RVIA’s Kirby: RVs Move America Week a ‘Tremendous Success’ – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
It’s been said many times that the Go RVing marketing campaign has been the envy of other industries over the years. The way the RV industry has set aside competitive differences to collaborate on such a successful initiative for nearly 30 years has often been copied, but not nearly as to the same levels of achievement.
The same could also be said of the yeoman’s work done by hundreds of volunteers serving on the RV Industry Association’s various committees. And that was on full display the past few days during RVIA’s RVs Move America (RVMA) Week, which wrapped up Thursday at the Mayflower Hotel Autograph Collection in Washington D.C.
Featuring two days of committee, coalition and board meetings as well as the legislative lobbying efforts of Advocacy Day, RVMA was highlighted by colleagues and competitors working together to advance the greater good of the industry.
RVIA President & CEO Craig Kirby, speaking from a Washington D.C. subway on Thursday, said he thought RVMA was a “tremendous success.”
“It’s always great to bring all segments of the industry together to elevate the industry and also to ascend on Capitol Hill to move all our legislative priorities. Advocacy Day was a huge success with well over a hundred advocates and over a hundred meetings on the Hill,” he told RVBusiness.
Kirby agreed that the unsung heroes of the industry are the people who volunteer their time and efforts on RVIA’s various committees, because their work is crucial to provide direction to the RVIA board.
“Without a doubt,” he said. “We have such talented and passionate people in this industry. To have them participate on committees, to help us overcome challenges, is a huge advantage for the industry. We’re able to accomplish so much by having the committees in place to work on a variety of topics. And it’s great then afterwards, at the end of the day, we can get together and network and have fun.”
As examples, Kirby singled out the Standards Steering Committee and the Campground Coalition, the latter a relatively new group whose mission is to unify and strengthen the combined RV/camping industry.
If it weren’t for the Standards Committee, the subcommittees and the inspection program, it would be virtually impossible to maintain our self-regulation,” he said. “And how excited are the people on the Campground Coalition to be involved in what they’re doing. It’s the same thing: we’re seeing a new era of industry unity, where people from all segments are excited about the direction the industry is moving and are willing to contribute. And that bodes well for the RVers’ experience.”
Another highlight during RVMA was the celebration of RVIA’s 50th Anniversary at a reception held on the rooftop deck of the Spy Museum. During the gathering, Kirby and RVIA Chairman Kevin McArt of Forest River Inc. looked back on the formation of the organization 50 years ago and the trajectory of successful growth that RVIA and the industry has experienced in the decades since.
And, certainly, the connection can be made that the association’s committee work over the years made possible the celebration that was five decades in the making.
“We were able to celebrate 50 years because of the support we’ve received from the members in the past 50 years,” Kirby acknowledged. “There are so many people who have put us in this position. It’s too difficult to name them, but we continue to build on a foundation that was built from leaders from the past.”
What I’m really excited about is seeing the number of first-timers getting involved with RVIA. The Emerging Leaders Coalition has clearly been key to bringing in the next generation of talent and getting them involved. They’re all so bright and talented, and it bodes well for the future of the industry.”
