Industry education offered by experts in outdoor hospitality can go a long way toward helping you guide your park toward becoming even more successful for the long term. To help you achieve this goal, view this update on the many educational opportunities ARVC is offering in 2021.

Industry education offered by experts in outdoor hospitality can go a long way toward helping you guide your park toward becoming even more successful for the long term. To help you achieve this goal, here’s an update on the many educational opportunities ARVC is offering in 2021:

If you’re considering buying or building a park or you’re in the process . . .
You won’t want to miss the virtual Prospective Owners Workshop (POW) designed to make it easy for you to tap into the knowledge of industry experts on a wide range of topics and acquire valuable information you can use as you move forward in your planning process. This workshop was offered for the first time in June of 2020 and was a resounding success. Topics to be covered include industry trends and insights; the importance of building strong relationships with local agencies that write and enforce codes; the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1194, the national standard that provides minimum construction requirements for the safety and health of occupants at RV parks and campgrounds; park development; operational expertise; insurance; marketing; reservation systems; franchise options; and financing. The first POW session of 2021 will take place the week of February 9 with additional dates to be scheduled in May and August. A special POW session will also be offered as an in-person add-on event at the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE) in November (more about that later). The add-on will also include a park tour that specifically addresses POW interests.

If you want to take your industry education to a whole new level . . .
The National School of RV Park & Campground Management is a two-year, high-quality education program designed to help attendees advance their skills by focusing on business management principles and practices that apply to the RV park and campground industry. Year One students learn about key trends in the industry, management principles and much more. Students returning for Year Two focus on deepening their understanding of the industry through critical analysis and application activities. Both sessions will be offered online in 2021 on March 9-11.

If you want to learn more about NFPA 1194 and about the new updates to the standard . . .
The next certification course, which will include information on the newest update to the national health and safety standard for RV parks and campgrounds, will be offered online on in January 2021! This interactive self-paced certificate course will walk you through key standards and help you build confidence in the navigating the standards, communicating with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), and preparing for park build or expansion.

If you want to start your employees on the path toward professional certification to benefit your park . . .
The new online Outdoor Hospitality Generalist (OHG) certification for park employees is expected to go live online on or around April 1. This self-paced certificate course will help prepare employees for work in the RV park and campground industry. Covering general content such as HR practices, basics of guest experience, employees’ roles in brand management and marketing efforts, and much more, this certificate course will build confidence in new employees so they can focus on learning the unique aspects of YOUR RV park or campground. Check back for updates.

If you want to learn more about specific topics . . .
Our first seven educational webinars of 2021 have been scheduled as follows:

·      Owners’ Perspective Open Forum – January 28

·      Updating Your Park’s Image in 2021 – February 18

·      Unique Ways to Engage Your Campers – March 25

·      RV Park & Campground Insurance 101 – April 29

·      Meet the Members: A Story for Those Getting Started – May 27

·      Owners’ Perspective Open Forum – June 24

·      Generating Revenue with Music – July 29

Visit arvc.org/events to learn more about the specific content of these webinars and to register in advance. Each webinar is free for ARVC members and will be approximately one hour in length, allowing attendees to participate in Q&A sessions with speakers and ARVC staff.

And last, but certainly not least, our annual Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) will return to its regular LIVE format where we’ll all be able to gather together once again in beautiful Raleigh, N.C. on November 8-11. Visit arvc.org and watch for updates as we plan this exciting reunion packed with education, insights and networking!