RVDA Chairman of the Board Andy
Heck’s chairman’s report as seen in the March issue
of
RV Executive Today.
Listening to Your Feedback
By Andy Heck, RVDA Chairman of the Board
When I became chairman at our annual convention last October, I said
I wanted to hear from as many of you as possible during my term. And
it’s been great that so many of you have reached out over the past
few months. The ideas, concerns, and questions have given me some good
insights that I have been sharing with the RVDA staff and board.
RVDA board members participated in our strategic planning session
this week. Your input helped us take a new and fresh look at what RVDA
should be doing to be relevant. Here are a couple of questions
I’ve been asked:
Q: Why is our convention always in Las Vegas?
A: The board decided many years ago to keep the convention in Las
Vegas because attendance was always highest there and would drop when
the location was changed.
Q: Why is the convention always at the
Rio?
A: The benefits of having the convention at the Rio are:
• Room rate – Rates are much lower than most hotels on The
Strip.
• Room size – The all-suite format makes it more comfortable
if employees need to double up.
• Convention facilities – The Rio’s facilities are a
good match for our size, allowing workshops and exhibit halls on the
same level, with no long walks or escalator rides to move between the
education events and the Expo.
• Exhibitor set-up and move-in – There’s plenty of
staging area, and it’s easy to move large display vehicles in and
out, a feature that some hotels on The Strip can’t provide.
• Ample parking
Q: Is RVDA exploring a partnership with
RVIA for the convention?
A: Yes–both RVDA and RVIA are continuing to
explore how our two associations could do a co-located event. The
benefits include solving the overloaded fall schedule, making travel
more efficient for everyone, and having an exciting new event.
There’s a lot to discuss and contemplate on what such an event
might look like, but the sooner we start the discussion, the sooner it
would be possible.
Mike Molino
Mike Molino recently announced he is stepping down as CEO of
RVDA. Mike has had a huge impact on our industry and touched the
lives of so many of us. I feel very fortunate to have had the
opportunity to be on the board and work with Mike first-hand.
I think it’s cool that our current board has so many
second-generation dealers and that Mike got to work with both
generations. He has been both strategic and visionary in guiding RVDA
through many changes during his tenure and has been the face of the
organization. RV dealers are more professional across the board because
of Mike and his leadership. We should all be thankful that Mike built a
great team, including Vice President for Communications Phil Ingrassia,
who will take over as president. Phil will do a great job, and we look
forward to working with him.
