As the year begins to wind down, the industry outlook naturally shifts. Modern Campground invites you to prepare for the next wave of campers and explore how economic changes directly translate into new revenue on the latest episode of MC Fireside Chats, airing live on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 2 PM ET.
As part of our Week 1 focus on Industry Trends & Insights, this episode provides a comprehensive deep dive into the latest trends, market analysis, and insights into the outdoor hospitality industry. Special guest Ben Hirsch, COO of Campers Inn RV, will explore how the latest RV market trends translate into concrete revenue opportunities for campground owners. Attendees will discover actionable ways to leverage these macroeconomic shifts to optimize their property investments and attract new traveler demographics.
Joining the conversation is host Brian Searl, founder and CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground. He is accompanied by a robust recurring panel of campground data analysts and association leaders: Eleonore Hamm (President, RVDA of Canada), Simon Neal (Founder & CEO, CampMap), Phil Ingrassia (Executive Director, RVDA), Rafael Correa (President & CFO, Blue Water Development Corp), Scott Bahr (President, Cairn Consulting Group), Miguel Huerta (President, Asociación Mexicana de Glamping), and Michael Moore (Assistant Executive Director, Texas Association of Campground Owners).
Their collective insights will be invaluable for operators looking to navigate the changing economy and capitalize on new market realities. Tune in live November 4th at 2 PM ET to unlock new strategies for your campground’s future at https://mcfiresidechats.com/.
October 28th, 2026 Episode Recap
Brian Searl kicks off another engaging episode of MC Fireside Chats, broadcasting from Calgary where the snowy weather and a few technical difficulties with his studio setup have forced him to innovate on the fly. Despite the chilly elements and operating strictly from his phone, Brian welcomes a specialized panel of guests for the week four artificial intelligence and technology-focused broadcast. The conversation promises a deep dive into the current state of outdoor hospitality technology, bringing together diverse perspectives from the worlds of marketing, real estate, and property management software development.
Brian first introduces Sarah Stahl, a hospitality marketing strategist based in Northern Alabama who brings a wealth of varied experience to the panel. Sarah shares her extensive background, having spent the last decade working across multiple facets of the tourism industry, including time at an online travel agency and a startup treehouse resort. Currently, she works independently to help outdoor hospitality operators boost their direct demand through creative marketing systems and by thoroughly auditing and cleaning up their technology stacks.
Matt Whitermore is introduced next, taking the opportunity to announce his brand new role as the Managing Director at Travo, an AI-native commercial real estate brokerage. He explains that his company leverages artificial intelligence to assist buyers, investors, and developers in site selection and acquisitions across the outdoor hospitality sector. Matt expresses his excitement about helping glamping developers and RV park operators find the perfect raw land or tired campgrounds to reimagine, seamlessly blending his deep real estate investment background with his growing obsession for AI technology.
Rounding out the panel is Sherise Gumbs, who brings a highly unique cybersecurity background to the table, having spent a decade securing major companies across the United States and Canada. She recently founded CampGuide, a new campground management software company designed to challenge the industry’s technological status quo. When pressed by Brian about why the industry needs yet another property management system, Sherise explains that CampGuide functions more as a comprehensive operational system rather than just a transaction engine, highlighting highly specific features like granular comp codes for influencers and robust marketing team permissions.
The panel quickly dives deep into the frustrations surrounding current property management systems in the outdoor hospitality space. Sarah Stahl points out a critical flaw in the industry, noting that most major platforms were not originally built with day-to-day operations in mind. Because these legacy systems were built primarily to process reservations and generate booking fees, operators are constantly running into operational roadblocks. This fundamental disconnect leads to endless feature wishlists that disconnected software companies struggle to fulfill as properties attempt to scale.
Matt Whitermore openly declares himself somewhat anti-SaaS, expressing his disdain for the traditional software purchasing experience that many operators endure. He criticizes the common industry practice of software sales teams overpromising capabilities during polished demos, only to severely underdeliver once the operator is locked into a long-term contract. Furthermore, Matt laments the current customer service culture in software, arguing that support teams are often focused entirely on closing support tickets as quickly as their metrics demand, rather than genuinely solving the customer’s underlying operational problems.
The conversation naturally shifts to the integration of artificial intelligence and the absolute necessity of open APIs. Matt Whitermore expresses his ultimate desire for software that can be entirely operated by AI agents like Claude or Codex, allowing him to bypass clunky user interfaces altogether. However, Brian Searl shares a frustrating anecdote about a major software provider that suddenly restricted its API access after a year of integration work. Brian suggests that many software companies are panicking and locking down their data to prevent AI bots from overwhelming their support systems or aggressively scraping their public rates.
Sherise Gumbs validates these technological frustrations by sharing her recent experiences testing various major campground management tools on the market. She expresses disbelief at the clunky nature of some leading platforms, revealing that one major system required users to download a CSV file, manually edit it, and re-upload it just to change their nightly rates. She adds that basic tasks like altering a cancellation policy often require submitting a support ticket that can take up to a week to resolve, a delay that CampGuide specifically aims to eliminate by giving owners full, immediate control over their own configurations.
Sarah Stahl steers the dialogue toward the industry’s significant educational gap, observing that many campground operators do not approach their businesses with a modern e-commerce mindset. She notes that while the short-term rental industry aggressively pursues direct demand and marketing optimization, many campground owners passively rely on online travel agencies to fill their sites. Brian Searl argues that industry associations bear a large portion of the responsibility for this knowledge gap, criticizing the tendency of conferences to recycle the same speakers year after year rather than seeking out truly innovative educational content.
Building on the topic of industry conferences, Sarah Stahl points out a structural issue with the current educational model, noting that many speaking slots are essentially paid for by the vendors themselves. She argues that this pay-to-play model transforms what should be purely educational seminars into thinly veiled sales pitches. Matt Whitermore agrees, noting the highly political nature of associations and the need for pure education, though Brian Searl offers a counterpoint by praising KOA for strictly utilizing its own internal staff to teach educational sessions, effectively eliminating the vendor sales pitch dynamic from their classrooms.
Matt Whitermore addresses the harsh reality preventing many campground owners from adopting artificial intelligence to solve these operational woes. He explains that learning to effectively use AI requires a significant investment of time and a temporary clearing of one’s desk, a luxury that most mom-and-pop operators simply do not have. With operators facing explosive increases in labor, insurance, and utility costs alongside declining transient demand, Matt acknowledges that putting out the daily fires of running a campground naturally takes precedence over learning new technological skills.
As the episode draws to a close, Sarah Stahl unfortunately drops off the call due to internet connectivity issues, leaving the remaining panelists to wrap up the discussion. Brian Searl gives the remaining guests an opportunity to share their final thoughts and promote their respective ventures to the audience. Sherise Gumbs directs listeners to CampGuide.app, emphasizing her desire to help campgrounds open their doors to more campers through highly customizable software. Matt Whitermore invites viewers to visit TravoAI.com for their commercial real estate needs, expressing a hopeful outlook for the future of the industry despite his earlier criticisms. Finally, Brian Searl wraps up the broadcast, noting that he and Scott Bahr will be taking a brief hiatus from their Outwired show before returning for future episodes of MC Fireside Chats.
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: Building Park Value
- Week 3: Business Operations & Management
- Week 4: Marketing, AI and Technology
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: https://mcfiresidechats.com/
