Tariffs a Hot Topic at 1st Day of RVIA Leadership Conference – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
PHOENIX, Ariz. – With several meetings and a lively welcome reception, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) 2025 Leadership Conference got underway Tuesday at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass.
Meetings included those by the RVIA and RV Dealer Association (RVDA) boards, RVIA Government Affairs committee and the Go RVing Coalition.
To be sure, the topic that dominated all conversations in the hallways and at the reception was the flurry of tariffs and their negative impact on the RV marketplace. The consensus seemed to be that consumers historically pull back when faced with economic uncertainty, and the tariffs being pushed by the White House – and the retaliatory tariffs announced by Canada, Mexico and China – have effectively slammed the brakes on any sort of a RV industry recovery. All agreed that the hope is cooler heads will prevail and consumer confidence will return.
Today’s agenda includes a jam-packed agenda, highlighted by a RV Industry Leadership Panel featuring Forest River CEO Doug Gaeddert, Lippert SVP of Customer Support Services April Klein-Carroll, and Jarrod McGhee, CEO of Fun Town RV. The session will be moderated by Craig Kirby, President and CEO of the RV Industry Association.
Following that RVBusiness will announce winners of the 2025 RV Leadership Awards, which includes one corporate recipient and two individuals.
Also on today’s docket are “Park Perspectives” which features 20-minute presentations by:
- Erin Curtis, vice president, Marketing & Development at Genesis Products – “Weight, Sustainability and the Future of Construction Materials”
- Sara Dover, brand manager of Activation at Dometic, and Terry Jones, product development manager at THOR Motor Coach – “Tools for New RV Industry Workers”
- Tim Edwards, director of Human Resources – People Management at THOR Industries – “Taking Care of Our Talent”
Two nationally renowned speakers also will take the stage today. First up is Chris Duffy, a comedian, television writer, and radio/podcast host. Aside from his comedy prowess, Duffy is also recognized for his hosting role on TED’s hit podcast, “How to Be a Better Human,” where he explores unexpected paths to self-improvement, offering sharp insights and fresh ideas for how we can show up for one another.
The second speaker is Molly McPherson, who is known for transforming chaos into control. By day, she is a leading crisis communication strategist while also moonlighting as TikTok’s “PR Lady.” Discover how to spot escalating social media crises and tackle them head-on to safeguard your brand’s reputation. Walk away with insider tips and powerful insights to take control when everything feels out of control. From recognizing the early warning signs, to quickly sizing up the situation, deciding when to jump in the fray or hold back, and developing powerful responses that nail the perfect timing and platform, take back the narrative, rebuild trust with transparency, and manage the media to boost your reputation.
