Attendance Down, Spirits Up at MARVAC’s Fall Detroit RV Show

Officials with Michigan RV & Campground Association (MARVAC), learned yet again that it’s difficult to compete with Mother Nature.

The 33rd Annual Fall Detroit RV Show, which took place Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich., was up against one of the more spectacular weather conditions lately, with temperatures sending many people to cider mills and pumpkin patches.

Still, despite attendance being down, MARVAC officials said everyone they talked with were pleased with show itself.

“It was wonderful show,” MARVAC President & CEO John Lindley told RVBusiness. “The atmosphere was fantastic. The F&I tables at every dealership were full for most of the show. While the gate was down, the percentage of attendees who were engaged buyers was unquestionably up.”

“We were competing with some tremendously good weather, so I’m sure people were taking advantage of that,” MARVAC Show Director Darren Ing added. “The dealers and exhibitors I spoke with all said they were pleased with the consumers who did attend.”

“Also, out of the 11 dealers total who participated – representing 375 units – we were excited to have four new dealers presenting for the first time at this show: Bish’s RV, RV One, DR Trailer and Woodland Airstream,” Ing said, mentioning that the shop also had 45 exhibitors ranging from campgrounds to suppliers and everything in between as well as dozens of educational seminars, including the Emmy Award-winning Under the Radar Michigan.

The show also marked an opportunity for MARVAC to host a ceremony to honor Executive Director Bill Sheffer, who is retiring at the end of the year.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to an honor Bill’s longtime commitment to members of the organization and, specifically, his decades of executing shows just like the Fall Detroit RV Show. So, to toast him with the show literally in the background, was fantastic,” Lindley added.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/attendance-down-spirits-up-at-marvacs-fall-detroit-rv-show/