Affinity RV Show Season Off to Strong Start

RV enthusiasts turned out in better-than-expected numbers last week at the 20th annual
Colorado RV Adventure Travel Show and the 24th annual Washington Camping RV Expo, sponsored
by GEICO. The shows rolled into Denver, Colorado, and Chantilly, Virginia, last week,
filling the respective venues with new RVs, as well as campground, RV and camping
accessories and entertainment. Both shows reported strong sales and significantly increased
attendance over 2009 – a 28 percent increase in Denver and a 65 percent increase in
Chantilly. According to Dianne Seymour, show manager of the Colorado RV Adventure Travel
Show, “attendees were lining up at the doors each morning, and we had quite a crowd that
stayed until the show’s end every night. People were clearly excited about the RV lifestyle
and eager to see what dealers and exhibitors were offering.” Jim Humble, general manager of
Windish RV, said, “It was a fantastic show. This year, we sold double the units of last
year. This was a quality crowd that was here to buy. We are just thrilled.” Chris Sach of
RV America concurred, “The show absolutely exceeded our expectations. Sales were very
strong and we sold a lot of units, many more than last year. Sales of high-end fifth wheels
were especially strong. Numbers at the Washington Camping RV Expo were at an all-time high.
Thom Beckley, of Endless Summer RV, marveled, “The crowd on Friday was phenomenal as far as
number of attendees. At one point, we had 35 people inside one of our RVs, with another
30-40 lined up outside, and that is something we don’t typically see. This definitely looks
good for the upcoming season.” Jeff Haughton, Eastern vice president and regional manager
of Affinity Events, added, “We are very excited to see large crowds at these early shows.
This demonstrates that there is a solid demand for RVs in 2010.” Affinity Events will
welcome RV enthusiasts to get ready for the great outdoors with upcoming RV shows in
Edison, New Jersey; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Charlotte, North Carolina; Providence, Rhode
Island; and Raleigh, North Carolina. These shows will feature a variety of RVs, campground
information and accessories, along with expert advice and entertainment. Visit www.wgievents.com for information about
upcoming consumer shows from Affinity Events, exhibitor lists and discounted online tickets
to the shows.