Fall 2014 - The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association

RV Shipments Rise
Through 3rd Quarter
“Good Things Ahead” for the Industry at
RVIA’s 52nd National RV Trade Show
Fueled by a surging RV market, “good
things are ahead” for the RV industry as it
looks to end the year on a high note and set
the stage for further growth in 2015 at the
52nd National RV Trade Show, scheduled
for Dec. 2 - 4 at the Kentucky Exposition
Center (KEC) in Louisville, KY,
The industry’s premiere trade event will
feature 57 manufacturers and 227 supplier
exhibitors showcasing the latest RV models,
innovative new products, and RV-related
services across more than 755,000 square
feet of exhibit space.
More than 8,000 RV industry executives,
including RV dealers, warehouse distributors, accessory store owners, campground
operators, and exhibitor personnel from
manufacturer and supplier companies, are
expected to attend.
“Just a few years ago, we met in
Louisville during tough economic times for
our nation and our industry. We talked
about having the resolve, perseverance and
optimism to make it through bad times to
reach the good, and it turns out we had
continued on page 4
Derald Bontrager Named RVIA Chairman
The RV market maintained a torrid pace
through the third quarter of 2014 with
total RV shipments rising to 271,352 units,
a 9.1% increase over the 248,623 units
shipped through September last year,
according to RVIA’s monthly survey.
RV manufacturers reported shipments to
retailers of 24,869 units in September this
year, which was 10.5% greater than the same
month one year ago. This marked the highest September shipment total in seven years
with gains recorded in each vehicle category.
Towable shipments have grown to
237,320 units through the first nine
months of the year, an increase of 8% over
the 219,682 units shipped in 2013.
Motorhome shipments saw the largest
percentage gain growing by 17.6% from
28,941 units in September 2013 to 34,032
units in September 2014.
The strong September shipments track
with the latest projections for the market in
RVIA’s Fall 2014 issue of RV Roadsigns, the
association’s quarterly forecasting newsletter
compiled by Dr. Richard Curtin of the
University of Michigan. Wholesale RV
shipments are expected to reach 349,900
units by the end of 2014, a gain of 9%
above the 2013 total of 321,200 units.
Shipments are also expected to edge higher
in 2015 to 361,700 units.
Derald Bontrager, president and CEO of Jayco,
Inc., (left) accepts the gavel from RVIA President
Coon (center) and Chairman Ex Officio Doug
Gaeddert (right), general manager for Forest
River, Inc., after being named chairman for fiscal year 2015 at RVIA’s September Board of
Directors meeting. Gaeddert had served as chairman for the past two years. For more information about the new RVIA Executive Committee
and other Board actions, see page 3.
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R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R
IN THIS I S S U E
Chairman Bontrager’s Column
2
Robust Sales at CA RV Show
7
Go RVing Touts Tailgating
8
Media Focuses on RV Tailgating
10
RVIA to Expand Tech Program
11
FA L L 2014
Chairman Derald Bontrager
Heads New Executive Committee
director, RV business for Cummins Power Generation; and First Vice
Chairman Bob Parish, vice president, manufacturer relations for GE
Capital. All officers began their one-year terms on Oct. 1.
Derald Bontrager, president and CEO of Jayco, Inc., was elected
RVIA Chairman of the Board for fiscal year 2015 during the association’s Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 24, 2014 at The St. Regis
Aspen Resort in Aspen, CO.
“The Board has elected one of the most well-liked and respected
leaders in the RV industry to be the association’s next chairman,” said
RVIA President Richard Coon. “Derald is a veteran of the RV industry and has been a very engaged member in the association for many
years. In that time, his insight and business expertise at Board and
committee meetings have been invaluable to the association. I am
looking forward to working with him in the coming year.”
Bontrager has served on the RVIA Board and on the Executive
Committee since 2009, holding the positions of First Vice Chairman,
Second Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. He has also served
as chairman of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Go
RVing Coalition, Public & Legislative Affairs Committee, Public
Relations Committee, RV Service Training Council, and Strategic
Planning Committee.
The RVIA Board of Directors also named other association officers
to join Chairman Bontrager on the Executive Committee, including
(l to r in photo) RVIA President Richard Coon; Secretary Kevin
Phillips, president of Thetford Corp.; Treasurer Matt Miller, president
of Newmar Corp.; Chairman Ex Officio Doug Gaeddert, general
manager of Forest River, Inc.; Second Vice Chairman Garry Enyart,
In other actions at their meeting, the RVIA Board of Directors:
• Approved Roadtrek’s request to have Paul Cassidy replace Jim
Hammill as their representative on the Board of Directors.
• Approved extending the “Technician in Training” (TNT) pilot
program and beginning work toward full implementation of
the effort throughout the United States by the end of calendar
year 2017.
• Selected Arizona as the site for the 2016 Annual Meeting with
the event date and location to be determined.
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R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R
3
“Good Things Ahead”
continued from page 1
those qualities in abundance,” said RVIA President Richard Coon.
“Our industry has grown five straight years, and we’re primed for a
sixth straight year in 2015. We’re back on track because we offer a
product that helps people get away from the stresses of daily life to
spend time building memories with loved ones.”
Outlook 2015
The National RV Trade Show will kick off with RVIA’s popular opening program, Outlook 2015: Good Things Ahead, taking place from
7:30 - 9:00 a.m. in the KEC South Wing Ballroom.
The free program starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast in the KEC’s
South Wing Mezzanine Ballroom. The event is hosted by RVIA
Chairman of the Board Derald Bontrager and will feature an outlook on
the industry prospects from RVIA President Richard Coon. There will
also be reports on the successes of RVIA’s public relations efforts and the
Go RVing national advertising campaign from a team that includes Go
RVing co-chairs Bob Wheeler and Tom Stinnett, RVIA PR Committee
Chair Chad Reece, RVDA President Phil Ingrassia and RVIA Vice
President of Marketing and Communications James Ashurst.
The Outlook 2015 breakfast and program are free for registered
attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Show registration will be
available in the South Wing Lobby C entrance prior to the event.
Seminars & Learning Opportunities
The National RV Trade Show will offer a robust seminar schedule
featuring sessions to help boost sales and improve technician training
(see page 6 for more information).
There are also other opportunities throughout the show where
attendees can learn about resources available to help them build their
businesses. Industry members can visit the Go RVing booth to find
out more about the industry’s national “AWAY” advertising campaign,
and how to use the program’s materials to bolster their own local promotional activities.
The RV Service Technician Education booth and RVDA’s booths
can provide information on the RVDA-RVIA RV Service Technician
Program as well as resources, such as self-paced textbooks and online
programs and testing, that make achieving certification easier than ever.
2014 National RV Trade Show Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 2
Wednesday, Dec. 3
Thursday, Dec. 4
4
7:30 am – 9:00 am
Outlook 2015: Good Things Ahead
KEC South Wing Mezzanine Level Ballroom
Complimentary Full Breakfast Served at 7:30 a.m.
9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Exhibit Floor Open
7:30 am – 9:00 am
Championship Selling in the New Economy
Marc Wayshak, Author, Game Plan Selling & Breaking All Barriers
West Hall Meeting Rooms 1&2; $25 Advance/$30 On-Site
Breakfast included; served at 7:30 am
8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Service & Parts Managers Training
Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only
8:00 am – The Attitude of Troubleshooting (Room C101)
10:00 am – Atwood Mobile Products New Product Overview (Room C104)
11:00 am – Lippert Components New Product Overview (Room C101)
1:00 pm – Theford Norcold New Product Overview (Room C104)
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
RV Technician Training
Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only
Thetford/Norcold New Product Training (Room C104)
9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Exhibit Floor Open
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
RV Technician Training
Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only
Lippert Components New Product Training (Room C101)
Session will focus on Strap Tek, Project 2000 Bedlift, Linc Pad, and Wastemaster
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
RV Technician Training
Sessions Open to Pre-registrants Only
Atwood Mobile Products New Product Training (Room C104)
Session will focus on Atwood Rapid Heat furnaces, Atwood Air Command air
conditioners, Atwood Helium refrigerators, Atwood On-Demand water heaters.
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Exhibit Floor Open
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“Championship Selling” Seminar Offers Insights to Rev Up Sales
Sales expert and author Mark
Wayshak will present the seminar
“Championship Selling in the
New Economy” at RVIA’s
National RV Trade Show on
Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 7:30
a.m. – 9:-00 a.m. in the in West Hall Meeting
Rooms 1&2.
In today’s technology saturated world, the internet has changed
everything for business prospects and the salespeople who hope to win
their business. It also creates a tremendous opportunity for those with
the right strategy designed to dramatically increase sales.
In this program, Wayshak will stress how winning the business of
well-informed prospects is very similar to winning in sports. The
interactive program will focus on how salespeople can distinguish
themselves from the competition; use a powerful system to close sales
more quickly and with greater frequency; develop a playbook of
prospecting activities; and think like a championship salesperson to
optimize success in all aspects of business.
Marc Wayshak is the author of Game Plan Selling and Breaking
All Barriers and a weekly contributor to The Huffington Post business section. He created the Game Plan Selling System based on his
experiences as an All-American athlete, Ivy League graduate, start-up
entrepreneur, and years of research, training and selling.
The cost for each session is $25 in advance or $35 onsite and
includes breakfast, in-person training and a follow-up webinar. For
more information, contact Huyen Deng in RVIA’s Shows department
at (703) 620-6003, ext. 305 or hdang@rvia.org.
10:00 am – 11:00 am/Room C104 – “Atwood Mobile Products New Product Overview” – Atwood Mobile Produces will present an
overview of the features and benefits of the new rapid heat furnaces,
air command air conditioners, helium refrigerators, and on-demand
water heaters in a session designed for parts and service managers.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm/Room C101 – “Lippert Components - New
Product Overview” – Lippert Components will offer an overview of
the features and benefits for service and parts managers of new aftermarket products including new advancements in waste management,
towing products, steps, and sleep solutions for the motorized and
towable RV markets.
RVIA Offering Free RV
Technical Training Track
RVIA will offer a free comprehensive track of technical training seminars from some of the industry’s leading supplier companies during
the National RV Trade Show and is providing a $200 payment to RV
dealerships that have service personnel attend the sessions.
Targeting RV technicians as well as parts and service managers, the
seven seminars will take place from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
Dec. 3, and Thursday, Dec. 4. Participants will receive certificates and
continuing education credits for each session attended. There is no
charge to attend the seminars, and RVIA will offer RV dealers a $200
stipend to help offset some of the cost of bringing RV technical personnel to the show for the seminars. The seminar sessions include:
Wednesday, December 3
8:00 am – 10:00 am/Room C101 – “The Attitude of Troubleshooting
presented by Gary Bunzer, the RV Doctor” – Often times there is very
little difference between an outstanding RV service shop and a mediocre
shop, but that little difference can make a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it’s positive or contrary.
The same holds true for the individual service technician, especially in
the approach taken when troubleshooting a seemingly complex technical
problem. This session is geared for RV Service Managers to take and
then present it to their technicians in their own service facility.
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R V I A T O D AY
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm/Room C104 – “Thetford/Norcold - New
Product Overview” – Thetford and Norcold will provide an overview
of the features and benefits of large gas absorption refrigerators, small
refrigeration units, and sanitation evacuation systems for service and
parts managers.
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm/Room C104 – “Thetford/Norcold - New
Product Technician Training” – This session from Thetford and
Norcold will offer in-depth, hands-on technical training for RV
technicians and service center employees on large gas absorption
refrigerators, small refrigeration units, and sanitation evacuation
systems.
Thursday, December 4
8:00 am – 12:00 pm/Room C101 – “Lippert Components - New
Product Technician Training” – Lippert Components will provide
in-depth, hands-on technical training for RV technicians and service
center employees on the StrapTek weight distribution system; the
Project 2000 Bedlift; the Linc Pad control hub; and the Wastemaster
sewer hose and storage device.
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm/Room C104 – “Atwood Mobile Products New Product Technician Training” – Atwood Mobile Products will
provide in-depth, hands-on technical training for RV technicians and
service center employees on the Atwood Rapid Heat Furnaces;
Atwood Air Command Air Conditioners; Atwood Helium
Refrigerators; and Atwood On-Demand Water Heaters.
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California RV Show Marked by
Larger Crowds, Strong Sales
affordability concerns of buying an RV. People were coming to the
show ready to buy,” said Nick Morgan, vice president of RV Spa in
Upland, CA and RV Ready in Temecula, CA. “We had a wide range
of customers from across the board from young families to retirees.
Strong attendance and robust sales activity highlighted the 62nd
California RV Show, held Oct. 10-19 at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA. And, they were buying all product types with our high-line fifth
wheels drawing a little stronger interest.”
Total attendance at the 10-day retail event was
“In speaking with manufacturer and dealers, every33,269 attendees, a 15% jump over the 28,894
“Sales were running one was very happy with the sales activity and the posattendees last year.
itive attitudes of consumers,” said Bob Parish, RVIA’s
“The show got off to a strong start during our
stronger than last
first vice chairman and GE Capital’s vice president of
opening weekend with more than 18,000 attenmanufacturer relations. “Sales were running stronger
dees on hand, and we just saw a steady rise in our year...and there was
gate throughout the rest of the show, said Tom
activity at all price than last year, which was very good, and there was
activity at all price points. By any measure, it was a
Gaither, RVIA’s western show director. “What is
points...it was a
great show.”
even more encouraging than the attendance figThe California RV Show is the largest event of its
great show.”
ures was the high level of business activity and the
kind on the West Coast with exhibit space totaling
strong interest among consumers about RV travel
800,000 square feet and 1,200 RVs on display.
and camping.”
RVIA will debut a Spring California RV Show next spring, taking
“We had our best California RV Show ever. It was obvious that
place from April 15 - 19 at the Fairplex. The 63rd California RV
people are upbeat, excited and ready to RV again. There weren’t the
Show is set for Oct. 9 - 18, also at the Fairplex.
worries we’ve seen that last several years about the economy and the
RVIA Technical Groups Review
Standards Issues
RVIA’s four Technical Subcommittees – Heating, Electrical,
Plumbing and Fire & Life Safety – met the week of Oct. 6 in Ft.
Myers, FL to address a number of RV standards-related topics.
The Subcommittees began work on the 2017 version of applicable
standards by reviewing proposed changes to the NFPA 1192, ANSI
LV, and NEC codes. In addition, the groups also reviewed
Handbook Updates based on the 2014 editions of standards along
with an array of other technical issues that have surfaced since their
meeting in October of last year.
All action taken by the Technical Subcommittees will be reviewed
by RVIA’s Standards Steering Committee.
These meeting also marked the first meeting for newly appointed
chairs for the four subcommittees:
• Heating Technical Subcommittee – Joe Kleinknight, Keystone
RV replaced Leslie Woodward, Fairview Fitting &
Manufacturing
• Electrical Technical Subcommittee – Tom Philpot, Progressive
Dynamics replaced Craig Floyd, TRC.
• Plumbing Technical Subcommittee – Bob Headrick, DEHCO,
Inc., replaced Dale Jordal, Winnebago Industries.
• Fire & Life Safety Technical Subcommittee – Jeff McCoy,
Parallax Power Supply replaced Rick McCoy, Cequent Towing
Products.
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Go RVing, Sports Illustrated
Tour Touts RV Tailgating
The Sports Illustrated (SI) on Campus Tailgate Tour presented by Go RVing
is introducing college football fans and other consumers to RV travel
and camping as it travels to top college football matchups this fall.
Through the tour’s first seven stops, more than 30,000 people have
participated in the tailgates with over 5,000 people touring the
Fleetwood Storm Game Day edition motorhome and Keystone Bullet
travel trailer that are the centerpieces of the event.
The Sports Illustrated (SI) on Campus Tailgate Tour presented
by Go RVing is a high-impact, on-site consumer event that
showcases RVs as ideal tailgate vehicles and provides fans the
opportunity to tour the units. In addition to the fan-accessible RVs, there are also cooking demonstrations with celebrity
chefs, fan games and giveaways, and autograph and photo
opportunities with Sports Illustrated personalities and college
football alumni.
“It is a tremendously fun, vibrant atmosphere that draws consumers
in and gives them a taste of what RV tailgating is all about,” said
James Ashurst, RVIA vice president of communications and marketing. “We’re very pleased with the exposure the tour is generating
among a demographic that is in our target market.”
The “Elevate Your Tailgate” online sweepstakes is also a key element
of the tour with the grand prize winner awarded a Fleetwood Storm
motorhome and ten first place prize winners receiving Go RVing
swag bags and YETI coolers. The sweepstakes has generated 345,430
entries with more than 11,000 consumers opting in to receive more
information about RV travel and camping from Go RVing.
As part of the tour, Go RVing content and video coverage of the
tour stops will appear on Sports Illustrated website properties and
their social media outlets. The Go RVing Tailgate Tour hub has
had over 200,000 visitors to the site, where they can more get
information on the tour stops and the featured teams while they
are exposed to RV messaging.
For more information on the tour, visit www.si.com/sports-illustrated-tailgate-tour.
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R V I A T O D AY
R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R
New HUD Rule
Interpretation
Threatens Future of
Park Model RV Class
RVIA along with RVDA and ARVC are continuing to work jointly on legislative remedies to address a new interpretation by the
US Department of Housing and Urban
Development’s (HUD) that threatens the
future of the park model RV class and give
Congress an opportunity to clarify, once and
for all, a bright line between RVs and manufactured housing.
In October, HUD’s Office of Manufactured
Housing Programs Administrator Pamela
Danner issued a memorandum regarding the
way in which park model RVs (PMRVs) are
measured, effectively rolling back decades of
precedent. The document asserts that HUD
views the 400 square foot park model RV
limit as including porches, a common feature
of PMRVs. It further states that HUD will
commence reviewing for compliance to this
new interpretation on units that enter the first
stage of production on or after April 1, 2015.
“HUD suggests that this interpretation is
in keeping with past guidance from the
department,” said Matt Wald, RVIA’s executive director of Park Model RVs. “For over
20 years, RV manufacturers, dealers, campgrounds and consumers operated in good
faith under the guidance of the HUD Office
of Manufactured Housing’s repeated assurances that, because they are exterior space,
porches were not included in the square
footage calculation of park model RVs. This
position was consistently repeated to the
industry and is clearly captured in minutes
from a HUD meeting.”
In response to HUD’s actions, the entire
RV and campground industries have come
together to appeal to HUD Secretary Julian
Castro to withdraw this Memorandum. The
issue has already gained traction in Congress,
where Representatives Marlin Stutzman (IN3) and Jackie Walorski (IN-2) recently introduced legislation (H.R. 5658) to do just that.
“Congressman Stutzman and
Congresswoman Walorski are true champions for the RV industry,” said Wald. “Their
bill would clearly define all RV types and
establish clear lines between RVs and manufactured housing in a way that cannot be
reinterpreted every time there is a personnel
change at HUD.”
Wald said that the RV and campground
industries will be calling on RV manufacturR V I A T O D AY
ers, dealers, campground owners and consumer groups to push for enactment of the
legislation as quickly as possible.
The RV and campground industries have
not enjoyed solid legislative or regulatory certainty on these types of issues and have
instead been forced to rely on a series of
HUD administrators continuing to interpret
rules as their predecessors had.
Understanding this tenuous situation, RVIA
has, since 2008, been working with HUD in
attempts to clarify the definition of RVs
under the RV exemption to make it crystal
clear what an RV is and is not. While HUD
chose not to provide that clarity, until this
recent development, the industry was allowed
to continue operating as it always had.
“This new interpretation of HUD policy,
issued as a simple Memorandum has proven
just how vulnerable the RV industry is to the
whims of HUD regulators and illustrates why
legislation is needed to provide a clear distinction to the RV industry,” added Wald.
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9
An RVIA-produced satellite media
tour conducted at America’s
Largest RV Show in Hershey, PA.
generated major media attention
for the RV industry nationwide
by focusing on the popularity of RV tailgating.
The satellite tour allowed local media outlets around
the country to conduct interviews with tour spokesman,
former NFL star and avid RV enthusiast Matt Light.
Light used the interviews to describe the comfort
and convenience of RV tailgating, and deftly delivered
key messages about how RVs provide a fun and costeffective way for families to travel.
“I’m an RV owner myself,” Light said. “There’s no
way I’d rather travel than in our motorhome. We can
pack up the four kids and all the pets we want to
bring, and just hit the road. There’s always an adventure over the next hill or around the next corner.”
During the morning at Hershey, Light conducted
22 interviews in an array of markets, including
Philadelphia, Tampa, San Diego, Kansas City, San
Antonio, Omaha, and Chattanooga. He was also interviewed on eight nationally syndicated programs.
In total, through the end of September, the satellite
media tour had generated more than 300 broadcast airings in 191 media markets, and has reached a total
audience of nearly 28 million.
Satellite Media Tour
Highlights RV Tailgating
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10
R V I A T O D AY
R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R
RVIA Will Roll
Out TNT Program
Nationally
RVIA will begin
work to expand
the “Technician
in Training”
(TNT) program
nationally by the end calendar 2017 after the
success the pilot effort had regionally over
the past year.
The pilot program was launched last year
to increase the awareness of and participation
in industry technician training and certification programs by having field representatives
call directly on RV dealerships to educate
management and technicians about educational opportunities.
During the test period, the program
focused on three-regional areas that included
the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon
and Idaho); the South Central (Texas and
Louisiana) and Upper Midwest (Minnesota
and parts of Wisconsin). RVIA’s Wade
Greenwood and Connie Acord worked
with individual dealerships in these areas to
determine training needs and schedule educational sessions taught by RVIA member
companies on-site at RV dealerships.
During the pilot program, 180 RV dealerships were visited with 610 RV technicians
participating in 44 training events. The
RVIA-member companies that provided over
320 hours of hands-on training included
Atwood Mobile Products; Airxcel/Coleman;
Dometic Corp.; Lippert Components;
Thetford/Norcold; and Suburban Mfg.
RV dealers who participated in the pilot
program were encouraged by the results. “It
was fantastic, absolutely fantastic,” said Mike
Urain, customer care manager with Russ
Dean RV in Pasco, WA. “Our staff really
liked the training. The presenters did a great
job communicating. This type of approach is
what we have needed.”
“The program is tremendous” added Mike
Regan, president of Crestview RV in Austin,
TX. “Everyone wins when our technicians
are better trained. Our dealership wins, the
RV manufacturer wins, and, most of all, the
RV owners win. When RVers have a good
experience on the service area, they are more
likely to purchase another RV.”
Next year, the program is expected to
expand into the remainder of Wisconsin,
Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota
and Nebraska in the Midwest and Nevada,
R V I A T O D AY
Utah and northern California in the West.
The biggest expansion will take place in
2016 with southern California, Arizona,
Colorado, western Montana and southern
Wyoming in the West; Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, and Florida in the South;
Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky in
the Midwest; and Virginia, Maryland,
Delaware and West Virginia in the East.
In 2017, the final expansion will target
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey
in the Northeast and eastern Montana and
southern Wyoming in the West.
“We’re really excited to roll out the TNT
program across the nation over the next three
years,” said Sharonne Lee, RVIA’s director of
education. “The success of the pilot program
in bringing training directly to the dealership
and their service employees indicates that this
could provide a huge boost to our industry’s
educational outreach.”
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1896 Preston White Drive
P.O. 2999
Reston, VA 20195-0999
www.rvia.org
Address Service Requested
RVIA
Schedules 2015
RVIA Schedules
afternoon and feature reports on association activities from RVIA
Chairman Derald Bontrager and RVIA President Richard Coon. The
day concludes with the Chairman’s Reception and Dinner honoring
past chairman Doug Gaeddert.
The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota is a full-service resort property located
on the waterfront of Sarasota Bay in a community that is rich with
cultural and natural beauty. It offers state-of-the art meeting facilities
as well as a wide range of activities and dining options.
For more information about the RVIA Annual Meeting, contact
the association’s Meeting department at (703) 620-6003, ext. 305.
2015 Annual
Meeting
Annual
Meeting
RVIA has scheduled the association’s 2015 Annual Meeting for
March 10 - 11, 2015 at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota in Sarasota, FL.
Annual Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to discuss
association activities, attend informative seminars, and network with
business colleagues.
“RVIA’s Annual Meeting is an ideal venue for our members to
become more involved in the association and to participate in the discussions addressing both industry challenges and individual concerns,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “This year’s event will
feature a combination of committee meetings, seminars, presentations
and networking events that will provide information and ideas to
help members plan for 2015 and beyond.”
The tentative schedule includes the arrival of Executive Committee
and Board members on Monday, March 9. The following day,
Tuesday, March 10, will be the major day of arrival for Annual
Meeting attendees and will also feature the Executive Committee and
Board of Directors meetings, and the popular Welcome Reception.
A trio of seminars will take place the morning of Wednesday,
March 11. RVIA’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held that
12
R V I A T O D AY
2015
March 10 – 11 RVIA 2015 Annual Meeting
Sarasota, FL
April 15 – 19 California Spring RV Show
Pomona, CA
May 31 – June 4 RVIA Committee Week
Washington, DC
Oct. 9 – 18 California RV Show
Pomona, CA
Dec. 1 – 3 National RV Trade Show
Louisville, CA
R E C R E A T I O N V E H I C L E I N D U S T R Y A S S O C I A T I O N Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R