Dear RV Industry Association Members:
As we prepare for RVX, our new industry spring event, we continue to see solid shipment numbers and strong sales across the industry’s dealer network – in fact, 2018 is shaping up to be yet another record year for the RV industry. But how do we as an industry keep that momentum going? How do we go from 500,000 units to 600,000 or even more? It was with this aggressive market expansion goal in mind that RVX was initially conceived, positioned and built. Simply put, we are building the industry’s premier platform to gain consumer market share and increase both the sales and sell-through of RVs nationwide.
We all know that today’s success does not mean success tomorrow. In an era of constant disruption, the RV industry cannot afford to be complacent – our external competition is not. As a collective industry, we have to keep our focus on the future, compete against other industry sectors and significantly increase our engagement with consumers. Spring will be here before we know it, and with it comes a unique opportunity to sell and promote the best-selling RVs, newest models and most innovative products for consumers as we kick-off camping season in 2019. Where does this start – it starts at RVX.
There have been many questions in the industry about RVX, and that is to be expected – we are building a revolutionary event the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Hopefully, this letter will provide some greater clarity.
RVX promises to bring the industry together in a venue where manufacturers and suppliers can unveil the latest RV products to dealer partners – and provides the first spring opportunity to write new model orders and ensure that our dealer lots remain full of the products that today’s consumer will be looking for. RVX will also provide multiple layers of learning about emerging consumer trends, growing consumer segments and how through promoting new products and marketing to consumer personas, we can attract many new customers to the RV lifestyle and convert them into sales.
While RVX is not a consumer event, it is a major consumer media event. Go RVing will use RVX as the backdrop to “reveal” nine research-based consumer archetypes and highlight the RV products that best meet those ready-to-buy profiles. At the same time, Go RVing will unveil the industry’s first ever Kick-off to Camping Season – a multi-million-dollar media campaign that will highlight the new products being unveiled. This is an unprecedented national media push for Go RVing, and it is all about building unprecedented awareness for specific consumer segments around the industry products throughout the spring and summer and driving those consumers to our valued dealer partners. Dealers will walk away with new marketing toolkits that will explain how to specifically attract the nine consumer archetypes.
Make no mistake – dealers that attend RVX this spring will leave with the products, programs, knowledge and tools necessary to have a dominant competitive advantage over any dealer who stays at home.
Throughout the fall, the RV Industry Association will hold numerous briefings to help the industry better understand all the new features at the event and how to get the most out of this exciting new market development platform. Manufacturer space for the event is already nearing sellout, and suppliers are signing up to display new products in a big way as well. Dealer registration opened on October 1, and hotel registration information will be available in a few short weeks. Dealers, make sure you get registered, and manufacturers and suppliers, please encourage your dealer partners to attend.
RVX is coming – and together we can make it a huge success and an event that truly highlights all the strengths of our ever-growing industry.
See you in Salt Lake City.
Sincerely,
Frank Hugelmeyer
