The 2024 RV Aftermarket Conference, hosted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and held this year at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, kicked off Monday, Aug. 12, with over 200 people from across the RV industry.
For attendees arriving early enough, the conference started with a golf tournament at Walt Disney World’s golf course at the Shades of Green Resort. Those arriving later in the day began the event with a welcome reception Monday evening from 5:30-7 p.m.
Tuesday was filled with one-on-one appointment sessions throughout the morning and afternoon; in between, lunch featured keynote speaker Andrew Davis. During his session, Davis offered an alternative to the traditional marketing model. “The way we buy has changed,” Davis explained. “There is a lot out there, and we need to change the way we think about the way we sell.”
His engaging presentation covered the Loyalty Loop — a series of micro-encounters that leave an impression — and used the example of a consumer purchasing a new car to take attendees through each step of the Loyalty Loop, demonstrating the modern customer buying process and how to create a positive experience for customers. He also covered his six Loyalty Loop drivers and their benefits.
The six drivers include:
- Raise anticipation
- Maximize honeymoon phase
- Reinspire them
- Answer the trigger question
- Remove friction
- Scale camaraderie
“We sell an experience,” Davis said. “The better we can do that, the longer we can retain our customers.”
The conference goes through Thursday, with the presentation of the 2024 RV Aftermarket Awards during lunch on Wednesday, followed by a networking event that evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Caribe Royale’s Stadium Club. A closing reception will be held Thursday evening from 6-7:30 p.m. in the hotel’s Boca Foyer.
