On Tuesday (November 5), Newbook and OHI held the second Outdoor Hospitality Innovators Summit (OHIS) at the Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) 2024 in Oklahoma City. This year’s summit aimed to equip campground owners with practical strategies to enhance operations and foster a high-performance business culture.
Erin Stevenson of Newbook moderated the event, joined by speakers Kathleen Walsh from Advanced Outdoor Management and Courtney Maldin from Lakewood Camping Resort. The summit attracted industry leaders and campground owners interested in implementing data-driven solutions, improving team communication, and expanding revenue streams.
The summit emphasized the importance of using data to guide business decisions for campground owners and operators. Stevenson highlighted demographic trends within the industry, noting that millennials generate 44% of revenue for many campgrounds, while Gen Z presents new opportunities requiring targeted engagement.
The event also encouraged operators to continuously analyze their data to adapt to shifts in guest preferences and ensure a balanced approach across demographics.
“You may have a demographic change there. But once I understand what’s important to me and what I’m trying to do, what’s my successful strategy behind it? I need to make sure that I’ve got targets that are achievable and that my team is going to come on the journey with me. So I need to make sure I’ve got the right type of KPIs in place,” Stevenson explained.
The summit also explored strategies to attract a diverse customer base, especially during seasonal changes, emphasizing the importance of targeting millennials while maintaining appeal for baby boomers.
A key topic of the summit was team empowerment. The summit stressed the value of consistent communication and direct engagement with team members for a successful campground operation.
Speakers underscored the role of a strong team culture in creating a high-performance business. The summit encouraged operators to engage employees in setting goals, providing a sense of ownership in the business’s direction. Consistent recognition, such as team-building activities or small rewards, can motivate employees and reinforce a supportive work environment for campground operations.
Walsh also shared her approach to staff mentoring, describing how hands-on guidance can shift employee mindsets. “Mentoring them is really big for us, leading by example. I will clean the bathroom, I will pick up the dogs too. When I was in all of my parks this past time if I’m walking the dog and I saw trash, I picked it up,” Walsh shared.
Participants also discussed revenue-generating ideas, urging campground operators to explore services tailored to different demographic preferences. Stevenson suggested that enhancing the guest journey through strategic connection points, like SMS and email communications, can create memorable experiences and build loyalty.
Effective resource allocation was another focus, with Maldin advising campground operators to prioritize investments based on return potential. She illustrated this with an example of choosing to delay laundromat upgrades in favor of infrastructure improvements, stressing that adaptive resource allocation maximizes operational efficiency.
“Your laundromat can wait another year. Let’s put this money into something else that needs attention, right? So it’s shifting your mind and making sure that you and your team are on the same plane. So that your operation is still,” Maldin said.
To support these strategies, Stevenson introduced a matrix for prioritizing tasks based on benefits, effort, and resources. This tool enables campground owners to evaluate initiatives, like upgrading booking systems or introducing social media campaigns, to align with their long-term goals.
In a press release, Shaun Cornelius, CEO of Newbook, conveyed excitement about the summit, emphasizing the positive reception from attendees at last year’s event.
“This year’s theme, Pillars of a High-Performance Business, will provide tools and strategies for properties to innovate, build customer-centric solutions, and leverage data-driven decisions,” Cornelius shared.
OHCE2024 is underway at the Oklahoma Convention Center and is expected to conclude on Wednesday, November 6.
Featured image by Brian Searl/Modern Campground
