RVIA’s 42nd Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville Sold Out

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) sold-out 42nd Annual National RV Trade Show will bring 2005’s product lines and industry officials to the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center (KFEC) in Louisville, November 30-December 2, 2004.

The premier event of the RV business cycle, this year’s Louisville show boasts a record 773,200 square feet of exhibit space—reflecting the industry’s record-setting sales year in 2004 and optimism for the year ahead. As many as 13,300 industry officials and RV dealers will preview state-of-the-art 2005 model year RVs and products that will be available on dealer lots this coming spring. Exhibiting are 95 RV manufacturers and more than 300 supplier companies.

The opening event of the show is the Outlook 2005 breakfast on November 30, at the Executive West Hotel in Louisville. Doors open for Outlook 2005 with a sit-down breakfast at 6:15 a.m. Hosted by RVIA Chairman of the Board Bruce Hertzke of Winnebago Industries, Inc., the program begins at 6:45 a.m. RVIA President David Humphreys will set the stage with insights on the strong state of the RV industry and prospects for another excellent year in 2005.

Go RVing Coalition Co-Chairmen Don Walter of Starcraft RV and Tom Stinnett of Tom Stinnett RV Freedom Center will be joined by RVIA Vice President of Public Relations and Advertising Gary LaBella for a look at the changing face of today’s RV buyers and how Go RVing is helping the industry reach them. They will describe how record RV awareness and leads generated by the ad campaign in 2004 are boosting business prospects and what’s being done to build on this momentum in 2005 and beyond.

Public Relations Committee Chairman B.J. Thompson will then join LaBella to highlight the past year’s publicity successes and record sales in the face of record fuel prices. The presentation will culminate in the popular “RVTV” video showcasing the best in broadcast RV news and entertainment exposure during 2004.

The program and breakfast are free for attendees with show badges on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Attendees can take advantage of several sales and product seminars offered throughout the three-day show. On December 1 at 8 a.m. in the second floor ballroom of the KFEC, Finance and Insurance (F&I) expert Jan Kelly will lead a seminar on setting F&I practices. Seminar fees include a full breakfast at 7:30 a.m. On December 1 and December 2 at 8 a.m. in the same location, RV industry veteran Jim Carr will lead a complimentary seminar and breakfast on RV Distance Learning. Tickets for the F&I seminar can be purchased at the Credentials desk in the Registration Arena Lobby. Distance Learning tickets can be picked up at the RVIA Education booth located across from the press office.

Hour-long proprietary seminars will be offered at no cost in Exhibit Hall 1A – South Wing Lobby Corridor Room 109. The topics for November 30 are: “An Introduction to the Most Comprehensive Electronic Parts and Service Tools,” by DTI RV Parts & Appliances at 1:00 p.m.; “Supplemental Towed Vehicle Brake Methods and Products,” by SMI Manufacturing, Inc. at 2:30 p.m.; and “New Product Announcements and the Future Direction of Computing,” by Systems 2000, Inc. at 4:00 p.m. Scheduled for December 1 are: “Valuable Wheel Maintenance Tips,” by Alcoa Wheel Products at 9:30 a.m; “All in One Navigation System” by Pioneer Electronics at 11:00 a.m.; “Various Methods of Selling F&I,” by Integrated Data Systems at 2:00 p.m.; and “The Future of Air Springs and Air Suspension Controls,” by Firestone Industrial Products at 3:30 p.m. Topics for December 2 include: “Air Ride Pin Box and Air Ride Center Point™ Suspensions,” by Trail Air, Inc. at 10:00 a.m.; and “Networking: The Future of Onboard Power Management,” by Xantrex Technology at 11:30 a.m.

The show offers attendees one-on-one opportunities to learn more about local resources available to them. RV dealers can stop by the Go RVing booth for information about tying into the Go RVing advertising campaign on a local level. For information about RV technician learning opportunities and certification, attendees can stop by the RVIA Education booth.

For a full brochure of show activities and complete registration materials, contact RVIA's Meetings and Shows Department at (703) 620-6003, ext. 330. The National RV Trade Show is open to the media but not to the public.