Airstream Club Draws Impressive Crowd to Wyoming Rally

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – The largest Airstream Club International rally in 15 years is taking place this week (June 24-30) at the 400-acre Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs. And Airstream Inc. Chief Operating Officer Justin Humphreys sees the consumer event as a good signal for the 16,000-member club as well as the industry in general during these unpredictable economic times.

Humphreys says the club’s 66th International Rally has drawn some 1,200 rigs and about 2,300 RV owners to the Wyoming complex, which includes an impressive number of full-hookup sites and a display of new Airstreams – 90% towable – that’s been generating strong sales. The rally also includes aftermarket vendor exhibits, seminars presented by several companies — including Ford Motor Co. — and a busy slate of fun consumer functions, a golf tournament, hiking, kayaking, fishing and more.

Also on hand, added Humphreys, are Airstream service techs there to work on urgent repairs for which club members might need help – something they seemed to appreciate.

Overall, Airstream’s management team probably couldn’t have asked for much more, according to Humphreys, who did his annual presentation on Tuesday, updating club members on the industry and Airstream including current strategic initiatives.

“Exactly, given the economic environment and also given the location of the rally here in Wyoming,” said Humphreys. “You’ve got to really want to get here. But a lot of them (attendees) are extending their stays. I’ve been talking to customers who are going to go (afterwards) to Yellowstone, up to the Tetons and over to Utah. So, you can tell that these folks are not only coming to the rally for the week, but they’re extending their trips to venture out to areas close to Rock Springs (in southern Wyoming).”

Humphreys, for his part, says the Airstream club’s creative approach has played a key role in the rally’s success.

“First off, I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the club,” he said. “They’ve added some really good activities and they’ve really modernized their rallies to attract this new (post-pandemic) buyer where they can have more experiences. And, while they have seminars, it’s less classroom and it’s more river rafting and checking out the local sights and really focusing on the fun side of RVing.

“So, again, I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the club for modernizing these rallies. No. 2, I think this reflects this new influx of buyers we’ve had since Covid so that more people are interested in participating. So that’s good, too. And I also think it goes to show that even in a market where RV sales may be down, RV activity is not. So, I think that’s a great sign – that Airstreamers are still out Airstreaming. And although our sales aren’t down as much as the rest of the industry, it’s certainly a great sign to know that they’re out using them and enjoying their Airstreams.”

NOTE: Airstream will be holding its annual dealer meeting Aug. 15-17 at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, during which the Thor Industries Inc. division will be offering tours of its new Jackson Center, Ohio, towable facility and museum.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/airstream-club-draws-impressive-crowd-to-wyoming-rally/