RVIA Scraps 55-year-old National RV Show

January 17, 2018

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association decided to scrap its 55-year old massive National RV Show, which it has held every November at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky.

Instead, association officials said they wanted to reinvent the annual event away from being a traditional trade show.

“We must act now to provide our vibrant and innovative industry a platform to promote its successes and celebrate its wins,” RVIA officials said.

They added, “The opportunity exists to deliver an all-industry event featuring expanded innovation and market development, unparalleled education and training, and enhanced focus on improving customer service. Our $50 billion industry deserves an event that celebrates industry achievement across all segments, and recognizes those companies and leaders who are innovating and moving the industry forward.”

The decision was unveiled at the 2018 RV Leadership Conference, where the RVIA Board of Directors unanimously determined that a completely new approach was needed for the industry’s national event. 

“Over the past decade, the Open House has firmly established itself as the premier buying event, while at the same time the National RV Trade Show has not successfully redefined its purpose,” RVIA officials said.

They added, “It is clear the industry no longer needs multiple buying-focused shows, and the time to redefine RVIA’s event has come.”

The new event will be in early 2019 and also will have a change of venue.

Besides scrapping the trade show in 2018, RVIA also will no longer hold the RV Leadership Conference in 2019 as well.

“The RV Industry Association is excited about launching this new event, and we will work closely with our board, members, dealers and industry partners, to ensure we maximize value for the entire RV industry,” RVIA officials said.

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