive director said.
“So we encourage and we invite campground owners from anywhere across the country who may not be able to get to a campground conference in their own state or their own region, or they may not have one in their area, to certainly join us in Orlando.”
Registration for the conference is still ongoing. For those who are still undecided, the event will accept walk-in registrations from attendees. Vendors, on the other hand, are encouraged to sign up before February 16.
For more information, click here or contact Joann Delvescio at [email protected] or 609-46-5844.
The 32nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Campground Conference in Orlando sounds stimulating and informative, with workshops and discussions aimed at enhancing the industry.