Excitement In Wyoming!
A fun-filled event; some unwind time; new FMCA members recruited; and friends old and new who came to the rescue.
National President
Jon & Sondra Walker, F268778
jwalker@fmca.com
Jon and Sondra Walker
I had been looking forward to our trip to Gillette, Wyoming, for FMCA’s 98th International Convention & RV Expo since I was elected FMCA president in July 2017. Sondra and I love going west. The landscape is so different from what we have at home in the Midwest.
It always amazes me to see how our international conventions build from the start. The president is the first member to arrive on the convention grounds. As soon as the president gets there, things begin to take shape. The Executive Board members roll in; the advance crew chiefs arrive; our show expo company’s semi-trucks pull in; and then the workers (volunteers) start to show up. This year I asked FMCA’s IT director to mount a time-lapse camera at the highest point on the complex and record the “building” of our event. I have not seen the finished product, but I hope it turns out so it can be shared at FMCA.com. With all of the days of building up for the convention, it never ceases to astonish me how fast everyone seems to disappear on the last day!
I was a little apprehensive about conducting the Governing Board meeting in Gillette, since I had never chaired one. Before the meeting started, I admitted to one of the delegates that I had butterflies in my stomach. She looked at me and told me just to think of the butterflies flying in perfect formation. I took her advice, and it worked. The meeting came off without a hitch. In fact, it was one of the shortest meetings, if not the shortest, in our history.
I feel sure it had nothing to do with me but everything to do with the Governing Board workshop that took place the day before. The workshop gives our delegates an opportunity to learn more about each issue that is to come before the body during the meeting, to ask questions about all of the proposals to be voted upon, and to discuss them in an informal atmosphere.
The FMCA staff did a great job of providing the required information to the delegates so they would have time to read and study the proposals. I also think our delegates were fully prepared this year and did an excellent job for all of our members. Thank you, Governing Board delegates!
When we were finished with the international convention in Gillette, Sondra and I traveled to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming with Ross and Melanie Boyer, F268985. Ross is chairman of FMCA’s Policy and Procedure Committee, and a past national vice president, Great Lakes Area. Ross and Melanie also are very good friends of ours.
We went to Devil’s Tower for two reasons: 1) We needed time to unwind from the summer convention, and 2) It is Sondra’s favorite place to visit. Of all of the places we have traveled in North America, Sondra likes this place the best. She just wanted to sit outside next to our motorhome, sip her drink, watch the colors change on the mountain as the sun goes down, and keep track of where the climbers were as they headed toward the top. Believe it or not, it is very relaxing!
Devil’s Tower is America’s first national monument. It is located along the Belle Fourche River in a remote area of the Black Hills. When we were at CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities for the Gillette convention, we met Tami, the owner of the catering company FMCA chose for the event. She lives on a 30,000-acre ranch very close to Devil’s Tower. The beef we had at the farewell dinner for outgoing national vice presidents David Kessler and Kathie Balogh was raised right on her ranch. The Wyoming-raised beef was some of the best I have ever eaten.
When we got ready to leave the Devil’s Tower KOA campground to head home, I had an opportunity to sign up two new members to FMCA. I had the engine running; the slides were pulled in; I had the jacks retracted; and I was going around the front of the coach to unplug the shore power cord. I ran right into the young guy parked next to us and told him what a nice-looking trailer they had. He beamed with the compliment and shared that it was their first rig. I immediately told him about FMCA and offered to give him one of our magazines with the application form inside. He told me he would join, so I turned around and went back inside our coach to get the magazine.
As I came back out, he was in front of the motorhome, so I handed him the magazine, turned around, and ran into the young owner of the coach on our passenger side. I proceeded to talk him into joining FMCA. I then went back into the coach and grabbed another magazine and application. Afterward, I waved goodbye to these gentlemen and pulled out of my spot to start the trip home.
As I left, excited that I just recruited two new members, it did not click with me that they were frantically waving back at me! When I pulled onto Interstate 90, some 45 minutes later, a couple of cars passed us, and their occupants pointed to our motorhome. After about three cars gestured to us, I pulled over and found, to my utter dismay, that I had failed to unplug the motorhome’s power cord. About 10 feet of the cord was dragging behind us, completely shredded . . . and my several-hundred-dollar surge protector was gone. What a way to end a great convention and trip!
When we met up with Ross and Melanie at the rest stop on I-90, I told them my story. Ross offered to rewire my power cord but noted that he did not have a 50-amp plug. I sheepishly told him that I had an extra plug . . . because I had done the same thing some years ago and decided to have an extra plug in case I ever did such a stupid thing again!
FMCA member Ross Boyer rewired the Walkers’ motorhome power cord after a slight mishap.
While Ross was rewiring my power cord, I picked up the phone and called the people at the Devil’s Tower KOA to see whether, by chance, my surge protector was still there, and to find out whether I hurt their power pedestal. I talked to Dian Christensen, one of the work campers at the park. She told me that she attended our convention at Gillette for a day, and she knew who I was. I was told she would check on my device and call me back. She did call me back, and she said my surge protector was still there, plugged into the 50-amp outlet where I’d left it. She offered to mail the unit back to me. What a sweetheart!
Another nice thing happened while we were at Sondra’s Devil’s Tower. As soon as we settled into our parking space, Sondra reached for her binoculars, only to realize she forgot to put them in the motorhome when we left home. I mentioned that to Don Messmer, the work camper who had just parked us. I asked Don whether he knew where I could buy, rent, or borrow a pair of binoculars, because Sondra could not view the mountain climbers without them. To my surprise, Don said he had a good pair and would loan them to us. What a great guy.
Sondra and I would really like to thank Don and Dian for going the extra mile. I talked with the owner of the KOA, Zannie Driskill, and thanked her for her fantastic staff.
So, the trip turned out to be great . . . because, you know, it’s still all about having fun!
Best-Laid Plans
A behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making and preparations that are required for an FMCA international convention and RV expo to take shape.
Executive Director
Chris Smith
csmith@fmca.com
Chris Smith
As I write this, FMCA has just wrapped up another successful event. CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming, was home to our 98th International Convention and RV Expo in July. It turned out to be FMCA’s largest summer event since 2013.
Aside from the occasional weather hiccup, all went well, and attendees had a wonderful time. Early feedback from them ranks the event as excellent. FMCA’s events staff continues to work to improve the experience for members. If you have not joined us for a convention yet, or haven’t been lately, you are missing out on a wonderful treat.
One of the big questions I heard during the event was, “How are convention sites determined?” What all goes into putting on a show of this magnitude? All of our volunteers and staff make it look easy, but it is quite the feat. Many tireless hours go into planning and executing these events. I hope to shed some light on how it all works.
First, a site must be chosen. FMCA has two international conventions per year. One is our winter/spring event, which normally occurs in March or April. The second is our summer event, which generally takes place in July or August. The timing requires locations that, ideally, are not too cold in March or April and not too hot in July or August. That eliminates certain places right off the bat.
Many criteria go into selecting a site. A facility must meet a lengthy list of requirements. Among them are the following:
1.Parking for up to 5,000 RVs.
2. In addition to parking spaces for families and individuals who attend in their RVs, the facility must accommodate outdoor exhibitor needs.
3. Adequate buildings to house indoor exhibits and seminars.
4. An arena or grandstand that holds 4,000 to 10,000 people. Inside with air conditioning is preferable.
5. An on-site sewage dumping area or on-site pump-out trucks are desirable.
6. Exclusive use of the grounds for setup, during the show, and for tear-down is preferred.
7. Offices for many different functions of the event.
In addition, we need to make sure state and local laws are favorable for exhibitors. Good exhibitor turnout is essential to the success of our events. This is true from a financial standpoint, since exhibitor revenue helps to make these events possible. Plus, the RV expo portion of the event ranks as one of the top reasons RVers attend, so it’s important to the overall success of an FMCA convention. Many states have laws that either prohibit us from holding an event there or make it more difficult. Currently, only three states have favorable laws. The map that accompanies this column shows whether each state is green (favorable laws), yellow (certain restrictions), or red (completely unfavorable).
“Yellow states” are not deal breakers, but there are some hoops to jump through. As many of you know, we have had quite a few events in Perry, Georgia, and Georgia is a yellow state. Arizona is another yellow state where we recently held an event — Chandler, in March 2017. There are 22 states, designated in red on the map, that automatically must be eliminated from consideration because of laws that prevent RV displays.
Yet another factor in selecting a site is accommodations within the community itself. Following are several of the needs:
1.Sufficient hotel rooms in the area for FMCA staff, exhibitors, and other people involved in putting on the event.
2.Rental cars for those same individuals.
3.A major airport within an hour or so of the facility.
4.An adequate number of campsites in the surrounding area. This is for attendees who come into the area before the event starts or who want to stay in the vicinity at the conclusion of the event.
5.Buses or other modes of transportation to handle our on-site tram service.
The final consideration is the cost of the facility. Ten or 15 years ago, FMCA had 130,000 or so member families. Statistics show that 2 to 4 percent of our members attend each event. With more members, we had higher attendance and thus more registration revenue, and the cost of grounds rental and related services was less of a factor than it is now. At the same time, before the Great Recession and industry consolidation, we also had more manufacturers and dealers showing RVs at our events, providing more exhibitor revenue. It is a challenge to find a facility to meet all of our needs while also being affordable.
Once a facility is chosen, much planning must be done. We have to select our show decorator, sound and audiovisual services, and many more service providers. Parking needs to be laid out. Approximately 100 seminars need to be scheduled. Entertainment must be booked. Member volunteers need to be recruited and given assignments. As stated in the past, we could not host these events without FMCA member volunteers. Again, we cannot thank all of you enough!
The task list is much longer than what I’ve shared here, and it takes months to do all of the planning. The FMCA staff, the Convention Committee, and the many volunteers do an amazing job of pulling it all together.
We are always looking for new venues for FMCA events. If you know of any places that might work, we are all ears. Please send information to convention@fmca.com and we will take a look at it.
If you have not attended one of our international conventions, I encourage you to make plans to do so soon. If it’s been a while since you’ve attended, we’d like to have you back. You will not find a better source of education and entertainment, such a vast selection of exhibitors, or an easier and more fun way to meet other RVers.
FMCA’s next winter convention once again will be held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry. The dates are March 13 through 16, 2019. This has been the site of our most popular conventions over the past few years, and going even further back, actually. Registration opens September 12, 2018.
Our summer 2019 event will take place in Minot, North Dakota, August 14 through 17. This will be FMCA’s 100th convention, so we will be planning quite a few special activities to celebrate this exciting milestone. Registration for the Minot convention begins February 13, 2019. See you there!
Until then, enjoy the journey!
Please Update Your Records
Please keep the FMCA national office informed when your contact information changes. You can make changes to your membership records anytime at FMCA.com on your Member Profile page (sign in; click on Membership; click on My Profile), or by sending an email to membership@fmca.com. Changes also may be submitted by calling the Member Services Department at (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Changes to your membership records can include home phone and cell phone numbers, email addresses, and the brand of RV you own. We especially urge you to provide your email address if it is not on file with us. This helps us to contact you quickly in case important issues arise, and to communicate about FMCA matters. Your private information is used for FMCA business purposes only.
If you are listed in the Stoppin’ Spots directory — Stop Over Spot, Come Visit, Mechanic’s Helper, and Pinch Hit Driver — please check that your contact information is up-to-date. The list begins on page 188 of the January 2018 issue of the magazine and is available at FMCA.com (click Membership; Member Dashboard; and then Membership Directory). If you would like to volunteer to be in the 2019 Stoppin’ Spots listing, your status can be changed or added under the Membership Directory heading on your Member Profile page; or contact the Member Services Department. The deadline for making changes for the 2019 directory is October 12, 2018.