WCM's Park Update

This week on our Supplier Showcase, sponsored by Everest Ice & Water Systems, we chat with Murray Kramer, owner of the Murble Game, a game loosely based on the ancient European game called Bocce. “Murbles” (Murray’s marbles) however, are sized right, lighter, more dynamic, exciting, and made for the whole family to play. WCM also asked Murray about the rules of the game, recreation possibiliti...

WCM's Park Update welcomes Nick Purslow, managing director of Glampitect USA, to its show to chat about how glamping continues to grow in North America and different challenges the market faces. A new resident of Edmington, Purslow hails from the UK and notes the differences between the glamping market in North America and the already fully developed market in Europe. He also discusses zoning...

Brad Ritter, The Comms Coach, joins the show to chat about public relations, the good and the bad, and how park owners should prepare for when reporters come knocking. From social media, to local news sources and beyond, everything is visible now and how park owners manage their park's public persona is key to the success of their park. We chat about pre-planning, run through various scenarios...

WCM's Park Update chats with Jeff Cavins, the CEO and co-founder of Outdoorsy, about the company's recent announcement of a fund to help individuals start glamping businesses. H goes through the ins and outs of the new fund and how the company hopes it will stir more individuals to create glamping spaces. Cavins details the company's move into park ownership and the development of the...

WCM's Park Update chats with Michael Moore, the past president of CAMP and the supplier representative on the National ARVC board about trends impacting state campground associations, including membership trends, trends impacting members and the influx of new park owners. He also discusses how park owners are fairing in 2023 and notes that park owners need to find ways to differentiate themsel...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, we chat with Donna Bordeaux, co-owner and founder of Campground Accounting, an industry-specific service provider, about its services and what makes Campground Accounting different. WCM also asked Donna about the difference between QuickBooks and a dedicated professional, when to make the switch and the kickoff process. To learn more about Campground Accounting,...

WCM's Park Update invites back Mark Koep, CEO and founder of Campground Views, to give us an update on the progress of the company's Virtual Tours and how it has helped to grow the company. Koep also chats about issues facing park owners, the emergence of AI, things park owners should look out for and how the industry is going to fare in the near future. Subscribe for free to receive the l...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, we chat with Bailey Hutchence, co-founder of Cedar Bound, a glamping cabin provider, about its two types of glamping units including their newest unit called 'The Tent'. WCM also asked Bailey about their recent projects, the materials they use, the construction method, and the process for someone once they receive a cabin kit. To learn more about Cedar B...

WCM's Park Update welcomes Ali and Eric Rasmussen, the founders of Spacious Skies Campgrounds, to chat about the health of its 15-park system as the 2023 summer camping season reaches its midway point. The Rasmussens note that each of its parks is doing well in 2023, with campers even showing up in wet weather. They also chat about future plans for the system, including the potential for groun...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, we chat with Tim Rout, CEO at Access Parks, a broadband WiFi provider, about its company's history and how they charge for services with their guarantee of service. WCM also asked Tim about how rural communities and parks are finding better access to Wi-Fi as well as how to build a better broadband system. To learn more about Access Parks, click here: https:...

KOA's Chief Operations Officer Darin Uselman joins WCM's Park Update to chat about the recent growth of Kampgrounds of America's corporate portfolio and the continued interest in new developments. Uselman also highlights the importance of a healthy corporate portfolio, the strength of the franchise market, financing and development trends in the current economy and more. He also highli...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, we chat with Rodrigo Ricaud, sales and marketing manager at Moskinto, a provider of skin-friendly solutions⁠, about its line of insect repellant and itch-relief patches. WCM also asked Rodrigo about the company's wholesale products and line of retail products, along with how campgrounds can use their products to drive additional revenue. To learn more about...

Jason Vaughan, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association (PCOA) joins WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by Bushtec Safari, to chat about the status of the outdoor hospitality industry in the Keystone State. Vaughan covers some of the key issues facing park owners in his state, highlights trends, notes parks are still seeing a ton of campers and discusses new developments...

This week on our Supplier Showcase, we chat with Casey Cochran, VP of sales and business development at Campspot, a provider of campground reservation software⁠, about its new features like guest self-service and two-way text with SimpleTexting. WCM also asked Casey about the company's expanded support to 24/7 operations during the summer season, SOC 2 Certification and how parks on Campspot a...

Fresh off a visit to Washington D.C., Matt Rose, from the Indiana Campground Owners Association (ICOA), stops by WCM’s Park Update, sponsored by Bushtec Safari, to give an update on legislative efforts at both the state and national levels. He notes that during his visit to D.C. he spoke with elected officials on repealing the Death Tax, creating funding that private parks can have access to as th...

This week, WCM’s Park Update: Supplier Showcase chats with Justin Sharp, Lead User Experience Architect at CampLife, a provider of campground reservation software⁠, about their streamlined event management and activities feature. WCM also asked Justin about the continual feature upgrades and improvements the software is making to meet park demands as well as what's next on the horizon. To lear...

Sean Vidrine, CEO of Four Points RV Resorts, chats with WCM's Park Update about the creation of the company and its recent growth trend. He highlights the types of parks the group owns, including multiple Jellystone Parks, and what the group looks for when acquiring parks. Vidrine also discusses industry-wide issues, including his recent venture to Washington D.C. as part of the National Assoc...

This week, WCM’s Park Update: Supplier Showcase chats with Brad Doherty, Enterprise Business Consultant at TPx Communications⁠, an internet, cybersecurity, and communication company, about their service offerings and what parks aren't paying enough attention to in cybersecurity that could impact them over time. WCM also asked Brad about how park owners can protect themselves, protect their cus...

This week, WCM's Park Update, sponsored by Bushtec Safari USA, focuses on the RV industry with guest Monika Geraci, spokesperson for the RV Industry Association (RVIA), on the show to highlight the marketing efforts of GO RVing and trends in RV ownership. WCM's Park Update also spoke to Geraci about recent RV shipment numbers and how inflation and current economic conditions are impacting...

This week, WCM’s Park Update: Supplier Showcase chats with Joel Holland, founder and CEO of CampersCard⁠, a new discount member program in the camping industry, about their program offering and how parks can use it to expand their reach and their campground to over 800k avid campers. WCM also asked Joel about the discounts and partner brands included in consumer memberships and the ease of use to...

This week on WCM's Park Update Cara Csizmadia, the newly minted president of the Canadian Camping and RV Council, catches up with WCM about her new role with the association and on the advocacy work the association has been focused on in 2023. From campground expansion issues, small business tax reform, electric vehicle concerns and more, Csizmadia gives WCM's Park Update a great look at h...

This week, WCM’s Park Update: Supplier Showcase chats with TJ Ammond, CEO and co-owner of ⁠Campsite360⁠, a provider of immersive virtual tours for businesses in the outdoor hospitality industry, about their 360 virtual tour product and interactive campground maps, their newest product offering. WCM also asked TJ about how their service can elevate the guest experience and improve marketing moving...

This week on WCM's Park Update, we chat with Scott McGee, vice president of operations for Roberts Resorts on the development of their Village Camp brand and the growth it has seen over the past few years. McGee spoke about new developments that the company is working on, expansion plans for the future, the type of resorts that the company likes to create and how long-term campers are a key co...

This week, WCM’s Park Update: Supplier Showcase chats with Terry Broussard, CEO and co-founder of ⁠Spot2Nite⁠, an online travel agency in the campground industry, about its process to sign-up more parks, book more site nights, and their consumer marketing to continue attracting more campers. WCM also asked Terry about how their service is different than traditional travel OTAs in the hotel space l...

This week on WCM's Park Update the show sits down with Phil Ticknor, founder of the Jellyheads Community, which connects Jellystone Park campers, to chat about the rapid growth of the community and its relationship with Camp Jellystone. He speaks about the impetus for forming the community, what its mission is, how it works with Jellystone Parks, trends and issues that community is talking abo...