This article was originally published by Woodalls Campground Magazine November 18, 2024 and can be found here.
Editor’s Note: Rafael Correa is the president & CFO of Blue Water Hospitality and a member of the OHI Board of Directors. Blue Water Hospitality is a leading RV resort and campground investor, developer and manager that operates RV resorts and campgrounds throughout the country. For more information, please visit its website www.bwdc.com.
I am currently on the flight home from a whirlwind experience at OHCE2024 hosted by OHI in Oklahoma City and I think there is no better time to gather my thoughts on this exciting, action-packed week! As you would expect from any national industry conference, the week was full of formal and informal meetings where we discussed the 2024 wins & woes, what everyone is planning for in 2025, and the new ideas & technology that will continue to evolve the growing outdoor hospitality industry.
It would be impossible to highlight every great part of being at OHCE but here is the highlight reel from my humble perspective:
Oklahoma City was a great host:
The week got off to a very early start on Monday morning with a 6 a.m. wake-up call courtesy of a good old-fashioned Oklahoma tornado warning that came over the PA system in the hotel. Fortunately, no tornadoes materialized in our vicinity but we certainly all felt a little more like a local for having the experience! We also took in an OKC Thunder game Monday night at the Paycom Center next door. The young and undefeated Thunder continued their great start to the season with a double-digit win over the Orlando Magic. The locals were out in force to support their team and the energy in the arena was electric!
2024 Reality Check & 2025 Hopes and Dreams:
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst year ever and 10 being the best year ever, I would say the consensus was that 2024 was a 6. While nightly rates generally held strong, transient/short-term occupancy took a noticeable hit (hurricanes, consumer spending pullback) which resulted in a modest, but overall negative impact on gross revenues. Coupled with the continued rising costs of labor, supplies and insurance, margins are shrinking and forcing everyone to get creative on where they find efficiencies and/or generate additional revenues. Despite the challenges, everyone remains hopeful that an uncontested election result and falling interest rates will re-ignite RV park and campground guest demand in 2025.
There was also a significant amount of discussion around value perception from the perspective of the guest. Increased competition and higher nightly rates have campground guests voicing their desire to see more value for what they are paying. There were a lot of ideas shared on how to creatively and cost-effectively enhance guest experience to bring this value perception back into balance. This will be a huge focus in 2025 to retain existing guests, encourage multiple visits from those guests, and attract new guests in an increasingly competitive environment.
OHCE Moving Forward & Passing The Torch
OHCE2024 was marked by two significant retirement announcements and the introduction of eight new board members in the first-ever at-large national election that drew record nominations (37) and voter turnout (over 100% increase.)
Jeff Sims, OHI’s Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs, announced his upcoming retirement from a storied career in the industry. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy that is the foundation for the growth we are seeing in the industry today.
I was fortunate enough to be voted in as one of the eight new board members and I think I speak for all the new OHI board members that we are excited to pick up where Jeff is leaving off.
Park Models are back and better than ever
The OHCE Expo was loaded with 26 of the latest park models from all the major industry players. The bar continues to be raised by these manufacturers, and I can say that I saw some of the most architecturally interesting and functional layouts that the industry has ever produced. It really is amazing what you can do in 399 square feet!
Additionally, my conversations with many of the manufacturers indicate that order volume is picking up, fueled by falling interest rates and renewed demand from the outdoor hospitality and affordable housing sectors.
Technology, Automation and AI are leading the way
Over the last four years of attending the OHCE Expo, there has been a definitive shift from the traditional campground hard good suppliers to the technology vendors. OHCE is the perfect place to see all the major solution providers under one roof. Additionally, many of these technology suppliers are building highly functional integrations with one another to further simplify campground operations and enhance the guest experience from booking to checkout.
If you want to figure out what PMS is best for your property, how to automate utility meter readings, what distribution channels to feature your inventory, how to automate your door locks and gates, and how ALL THAT integrates, you can figure all of that out at the OHCE Expo. Oh…and did I mention there is an AI-based call center solution out there that will blow your mind? Yeah, the future is now at the OHCE Expo.
Marketplaces Continue to Evolve
Two major announcements in the marketplace world: (1) Hipcamp acquired BookOutdoors and (2) GoCampingAmerica.com, OHI’s campground search engine, is now powered by Spot2Nite. There is no doubt campers are looking for better ways to connect with their next adventure and we should expect this sector to continue to evolve rapidly over the next few years. I enjoyed sitting down with both companies and am convinced that marketplaces like these will continue to play a major role in the future of our industry.
Finally, it was great to see old friends and make many new friends over the busy week. The very best part of our industry is the fact that we all support an industry that is fueled by community so it should come as no surprise that we are a pretty amazing community ourselves…till next year!
See you in Louisville for OHCE2025!
This article was originally published by Woodalls Campground Magazine November 18, 2024 and can be found here.
