The annual RVIA meeting commenced virtually Dec. 6. The meeting reported 2023 program updates and industry trends.
RVIA Chairman Kevin McArt opened the meeting with the Chairman’s Report. McArt said although the industry anticipated financial challenges for 2023, the challenges proved to be greater than anticipated. He said RVIA rose to meet the challenges by cutting expenses. McArt said that the community shared optimism for the industry and noted continuous RV shipment growth over the past 45 years.
According to McArt, repair event cycle times (RECT) improved. McArt ended his speech by encouraging members to get more involved in the association.
President Craig Kirby said a financial plan enacted early in 2023 addressed financial challenges. He referenced event successes such as the RVIA Leadership Conference in March and RVs Move America Week in Washington, D.C. Volunteers met to lobby legislators and federal regulators on industry priorities.
Kirby said RVIA worked in government affairs to support electric vehicle infrastructure investments. The lobbying work includes supporting pull-through charging incentives in 15 states.
He said the actions detailed would not be possible without the RV workforce.
“Our family of employees is our industry’s greatest strength,” Kirby said.
Another highlight addressed was safety’s importance. An RVIA safety training seminar in Elkhart, Indiana, provided safety training and resources.
Curt Hemmler, executive director of the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) provided a program update. Hemmler said RVTI currently has 5,000 certified technicians.
This year, RVTI partnered with high school guidance counselors in Texas, Indiana and Pennsylvania. RVTI’s team taught counselors about RV technician demand and student training. Through RVTI training, high school students can graduate with a technician certification.
The organization launched Level 3 training this year, including advanced education on electrical, chassis, electronics and slide outs. Level 3 training programs focus on advanced troubleshooting, diagnostics and repair.
Karen Redfern, senior vice president and CEO of GoRVing, said the marketing platform continues to seek out audiences. The company’s “Go on a Real Vacation” campaign, focused on recruiting and retaining buyers.
GoRVing partnered with Ipsos, a market research company, to unveil an RV consumer’s Path to Purchase study. Redfern said the study provided information on how dealers and manufacturers can enhance consumers’ buying experiences.
Redfern said a big takeaway from the year was the “positive impact of outdoor time, especially in children.” Understanding the impact, Go RVing focused on content directed to consumer families with children.
Redfern said Go RVing uses the digital world to connect with customers. Redfern said Go RVing streamed seven hours of live videos from Elkhart Extravaganza. The videos featured 47 RVs.
Each RVIA speaker concluded with the year’s challenges and achievements. Kirby discussed industry unity.
“Our past success has come from the industry uniting and working together to overcome obstacles and our future success will as well,” Kirby said, “from self-regulation to consumer marketing to industry training and advocacy.”
