RVAA News Archives

Posted	Title
2/27/2013	RVAA Proud Member: For your website/exhibit booth We need your help spreading the word about RVAA membership! To help us do this, the RVAA Membership Committee started a new initiative/promotion last year that has gained great momentum. We would like to continue on this course by asking you to show your RVAA Proud Member display card prominently at your booth at all trade shows where you exhibit. We have also developed a "2013 Proud Member" logo that you are welcome to add to your business website!
2/26/2013	RVAA Committee Update: Member Benefits Committee As a newly formed Member Benefits Committee our purpose is to ensure that the members of the association are receiving the most benefit. Currently, the greatest benefit we all enjoy is the Annual Executive Conference. The 2012 Executive Conference was held downtown Chicago, IL, at the beautiful Omni Hotel. The hotel was in a great location for those who wanted to get out a visit the city.
12/17/2012	RVAA Committee Update: Marketing Committee - E-Newsletter Stats One of the many tasks of your RVAA Marketing Committee is to produce and distribute a monthly e-newsletter via email. Since July of 2011 the committee has monitored the statistical trends within the newsletter to produce articles and information to better serve and interest our audience.
12/16/2012	RVAA Members Rate the 2012 Conference in Chicago The RVAA Board of Directors surveyed attendees of the 2012 Conference in Chicago. The feedback from those surveyed will help provide information to improve future conferences.
12/10/2012	RVAA: Behind the Scenes Our RVAA Management Team is thrilled to be working on behalf of the RVAA organization! We were asked to share a snapshot of some of the “behind the scenes” events/operations that are taking place.
10/25/2012	RVAA Re-classifies Distributor Member Category The membership of RVAA voted to change its by-laws during 2012 RVAA Executive Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The most significant part of the by-law change was the reclassification of the Distributor Member category in Article III Section 2. RVAA distributor members are now classified in one of three categories: Distributor, Retailing Distributor, and Reseller.
10/24/2012	RVAA Committees – Get Involved! The RVAA Board of Directors has set a goal to get as many RVAA members as possible to join a committee for the 2012/2013 year. Currently, only about 12% of members are actively involved on RVAA Committees. There are tremendous initiatives that have been created that will allow RVAA to continue to grow into a stronger and more effective association.
10/24/2012	RVAA Board of Directors Strikes Down Aftermarket Statistics Program The RVAA Board of Directors had a Board of Directors meeting in June in Chicago, Illinois. A major agenda item during this meeting was to vote on an RV Aftermarket Statistics program that would allow the association to publish RV aftermarket sales data on a quarterly basis.
8/22/2012	Highlights from the 2012 Executive Conference! RVAA 2012 Executive Conference at the Omni Hotel in Chicago in full swing. Click here to view photos!
8/17/2012	Aftermarket Expansion Keys Upcoming RVAA Conference Change is in motion for RVAA going into its Aug. 20-24 Executive Conference at the Omni Chicago Hotel. During the past year RVAA has increased its membership roll by 20 companies – a new record, topping 19 new member companies in 2011 – and boosted the number of members serving on committees by 50 percent, according to RVAA President Aaron Engberg. RV Pro magazine interviewed Engberg about RVAA initiatives in a recent article. Click here to read.
8/14/2012	What’s New at This Year’s Conference in Chicago? The format and agenda at this year’s conference is very close to those in the past. But, there are a few tweaks this year that you will find interesting.
8/13/2012	Highlights of the RVAA 2012 Strategic Plan The RVAA Board of Directors attended a strategic planning meeting on June 20 in Chicago, Illinois. This strategic planning meeting is an annual event during which the Board of Directors strategizes about the long term future of RVAA.
8/8/2012	What To Do While You're In Chicago! The 2012 Executive Conference is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to welcome you to Chicago! We are delighted to be hosting the conference at the Omni Hotel, just steps away from Michigan Avenue, and truly in the heart of the Magnificent Mile.
7/16/2012	In Case You Missed the RVAA Webinar... You can download a pdf version of the presentation here.
6/6/2012	Get the Most Out of the Executive Conference Meetings Each individual distributor has their own unique way of making the conference a success and the formula we use at Keller has served us well over the years. We go into the meetings as if we were going into an annual employee review. In doing so, we collect specific data based on information from the previous year.
6/6/2012	Sales Best Practices: Use RVAA's Universal Price List Information is key... Correct and complete product information is very valuable to both suppliers, distributors and to the consumer. RVAA has created a format for information to flow seamlessly between supplier and distributor.
4/20/2012	A Message from Your President – Wow, What Momentum!! The progress that has been made year to date within the RVAA community has really made me proud to be a part of this organization. Without the strong support and participation of the Board, the committee members, and all RVAA membership we wouldn’t have been able to move forward so quickly.
4/19/2012	RVAA Introduces Product of the Year Award RVAA is pleased to announce that the Member Benefits Committee has created the RVAA Product of the Year Award. The award was created to allow RVAA supplier members to showcase and earn recognition for new products that have been introduced into the RV Aftermarket.
4/19/2012	Sales Best Practices: Get your graphics up to standards! By following the RVAA graphics guidelines, you can help ensure products and advertisements are accurately featured to maintain a high quality standard among the RVAA industry.
2/21/2012	Product Merchandising – Less is More You’ve heard it a million times: “simple solutions trump complex every time”. Nowhere is this more valid than on the retail floor. It is assumed that RV dealerships are busy places with erratic, seasonal demand. While store personnel really try to help customers, they simply can’t be with every customer every time.
2/20/2012	Increasing Distributor and Dealer Sales Through Improved Merchandising Supplier Companies have many opportunities to assist their Distributor and Dealer partners increase the sales of their products. One of the most effective ways to do this is to provide them with improved merchandising aids that can be easily implemented at the dealer level.
2/19/2012	RVAA Committee Update: Education Committee See what the new RVAA Education Committee has in store for the coming year!
2/19/2012	RVAA Committee Update: Membership Benefits Committee The Membership Benefits Committee met for the first time on February 13th. Because this is a brand new committee we had a lot to go over. Our priority was to review current benefits. From there we had a very busy conference call with everything we have assigned to us.
1/9/2012	RVAA Committee Update: Membership Committee The Membership Committee met on Dec. 12th to review our plan to meet the objectives for 2012. Membership retention, new member education and mentoring, membership recruitment, and additional committee member recruitment are at the top of the list. (more)
11/17/2011	Perspective, Unity Needed for These Trying Times As we near the end of this year, the RV industry continues to determinedly hold its ground in the face of the uncertain, volatile economic environment hampering business both nationally and globally. (more)
11/17/2011	RV AfterMarket Education and Certification Can Improve Everyone’s Bottom Line The National RV Dealers association has enjoyed a strong relationship with RVAA and there is a true attitude of cooperation between the two organizations. One of the most important examples of this cooperation is in the area of AfterMarket continuing education for RV retailers. (more)
11/17/2011	RVAA’s Ongoing Relationship with the RV Industry From the very inception of RVAA, our members have worked in conjunction with other industry associations for the betterment of the recreational vehicle industry. (more)
11/17/2011	A look to campground stores for a new distribution channel Businesses are always looking for new distribution channels. But one place they often overlook is campground stores. (more)
11/2/2011	Get Involved with RVAA Committees The RVAA Board of Directors has set a goal to get as many RVAA members as possible to join a committee for the 2011/2012 year. There are tremendous initiatives that have been created that will allow RVAA to continue to grow into a stronger and more effective association. However, to accomplish these initiatives we are going to need many more volunteers to serve on committees. (more)
10/19/2011	RVAA Strategic Plan The RVAA Strategic Plan serves as a guide for our actions as an organization, and allows our Board and Membership with a means to measure our effectiveness in achieving our goals. In early June of 2010, the RVAA Board of Directors met in Elkhart, Indiana to review and revise the organizations Strategic Plan. While the plan has been discussed many times over the years at regular Board Meetings, this was the first meeting that was devoted exclusively to this topic. (more)
10/5/2011	RVAA announces 2011-12 Board of Directors RVAA's 2011-12 Board of Directors was announced during the Executive Conference in September. Click here for new Board.
10/3/2011	A Short History of RVAA The idea for an aftermarket association was originally developed by Jim Barker in the late 1960’s in the form of a recommendation for his distributor customers. The notion was carried forward by the distributors of that time including Mobile Home distributors, Jim Kirchner (Diamond Mobile Home Supply), Paul Tweedy (Tweedys Mobile Home Supply), John Meredith (Central Mobile Home Supply), and RV distributors Ted Kaplan (Stag), Dick Kirkland (Kirkland Trailer Sales), and Vern Trabert (Vern Trailer Supply). In 1968, Grayson Schwepfinger (Indiana Trailer Supply) was elected as the first President. Originally, only distributors would meet annually and discuss issues of distributor concern such as what constitutes a true wholesale distributor from retailers and other hot issues of the day. (more)
9/19/2011	From Your New RVAA President, Aaron Engberg I am very excited and honored to be your next President. Piar Adams set a strong foundation for me and has made it easier for RVAA to continue to improve as an association. The new Board of Directors for the upcoming term is very strong and I will make it our priority to continue to add value to your membership. Communication, member participation, and outreach programs will be a key emphasis. We will also make sure that we continue to add value to the executive conference for all segments of our organization. (more)
9/12/2011	Conference Recap: 2011 RVAA Executive Conference Where else would you be able to conduct business with your distributor, supplier and agent associates in one venue while enjoying beautiful California? Hyatt Huntington Beach Waterfront Resort hosted their second successful RVAA Executive Conference Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, 2011. The RVAA Aftermarket Association has again provided its members with this very unique opportunity to conduct face to face business meetings with all our aftermarket partners over a three day period. The established 20 minute meeting format has proven successful and allowed our members to meet with and discuss marketing topics, catalogs, new products and strategies for a successful year to come. These meeting were scheduled over two and a half days allowing the opportunity for the suppliers and agents to meet with the distributors. Approximate attendance for this year is over 200 participants from over 100 companies. (more)
9/11/2011	Conference Recap: Report from RVAA Board of Directors Meeting As is tradition, your RVAA Board of Directors held a board meeting just before the Annual Executive Conference on Monday August 29th. Like all RVAA Board meetings, we first went through the formalities of roll call, the anti-trust reminder, introductions and an agenda review. At this particular board meeting we typically don’t tackle difficult, time consuming topics, but rather focus on the Conference and financials. After reviewing the financials through the previous month and discussing the financial expectations of the Conference, we usually run through the Conference agenda one last time. We also discuss any issues that may have arisen since our arrival at the Conference property. (more)
9/10/2011	Conference Recap: Manufacturer’s Agent Segment Luncheon The Manufacturer’s Agent Segment Luncheon was held on Wednesday, August 31st during the RVAA Conference in Huntington Beach, California. The luncheon was attended by twenty representatives of member Agent firms. The purpose of this event is to provide RVAA’s Agent Members an opportunity to meet as a group to discuss relevant topics affecting agents within RVAA. Three topics were discussed during the meeting portion of the luncheon. (more)
9/9/2011	Conference Recap: Warehouse Distributor Segment Lunch The Segment Lunches held during the RVAA Executive Conference are intended to provide an open forum for the membership groups to discuss relevant topics affecting their businesses. Over the past several years the list of topics that the Wholesale Distributor Segment focused on were best practices, aftermarket statistics and helping the aftermarket grow. With one exception, the 2011 discussions didn’t stray too far from those topics again. This year the question of whether the membership would support a market research study focused on consumer behavior as it relates specifically to the purchase of RV aftermarket products was also discussed. (more)
9/8/2011	Conference Recap: Supplier Segment Lunch The RVAA supplier Segment Luncheon started with a delicious meal of chicken, ribs, corn on the cob and potatoes. Conversation quickly turned to the agenda forms found on the tables. Most suppliers were in favor of the Standard Price Sheet, however concerns were raised over whether distributors would accept the form and it was brought to our attention that the RVAA Board had not yet discussed acceptance of the revised form. All agreed that that the acceptance of the revised form would need to start with the Board. (more)
9/8/2011	*RVAA Executive Conference focus of RV Pro* article** RV Pro takes a look at RVAA's recent Executive Conference. According to the article, new members say the value of the conference alone is enough incentive to join RVAA. Click here to read complete article.
9/1/2011	RVAA Conference Committee merges into Marketing Committee The RVAA Board of Directors voted to merge the Conference Committee into the Marketing Committee at their June strategic planning meeting in Keystone, Colorado. Click here for details.
8/30/2011	Announcing RVAA Universal Price List 2.0 – new and improved for 2011 This easy-to-use spreadsheet gives suppliers a convenient way to send product info, prices, price changes and even info on new to products to all distributors in the same format. For distributors it means product information from all suppliers will be in the same format. Click here for details.
8/11/2011	Kings of the road? Motor homes smaller, less flashy According to an article in USA TODAY, RVs are getting smaller and, "The era of bigger-is-better and more ostentatious is over." Click here to read.
8/10/2011	Making the most of your time in Huntington Beach, CA While spending time in Huntington Beach, the array of leisure time activities is really endless! Depending on your desire to seek adventure, fun in the sun or just squeeze in some much needed R & R…Huntington Beach truly has something for everyone! (more)
8/6/2011	How to Have a Meaningful Business Meeting in 20 Minutes I’m sure we have all been in business meetings that have lasted way too long. Personally I’ve been in some that have lasted over 6 hours, and I’m sure some of you could easily beat that number. On the other end of the spectrum we have the 20 minute meetings that take place during RVAA. Although 20 minutes seems very short and 6+ hours seem very long, the real measure of any meeting is “did we get done what we needed to do”? (more)
7/14/2011	IMPORTANT EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE INFORMATION! Registration deadline for the RVAA Executive Conference - taking place August 30 - September 2 - is Friday, July 15! To secure your appointments, you need to register now! For registration link and information please contact Meg Pawelski, e-mail mpawelski@rvaahq.org or Laura Hallen, e-mail lhallen@rvaahq.org.
7/8/2011	RVAA releases first issue of RVAA E-Newsletter RVAA's monthly e-newsletter publication will keep you apprised of the “goings on” within RVAA. You’ll see various messages from the president, or other Executive Committee members, along with Committee updates and other relevant information in a short, quick-read format.
7/7/2011	Welcome from the President - The Times, They Are a Changin’ What an appropriate statement for the business climate we all find ourselves in. We have seen changes in customers, customer behavior and buying patterns, and certainly major changes throughout the entire RV Industry. We have also seen some changes within RVAA. Change can be difficult, for sure, but it can produce positive results for those that embrace it. The very newsletter you are reading is new, and represtns change. The purpose of this monthly publication is to keep you apprised of the “goings on” within RVAA. You’ll see various messages from me, or other Executive Committee members, along with Committee updates and other relevant information in a short, quick-read format.
5/18/2011	RVAA membership approves change to Affiliate Member Category Through a vote by the membership, the Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association (RVAA) has changed its Affiliate member category to a new category called Service member. Click here for details.
5/16/2011	Recreational Vehicle Aftermarket Association selects new management company RVAA is pleased to announce and introduce Landon, Farrey & Associates (LF&A) as its new association management company. Residing in Naperville, IL, LF&A brings a wealth of knowledge and association management experience to RVAA. Click here for details.
1/30/2011	Committee Update - January 2011 - (.pdf)
1/30/2011	Marketing Committee Encourages Use of Price File - January 2011 - (.pdf)
1/29/2011	Communicator Returns in February - January 2011 - (.pdf)
12/6/2010	RVAA Addesses RVDA Board - Dec 2010 - (.pdf)
12/1/2010	Older Entries For the RVAA News Archive of older entries, please click the link above.

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