State Team Builds Relationships With External Organizations

The RV Industry Association’s State Government Affairs staff are the industry experts for members, state legislators, regulators, and RV industry stakeholders. Over the past two months, they have been on the road building relationships with allied groups to assist in promoting and protecting the RV industry.

In mid-July, they attended the Summer Conference of the Automobile Trade Association Executives in California where almost all of the state’s auto dealer association leaders gathered for two days of meetings and networking. The auto dealers have been critical allies in many legislative endeavors over the years.

At the beginning of August, the team exhibited at the National Conference of State Legislatures, the largest annual gathering of state-level legislators throughout the year, in Denver, CO. This year’s Legislative Summit drew more than 2,000 lawmakers and staff. It gave the RV Industry Association and some of their outdoor recreation partners the opportunity to speak with legislators to give them information about the economic powerhouse that RVs and the outdoor recreation economy represent.

In mid-August, they visited the Texas RV Association for its annual conference. The RV Industry Association staff presented both a national and state level overview of current issues affecting the RV industry to the Texas dealers. With Texas being one of the most impactful states for the RV industry, it is critical that these industry colleagues are brought into the fold and kept up to date on the issues affecting the industry around the country.

September brought several more meetings, starting with the annual meeting of the National Association of State Park Directors in Oregon. These key allies have been invaluable in helping the State Team spread the message of the need for campground modernization and expansion.

Their next appearance was the Annual International Conference of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators in mid-September in Baltimore, MD. This conference brings together the leaders of the state and provincial DMVs and law enforcement, who are instrumental in titling and registration of RVs, as well as enforcing driver licensing and road safety for RV owners.

Finally, last week the team attended the annual meeting of the National Association of Motor Vehicle Boards and Commissions. These leaders run the state departments which oversee manufacturer-dealer agreements and franchise laws.

These relationships have proven beneficial to the RV industry in past legislative and regulatory battles, and the State Team hopes that by maintaining them they will continue to have valuable allies around the country for future opportunities.