So, it’s considered as The Biggest Trade Show in The World for what the Americans call the ‘RV market’.
I’ve been planning to go to this event for four years and have managed to find excuse after excuse to not attend. However, as we all know in the trade, Motorhoming in the UK has hit a lull in terms of ingenuity and new products surfacing.
The plan was to go and see how the big boys do it. I’d get a grip on the masses of accessories and bring them here for us all to share.
Getting to Louisville is simple. Only one interconnecting flight at Atlanta (the world’s largest airport) and then a 40-minute transfer to Louisville.
I’m sure you don’t want to hear about the plane breaking down, or me missing the inter-connecting flight or losing my luggage. The point is, in theory getting there SHOULD be a doddle.
The RVIA is a trade only show. Their policies were only averagely strict and, depending which market you were in, this altered the admission price. We were sent badges out in the mail and only had a very short registration queue to negotiate when we got there.
The size of the show only really hit me when I opened the envelope. A 27-page booklet, for goodness sake! This included hotel registration, transfers, seminars, sectional meetings, regional meals and a whole host of other things including celebrity appearances.
I arrived at Louisville Expo Centre on the Tuesday morning and have to admit that I was a little excited. Having been to probably every Motor Home show in Europe I really expected something special. The scene was set: A massive arena coupled with a full car park.
The layout was a little confusing, and there were curtains everywhere. I walked around the edge of an arena where there were about eight different stands and dropped down the ramp into the main accessory hall.
Then my heart sank: 65 stands. That was it. Anyone who has been to the NEC and seen the aisles that stretch on and on, then you too would have been, like me, more than a little vexed at the thought of the 17-hour journey to get there.
For the trade I’m in, the actual RVs were of no interest to me. What I wanted to see was the best of the bolt-on market in towing, satellite, storage, toys and gadgets. What I actually got was a reality check.
The RV Industry in the mighty US of A is not only stagnant, but now four years out of date. As well as looking out of date there was also a lack of finesse to the products. Where we weld, grind and powder coat – they are happy to spot weld and spray. We have the Fiamma ABS Top Box. They have an actual plastic box.
It’s not all a tale of woe for Motorhoming USA because they have a very different feel for it than us. It’s a market for anyone. Their standards are not so much lower as more affordable.
I think the general lesson learned for me was a simple one: In our market - motorhome accessories - we are actually better than we think.
We have a better product range with more choice and better prices. We care for the finish and the appearance. They have a few tit-bits we can look at here though and I’ll be bringing them to the UK soon.
Yours,
Will Bark (December 2011)
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