RV Leadership Conference Deemed a ‘Fantastic’ Success

One of the highlights of the RV Leadership Conference was a panel discussion that featured, Debbie Brunoforte of Little Dealer, Little Prices, a Campers Inn company; Mike Happe of Winnebago Industries Inc.; and Bob Martin of THOR Industries Inc. Craig Kirby of the RV Industry Association moderated the dicsussion.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – While there were just over 180 attendees – nearly twice the goal – the biggest takeaway from the RV Leadership Conference, which was March 15-17 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, was the consensus that the future of the industry is in good hands.

Hosted by the RVIA Emerging Leaders Coalition (ELC), a group of about 30 people representing a wide cross-section of the RV and campground industries, the conference was singularly focused on helping the “next generation of leaders” become involved with the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and other industry-wide organizations, activities and initiatives. Indeed, nearly half of the attendees were “unfamiliar faces” in the sense that they were looking to take the next step on their leadership path.

The conference featured several leadership-focused seminars as well as networking, recreational and philanthropic activities. Among the seminars was a panel discussion featuring Debbie Brunoforte of Little Dealer, Little Prices, a Campers Inn company, as well as Mike Happe, president of Winnebago Industries Inc. and Bob Martin, president of THOR Industries Inc. Before a rapt audience, the trio reflected on the leaders that helped shape their careers as well as how they cultivate the future leaders of their companies.

A second panel discussion included members of the ELC – including Michilah Grimes, Lippert director of corporate and community impact; Matt Veurink, Veurinks’ RV Center sales manager; Anthony Wollschlager, Airxcel group president; and Ashley Bontrager, Ember Recreational Vehicles president and CEO – who discussed how their companies nurture future leaders.

Other seminars included: a keynote presentation by Sterling Hawkins on having a “No Matter What Personal Growth Mindset;” “The Path to Purchase Journey” by Bill Baker, RVIA VP of membership and research, and Steve Schmith, Acxiom Automotive director of industry strategy; “Combat Leadership Workshop: Build High Performance, Winning Teams” by former U.S. Navy SEAL, JP Dinnell; and a panel discussion on Sustainability with Katy Friesz, Winnebago’s vice president of corporate responsibility, Kartik Mekala, Lippert’s director of sustainability and Sandy Rynalski, THOR’s vice president of ESG.

Ryan Elias

ELC Chairman Ryan Elias, who serves as treasurer of the RVIA Board of Directors, said the conference was “fantastic.”

“My personal reflection on the past few days was the unity, the connection and the spirit of the industry is like nothing else,” said Elias, the president and general manager of Leisure Travel Vans/Triple E RV, the Class C manufacturer in Winkler, Manitoba.

“I’m proud to be part of this industry, and the success that we’ve had and will continue to have together,” he continued. “And I think this event is a perfect example of that – of the industry working together to help us move forward, move the bar, and also fill the pipeline with the next up-and-coming industry leaders, that are there to serve and help us altogether, collectively move forward.”

While crediting the RVIA staff for its efforts in ensuring the conference was as successful as it was, Elias added it was especially rewarding to see so many unfamiliar faces at the event – a strong indication there are plenty of people interested in steering the greater good of the RV industry.

“I think I’ve probably met the most amount of new people that I’ve met in years at an RVIA event, which is great,” he said.

Echoing those sentiments was RVIA President Craig Kirby.

Craig Kirby

“This was the first RVIA event that I’ve been to where I didn’t know so many people, which is terrific because that’s the whole point – to get this next generation involved in the organization and in the industry, to network and to tap into the leadership training that we have going on this week. So, I couldn’t be happier,” Kirby told RVBusiness.

Kirby also credited Elias and the entire ELC – along with RVIA’s Samantha Rocci, senior manager of government affairs and ELC staff liaison, and Jeremy Greene, senior director of events and marketing – with putting together a “tremendous program.”

“They’re the ones who did it. They determined the agenda. They determined the speakers. They determined the events. And I’ve heard nothing about positive comments from everybody how terrific it’s been,” Kirby said. “It’s clear they put out a program that not only our members but the industry values because it was sold out. We could have sold more, but we ran out of space, so now we know we can go bigger next year.

“And the really great thing about it, as I said, the leadership training is critical, but just as important is the networking that’s taking place,” he continued. “So, people who are meeting individuals here, representatives from the campground industry, the dealer side, manufacturers, suppliers, and we’re all getting to learn about the issues and challenges that each segment faces, which will allow us to work better together and elevate the entire industry and keep the unity moving forward. That’s what’s really set this industry apart from other industries and gives us a competitive advantage.”

“There’s such a talented group here that the future for the industry is extremely bright. They will take this industry to the next level,” Kirby concluded.

Two of those future leaders included Joel Eberlein and Cody Schade. Eberlein, vice president of Winnebago Towables, and Schade, a Forest River general manager overseeing the R-Pod, Ibex and No Boundaries towable brands, were very pleased with the conference.

Cody Schade

“I was really impressed this week to see such a cool platform for new ideas, and talking about innovation and motivation, and it’s been a really inspiring experience for me personally,” Schade said.

“It’s been a great experience, for a lot of the things that Cody mentioned,” Eberlein said. “Really good keynote speakers, the opportunity to listen to our industry leaders like (Winnebago Industries President) Mike Happe and (THOR Industries President) Bob Martin, listening to the Emerging Leaders Coalition and what they’re looking at behind the scenes, too, as ‘generation next.’ It’s been a great event.”

Both acknowledged they were interested in becoming more involved with the greater industry, and that the Leadership Conference only confirmed those aspirations.

Joel Eberlein

“Absolutely,” Eberlein said. “When I look at product segments that I’m in, as well as Cody, we’re very focused on what emerging consumers are doing, as well as what’s this industry’s next. And it’s going to be a different set of innovation, a different set of perspectives, that drive this into the new consumer and the next generation.”

“I think there’s a couple of different reasons why we’re all here but, for me, it’s also how to lead our teams better at work, how to become a better leader, and how to educate other new people to be leaders when we all go back home,” Schade said.

“That’s a great point,” Eberlein pointed out. “How do we take what we learn here today, and enhance our teams back home, so we can pull them forward to build more depth in this industry?”

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/rv-leadership-conference-deemed-a-fantastic-success/