In this week’s episode of MC Fireside Chats, we welcome Jenna Celmer from Basecamp as a special guest host. 

Over the years, the RV, campground, and outdoor hospitality industries have seen significant growth. From primitive sites with no cell reception to reserving sites over the phone, campers can now experience the great outdoors by booking online to different accommodations based on their needs and preferences. 

Guest experts from the industry talked about experiential hospitality and the work culture in the RV and campground industries. 

Celmer asked the experts about their fondest memory of their time in the industry, and most of the experts shared how they started and how they fell in love with the industry’s work culture. 

Randy Hendrickson, founder & CEO of The Intrepid Group, shared that the industry’s “care gene” keeps him moving forward. 

According to Scott Foos, CEO & owner of Horizon Outdoor Hospitality, it is vital to have that team-first mentality and ensure that team members are well taken care of. 

“The more that you really think about investing in your team, and the more that you truly understand that your team drives your business,” Foos added.

The conversion focused on experiential hospitality and how the industry is gearing towards providing good customer service or guest service.

For RV Industry Consultant Sandy Ellingson, it is essential to understand the meaning of experiential camping to get the guests there.

“We are moving into a season where we are competing across so many different kinds of markets now, especially with the growth of glamping and some of the things we’re seeing there, that understanding the definition of experiential Camping and understanding what that is is super important just to help get the guests there for the first time,” Ellingson said. 

Mark Koep, Founder & CEO of CampgroundViews.com, emphasized that communicating with guests is important to provide a unique experience. 

Casey Cochran, vice president of Business Development at Campspot Software, talked about how creating a culture and providing the ‘experience’ starts within the staff and team members.