Behind the Scenes of Campground Owners in the Off Season
Only about two more months until a majority of
campgrounds begin opening for the camping season, so how are they preparing? What
do campground owners do when their campground is closed? People may think that running or owning
a campground is all fun and games, but there is a ton of work that goes into it
behind the scenes and in the off season. Just because a campground closes in the winter, does not necessarily
mean that the owner(s) close up and go on vacation all winter. When they close,
they go through their own stages that are similar to those of the decision process to figure out what
work needs to be done and then what they can do to prepare for the next season.
It isn’t just a job to most owners, but a type of lifestyle that they chose to
live because they love to do it. They get to constantly meet new people from
all over the world in some cases, which you might not get to experience in any
other type of career or place. Camping at a campground is special and it’s not
for everyone, but the people are what make it for both the owner(s) and the
other campers. You never know you may just meet the love of your life while
camping, or even reunite or reconnect with family.
Once
the season comes to an end, the owner(s) will review their number of
reservations for the season to see how busy the season was and compare them to past year numbers. While viewing these
records, they can try to recognize any potential problems and perceive any
needs that should be addressed for the following season. The owner(s) do their
own information search both internally and externally, but also do an
alternative evaluation to evaluate what they can do to improve their campground
and keep up with other competitors. There is always maintenance to be done such
as cleaning up sites by raking or cutting trees. The owner(s) may attend
campground shows to market and advertise their business, but also may even
attend campground conferences and trade shows. These conferences offer
campground owners the opportunity to attend classes and lectures that they may
find interesting, so they can learn from other owners experiences. Just because
campgrounds may be competing against each other, doesn’t mean that the owners
aren’t friends. In New Hampshire there is a state campground association, known
as the New Hampshire Campground Owners Association. This association is made up of many campground owners from all over New
Hampshire and they all communicate and often work together. They always say, “no
one understands campground owners better, than other campground owners
themselves.”
Attending
trade shows such as the Wilcor International Inc.’s show, are a great
opportunity for campground owners to view and even test out new potential products
they may want at their campground. They are specifically targeting campground
owners as their marketing segment through these types of events and offer special deals to them. Another large
conference and expo that happens in New Hampshire is the arvc outdoor
hospitality conference and expo. This conference and expo offers classes and
lectures, while also offering an expo for owners to view and test products such
as ice cream machines or other products. Everything from toys for kids to tools
for trailers are displayed at the shows and by attending them, campground
owners receive some of the best deals possible. It is at these shows that many
purchase decisions are made based on how the products are viewed and experienced by the
owner(s), but also based on the post purchase behavior of other owners that may
have those same products and are sharing their satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the products.
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