Carolinas Campground Confab is Underway in Myrtle Beach

RV Business

Attendees of the Takeaway Tours at CARVC’s annual conference were able to witness history as military jets shot down a Chinese spy balloon on Saturday (Feb. 4). (Photo: Barb Krumm)

Kelly Jones, vice president of operations for Great Escapes RV Resorts, speaks during her session on ADA issues at the CARVC conference. Credit: Ben Quiggle

Those who took part in the Takeaway Tours on Saturday (Feb. 4) at The Carolinas Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ (CARVC) annual conference had the chance to enjoy a tour of five Myrtle Beach, S.C., campgrounds, while also taking in a little history.

Dee Witting, the executive director of the association, told WOODALLSCM.com that attendees of the Takeaway Tours had a great view of military jets circling a nearby Chinese spy balloon as they prepared to shoot it down over the Atlantic Ocean. Attendees of the Takeaway Tours momentarily pulled away from looking at cabins during their stop at Myrtle Beach Travel Park to take in the spectacle.

The Takeaway Tours allowed attendees to tour Ocean Lakes Family Campground, Myrtle Beach KOA, Myrtle Beach Travel Park, North Myrtle Beach RV Resort & Dry Dock Marina, and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Daddy Joe’s. Lunch was served at Myrtle Beach Travel Park, Ice Cream was provided at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Daddy Joe’s and Ocean Lakes Family Campground hosted a coffee break.

On Sunday, while the Chinese spy balloon was the talk of the conference as more vendors and attendees arrived, the conference hosted a workshop on building and expanding a park taught by Michael Hobby, the owner of two campgrounds in South Carolina. He looked at NFPA 1194 guidelines during his session “The Holy Grail of RV Park Construction Requirements & Standards-NFPA 11-94.”

Later in the afternoon, Kelly Jones, vice president of operations for Great Escapes RV Resorts, highlighted ADA issues during her session on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and guest experiences.

She mentioned that along with larger infrastructure improvements like building ramps so individuals in wheelchairs can access buildings, park owners should also assess their campstores, bathrooms, campsites and more to make sure individuals with disabilities can take full advantage of everything a park has to offer.

Jones noted that it is important to have visual aids for individuals that may be deaf and she also held up some large bingo cards and UNO cards made with Braille for individuals with sight issues.

“These types of products don’t cost a lot and it helps a guest with these issues feel as though you thought about them and it allows them to also enjoy all of the activities that others are taking part in too,” she said.

Today (Feb 6), Nichole Poisson, Kampgrounds of America Inc.’s franchise development manager, will kickoff the main portion of the conference with her keynote, “Trends and Insights of The Camping Industry Thru a SWOT Analysis.”

Also this morning, Cathy Reinard, a licensed real estate broker and former park owner, will be presenting a Buyers Workshop featuring the benefits of ownership, a typical day in the life of an owner-operator and various ways to find parks for sale.

Other educational sessions on tap today: