PRVCA Director Leach Optimistic About ’22 Hershey RV Show

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By all indications – weather included – the 2022 installment of “America’s Largest RV Show” will be well attended during its run through Sunday (Sept. 18) at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.

More than 1,500 units are expected to be on display, an increase from last year, according to Heather Leach, executive director of the Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association (PRVCA), the sponsor of the “Hershey RV Show.”

Heather Leach

“Everything is going well,” Leach told RVBusiness this morning. “Today is our first education day, so we still have booth vendors and others setting up and we’ll start with some education programming. Tomorrow is our first official industry day, and that will have other education events as well. Then Wednesday we’re off and running with public days and, right now, all of our presale numbers are looking really good.”

She said advance ticket sales are on par with where they were for last year’s event, so she expects a solid turnout. Last year’s final attendance number reached 61,000.

“We have over 40 manufacturers and a little over 200 booth exhibitors,” she said, adding that vendors are excited about this year’s show because in 2021, consumer interest was uncertain after the COVID-induced cancellation of the 2020 show.

“Coming off of 2020, we didn’t know what to expect,” Leach said. “And then we had such a great event last year, so I think they’re (exhibitors) really optimistic about this year and feel pretty good about it.”

Leach noted that she follows RV consumer groups on social media and things are looking good from that perspective as well.

“Last year there was a lot of concern about, ‘Are there going to be units there because of supply issues?’ But there was none of that this year, so I think consumers are feeling pretty good about attending events and knowing that they’re going to be seeing all the variety of units that they’re accustomed to,” she said.

Rain was in the forecast today, but the rest of the week looks positive. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed. It looks good right now. I’m not looking at the weather anymore,” Leach joked. “I’m going with that report.”

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/prvca-director-leach-optimistic-about-22-hershey-rv-show/