MC Fireside Chats is returning to The Glamping Show Americas for the third time, broadcasting live from the event!
Join us for real-time updates and engaging conversations with leaders across the glamping industry. In person, we’ll be joined by recurring guests Greg Emmert, Founder of Vireo and Mike Harrison, Chief Operating Officer at CRR Hospitality.
Special guests include Anne Howard, Travel Blogger at HoneyTrek, Tori and Seth Bolt, Owners of Bolt Farm Treehouse, and Sarah Riley, Conference Director of The Glamping Show Americas, each bringing unique perspectives on the growth and future of outdoor hospitality.
Whether you’re attending in person or tuning in online, this live broadcast will give you a front-row seat to one of the industry’s most anticipated gatherings.
September 24th Episode Recap
The MC Fireside Chats episode on September 24th, 2025, hosted by Brian Searl, dedicated its discussion to the rapidly evolving intersection of Marketing, AI, and Technology within the Outdoor Hospitality and Recreation Industry. Brian Searl, upon his return from Ireland, welcomed an expert panel including recurring guests Mychele Bisson (CEO of Bison Peak Ventures), Kurtis Wilkins (RJourney), Cara Csizmadia (President of the Canadian Camping and RV Association, CCRVA), and Greg Emmert (Founder & Principal Consultant at Vireo), along with special guests Wesley van der Plight (EasySecure, The Netherlands) and Ari Smith (FatRat.AI & Balanced Farm Glamping).
The conversation began with updates, with Mychele Bisson sharing that Bison Peak Ventures had experienced a successful year and was in the process of closing its Alaska park for the season. The focus quickly shifted to automation when Kurtis Wilkins detailed RJourney’s emphasis on robotics, specifically for cost-saving tasks like large-area cleaning in clubhouses and utilizing automated lawnmowers, noting the strong demand that has led to sold-out production lines for these systems. Brian Searl reinforced this point by sharing the example of Figure’s Project Go Big, which is deploying humanoid robots in residential units for chores like laundry and meal preparation, highlighting the swift acceleration of these technologies.
Ari Smith, whose background includes AI and computer science at MIT, confirmed the accelerating pace of production for these technologies, attributing it to massive investment. He connected his technical expertise to his luxury, off-grid eco-resort, Balanced Farm, which he and his wife built. Ari explained that they are leveraging various forms of automation, including a GPS-routed snowblower, and critically, a private LLM (Large Language Model) for localized intelligence. He stressed that maintaining a private model is essential for providing a personalized guest experience while ensuring data sovereignty and protecting customer information. Kurtis Wilkins validated this strategy, confirming that RJourney also utilizes a private model to protect their extensive customer data and business practices from competitors.
The discussion then turned to the challenge of industry adoption, with consultant Greg Emmert noting that AI changes “everything” in his recommendations, but the key obstacle is overcoming the resistance of “mom-and-pop” operators. He compared the struggle to the early days of teaching people about the internet and proposed introducing AI as a “gateway drug,” suggesting simple uses like using the tool to “polish that email” to improve guest communication quality. Brian Searl countered that focusing on this entry point can be dangerous, suggesting that operators may miss the fundamental shift where AI agents will increasingly digest information directly, potentially making traditional concerns about website headlines and branding irrelevant.
Cara Csizmadia reinforced the urgent need for adaptation by highlighting a significant demographic shift in guests, noting that her 15-year-old son defaults to using Chat GPT with a voice interface to find campground information, completely bypassing Google. She stressed that current campground owners, many of whom have been successful by “doing things the same way,” must recognize that the younger generation they need to attract has fundamentally different technological expectations. This led the panel to discuss the need for diversification and specialization, with Wesley van der Plight mentioning a successful Dutch park that caters specifically to a niche market: “girlfriend groups,” offering tailored amenities like hot tubs and wine.
Bringing a European technology focus, Wesley van der Plight explained that smaller, independent parks in the Netherlands are often more innovative than larger chains, driven by competitive pressure. His company, EasySecure, developed the Ultimate Guest Journey solution to streamline the guest experience with seamless access control. This system connects to different software via APIs, allowing guests to check in and use a mobile key to open their mobile home, or even use facial recognition (with a dynamic QR code alternative) to enter the swimming pool. This high-tech approach means front desk staff only have to check in a small percentage of guests, enabling them to focus on being a “host again and not an administrative desk clerk.”
The panelists agreed that this technology enables hyper-specialization and allows operators to cater to diametrically opposed customers. Ari Smith argued that an efficient, AI-driven backend allows operators to deliver high-touch service and economies of scale while still serving guests who want to completely “disconnect.” He shared a personal example of an isolated Irish treehouse stay that successfully combined nature with smart home technology, such as automated retractable blinds, demonstrating the seamless blend of both.
In their concluding remarks, the panel emphasized that the convergence of aging demographics, rising guest expectations, and rapidly commoditized technology is creating an inflection point in outdoor hospitality. Kurtis Wilkins reiterated that the high-end luxury camping and glamping experiences, like those provided by Ari, are driving expectations upward across the entire industry. Ari Smith concluded by warning that the majority of operators who resist this change will either “fall by the wayside or get gobbled up,” urging everyone to constantly look for opportunities to disrupt themselves.
About MC Fireside Chats
MC Fireside Chats is a live podcast experience dedicated to the outdoor hospitality and outdoor recreation industries. Hosted by Brian Searl, founder and CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, the show offers engaging discussions with industry leaders, innovators, and experts shaping the future of camping, RVing, glamping, and outdoor recreation.
Airing every Wednesday at 2 p.m. (ET), the show follows a structured weekly theme to deliver deep dives into the most relevant topics:
- Week 1: Industry Trends & Insights
- Week 2: Enhancing Guest Experience
- Week 3: Business Operations & Management
- Week 4: RV Industry, Outdoor Recreation & Activities
Each episode features a panel of recurring guests, complemented by 1–2 rotating special guests, including industry analysts, campground owners, technology providers, sustainability advocates, and more. Whether exploring the latest market trends or innovative guest experience strategies, MC Fireside Chats delivers thought-provoking insights for professionals and enthusiasts across the outdoor recreation spectrum.
To explore previous episodes of MC Fireside Chats, visit: moderncampground.com/mc-fireside-chats.