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There was an air of celebration among proponents of industry market expansion at the recent general membership meeting of RVIA in South Bend, IN, where RVIA members met to decide the fate of the much discussed and much studied proposed market expansion program. And even though the final word would not come until that evening, leaks from RVIA indicated early in the day that from ballots already counted through mail-in votes, the measure had passed - unless, of course, there were a large contingent of members voting at the last minute and they all opposed the market expansion program. Over the years, RV News has been among the most vocal proponents of market expansion, urging the industry to get behind a program, scolding those who would stand in the way, and providing a platform for the exchange of ideas both for those who support and those who did not support market expansion. There were a lot of people at the meeting in South Bend, and RV News was among them, that felt as if we should be passing out cigars because after years of labor pains, the market expansion program seemed to receive it's life-giving pat on the rump. There was a lot of hand shaking and deserved acknowledgments of various contributions by individuals and groups as the day progressed. And in the final analysis, what makes this market expansion effort stronger and more valid is that it is not one association's program nor one company's commitment, but a true industry program. And even though I must admit having been frustrated at times and even doubting whether the program would ever come about, I now know the fire of debate has forged a much stronger program than if it had been without controversy and without opposition. Those that opposed the program and those that were apathetic forced the industry to come together under the umbrella of a market expansion coalition. That coalition was made up of all major national associations, state associations, companies and individuals that collectively talked and refined ideas, finally building a consensus of opinion. That coalition then requested three major advertising agencies make proposals that could be accomplished with an annual budget of $5 million. Again, I was skeptical. I didn't think that anyone outside the industry could come up with a plan that captured the emotion of what we are all about. Boy, was I wrong. Eisner and Associates presented a comprehensive package with sample ads that literally brought tears to my eyes - they were so good, so right on, so professional. It's also interesting and every industry member needs to be aware and appreciative of the commitment Eisner and Associates made to the program after they won the initial endorsement. Without any assurance that the market expansion effort would ever be funded, the Eisner team went everywhere and anywhere they were invited to present their proposed package. Obviously, they stood to gain if the program were accepted, but I doubt that many agencies would have invested the time, money and talent that Eisner did without some assurance of success. In the process, I believe the Eisner team became part of the industry. For our part, RV News thanks Byron Tucker and Joseph Bruce of Eisner and Associates for their commitment as well as their talent. Right up until the final RVIA board of directors vote to recommend presenting the market expansion program to the general membership for a vote, the idea remained explosive and threatened to split the industry wide open. So the fact that there was a meeting in South Bend was cause for celebration in and of itself. As an indication of the kinds of support that is coming for market expansion from everywhere in the industry, the Florida RV Trade Association announced that they were behind the program and presented a check to the market expansion coalition (renamed at the meeting to the Go RVing Coalition) for $5,000 as tangible evidence of their support. Every major association and group from manufacturers, dealers, campground owners, suppliers and distributors are all stepping up to the plate to find ways to further supplement the $22 contribution made to the market expansion effort every time an RV manufacturer buys an RVIA seal. It has truly turned into an industry program. So when the final vote was counted and the announcement made at the South Bend meeting on May 8 that the RV industry indeed had a market expansion program, it was the culmination of a voyage through sometimes stormy seas. But the water is calm now and our port of call is in sight. Yes, it is a time for celebration, but now the real work of market expansion begins. RVN
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