RVBusiness, September/October 2019

12th Annual ELKHARTRV Open House Keeping the Customer Satisfied While product is again king at the Elkhart RV Open House everyone connected with this novel show understands and embraces its roots as a laid back gettogether begun by Forest River to simply engage its dealers and develop relationships As such food and entertainment play a big part in the event dealers have returned home telling tales of Thors lobster dinners and the fist sized filet mignon steaks served up at Forest River And of course theres the entertainment ranging from Grand Design RVs Monday night dealer only bash at the Furrion Innovation Center to whats sure to be an impressive talent roster at Forest River The Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary historically plays its hand close to its chest but likes to go just one better each year in the lets knock everyones socks off department and last year it brought in Kid Rock For that matter will Thor again be raffling off a 70000 car or two It too has been uncharacteristically mum The unofficial word we received is that in keeping with Thors all new display at its revamped location plans call for over the top festivities entertainment and prizes It sounds like the new grounds and pavilion at the Hall of Fame may be in for a truly special night or two Heres what is known Thor Display Continental Breakfast Tue Thurs 9 am 9 30 am Lunch buffet Tue Thurs 11 30 am 1 30 pm Cocktails Mon Wed beginning at 1 pm Dinner Mon Wed 6 pm 10 pm Special entertainment prizes Tues Wed evenings Forest River Lunch Mon 12 pm 2pm Tue Wed 11am 2pm Appetizers Mon Wed 4 pm 6 pm Dinner Mon Wed 6 pm 9 pm Special entertainment Tues and Wed evenings REV Recreation Group Breakfast lunch snacks drinks served show days in an air conditioned tent Trumas 2018 display at the Supplier Vendor Expo For most of its now 12 year run Open House has remained essentially what it began as a manufacturers show and suppliers tended to remain on the sidelines sometimes welcoming dealers to their facilities but mostly respecting the programs original intent That began to change last year when after a small number of suppliers had set up shop on CR 6 for a few years marketing firm CIRV leased space within the Executive Parkway gauntlet and erected a huge tent for supplier displays And CIRV is back again this year with an even bigger Supplier Vendor Expo set up on the grounds of the Elkhart airport on County Road 6 along the route dealers will take between the mammoth Forest River and Thor exhibits Perhaps the bigger news however was the decision by RV MH Hall of Fames board to open the facilitys Ingram Hall to suppliers as well putting them right in the thick of things near the Thor display Eighty suppliers quickly sold out the available space In fact between the two venues more than 150 suppliers will be joining Open House with exhibits this year RV Hall of Fame Suppliers Show hours Mon Wed 9 am 5 pm Thurs 9 am 1 pm RV Supplier Vendor Expo hours Mon 2 pm 5 pm Tues Wed 9 am 5 pm Thurs 10 am 12 pm By the way a special extension of our annual Open House Product Handbook begins on page 141 of this issue and includes nine pages of products and services scheduled for display by the various suppliers Additional supplier events include Both Lippert Components Inc LCI and Furrion also will again open the doors to their respective facilities to guests Furrion will take dealers on tours of its Innovation Center located on Independence Court almost adjacent to the RV MH Hall of Fame while LCI is opening its Aftermarket Customer Service Center and its Aftermarket Sales Showroom Technical Training Center Both companies request that dealers contact them to schedule tours which can be booked virtually any time during Open House I think the coolest thing we do is that we have a technical training program and allow dealers to bring their service people in to get some technical training around our complex products LCI CEO Jason Lippert told RVBusiness We have about 12000 square feet dedicated to all of our products and about 22 technical people that will walk dealers through all of our products create failures and help train them on how to technically service things like leveling systems slideouts suspension systems axles awnings chassis and the like 132 RVBusiness S E P T E M B E R O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 Lippert Components plans to open both its Aftermarket Customer Service and Call Center facility and its Aftermarket Sales Showroom Technical Training Center to dealers for tours Furrion will provide tours of its Innovation Center to visiting dealers the facility also will play host to Grand Designs private dealer event Sept 23 Suppliers Turn to Open House as a Major RV Exhibit Venue continued on page 217