James Ashurst: By Working Together Our Industry Will Have Decades of Success

Industry unity, marketing to a changing demographic, and creating an excellent consumer experience were the takeaways from RV Industry Association Executive Vice President James Ashurst’s during a panel discussion at the Annual RV Power Breakfast.

Emerging Leaders Coalition: During his remarks, Ashurst focused on the theme of industry unity with his first example being to highlight the Emerging Leaders Coalition’s recent volunteer effort as a prime example of the RV industry’s ability to work together.

• “I promised that I would thank the Emerging Leaders Coalition group and the hundreds of volunteers in the room that came out to Ox Bow County Park,” he said. “It was a great day and we got everything done we wanted to do. The Emerging Leaders Coalition is one of the ways that we’ve been working together.”

Go RVing: Ashurst also addressed Go RVing’s ongoing marketing efforts and how they reflect the industry’s ability to unite and adapt to changing market trends.

• "Go RVing continues to evolve. The way people market—the impact of digital nowadays— has changed the traditional forms of marketing we used to see in years past. The team has stayed on top of those changes, focusing on the high-value audiences we’ve brought in,” he said. “Over the course of the last three years we’ve brought in a much younger, much more diverse audience. When I talk about optimism for the industry, I think back to the 40 years of growth that we’ve seen. That’s a track record of success, and for more than 25 years Go RVing has been part of that. It’s been a great partnership between dealers and the OEMs. They’re great about getting us products and supporting the Go RVing events we do. When we talk about industry partnerships, Go RVing is really foundational in that element.”
   
• “We want to continue to find ways we can use our research to help our member companies inform their decisions in the marketing space, so all our efforts are complementing one other. I think you’re going to see more and more of that from Go RVing moving forward,” Ashurst added.

RVs Move America Week: Ashurst also highlighted another excellent opportunity for the industry to pull together: the upcoming RVs Move America Week.

• Ashurst outlined a few of the asks that members will be discussing with legislators on Capitol Hill, including the passage of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act and the continued need for modernized and improved campgrounds.

Closing Remarks: Ashurst’s remarks ended on a positive note, calling for the industry to remain optimistic in the years ahead and encouraging all sectors of the industry to anticipate continued success despite the ongoing normalization of RV shipment numbers.

• “Build a good product. Create a great dealer experience. Have great aftermarket products. Have great campgrounds. If we all do our jobs, there’s no reason we can’t have decades more of success moving forward.”

Watch the full 2023 RV Industry Power Breakfast here.