The Canadian Camping and RV Council’s inaugural Canadian Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo took place virtually Jan. 18-21 and saw more than 330 attendees from Canada and the U.S., its organizers said. It featured dozens of vendors and sponsors, and contributions from speakers across North America covering a wide variety of topics specific to tourism, campground operations, and strategies for 2021 and beyond.
The keynote session, delivered by Kampgrounds of America’s President and CEO, Toby O’Rourke, was reportedly well-received by all attendees and presented data showcasing the camping and RV industry and its bright future. Touching on the success in 2020, as well as providing analytics on the changing market demographics and consumer-driven business elements, the organization said the keynote session “set the stage perfectly for attendees thirsty for a learning and educational experience.”
Over the four days the conference delivered more than 45 sessions on various topics across four education tracks, ranging from “How to Have a 5-Star Bathhouse” to “Developing a New Park”, “Best Hiring Practices”, “Working with Influencers”, “Basic Campground Accounting”, and many more. Recordings of all of the sessions have been made available for 30 days after the event.
Increasing connection among attendees was one of the primary goals of this virtual event, and this strategy included workshops, where attendees could gather and discuss focused topics in a group setting. These peer-based conversations provided perspectives across a broad range of business types and regions.
In addition, “speed-dating” networking sessions offered a unique avenue for attendees and exhibitors to randomly match and chat for three minutes before being randomly matched with someone else. This was a great way to connect with vendors and hear about their products and services, its organizers said.
“Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, with support for a 2022 event being echoed on both sides of the border. The generous contributions of our sponsors and exhibitors were invaluable to the launch and success of this virtual event, as well as to the longevity of the Canadian Camping and RV Council as it continues to deliver member benefits across Canada.”
Awards given at the inaugural event included:
- Canadian Supplier of the Year: Campgroundbooking.com
- Canadian Rising Star Award: Leanne Sallenback, South Point Resort
- Canadian Large Campground of the Year: Marco Polo Land
- Canadian Small Park of the Year: Surfgrove Campground
- Camping and RV Industry Person of the Year: Jim Humphrey
