Slideshow: Hershey Show Carries Momentum into Weekend – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
HERSHEY, Pa.– The 55th Annual America’s Largest RV Show was able to continue the momentum of a successful opening day into Day Two at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., with a reported attendance of 11,347, which is 220 more people than last year’s second day. Combined with the opening day’s tally of 7,007 – also a hike over the 2023 gate – and a very favorable weather forecast, the “Hershey RV Show” is poised for a strong final three days.
Hosted through Sunday, Sept. 15, by the Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association (PRVCA), the 2024 Hershey Show features about 1,500 RVs on display from 40 manufacturers as well as hundreds of exhibitor booths staffed by aftermarket suppliers and campgrounds.
“We had a great second day,” PRVCA Executive Director Heather Leach told RVBusiness. “People are here to buy and everyone I’ve spoken to is having a good show. Everyone is feeling very confident heading into the weekend.”
Jon Ferrando, the founder, president and CEO of Blue Compass RV, said the first two days of the show have been “great.”
“Our exhibits, especially our luxury motorhome exhibits with Entegra and Newmar, were packed with people here to buy,” he told RVBusiness. “So, we really couldn’t have had a better start for the last couple of days, especially compared to last year and the last couple years when the industry was under a lot of pressure.”
Noting that their OEM partnerships play a crucial role, he added that the good showing over the first two days offers a promising sign that the industry might finally be emerging from a sluggish retail environment.
“The Hershey Show is a very important barometer. We’ll be looking at, certainly, the attendance all week and then also the sales activity,” he said. “Our goal this year is to set an all time record. We’re off to a good start. We are being very aggressive to go after the customers, and we have a great sales team here. We have the ‘A’ team on the field, and we’re going to outwork people bell to bell to win, and that’s what it takes in this environment.”
Also pleased with the first two days was Andrew Cooley, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Storyteller Overland and its recently acquired TAXA Outdoors division.
“Wow! Oh my gosh! This show is incredible. It’s everything that I ever heard that it ever was,” Cooley told RVBusiness while adding that Storyteller was making its first appearance at the Hershey Show. “I’ve been here once as a consumer about eight years ago, just looking at various product when we used to be an RV dealer. This is the most encouraging retail show that we’ve ever been to, with a consumer base that understands what we’re doing in the niche overland segment of the RV lifestyle market. And so I’ve been more encouraged here than at any other show I’ve ever been at.”
The RVBusiness Featured Video is sponsored by Curt, a Lippert Brand.
