Set Your Sites, a Lincoln-based startup focused on campground management software, was named the 2024 Innovation Business of the Year at the Nebraska Business Development Center awards ceremony. The achievement highlights the company’s rapid emergence in Nebraska. Its mission centers on modernizing the reservation process by offering real-time campsite availability, mobile payment options, and integrated Wi-Fi for travelers seeking streamlined booking experiences.
Stacy and Dustin Dam, the company’s founders, created Set Your Sites after a reservation experience exposed them to outdated reservation platforms. They developed a solution that allows campers to quickly locate open spots and provides campground operators with digital tools aimed at easing operational burdens. A press release describing the award described how this approach addresses a longstanding issue across numerous parks and recreation sites, enabling more efficient resource management and enhancing the overall visitor experience.
Guidance from the Nebraska Business Development Center played a major role in the firm’s success. The founders engaged with mentors and participated in customer discovery programs, opening doors to broader partnerships that include federal agencies. Officials at the center helped them identify paths toward federal grants, an avenue the company is now exploring more aggressively. According to Set Your Sites Cofounder Stacy Dam, the assistance allowed her to get “up and running” in ways she never imagined. She recounted that perspective in an interview documented at an online feature.
Dam also emphasized the depth of this collaboration, saying, “They are an extension of our team that has allowed us to do so much more in such a short amount of time,” explaining how the center’s expertise accelerated the company’s reach. In the same interview, she credited the group for boosting her confidence to pursue federal agencies and bigger clients, stating, “I truly believe we wouldn’t be where we are without the NBDC, and I think there are many businesses in this state that would say the same thing.” That perspective underscores the organization’s vital support to emerging ventures.
The firm’s recognition as 2024 Innovation Business of the Year was detailed at a governor’s announcement, which noted how the Dams turned frustration with manual campground reservations into a powerful software platform. Plans to partner with national park systems and other federal entities are now driving the business’s next phase.
Many outdoor hospitality operations benefit from a more comprehensive digital engagement strategy that spans automated check-ins, personalized communications, and loyalty programs. Incorporating these features into existing reservation tools can bolster customer satisfaction. Since Set Your Sites already supports key functions such as real-time availability checks and mobile payments, an expanded system offering welcome messages, personalized promotions, or follow-up surveys would align the platform with accepted best practices in guest engagement.
Implementing a digital approach can also bring measurable gains. A 2023 study revealed that hotels achieving full-scale digital transformation experienced an 18% improvement in guest satisfaction and a 23% rise in operational efficiency, as highlighted in a hospitality analysis. By positioning itself among the leading innovators of real-time booking and electronic payments, Set Your Sites reflects the broader shift toward convenient, tech-based traveler services.
As the firm stands poised for nationwide expansion, its leadership team continues to seek government prospects through channels such as the Small Business Innovation Research program. This approach aligns with a goal of serving larger sites, including some overseen by agencies that handle extensive campground infrastructures. Company materials describe these efforts as an opportunity to better integrate technology for reservation management in publicly funded parks.
Many operators throughout the outdoor hospitality field have begun exploring eco-focused strategies, including solar installations, LED lighting, and water-saving fixtures. Such measures can lower operational expenses and appeal to travelers who are conscious of environmental impact. Though not specifically tied to Set Your Sites, these broader industry shifts underscore a prevailing desire among campground administrators to blend sustainability with modern guest services.
The recognition from the Nebraska Business Development Center underscores the importance of local support for innovative startups. By providing specialized guidance to fledgling ventures, the center enables companies like Set Your Sites to gain traction in competitive markets. The collaboration with founding teams promotes the type of resource-sharing that can accelerate technology-driven solutions.
In the aftermath of the ceremony, Set Your Sites remains focused on refining strategies and building partnerships that can scale. The founders say they see untapped potential for serving not just recreational travelers but also anyone seeking reliable, user-friendly access to campsite availability. Leveraging the insights gained through customer discovery, they continue to shape features that meet the needs of operators and visitors alike.
Closing statements from leaders at Set Your Sites and those who recognized the company reflect optimism about the platform’s continued evolution. The practical challenges of campsite reservations—once hampered by paper systems and slow responses—are giving way to an efficient, data-driven process that helps campers and campground administrators alike.
In the outdoor hospitality sector, many successful operations have found that providing guests with user-friendly digital touchpoints can significantly improve satisfaction. For example, streamlined booking and check-in procedures can reduce administrative workloads while boosting overall loyalty. Connecting this with Set Your Sites’ real-time reservation and payment tools through automated welcome messages or post-visit surveys would position the platform as a broader digital engagement solution suited to a technology-driven guest journey.
Operators are also introducing eco-friendly enhancements, such as installing energy-efficient lighting or water-saving fixtures, to cut costs and attract environmentally conscious travelers. These wider hospitality trends indicate ways a platform like Set Your Sites could incorporate features or advisories that encourage sustainable practices. Doing so may strengthen relationships with larger campground systems that increasingly emphasize both technological modernization and resource preservation in serving today’s outdoor enthusiasts.