WCM's Park Update

Adelle Rodriguez, senior director of marketing, and Kaelyn Beckman, marketing manager, for RMS North America join WCM's Park Update to chat about RMS' recent 2023 State of the Industry Report. An annual report, it highlights trends in how the Millenial and Gen Z generations approach camping.    Subscribe for free to receive the latest news and information delivered daily to your inbox. h...

Travis John, the founder of CampersDAO, joins WCM's Park Update to chat about the blend of technology and the outdoor hospitality industry as he works to buy a park through a blockchain method. The unique method will initially offer 10,000 memberships beginning on Earth Day (April 22) that will help fund the purchase of an RV park. During the show, John talks about the blockchain method, how the p...

Sarah Smith, co-founder of The Dyrt, and her husband, Kevin Long, CEO of The Dyrt, join WCM's Park Update to dive into the company's recently released 2023 Camping Report. They note that finding a campsite is still difficult for campers, highlight campsite rate trends and demographic changes, and more. Subscribe for free to receive the latest news and information delivered daily to your inbox. htt...

Cara Csizmadia, the membership coordinator for the Canadian Camping and RV Council (CCRVC), joins WCM's Park Update to talk about the association's upcoming virtual conference and some of the highlights that attendees can expect. She also dives into the health of the outdoor hospitality industry in Canada and some of the trends park owners are noticing coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscrib...

Mike and Melissa Crowe join WCM's Park Update to chat about the progress of their new venture, Mitten Getaways Glamping Co. Currently, the couple is looking for a piece of land to purchase with the idea of building a small, tranquil glamping park in northeastern Michigan. The Crowes talk about some of the challenges they have faced while trying to find a piece of land that fits their vision, the i...

Joel Holland, founder, and CEO of Harvest Hosts and the new program CampersCard, joins WCM's Park Update to chat about how CampersCard benefits park owners and how the program is a natural extension of the work Harvest Hosts does to work with park owners. Holland also discusses the recent issue Harvest Hosts dealt with in California when one county went after several Harvest Hosts sites and the wo...

Mark Koep, the founder and CEO of Campground Views, joins the show to chat about the health of the industry, how national conferences fared this past fall, trends for the year ahead, and more. A well-known figure in the outdoor hospitality industry, Koep is always full of valuable insights. Subscribe for free to receive the latest news and information delivered daily to your inbox. https://woodall...

Zach Stoltenberg, from Clockwork, an architectural firm, joins WCM's Park Update to chat about the work the company has been doing on new development and expansion projects. He talks about some of the keys to designing a park the right way and what developers should be considering as they build out a park.   He also discusses current industry trends and other topics. Subscribe for free to rec...

Nick Purslow, the regional chief executive officer of Glampitect, joins WCM's Park Update to discuss the growth of Glampitect, the services it provides to park developers and owners, and about the expansion of glamping in North America. Purslow also talks about the differences in glamping between the UK and North America, and on some of the challenges that park developers face as they look to buil...

Rue Mapp the founder of Outdoor Afro to discuss the organizations efforts to provide access to the Outdoors to underserved groups. She talks about the success and growth of her organization and the overall growth of more diverse populations taking part of RVing and camping. Enjoy the show! Subscribe for free to receive the latest news and information delivered daily to your inbox. https://woodalls...

Danielle Todd & Lori Severson, organizers of the Campground Owners Expo, along with Dennis Steinman, founder of Plainscraft Covered Wagons, join WCM's Park Update to talk about the upcoming Campground Owners Expo in Branson, Mo. Severson and Todd both note that they are expecting an even larger show than last year, along with more experiential opportunities and educational sessions. Steinman h...

Toby O’Rourke, the CEO and president of Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) joins WCM’s Park Update to talk about the tremendous growth of the company — over 300% since 2011 — and the health of the industry as KOA continues to aggressively expand. O’Rourke discusses KOA’s new headquarters which are being built in Billings, Mont.; how competition has impacted its ability to acquire parks; the company...

Adam Lendi, co-founder of Happy Camper Capital, joins WCM's Park Update to chat about the growth of the company's portfolio — which now includes 4 parks. Happy Camper recently started fundraising for investment in a $25 million fund that Lendi says will allow the company to add 6-10 more parks. During the show, Lendi talks about the health of the industry, the types of acquisitions the company loo...

Kama Humphrey, KOA’s director of training and events, joins WCM's Park Update to discuss the franchise system's upcoming convention in Orlando, Fla., from Nov. 14-17. Humphrey notes that the conference will feature a variety of educational sessions, an IdeaXchange, a large expo and some exciting entertainment options. Enjoy the show! *** Subscribe for free to receive the latest news and informatio...

David Basler, vice president of membership and marketing at the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (National ARVC), and Susan Motley, Nat. ARVC’s senior director of education and events, join WCM’s Park Update to discuss Nat. ARVC’s upcoming Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) taking place from Nov. 7-10 in Orlando, Florida. Enjoy the show! *** Subscribe for free to receiv...

Nearly a year after being acquired by Sun Outdoors, Camp Jellystone is ready to gather its franchisees at the Embassy Suites Hotel and the Charleston Area Convention Center in North Charleston, S.C., from Nov. 6-9. Marley Behnke, Camp Jellystone’s director of franchise education, joins WCM’s Park Update to give a preview of the conference and what attendees can expect. Behnke focuses on the number...

Go RVing is celebrating 25 years in 2022 and WCM’s Park Update caught up with Sarah Neely, senior manager of strategic marketing at Go RVing, and Courtney Bias, director of strategic marketing at Go RVing, to celebrate the milestone and get an update on what the organization has been working on and what it is focused on for the future. The marketing arm of the RV Industry Association, Go RVing is...