The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) is calling on the outdoor hospitality industry to nominate parks and individuals for its Awards of Excellence.
Noted as one of the association’s “crown jewels,” the award honors ARVC members for outstanding industry accomplishments.
ARVC stated winning an Excellence Award will promote the park’s quality to local and national campers, garnering peer recognition.
“It has helped on so many levels,” said Gary Quigley, owner and chief procurement officer of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest. “It motivates our returning staff and new staff to try to continue to accomplish the goal of being the best possible campground that we can be as a team, from both the service excellence side and making sure the facilities are always outstanding. They always want to try to win that award again.”
Quigley’s site is a five-time ARVC Park of the Year award winner. The recognition is “an honor worth pursuing,” he said.
“It has also been huge to be able to advertise it on our brochures and website to generate interest in seeing what makes us a four-time winner of the most prestigious industry award,” Quigley said. “I also believe it has made some of our guests even more loyal, being able to say they camp at the five-time Park of the Year.”
Four park size categories are presented one award: 100 sites or less, 101-250 sites, 251-499 sites and 500 or more sites. Nominated parks are evaluated by peer judges based on criteria such as guest experience, customer service, marketing and industry involvement.
Additionally, several awards go to individuals who have made “significant commitments and contributions” to the outdoor hospitality industry and the ARVC Foundation. The individual awards include Campground Partner of the Year, Chairman’s Award, Pioneer Award, Stan Martin Award and Herb Strauss Awards.
“New this year is a refined nomination and judging process, designed to allow for a more user-friendly application process for campgrounds, along with recent winners of the Park of the Year awards joining the judges panel to help provide a fresh perspective,” ARVC stated.
Parks that work to protect the environment also are honored, the association stated. Two annual winners in small/medium and large/mega categories are recognized as the Plan-It Green Park of the Year. The award is given to parks that demonstrate efforts and actions to become more eco-friendly. Applicants are evaluated on overall impact, commitment to environmental practices and efforts to educate guests about supporting ARVC “Plan-It Green” practices.
The association’s Supplier Council Award is presented to an industry supplier that exemplifies excellence in product, customer service and support. It honors the supplier that goes the “extra mile” for its customers and the industry.
Nominations for the Park of the Year, Plan-It Green Park and Supplier of the Year are open. Parks must be active ARVC members that have been in business at least one year. ARVC stated nominating one’s own park is acceptable.
Submission deadline is Sept. 13.
ARVC noted aspects to include in a “strong” nomination application, including: support your statements and be descriptive as possible. The association stated nominations can include photos, videos, employee and camper interviews or PDF documents as support. All category nomination forms are now available here.
