Tinghitella: 53rd RV Aftermarket Conference was ‘Fantastic’ – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News

SAN DIEGO – With what is believed to be record attendance, the 2023 RV Aftermarket Conference by all accounts was a success in that business activity was brisk, networking was ever-present and the camaraderie was genuine.

Hosted by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and the RV Aftermarket Conference at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina, the four-day conference wrapped up Thursday. In a unique format for the long-running event – this was the 53rd conference – aftermarket supplier companies as well as distributors, dealers and others will meet each other for one-on-one “appointment sessions” to conduct business.

John Tinghitella

Aftermarket Committee Chairman John Tinghitella of RV Designer expressed his thankfulness to the 18 event sponsors and RVIA for their efforts in putting together a “fantastic” conference.

“The conference was three days of excellent networking, individual meetings, and a few extra programs,” said Tinghitella, whose RV Designer company provides replacement hardware and other parts and accessories in the aftermarket sector. “We pulled in 240 people in the registrations – which we believe is a record in the modern era, as they say – and we’re very thankful for that.

“The RVIA staff did a magnificent job – as they always do – with logistics, and making sure all the parts and pieces fit nicely,” he continued, adding that the venue and pleasant weather also were terrific. “We’re in San Diego – how can you not love that?”

Tinghitella also mentioned that everyone seems to appreciate that the “business conditions in the RV market, which clearly have been disrupted in recent years, are beginning to normalize.”

“There were great conversations and a tremendous amount of new products as evidenced by the number of entries in our Product of the Year Award program. So, there’s a lot of activity and enthusiasm in our segment.”

Related to that, Tinghitella singled out the insights gleaned from the 2023 Aftermarket Parts & Accessories Study.

Presented by RVIA Vice President of Membership & Research Bill Baker, the study was an update on similar RVIA studies in 2018-19 that offered insight into consumer preferences with regard to aftermarket parts and accessories.

In just skimming the surface of a deep pool of data, perhaps the key takeaway from the study’s results was that, as Amazon has emerged as the primary venue for aftermarket purchases, the in-store shopping experience has become critically important. Aided by signage, training and other marketing support from aftermarket companies and representatives, dealerships need to leverage their staff’s knowledge, experience and customer service skills to become the “go-to source” for consumers.

“One of the really great things RVIA does is tremendous research and surveys. I want to emphasize to anyone reading this – please, if you’re an RVIA member, get into the online portal and check it out. It’s really, really good stuff,” Tinghitella said.

“This particular one was all about the aftermarket and it’s strictly focused on the how and why and where consumers make their purchasing decisions of parts and accessories in our segment,” he continued. “What we’re trying to do – and we’ve been doing this for some time – is we’re trying to get our arms around the trends, the preferences and the issues that need to be addressed to help that consumer flourish going forward. And while the Path to Purchase is absolutely crucial and go RVing has nailed it, we, as an overall industry, also need to embrace the path to satisfaction.”

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/tinghitella-53rd-rv-aftermarket-conference-was-fantastic/