The Fort Myers RV Show, celebrating its 33rd year, saw 11 dealers and close to 100 vendors participate in its annual four-day event. According to Show Manager Jack Carver, the event opened strong with long lines waiting to get in on the first day.
“Attendance overall was good with just under 11,000 paid attendees,” said Carver. “Unfortunately, for past several years the show has been afflicted with poor weather and this year was no exception with strong winds Friday and Saturday, followed by the heavy threat of rain all day Sunday.”
Despite this, show chairman Chris Morse reported strong sales among both vendors and dealers, with many dealers reporting double-digit sales.
Next up was the 2018 Jacksonville RV MegaShow held at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Nearly 10,000 people attended, which is the highest number ever recorded at the Jacksonville Show.
“We had more than 4,000 people come out on Saturday alone, so we knew it was definitely going to be a record-breaking event,” said Ken Loyd, region 6 president of the Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA). “We were also very fortunate that the weather forecast, which had called for rain just a few days before, changed and we had great weather during the entire show.”
“The travel trailers were definitely the most popular among the visitors we talked with at the show,” said Campers Inn RV General Sales Manager Greg Markovich.
Rounding out the February show schedule was the West Palm Beach RV Show held at the South Florida Fairgrounds with eight participating dealers. “We had a couple of deals the very first day,” said Brian Copley, FRVTA’s state secretary. “With a great crowd on opening day along with securing a few deals, I just had a feeling this was going to be a great show, and it was.”
The last show of the winter selling season took place March 1-4 at the Horse Park in Ocala. About 6,300 people attended the show, an increase of 24 percent.
