Family RV Association Convention is Underway in Georgia – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
PERRY, Ga. – With the debut of its new name, the Family RV Association (FRVA) – formerly Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) – opened its 110th International Convention this week in Perry, Ga. The membership organization, which serves RV owners with a variety of services and benefits, announced the name and logo change amid efforts to appeal to a wider variety of RVers.
“While you won’t necessarily see the change yet here, we do hope to bring in a bigger variety of RVers moving forward. We have some exciting plans,” said Bob Weithofer, who is a vice president in the organization and was in charge of the convention.
The FRVA Convention runs from March 12-15 at Georgia National Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Perry, Georgia. The theme for this year’s Convention is Lafitte’s Lost Treasure and many attendees had their RVs decorated with pirate-themed items and a few were actually decked-out themselves.
The event features three days of seminars and workshops, vendors, nighttime activities and more. But what really attracts a lot of return visitors is the fellowship. The FRVA has a wide range of chapters that are intended to appeal to all sorts of RVers.
At today’s chapter fair, many of these chapters set up displays to share the focus of the various chapters in the FRVA. There are chapters for specific brands of RV, regional chapters, special-interest chapters and more. For those who can’t find something to appeal to them, the FRVA also encourages members to create a chapter. For example, the Golden Spike chapter is specifically about “rail fanning” via RV travel.
Speaking with a number of return visitors, it was the people you meet at these events that was the highlight for many participants. Several RVers noted that they had brought friends and a number of gatherings were seen among the 1,400 or so RVs spread across the fairgrounds on the first day.
In fact, there is a Facebook Group for the event which is where many find their fellow special-interest travelers. In the group were invitations from a number of RVers hoping to reconnect with friends and fellow travelers.
The organization started in 1963 by owners of converted buses who found a common interest and worked to further what they could accomplish together.
Since then, the FRVA has become an organization with tens of thousands of members. Among the many reasons to join are the discounts on tires, roadside assistance, online learning center, chapters and more.
So why the name change? Essentially, it was to grow the association’s membership. Previously, only motorized RV owners could join. But now the majority of RVs on the road are travel trailer and fifth-wheels, so several years ago the bylaws were changed to extend membership to towable RV owners.
Another shift is the change in how RVers consume information including favoring things like YouTube and other digital programs, which means fewer RVers have to wait for a gathering to learn what they need. Indeed, Facebook Group for specific brands, online videos from manufacturers and experts, and other resources that are immediately available have changed the way RVers get their information.
Further, with families and younger RVers being busy building careers, it has been an uphill battle to grow the FRVA, which has seen membership and attendance decline as of late.
“There’s a plaque (on the fairgrounds) from when we had over 6,000 RVs here,” said Weithofer.
There is a desire by both decision makers within the organization and by many members to create more appeal to owners of towables and younger people in general. One example of that effort is by bringing in RVer TV with its own rolling display of RVs and aftermarket gadgets.
The FRVA does have an excellent web-based learning library and other programs that would benefit RVers of all ages. The challenge is telling the world that these are here as part of one’s membership.
Those who wish to learn more or join the FRVA can find additional details at frva.com. There are also day passes available if someone wishes to experience the Convention first-hand.
