WCM's Park Update

In the spirit of giving during the holidays, WCM's Park Update, sponsored by BookOutdoors, chats with Gwynn Sullivan, the executive director of Care Camps, about its mission to support oncology camps throughout North America. She talks about the history of the charity, how it supports kids dealing with cancer and their families, how the need for support has grown, how park owners can host fund...

Join WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Book Outdoors, as the show takes a look at what is driving insurance costs up with Leah Bright, an agent with Leavitt Recreation and Hospitality Insurance. Bright discusses how natural disasters and the current economic climate are impacting insurance rates, how park owners can mitigate larger insurance payments, what the future holds for the insurance mark...

This week's guest on The Start A Glamping Business Podcast is one of the pioneers of the glamping industry. Meet Ruben Martinez, founder of Glamping Hub and the American Glamping Association, as well as media partner of the Glamping Show Americas. Ruben shares his wisdom from all three ventures, as well as common trends among successful glamping entrepreneurs and the rising stars to look out f...

WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by  Book Outdoors , chats with Kathleen Walsh, the founder and CEO of Advanced Outdoor Solutions, about the prevalence of third-party management and how rate control is key to ensuring a park is operating at its full capabilities. Walsh discusses how she formed her company, how it has grown over the years, how she utilizes rate management to boost the parks she works w...

This week's guest is Tyler Watts, from Broad River Campground. Tyler has created a super-cool campground and RV park that includes geodesic domes, and it's gone spectacularly well since launch. Listen for advice on combining all three of those elements, installing septic systems, hosting holiday events and more. Visit Broad River Campground: https://broadrivercampgroundnc.com/. Visit Glamp...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, chats with Pamela Wright, the founder of Focused on Management, about the growing need for third-party management services, how her company consults with developers and current park owners to improve their businesses and more. A former park manager and work camper herself, Wright discusses how those experiences have shaped how she approaches the consult...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, chats with Charlie Boyne, the founder of Glamp Coach, about how he created a small park and then launched his consulting business to help other developers. Boyne discusses the current development market, chats about his experience, trends in the industry and more. *** Subscribe for free to receive the latest news and information delivered daily to your...

This week, we're joined by Nick Parker, a Loan Officer on the RV Park and Campground Lending Team at Live Oak Bank. We discuss the various ways of securing loans to fund your glamping development; the green and red flags he looks out for in a loan application; and much, much more! Learn more at https://www.liveoakbank.com/ Visit Glampitect’s website https://glampitect.com/us and take the “Do Y...

This week on WCM's Supplier Showcase, sponsored by Everest Ice & Water Systems, WCM chats with Denyse Pontius, president of the company, about the variety of sanitation products the company offers to RVers. WCM also dives into how park owners can showcase these products in their campstores and the programs Century Chemical offers to park owners. To learn more about Century Chemical, head t...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, chats with Shannon Connolly about how a family RV trip inspired her and her husband to open Roamstead Smoky Mountains near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. She highlights how the couple was able to purchase the land the park sits on, how they developed the park, their past careers and how it helped prepare them for park ownership, and more. *** S...

This week, we spoke to Chris Jeub, from Monument Glamping. Chris tells us how he went from schoolteacher to successful glamping operator, all while raising 16 (yes, that's 16) children! Visit Glampitect's website: https://glampitect.com/us Take our "Do You Have What it Takes to Start a Glamping Business?" assessment: https://glampitect-na.scoreapp.com/ Check out Monument Glamping...

Patrick Hardy, the founder of Hytropy, a disaster management firm, joins WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, to chat about how park owners can prepare to tackle an emergency at their park. From wildfires to floods and even tornadoes, park owners must be prepared to handle any disaster and help their campers find shelter or evacuate. How do you prepare your employees? What are the steps em...

This week, we interviewed Mike Paclik and Austen Trimble, from Lucky Arrow Retreat in Texas. Among other things, we discussed what it takes to run a glamping resort alongside an events business, and how Austen applied his knowledge of tech to the resort. Check out Lucky Arrow Retreat: https://luckyarrowretreat.com/

WCM's Park Update chats with Graham Sowden, chief investment officer for RREAF Holdings, as it works to grow its portfolio, announcing earlier this year that it plans to spend nearly $1B to acquire and develop parks. With five parks already under its ownership and more in development, Sowden told WCM that the asset class is alive and well and that RREAF feels like it has the tools to succeed.

This week Glampitect was joined by Amanda Jensen, from Sanctuary Treehouse Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. The show discusses how she and her husband have built the world's first interactive treehouse resort, and how they plan to become the world's largest treehouse resort. Visit Glampitect's website: https://glampitect.com/us to Take its "Do You Have What it Takes to Start a Glampin...

Moe Kruger, vice president of RV park financing at Live Oak Bank, chats about the lending market and how developers and potential park owners can put themselves in a better position to secure financing. Kruger also looks at the current economic situation, the health of lending in the outdoor hospitality industry and what he anticipates in the years ahead. DISCLAIMER: Portions of audio have been lo...

We talked with Gene Eidelman, co-founder of Azure Printed Homes, which is reshaping the way they build homes by bringing 3D printing technology, modular construction and recycled materials together to create truly sustainable living in a modern and beautiful design. Gene talks about the Azure Sky Backyard Studio which is the perfect extra space to step into that adds value to both your home and li...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, invites David Basler, Chief Strategy Officer at the National Association of RV Parks and Campground, too the show to chat about the upcoming Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo in Kansas City. He discusses the growth of the show, exciting events that are going to be taking place in Kansas City, new expo features, including more accommodation units t...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, brings on Kama Humphrey, KOA’s director of training and events, to chat about its upcoming International Convention which is set to be held in Las Vegas this November. Humphrey offers up some details on unique events that the convention will be hosting, along with details on educational sessions, the convention's keynote speaker and more. After havi...

WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, chats with Mary Arlington the executive director of three state associations — Colorado, South Dakota and Kansas — about the recent efforts in Colorado to designate parks with 5 or more mobile homes on their property as mobile home parks. WCM chats about the impact this could have on parks in state, what this move could signify for the rest of the outdo...

Lori Severson & Danielle Todd join WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook , to chat about the third annual Campground Owners Expo which takes place at the end of November. Both Severson and Todd walk through the highlights of the conference and some of the unique activities attendees can take part in. They also talk about how the conference continues to grow, why the conference was formed...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, sponsored by Everest Ice & Water Systems, we chat about the opportunities available for supplier partners to get in front of park owners and how park owners can get a look at products and suppliers as we head into the off-season. This video series is hosted by WCM’s Digital Media Coordinator Alex Burkett. It focuses on industry vendors by providing both busi...

WCM is excited to once again be attending the Glamping Show Americas and David Korse, the show's organizer, joins WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Newbook, to give us all the details on this year's show — which promises to be bigger and better than ever. With over 140 confirmed vendors, speakers with decades of experience in the industry and a great chance to walk through dozens of acco...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, sponsored by Everest Ice & Water Systems, we chat with Mark Koep, founder and CEO of the Campground Views, about how the company was founded, what goes into creating a virtual tour, and the benefits it can provide parks. WCM also asked Mark about their new unique, hand-drawn map integration that visitors can access to get an in-depth view of their desired si...

Geoff Baekey, managing director of CMH Government Services, joins the show to chat about public sector parks and how funding and current trends are leading to more projects at publicly-managed parks. He highlights trends and notes the importance of public/private partnerships. Baekey also discusses reservation system issues, whether public parks are keen to expand and add more sites, challenges th...