WCM's Park Update

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, checks in with Christine Taylor, a principal partner at The Towne Law Firm, P.C. in Albany, N.Y., to see how her park's 2024 season is going and on other legal issues facing the industry. In 2022, Taylor, along with her mother, purchased a campground in upstate New York and transformed it into the Catskill Mountains / Gilboa KOA Ho...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, explores the recent announcement that Harvest Hosts has acquired the Escapees RV Club. Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts, highlights the impetus of acquiring the club, explores what his future plans are for both organizations and also tackles questions on how the industry is doing. Learn more about Harvest Hosts at  https://www.harves...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Billie McNamara, the general manager of Loon's Haven Family Campground in Naples, Maine, about the 2024 season and trends she has noticed.  McNamara highlights the parks location, tis unique seasonal setup, new additions to the park, how camper behaviors have changed and more. The episode also touches on hiring issues, m...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Garrett Weber-Gale, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who still holds the 400 freestyle relay world record in swimming along with teammates Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak. After success in the 2008 Olympics, Weber-Gale explored business and hospitality, eventually opening Gather Campground in Belton, Texas, with...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Mark Lemoine, the co-owner of the Coloma/St. Jospeh KOA Holiday in St. Joseph, Mich., to catch up on how the parks 2024 season is going so far. Lemoine describes improvements the park has made, what traffic at the park has been like and challenges that park owners in the Mitten State are facing. He also dives into future pla...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electrical Products, chats with Scott Nielson, the developer and owner of the Zion Utah Jellystone Park — the first Jellystone Park in the state of Utah. Built in a desert area, the park is like an oasis featuring a full water park and a variety of family-focused amenities. Nielson chats to WCM about the challenges he faced developing the park, about the...

This week, Tyson Leavitt made his name in a Netflix show where he built a playhouse for Steph Curry's kids, but his best creative work has come at Charmed Resorts , a magical glamping escape in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Charmed Resorts is truly a one-of-a-kind site that has to be seen to be believed. Tune in to hear the story of how it happened. Visit Charmed Resorts: https://charmedresorts.ca...

WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by Midwest Electric Products, chats with Daniel Mulcahy, the co-founder of USA Camping Company, about his journey into the outdoor hospitality industry and the growth of USA Camping’s portfolio. With over 10 parks, USA Camping offers a variety of locations spread across the U.S. Mulcahy elaborates on the philosophy of the system, challenges it has faces as it continues...

WCM's Park Update chats with Kevin Thueson, a co-founder and partner of KCN Campgrounds, which owns nearly a dozen Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) franchised parks throughout the U.S. Thueson talks about how he entered the outdoor hospitality industry, the formation of KCN, how KCN continues to grow and what the future holds for the company. He also dives into challenges the industry faces a...

This episode is a marketing masterclass from Conrad O'Connell, of BuildUp Bookings. He takes us through the five key facets for successfully marketing a glamping business. Want to invest in Posh Outdoors, our brand-new glamping startup? Email nick@posh-outdoors.com for more info, or visit our deal page: https://posh.dealpage.io/ Take our "Do You Have What it Takes to Start a Glamping Busi...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Care Camps Foundation, chats with Andy Cates, the founder of RVC Outdoor Destinations, about the growth of RVC and the addition of a new resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Cates also chats about the current development market, the influx of new owners and investors, and how that is impacting the industry. He also dives into the need for better segmentation, so that campe...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, chats with Emily Simmons, the newly minted president and CEO of the Campground Owners of New York (CONY), about her history in the industry and how her past experience is going to help her guide an association that represents parks across New York. Simmons has worked in business development organizations, death care and more, all things she said uniqu...

This week on Supplier Showcase, WCM explores Bushtec's new WYLDSTAY program, which offers a revenue-sharing model for park owners. Gary Flaks, CEO of Bushtec, talks about the program which is tied to an app. It allows park owners to bring in tents, that WYLDSTAY provides and sets up, while sharing a percentage of the sales those tents produce. To learn more about the program, head here: https:...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, chats with Carter Moses, director of investments for DLP Capital, about her history in the industry and how DLP's recent partnership with Climb Capital has allowed it to expand its presence in the outdoor hospitality industry. DLP currently owns/operates several resorts, all of which are mainly centered in the southeastern part of the U.S. Moses n...

This week's guest is Jacob Halverson, current experiences manager at Bishop's Lodge (an Auberge Resort) and former general manager of Mendocino Grove , a large glamping resort in California. Jacob is a true hospitality expert with an incredible amount of hotel and glamping operational experience, and he joins us to discuss everything from how to create a magical hospitality experience to w...

On this week’s episode of Supplier Showcase, WCM highlights Bushtec Safari , a provider of a wide variety of safari tent structures. WCM spoke with Gary Flaks, the company's CEO, about the growth in business that the company is seeing as the glamping sector continues to explode. Flaks highlights some of the popular products that Bushtec offers to park owners and also gives viewers some updates...

Synopsis: Scott Bahr, president of Cairn Consulting Group, joins the show to chat about the recent release of KOA’s annual Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report, which Cairn Consulting Group has helped develop over the past 10 years. He explores some of the key data points and how they have changed over the past decade, as well as more recent trends that impact park owners. From glamping to Bab...

This week's guest is Chris Hipple, from Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Insurance . Chris is a true expert in the field of outdoor hospitality insurance, and he explains what insurance glamping operators need, why it's important and the consequences of overlooking this vital ingredient. Check out Leavitt Insurance: https://www.leavitt.com/lrh/prod/campground-insurance . Visit Glampite...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, invites Nick Purslow to the show to chat about his new venture, Posh Outdoors, which is set to help park owners/developers enter the glamping industry through a profit-sharing model.  Purslow notes that Posh Outdoors, which is currently seeking investors, gives park owners/developers the chance to place Posh Outdoors' cabins at their park without...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, chats with Benjamin Cohen and Andrew Garcia, co-founders of Outdoor Adventure Retreats, which just announced its fourth acquisition, Cotton Patch Landing in Chocowinity, S.C.  A newer brand, Cohen and Garcia explore why they decided to begin investing in RV resorts and the process they work through in acquiring locations. They talk about how their pas...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, chats with Abby Follansbee, the marketing manager of Camp Margaritaville Auburndale, about the park's development and transformation into a Camp Margaritaville destination.  Camp Margaritaville famously gets its branding from the well-known singer Jimmy Buffett, who recently passed away. Its resorts are tropical-themed and include a wide range of...

On this week’s episode of Supplier Showcase, WCM highlights the growth of Hekipia America Inc. as it works to build and distribute PMRVs in North America. Originally from France, Louis Dupont, plant manager and engineer at Hekipia's new manufacturing facility in Whitehall, Pa., dives into the construction process for the company's "Roulotte" PMRV. He also discusses why the compan...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, chats with Christa Neundorfer, a part-owner and operator of Aspen Grove RV Park in Tremonton, Utah, along with her husband, Johnathan. She explores how their dream of sailing turned into an RV adventure that helped the couple fall in love with the RVing lifestyle.  Neundorfer also chats with WCM about the development of Aspen Grove, the though process...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Spot2Nite, chats with Clint Bell, COO of KEI and his brother, Josh Bell, CFO of KEI, about the continued growth of the family-operated business that owns seven parks in the Kampgrounds of America Inc. system.  Both of the Bell brothers discuss how they tackle adding amenities to their parks, explore how they take care of their campers and highlight other industr...

This week's guest is Glampitect's founder Calum MacLeod. He joins us to talk about his journey from his first site on family land in 2018, to founding Glampitect, to the 59-unit megaproject he's building at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. Check out AvantGlamp: https://avantglamp.com/ Check out Glampitect North America's brand-new glamping startup here: https:...