This year has been a rollercoaster ride for the outdoor hospitality, outdoor recreation, RV, glamping, and campground industries. While the sectors had their fair share of struggles, they also celebrated victories and accomplishments.

In this year-ender episode of MC Fireside Chats, we brought back industry experts to look back and discuss learning points from this year.

Industry experts Connor Schwab, Scott Knepp, Jeff Hoffman, Phil Ingrassia, Curtis Hemmeler, Rich Schnippel, and Mike Harrison talked about the state of the campground and outdoor hospitality industry in 2022 and what they are looking forward to in 2023.

Jeff Hoffman, Founder of JH Consulting Solutions, reflects on how the industry fared in 2022.

Phil Ingrassia, RVDA’s executive director anticipates another busy year for the industry. Ingrassia said the final numbers for 2022 aren’t done, but the data projection for RV wholesale shipments is just under 500,000–a product of the normalization of production.

Curtis Hemmeler, President of RVTI, talked about the milestone the institute achieved as they continue to produce more certified RV technicians to solve the RV industry’s shortage of trained technicians and to implement metrics to track the RV customer experience.

Hemmeler proudly announced that by December 31st, RVTI has added over 1,200 trained and certified technicians.

Rich Schnippel, founder and president of Encore RV had seen a bright 2022 and anticipates challenges in 2023 due to economic uncertainties. Schnippel is hopeful that the economy will stabilize for the benefit of the industry.

Scott Knepp, director of operations at IVEE Group shared the impact of gas prices and inflation on consumer confidence.

Knepp believes the future looks bright and is hoping for normalization and stabilization in the industry.

CRR Lifestyle’s Mike Harrison looked at the challenges of this year and the uncertainties of the coming year as an opportunity for park owners to innovate, pivot, and think outside the box.

Connor Schwab of Sage Outdoor Hospitality highlighted the importance of tracking outdoor hospitality data for future park owners.

Overall, the guests reflected on the challenges and successes of the campground, RV, and outdoor hospitality industries in 2022 and look forward to the potential for continued growth and innovation in 2023.

They touched on topics such as the popularity of glamping, the impact of the pandemic on the RV industry, and the increasing demand for outdoor travel and experiences.