ARVC Blog Archive

It’s impossible to predict when a crisis will occur that can disrupt the operation of your park, whether that crisis involves a public health emergency, a major weather event or other serious situation. So it’s a good idea to have a plan in place for marketing your park and communicating with campers during challenging times so you’ll be well prepared to take action.

US House leaders from both sides of the aisle expressed optimism Thursday afternoon about what will hopefully be swift passage of the emergency $2.2 trillion relief bill aimed at mitigating the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The last remaining hurdle is a possible procedural issue that could delay sending the measure to President Trump.

A coalition of the RV park and campground industry’s leading organizations, led by the National Association of RV Parks and Campground’s (ARVC) Business Forum, announced today their collective efforts to advance advocacy in Washington for RV parks and campgrounds across the United States during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

ARVC announces a series of interactive webinars focused on helping RV park and campground owners and operators deal with the current health emergency. The series will provide resources, tools and strategies from experts to safely and effectively manage a campground through this situation.

The webinars will take place every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. ET, beginning this Thursday, March 19 with “Planning and Marketing During an Emergency.” The webinar series is open to everyone in the industry and registration is free. To register, visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jVgxAPMiQZOhgwIRasb5UQ.

March is National Women’s History Month, so we thought this would be the perfect time to honor all of the smart, talented, hard-working women who have helped make the outdoor hospitality industry the success that it is today. We wish we had the space to recognize each one of them individually (that would be one seriously long blog post), but since we don’t, here’s a sampling of the many amazing women who contribute so much to our industry.

Are you thinking of buying or building your own campground? If so, your timing is great —you’re choosing to enter an industry that’s growing at a rapid rate. According to the 2019 State of the Industry Report published by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), the outdoor recreation industry contributes over $25.6 BILLION dollars to the GDP annually!  

Continuing an industry-wide trend of growth, the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) set another record for attendance, this time at the National School of RV Park and Campground Management. This year, 85 attendees made the trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C for the school (Feb. 24-27), learning best practices and management techniques from industry experts.

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) has announced the launch of the ARVC Career Center, a first-in-the-industry online tool designed to help businesses find and recruit qualified employees and allow job seekers to view new opportunities in the outdoor hospitality industry.

Are you interested in getting involved in ARVC’s advocacy efforts to help ensure a strong future for our industry? Here’s your chance.

An advocacy effort led by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) that took more than eight months finally secured a vital victory in late December as the National Fire Protection Agency Standards Council approved a Tentative Interim Amendment (TIA) to the 2020 National Electric Code (NEC) regarding the use of GFCI protection on 30- and 50-amp receptacles on RV park site equipment. 

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) announces its NFPA 1194® Completion Certification class will be available on Monday, Feb. 10, making it the first class available as part of the new ARVC Online Education Portal.

Are you considering getting into the campground business or are you in the process of building or buying a park? There’s a lot to learn, and as the saying goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” But now, there’s an easy way to tap into the knowledge and experience of industry experts to get answers to your questions. For the first time, the National Association of RV Parks and Campground (ARVC) is offering a workshop exclusively for prospective campground owners.

The three-day workshop will be held on May 4-6 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The 2019 Industry Trends and Insights Report, released Monday by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, includes numerical data to support anecdotal evidence of the campground industry expanding rapidly in the past five years and an expectation of even greater growth in the next 12 months.

The ARVC Foundation announces six scholarship recipients for the National School of RV Park & Campground Management in Myrtle Beach, S.C. National School is a high-quality educational program that focuses on business management principles and practices as applied to the RV park and campground industry. The program brings leading industry experts into the classroom to provide attendees with the skills and expertise they need to make a positive impact on their campground and in the industry.

As we make plans for another great year in the hospitality industry, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of our most popular posts from 2019. As you scroll through them, you’ll meet some of your fellow ARVC members, learn about what makes their parks so unique and maybe even pick up a few ideas for your own park!

As the economy continues to climb and Americans, especially millennials, across the country are camping in record numbers, discovering ways to gain a competitive edge should be at the forefront of any outdoor hospitality establishment's business strategy. What's the trick to capturing the business of millennials? According to industry expert Brad Illich, it's embracing technology to provide unforgettable guest stays throughout the entire customer journey.

Recently, requirements set in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) related to access to buildings and physical locations have begun to be applied to websites. Companies working to comply with these requirements must often navigate a frustrating maze of conflicting information and confusing terminology.

The following information, while not legal guidance, is intended to assist our members in making sure your website is accessible to everyone.

Giving Tuesday is a global giving movement that has brought millions of people together to support and champion the causes they believe in and the communities in which they live. The ARVC Foundation is a proud participant in Giving Tuesday, which will take place this year on Tuesday, December 3.

Record attendance at the Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) translated directly to the Expo floor, with vendors at 140 booths able to share their products and services to almost 1,000 visitors.

A special thanks to everyone who joined us in beautiful Knoxville, Tenn. on November 4-7 for our annual Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE).  It was great to see so many familiar faces and to welcome so many new friends who are now in the process of building or opening new parks. We set an all-time attendance record this year, which shows just how much our industry is growing and thriving!

The 2019 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) shattered modern attendance records, drawing large crowds to Knoxville, Tenn. for the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ (ARVC) annual conference. 

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) named this year’s best parks at the 2019 Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE), held November 4-7 in Knoxville, Tenn. 

You have a lot to gain by getting more involved in our great industry. Not only will you have an opportunity to learn from your peers and share your own ideas and expertise, you’ll be able to tap into networking opportunities that could easily lead to lifelong friendships!

Need another reason to get doggone excited for the Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo? The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) and Jamestown Advanced Products have united to bring an interactive dog run into the Knoxville Convention Center, promising to give attendees at OHCE the chance to “Paws for a Break” and cuddle with dogs from local no-kill animal shelters. 

Everything you need to know about the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo now fits in one hand.  

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) has announced a new, official smartphone app for OHCE2019, providing attendees with up-to-date information throughout the week, highlighted by the ability to customize schedules to sync with phone calendars, session reminders, education overviews, speaker bios and a fully interactive Expo floor map.  

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) is pleased to announce Staylist as the latest industry supplier to join the ARVC Integrated Partnership Program. Staylist has signed on as a Select Partner for the next 12 months beginning November 1.

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) created the Plan-It Green Friendly Park Program to incentivize and reward parks that participate in eco-friendly and sustainable practices, offering recognition including two Plan-It Green Park of the Year awards each year. In an effort to continue these initiatives at an organizational level, ARVC is making this year’s Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) its most environmentally-friendly event yet.