The Boston RV & Camping Expo organizers have announced that the show set an attendance record of 17,202 RV enthusiasts. The previous record was 17,104 attendees.
“We had a good feeling on Friday when we had lines extending down the side of the building before we opened at 4 p.m.,” said Carolyn Weston, group director of outdoor lifestyle events for Paragon Group. “We haven’t seen that many people chomping at the bit to get in and see all the new RVs in a long time. The feeling continued throughout the show as record crowds lined up before the show opened on Saturday and Sunday. Several dealers were still writing up deals as the show came to a close Sunday evening.”
“Saturday was record breaking with quality interest and good vibes,” said Ted Gulezian, general sales manager for Campers Inn RV.
“Definitely one of the best ever shows we have done in many years,” said Scott Silva, owner of Cold Springs RV in Weare, N.H. “Busy bell to bell every day.”
“This is our third year in the show since I purchased the dealership,” said Dan Craffey, owner of Lee’s Family Trailer Sales in Windham, Maine, and sponsors of the show’s seminar program. “We were amazed at the size of the crowds, the money they were spending and the standing room only crowds for the quality seminars. We would double our space commitment if there was anything available.”
Some of the interesting trends noticed this year:
- There were a large number of cash buyers, and buyers that would double the down payment requested by the dealer when writing up the contract.
- An informal survey showed that 90 to 95 percent of the audience did not yet own an RV, and 60 to 65 percent of the audience was attending their very first RV show.
- Two national and well-respected speakers drew large audiences both days. Janine Pettit, founder of Girl Camper and Mike Sokol, author of RV Electricity was a fan favorite for RVers who like to work on their own units.
- Campgrounds reported taking many early reservations as campers showed increasing concern about being able to get reservations at their favorite locations later in the summer.
“While the show exceeded our expectations, I think the most important thing was the positive attitude of everyone that resulted from our dealers bringing units that met the requirements of our attendees,” said Bob Zagami, Executive Director of New England RV Dealers Association. “The state of our industry is very strong, the enthusiasm of our dealers and consumers was higher than we have probably seen in ten years. As the premier consumer RV show in New England, the stage has been set for those who follow us to build upon this momentum and enjoy equal success as we look forward to an incredible year of fun and making memories for our customers.”