The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) named this year’s best parks at the 2019 Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE), held Nov. 4-7 in Knoxville, Tenn.
“The parks that receive the Park of the Year honor are at the pinnacle of the industry,” said Paul Bambei, president and CEO of ARVC. “These parks are not only wonderful destinations with fantastic amenities, but more importantly the owners and staff at these parks continually provide over-the-top customer service.”
The ARVC Park of the Year Awards are presented to ARVC member-parks or campgrounds that deliver an extraordinary guest experience as a result of all-around excellence in operations, professionalism, marketing, customer service and industry involvement.
Awards are given in four categories: small, medium, large and mega. This year’s recipients for Park of the Year were:
- Small Park of the Year – Big Meadow Family Campground in Townsend, Tenn.
- Medium Park of the Year – Shelby/Mansfield KOA Resort in Shelby, Ohio
- Large Park of the Year – Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Mammoth Cave in Cave City, Ky.
- Mega Park of the Year – Lakewood Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Other award winners this year include:
- Plan-It Green Friendly Park – Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest in Harrisville, Pa., and Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve in Santee, Calif.
- Pioneer Award – Paul Hagen, owner of Pride of America Camping Resort, Pardeeville, Wis.
- Supplier of the Year – CampLife, Tyler Duffy, President, Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
- Campground Partner of the Year – Lenny Ammerman, of Treasure Lake Resort in Branson, Miss.
- State Leader of the Year – Bev Gruber, state executive for the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association
- State Directories of the Year – Connecticut Campground Owners Association, New Jersey Campground Owners Association, and Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
- Stan Martin Award – Deb Carter, owner of Buttonwood Beach RV Resort in Earleville, Md.
ARVC’s highest honor, this award recognizes industry leaders whose tireless commitment to the RV park and campground sector of the outdoor hospitality industry is evident in their involvement, leadership, creativity and dedication.
OHCE is a four-day event held annually by ARVC. This year’s event in Knoxville, Tenn., included more than 40 educational seminars, a trade show with more than 140 vendors, Takeaway Tours of local campgrounds, ARVC’s Awards of Excellence dinner and ARVC Foundation auction. OHCE 2020 will take place in Daytona Beach, Fla., From Nov. 2-5, 2020.