Expectations Running High for Boston RV & Camping Expo

Organizers are eagerly awaiting the Boston RV & Camping Expo, a four-day show that starts Friday (Jan. 13) at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, as it marks the first time the event will be held without COVID restrictions.

Last year, a week before the show, city officials announced a mandate that required people to provide a validation of their COVID vaccination to gather in a public setting.

“We think that, overall, that kind of an announcement that close to the show probably cost us probably one third of our audience from before,” said Bob Zagami, president of the New England RV Dealers Association (NERVDA), which serves as the event’s presenters.

“We had consumers who refused to come into Boston once they put these restrictions,” he continued. “Not only did it apply to the RV show, it applied to restaurants and theaters and entertainment venues. So, it was a blanket over the whole city. It wasn’t just one unique event. And when you do that and you do it over an entire city, it just puts water on the fire and it crippled us.”

Without those restrictions – along with several new attractions in place for this year’s show – Zagami said he and the exhibiting dealers and vendors have relatively high expectations.

Bob Zagami

At the same time, those attending the show are considered “pre-qualified buyers” just because of the venue’s location in downtown Boston. Zagami said it’s quite expensive for consumers to attend the show due to it being in downtown Boston due to parking, meals and other incidentals. Because of that, he said, those who attend are serious about RVing.

“Everybody likes to quote the retail numbers or quote the attendance numbers; I don’t get excited about that stuff,” Zagami said. “I thought that last year was one of our best shows because it eliminated a lot of people who just simply weren’t going to buy an RV. They just wanted someplace to go. This year, we’re going to see increased numbers – I think we’ll get back into that 15 to 20,000 attendee range, which would be good for us – but they’ll all be qualified prospects.”

He then related the narrative that Scott Silver from Cold Springs RV in Weare, N.H., has always told him.

“Scott will tell anybody who wants to listen that he gets customers from the Boston show for 12 months,” Zagami said. “Every month after the show for an entire year, he has people coming into his dealership to talk, either meet them or to buy an RV because they talk to them and they present the company in such a way that they realize everybody is not going to buy an RV.”

As far as the new attractions for this year’s show, Zagami started with the Girl Camper Pavilion. Hosted by Janine Pettit, founder of Girl Camper, a widespread community of women RVers, as well as Lee’s Auto and RV Ranch, an RV dealer base din in Ellington, Conn. Located on the display floor, Girl Camper will have a “Campfire Chat” area for women RVers to gather, share stories and listen to RVing experts from Girl Camper.

“It’s a highlight within the show that we think everybody’s going to want to go to,” he said. “And Janine always draws well – standing room only. She’s so affable with her ability to be able to go over to her booth and talk to her all day every day, and she’ll be there throughout the whole show.”

Another new attraction will take place Saturday morning, beginning about one hour before the show opens at 10 a.m., Zagami and his partner, John DiPietro, will co-host a presentation of their weekly “RVing in New England” livestream show. The two plan on bringing in special guests as well as talking to attendees waiting for the doors to open.

“John and I will be there with our smiling faces, signing autographs and collecting accolades,” Zagami quipped. “Much like our regular show, we’re not going to script this thing; we’re just going to show up and start talking. I don’t know what’s going to come out of our mouth, but I know we’re going to have fun.”

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/expectations-running-high-for-boston-rv-camping-expo/