After more than 70 years in the holiday park industry, John Fowler Holidays is still looking firmly ahead.

In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, Elite Dynamics CEO Jamaine Campbell sits down with Cathy Higgs, Sales Director at John Fowler Holidays, at Ruda Holiday Park in North Devon.

They talk about the realities of growing a multi-park business, the limitations of legacy systems and why John Fowler decided it was time to rethink how technology supports its next chapter.

Cathy shares what she wants from better data, more connected customer journeys and AI, from understanding guests across different parks to improving communication, identifying sales opportunities and building stronger loyalty.

They also discuss the challenge of moving away from familiar ways of working and why sometimes the biggest opportunity comes from asking one simple question: what else is possible?

A conversation about growth, change, technology and the future of one of the UK’s longest-established family holiday park businesses.

If you’d like to explore any of the themes discussed in this episode, from connected operations and customer journeys to data, AI and growth, visit the Elite Dynamics website to find out more.

www.elite-dynamics.com

In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, Lisa sits down with Angie Fierro, Head of Product & Systems at Hoburne, for a conversation about technology leadership, product management and driving change in the holiday park industry.

Drawing on experience gained at Haven, Cove and now Hoburne, Angie shares her journey from IT support into senior leadership and explains why successful transformation always starts with people, not technology. From large-scale system rollouts and application support to product strategy and business change, she offers practical insights into what it takes to deliver meaningful outcomes across multi-site leisure businesses.

The discussion explores:

• Why "people, process and technology" must always be approached in that order
• The role of psychological safety in building high-performing teams
• Lessons learned from leading technology and operational change across holiday parks
• The importance of product management, prioritisation and stakeholder engagement
• How operators can make better data-led business decisions
• Why guest and team experience should sit at the heart of every technology investment
• Leadership, mentoring and creating opportunities for the next generation of women in technology

Angie also reflects on the unique role holiday parks play in helping families create lifelong memories and why, despite constant advances in technology, understanding people remains the key to successful change.

Whether you work in holiday parks, marinas, hospitality technology, operations, product management or digital transformation, this episode is packed with practical advice on leadership, innovation and delivering better business outcomes.  

Topics covered: Holiday Parks, Hospitality Technology, Product Management, Digital Transformation, IT Leadership, Change Management, Guest Experience, Data Analytics, Team Culture, Leadership Development, Women in Technology.

Its officially summer, the schools are out and every holiday park and marina in the country is running at full tilt. In this summer special of From Pitch to Pontoon, Calum, Lisa and Andrew take a break from the usual product and sales chat to celebrate the season that defines our industry.

The team share what summer really looks like behind the scenes, reflecting on their own holiday park and marina experiences.

They also get nostalgic about their first ever summer jobs, from fruit shops and supermarkets to restaurants and reception desks, and why so many people in this industry never really leave it.

Expect stories about housekeeping turnarounds, tractor threats on the touring field, entertainment teams that become part of guests holiday memories, and why creating a great summer is a team sport.

Whether you are running a park, managing a marina, working in hospitality or just love the great British summer, this one is for you. Good luck out there, enjoy the chaos and we will see you on the next episode of From Pitch to Pontoon.

holiday park podcast, marina podcast, holiday park summer, marina summer, UK holiday parks, holiday park operations, marina operations, hospitality podcast, holiday park marketing, from pitch to pontoon, Elite Dynamics, holiday park sales, marina management, holiday park industry

In this special Fourth of July episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, we explore what one of the busiest boating weekends of the year reveals about marina operations, customer expectations and the future of marina management software in the US.

Calum and Lisa are joined by Mikkel Oldenburg, Chief Revenue Officer at Elite Dynamics, and Jamie Gilman, US Business Development Manager, to discuss the pressure American marinas face during peak demand, from transient slips, fuel docks and dry stack launches to staffing, service requests, reservations and customer communication.

The conversation looks at how busy holiday weekends can expose disconnected systems, manual processes and gaps in operational visibility, while also creating opportunities for marinas to improve customer experience, increase ancillary revenue and make smarter use of data.

Jamie also shares his view on the US marina market, the rise of larger multi-site marina groups, changing customer expectations, technology adoption, AI and why connected ERP software could play a bigger role in the next chapter of marina operations.

Whether you manage a marina, boatyard, yacht club, dry stack operation or multi-location marine business, this episode explores the trends shaping the future of American marina management.

🎙️ Listen now to hear what peak periods like Fourth of July can teach us about the future of connected marina operations.

Lisa is back from Marinas26 in Australia, where the conversations covered everything from marina technology and connected software to practical AI, sustainability and the future of marina operations.

In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, we talk about what stood out from the event, including the open and collaborative marina community, the appetite for systems that work better together and why many operators are looking for easier ways to modernise without disrupting their teams.

There are also a few lighter moments from the trip, including the giant phone, Elite Dynamics socks, jet lag, koalas, kangaroos and a quick look back at one year of From Pitch to Pontoon.

In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, Calum, Lisa and Andrew reflect on the Elite Dynamics Customer Day 2026, bringing together holiday park and marina operators for a day of insight, discussion and celebration.

They talk through the key themes from the event, including Elite Dynamics’ 10-year anniversary, the 2026–2027 product roadmap, customer-led development, AI in holiday park and marina operations, and the idea of helping teams do less while achieving more.

From roadmap reveals and app updates to customer awards, partner sessions and plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, this episode captures the energy of the day and the importance of listening to customers when shaping the future of Elite Dynamics.

What does success look like for hospitality operators in 2026? In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, we explore the shift into what we’re calling the Refinement Era, where smarter decisions around pricing, distribution, and operations are separating high-performing operators from the rest.

Joined by Rentals United’s UK & Ireland Account Executive, John O’Gara, we break down key insights from the latest 2026 Short-Term Rental Outlook Report, including data from over 1.5 million bookings.

Together, we unpack what’s really happening across the UK holiday park, marina, and lodge sector and what operators need to do now to stay competitive.

You’ll learn:

• Why the UK is leading Europe in booking growth—and where the opportunity still lies
• How shorter booking windows are reshaping pricing and operational strategy
• The real impact of dynamic pricing vs static rates on occupancy and revenue
• Why channel diversification beyond Booking.com and Airbnb matters more than ever
• How automation is becoming essential in a high-turnover, fast-paced market
• What “revenue-first distribution” actually means in practice

If you’re managing a holiday park, marina, lodge park or glamping site, this episode gives you a clear, data-backed view of where the industry is heading and how to respond.

🎯 Whether you’re running a single-site operation or scaling a multi-location portfolio, this is your practical guide to refining your strategy for 2026.

www.elite-dynamics.com

Is SEO dead in an AI-first world? Or is it more important than ever?

In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, Calum sits down with SEO strategist Jason Pittock to unpack what AI search really means for holiday parks, marinas and service businesses in 2026.

They explore:

• How Google’s AI Overviews are impacting website traffic and click-through rates

• Why discoverability now matters more than rankings

• The difference between SEO and AEO (AI Engine Optimisation)

• How reviews and online reputation influence AI search results

• Why sentiment, authority and entity signals are becoming critical

• What businesses should prioritise if AI became the main discovery channel tomorrow

Jason shares why we’re in the “golden age” of AI search, how LLMs pull information from Google, Reddit, YouTube and review platforms, and why reputation management may soon matter more than traditional keyword targeting.

If you run a holiday park, marina, campground, or hospitality business this episode will help you understand what’s changing, what’s noise, and what to actually focus on.

Elite Dynamics | Management Software for Parks &

Marinashttps://jasonpittock.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonPittockMarketing

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-pittock/

Rising fuel costs are back in the conversation, but what does that actually mean for holiday parks and marinas?

In this episode, Calum and Andrew talk through the potential impact on travel behaviour, booking patterns, and on-site spend.

From shifting catchment areas to shorter stays and changing customer behaviour, they explore what operators might see in the months ahead.

The discussion covers practical ideas around communication, pricing, data, and creative ways to keep customers engaged, whatever direction the season takes.

www.elite-dynamics.com

If your marina systems “kind of work”… is that actually good enough?

In this episode of From Pitch to Pontoon, Lisa is joined by Sean Conklin from 365 Vertical to explore what happens when marina operations outgrow spreadsheets, disconnected systems and manual workarounds.

From multi-marina operators managing 30–40 locations through complex Excel sheets to finance teams relying on batch-level reporting, they unpack the hidden costs of “making it work” — and what changes when everything sits on one unified platform.

Together, they discuss:

• The real impact of duplicate data entry in marina management

• Why multi-site marinas struggle with disconnected systems

• How Microsoft Business Central supports scalable marina operations

• The role of AI and Copilot in improving reporting and visibility

• Reducing month-end reconciliation stress

• Why purpose-built marina software matters more than generic systems

• What modern boaters expect from online booking and real-time availability

Sean shares why the marina sector is reaching a technology inflection point — similar to hospitality 10–15 years ago — and the key sign that tells operators it’s time to rethink their software strategy:

When growth creates more manual work instead of clarity.

If you're a marina manager, finance lead or portfolio operator questioning whether your current systems are holding you back, this conversation will help you recognise the moment when “kind of working” simply isn’t enough.