MC Fireside Chats aims to close out the year with a very special episode as recurring and former guests of the show return to share their expert perspectives on what happened in the outdoor hospitality industry in 2022. The MC Fireside Chats special year-end episode airs live on December 21, 2022 at 2 PM Eastern Time.
Hosts Brian Searl and Cara Csizmadia return next week with some familiar faces from past shows: Sage Outdoor Advisory Vice President for Outdoor Hospitality Connor Schwab; IVEE Group Director of Operations Scott Knepp; JH Consulting Solutions founder, and Sandusky/Bayshore Holiday KOA owner Jeff Hoffman; RV Dealers Association (RVDA) Executive Director Phil Ingrassia; RV Technical Institute President and RV Industry Association SVP of Standards Curtis Hemmeler; Topper’s RVs owner and GM, and RVDA Board of Directors and Delegates Treasurer Larry Troutt III; and Encore RV Founder and President Rich Schnippel.
This year brought a lot of new challenges and opportunities to the outdoor hospitality industry, from the easing of pandemic restrictions all over the world, to the increase of domestic and international travel, and to the business hurdles of inflation.
This is why MC Fireside Chats gathered experts from various sectors of the outdoor hospitality industry like glamping, campground, and RV segmentsin order to discuss in detail how the year impacted the industry and provide an outlook on the coming new year.
Next week’s episode of MC Fireside Chats will be sponsored by Firefly Reservations, a cloud-based reservation management solution designed specifically for RV parks and campgrounds which enables these businesses to accept online reservations and automate tasks like collecting emails and sending confirmations with ease.
December 14 Episode Recap
This week’s episode of MC Fireside Chats saw Connor Schwab taking the reins as host for the glamping industry episode.
Schwab was joined by recurring guests Glamping Hub and American Glamping Association founder Ruben Martinez and Clockwork Glamping and RV Resort Design Lead Zach Stoltenberg. With them were special guests Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat owners John and Nancy Corcoran, and Essential Steam, LLC Co-founder and President Boris Ryabov.
With the increasing competitiveness of the glamping industry, the experts highlighted the importance of providing unique, sustainable, and genuine experiences to guests.
“It’s not just about amenities; it’s about how [glamping owners] differentiate yourselves.
How do you create a unique experience?” Martinez said.
For the Corcorans, this meant having the courage to branch out and try new things. One of the ways they were able to diversify their revenue streams was by accommodating wedding events. Through this and other initiatives, their high-end glamping experience immediately saw a surge in reservations in its first year.
Since then, Whispering Springs saw its business doubled year-on-year through continuous improvements they apply to all aspects of their business.
Stoltenberg emphasized the immersive aspect of glamping and how much involvement and support it takes to provide guests with the best experience.
Ryabov of Essential Steam–a communal steam specialist, talked about the guided steam experience that offers communal experience–a combination of guidance and healing that provides unique experiences through an environment that fosters self-healing.
Essential Steam, which provides resorts, retreat centers, and communities with unique and novel outdoor steam spaces, is looking to branch out to glamping and make the outdoor regenerative experience accessible to glampers.
About MC Fireside Chats
MC Fireside Chats is a weekly show devoted to the outdoor hospitality industry. The show is hosted by Brian Searl, the founder and CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, and Cara Csizmadia, member services coordinator at the Canadian Camping & RV Council (CCRVC).
Airing live every Wednesday at 2 p.m. (EDT), MC Fireside Chats features guests from the camping and RV industry who share their take on the current state of the camping, glamping, and RVing sectors as well as upcoming innovations in RV parks, campgrounds, outdoor resorts, glamping, and the RV industry.
To listen to previous episodes of MC Fireside Chats, visit: https://moderncampground.com/mc-fireside-chats/
I’m super pumped to share that the latest MC Fireside Chats episode was a blast with old pals discussing outdoor hospitality trends and glamping insights. Loads of inspiration and industry know-how!