Here’s a glimpse into the CCLOA office. It’s purely a glimpse since a complete list would take away from precious time working on more projects for our members.
DECEMBER:
- The 2020 Camp Colorado Guide is coming to life! Distribution lists have been checked twice (like Santa does) and … oh my … we already have several hundred individual requests already on file! They’ve been coming in since the middle of July. We’ll begin shipping after Christmas with most going out in January (note: some businesses prefer shipments to arrive in April).
- Began the reconciliation process with ARVC to ensure both organizations launch 2020 benefit packages for our members.
- Earlier today (12/10) we supplied responses to a few questions from the state’s grant program relating to the grant we wrapped up this autumn. We always stand ready to respond to any of their questions, but the greatest thing we can hear from them is: “Your submitted FY19 Marketing Matching Grant Final Report for the Colorado Campground & Lodging Owners Association has been reviewed and approved. The grant is now officially closed out. Congratulations for completing another successful marketing project this past year!”
- Established a page on our site where we’ll share information about legislative issues within Colorado (Denver and local issues).
- Working with our web designer to enhance our CampColorado.com website. It’s soon going to show our new logos! Speaking of that ….
- Earlier this year a committee worked on and chose a new logo for CCLOA and one for Camp Colorado. They’re very similar, yet different.
We’ve began rolling them out in December. You’ll see it on our social media sites, our websites, our Camp Colorado Guide, and in our letterhead documents … wherever you saw. In January, if you still see this former logo anywhere, please nudge me so I can replace it (if it’s in my control to do so).
CCLOA’s logo that’s going away by 2020 - Received and acted upon a request from our consumer Facebook page. A rally organizer sought our assistance for a place to hold a rally in July. We reached out to our members and then supplied those details to her. Shortly thereafter, they had contracted with one of our members for their rally and were delighted to have used our services! They hope to use about 20 campsites for 3 or 4 nights! As an added bonus to us, the person then very graciously posted a recommendation on our business Facebook page. If everyone would leave such a recommendation, I wonder whether CCLOA membership would grow. It certainly would be worth a try!
- On that note, I encourage you to post something on our business Facebook page that tells others what your business has gained from your membership! There are many more followers on that page than there are park owners in our membership.
- Deactivated the few members who didn’t renew, and prepared to launch the 2020 benefits for all who renewed or joined as new members for 2020.
NOVEMBER:
- Welcomed new members!
- Attended the very wonderful and truly packed ARVC Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo in Knoxville.
- The Board of Directors held a highly productive Board Meeting where we did the usual (reviewed the financial state of the organization and heard status reports) and discussed many things. Here’s a sampling of topics:
- Ideas for shaking up our annual conference
- Took a large leap forward so we can truly launch the Founders Assistance Fund (grant funds; more details coming in January)
- Committed to participating in the 2020 Glamping Show USA (the new name for what was earlier known as the Glamping Summit USA)
- Ideas for our 2021 marketing program
- Membership surveys
- and some retail options for 2020.
- Gained authorization to launch our marketing projects that were outlined in our Matched Marketing Grant through the Colorado Tourism Office!
OCTOBER:
- Received word that we are being awarded a $25,000 marketing grant for our Camp Colorado marketing (our consumer website, social media and the printed guide). The program launches in November 2019 and runs through August 2020.
- Submitted a letter in support of ARVC’s Tentative Interim Amendment as a formal request to change the existing code language regarding GFCI protection on 30- and 50-amp RV electrical services.
- Staffed a booth at the Glamping Summit / USA in Aurora. What a fantastic event! This was a business-to-business event (potential regular members and industry supplier members were in attendance). We are already seeing traction from it.
- Spread the word for a member that he had cabins for sale.
SEPTEMBER:
- Announced and held the Autumn Listening Tour with four stops plus an additional conference call. Meetings ran for 47 minutes, 70 minutes, 88 minutes, 62 minutes and 55 minutes. The information CCLOA gained was fantastic, yet my true joy was when I sat back and listened to the support attendees offered to the other attendees.
- Buena Vista’s stop on the Tour had the highest attendance (they had the highest last year, too).
- Dues collection is one of the big names of the game in September.
- Launched the membership year for Industry Suppliers.
- Managed the meeting of the Board of Directors.
- Activated membership for two new member parks (see the Member News section) (another newcomer is joining as of January).
- As if our phone doesn’t ring enough in September (dues collection time), now it’s ringing like crazy because Good Sam accidentally published it as a campground phone number. I’ve asked the Good Sam team to fix it, and it’s my hope they fix it super super fast!
AUGUST:
- Distributed 2020 membership dues renewal notices by email.
- Launched the 2020 membership drive for new members by email and mail.
- Explained our Camp Colorado product line since it’s becoming evident that quite a few members are missing out on golden opportunities.
- Worked with bloggers and journalists who are interested in camping in Colorado on assignment. (This is something I’ve done every month but I don’t believe it’s been mentioned in most of my monthly updates.)
- Announced the upcoming Glamping Summit / USA, invited members to register with special CCLOA member pricing, made my travel plans, and designed our 10’x10′ booth.
- Worked on our Good Sam ad that was donated to us earlier this year by Jim Ozburn of Falcon Meadow RV Campground. They were the high bidder at our auction, yet they immediately donated it to CCLOA for the promotion of our Camp Colorado website and printed guide.
- Made my travel plans for November’s ARVC Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo.
- Submitted to the Colorado Tourism Office our letter of support for Denver to be chosen as the home of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation.
- Finalized the venue and lodging plans for our March conference.
- Requested members enlighten us about the frequency and nature of 911 calls.
- Published these blog posts:
JULY:
- Wrote and submitted a letter to NFPA regarding the proposed modification to the electric code standards. Notified all campground members to do the same, as well as the Colorado Parks & Wildlife.
- We noticed a business misused our EMAIL CAMPGROUND form on one of our listings on CampColorado.com. The business was trying to sell his services to one of our members. I deleted the message and notified him (and our member) that the misuse won’t be tolerated and that there are other ways to contact Colorado campgrounds. MEMBERS: If you see an email with a subject line that shows it came from CampColorado, please respond to it! If it is something inappropriate, then please pass it to me (I don’t monitor all of the entries on a regular basis).
- Prepared for and launched the industry supplier membership drive. Their dues run from September through August.
- Prepared for the campground membership drive for 2020. Memberhship runs Jan. – Dec., but the membership drive is in August and September so we that we can begin the 2020 Camp Colorado Guide.
- On 7/21, our FB page his 23,000 LIKES!
- Felt it was time to share with my you, my “people,” that things in the office have been less than easy. You have a fantastic Board of Directors, who have been very concerned for several years. I’m pleased to say that things are looking much better today but here’s the story.
- Battled Facebook because they kept banning our page from inviting more people to like our page. They would free it up about 24 hours after each of my reports, but then I’d invite one or two people and we’d be banned again. This was the only such encounter I’ve had with this issue in all of my FB years. The last time I complained I told them we’d be taking our marketing money for post boosts to Pinterest. Oddly, that time when they fixed it … it was really fixed.
- Began sorting through 17,672 pictures. Began adding more to the photo albums on our Facebook page. Began adding some to the campground listings on https://CampColorado.com. Began setting aside some I can use for various holidays (actual ones and made-up ones like National Pet Lovers Day). This is a monumental task so it will be ongoing, but it felt grand to get a better handle on my filing system!
- Depleted our supply of the Camp Colorado Guide supply. Fortunately, the PDF can be downloaded from our website because its too late to consider printing more. As it is, with 120,000 in print we have doubled our quantity over recent years, and still we could easily have distributed another 35,000 this year. The Board will evaluate next year’s quantity before we print the 2020 edition.
- Overcame a failed Windows update that completely took down the computer.
- On the CCLOA Facebook page I shared a post about involvement in professional organizations . Click here to read it.
- Published blog posts:
- COLORADO SAVORY & INTERESTING INSIGHT & TRIVIA
- S’MORES … BEST WHEN CAMPING IN COLORADO
- 10 MOST POPULAR LEFT-BEHIND ITEMS AT COLORADO CAMPGROUNDS
- CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR COLORADO CAMPING TRIP
JUNE:
- Published blog posts on
- Continued to fill bulk and single orders of our 2019 Camp Colorado Guide.
- Formulated our 2020 Camp Colorado marketing plan, including our 2020 Camp Colorado Guide, so we could apply for the matched marketing grant through the Colorado Tourism Office.
- Responded to needs of members and of ARVC.
- Comparing June 2018 to June 2019 requests of our Camp Colorado Guide, we shipped out 2.35 times more this year!
- If you go to our FB page, you’ll see that we’re putting faces to member names. We’re now posting nearly every day, and this summer we’re hoping to add a picture of each member. Networking is a huge benefit, at least to those who have chosen to network. We hope these posts help you become acquainted. (Feel free to send a pic to me or post it on your park’s FB page so I don’t have to go through my library to find one!)
MAY:
- Posted member questions relating to operations and management, and provided member responses (click here).
- Cancelled plans to staff a booth for campgrounds to have publicity at the upcoming Family Motor Coach Association’s 100th International Convention & RV Expo. While the offer was made that members could place their park’s promotional material in our booth for $35, it didn’t generate sufficient interest to justify the project.
- Unveiled plans for the Autumn Listening Tour.
- Updated the Member News page.
- Distributed publicity about our members and our industry, with intention of gaining media attention:
- Created multiple press releases to publications outside of the campground industry to promote camping in Colorado. Of course, it is our members who garner the specific attention. We’re hoping for publication in May, June (& maybe July).
- Click here to read an article was published on 5/21. This was not one of our own press releases, but you can see that we were referenced for their article.
- Click here to see a Woodall’s Campground Management story that was published on 5/22.
- Published a blog about Colorado being a vacationland playground and one about having emergency plans even when on vacation.
- Filed our IRS tax forms.
- Noticed that our CampColorado.com has had nearly 27,000 visitors so far this month, and that some of our blog posts are doing quite well (the largest audience draw is the one on aspen leaves, at 3,665 hits to date).
- Finished the bulk distribution of the 2019 Camp Colorado Guide, although another bulk order was requested just this week. Yes, bulk orders go out even this late, especially to places in the higher elevations (closed in the winter when most of the distribution occurs).We’re still ahead of normal on individual requests, which come in virtually every day through October.
- Gained interest from new industry supplier members for their membership year that begins in September, so you’ll hear more about them in a few months.
- Welcomed Bob Ekback as a new new campground member: Tall Texan RV Park & Cabins (Gunnison).
APRIL:
- Assisted the city of Grand Junction with evaluating their campground regulations. This was coordinated effort between our office, ARVC’s Sr. Director of State Relations & Program Advocacy Jeff Sims, ARVC’s Chairman Al Johnson, co-owner of Junction West RV Park Tom Garland, and its other co-owner Mari Garland who is also a Director on the ARVC Board and a member its Public Affairs Committee. We referenced already recognized standards such as those documented in the 2018 edition of NFPA 1194®, ANSI publications, Code of Colorado Regulations, U.S. Access Board, and Grand Junction’s existing codes. In addition, the city also brought other departments into the conversation. We were honored to be included during their evaluation and review process that’s leading up to a public hearing. We were able to offer industry views so the local community could then further consider their regulations. These meetings actually began last October; the review of their draft document occurred in April. It’s our hope they will continue to invite us into the conversation throughout the process. It would be grand if all communities did this!
- The Board of Directors met. Aside from the orientation we host each April, we also reviewed our past projects and outlined the path forward. A great deal of work is processed during the summer so this is the Board’s chance to provide staff with the direction that’s needed. We also performed a review of the first quarter’s books.
- Informed all members of their opportunity to market to more RVers. The program is outlined here and the deadline is May 22, 2019. At that time, if there is sufficient interest, we’ll proceed; otherwise we’ll cancel the project.
- Assisted other members with issues such as the music license, movie license, summer workers, updates to listings, needing a buyer, seeking to buy, and ARVC’s propane savings program.
- Shipped more bulk orders of the Camp Colorado Guide, and of course continued to process the individual requests.
- Renewed our domains and updated CampColorado.com and this site (our association’s site).
- Confirmed that our phone service is optimal. (Since plan options can change often, we have a policy that we’ll comparison shop each spring.)
- Asked members for information and pictures of their renovations and enhancements that might be included in a news story for the public. We have three stories we plan to share soon with media sources.
- Published blogs on wildflowers, on the recently defined eight regions of Colorado, and on camping etiquette. We encourage you to share any or all of our blog posts on your social media sites.
- Created Wednesday Wisdom emails.
MARCH:
- Hosted our annual conference, where we also celebrated our 50th anniversary! We had the largest attendance in many years (there’s a press release here).
- Took a breather! Unfortunately, it was due to the flu rather than a tropical vacation.
- Continued distributing our Camp Colorado Guide. A huge quantity was distributed at the conference! Those who choose to pick up their supply at our conference save CCLOA hundreds of dollars in shipping costs. That means we can put those dollars toward other CCLOA programs.
- Submitted our FY19 Marketing Matching Grant Mid-term Report to the Colorado Tourism Office.
- Further enhanced CampColorado.com‘s content.
- Responded to CPA questions regarding our corporate books and tax filings.
FEBRUARY:
- Provided industry insight to the local authorities regarding length of stay at a member campground. While the ruling didn’t allow for it to be fully determined by campground management based on market-driven situations, the local authorities greatly expanded their regulation to allow for considerably longer stays than had previously been allowed.
- Applied for and activated a new insurance policy for CCLOA.
- Monitored legislative activity and coordinated positions with the Executive Committee.
- Coordinated many efforts for our conference (connected with industry suppliers to prepare for their presentations at our upcoming conference, prepared for supplies and food shopping, worked with Colorado Caliber, Wilcor International, and BestOfTheInterstate.com to create member-only programs, registered many campgrounds for the conference, coordinated with the Colorado Tourism Office and ARVC, prepared for the annual business meeting and its election, and much more)
- Distributed more bulk and individual copies of our 2019 Camp Colorado Guide. Individual orders placed through CampColorado.com are up 7% over the same time last year.
- Further enhanced CampColorado.com‘s content.
- Submitted our corporate taxes to the CPA for IRS processing.
JANUARY:
- Deactivated benefits for non-renewing members and activated them for the new members (this task doesn’t have a magic switch; there are more than a few dozen steps per member).
- Launched our 2019 social media marketing programs and Wednesday Wisdom emails.
- Held two Board of Directors meetings (since the first one contained so much material). By the way, your Directors are AWESOME!
- Closed out the 2018 books and prepared to pass them to the CPA for tax filing.
- Identified speakers for the upcoming conference.
- Worked to recruit more industry supplier members.
- Outlined our 2019 tentative budget (it’s always tentative until after the spring conference revenue is known and the new Board of Directors takes the helm).
- Met with the president of the Colorado KOA Owners Association to encourage CCLOA membership and attendance at our conference (that’s when we re-opened the early-early-bird registration rate through 2/2/2019).
- Received our 2019 Camp Colorado Guide and handled most of its bulk distribution.
- The Campground Whisperer (my nickname) continued to feed ideas to those who are publishing tourism materials. One such story involved glamping.
- Assisted members with their issues, for example:
- Bookkeeping practices
- Bookkeepers & CPAs
- ADA accessibility assessment
- Selling / buying campgrounds
- Long-stay guests
- Property tax vs Zoning
- Social media issues
- Firing an employee
- A variety of their ARVC benefits
That’s a glimpse into 2019.
Colorado Campground & Lodging Owners Association (CCLOA) 
1 thought on “2019 Monthly Updates”