FMCA Convention

The Family Motor Coach Association conventions are always fun. This is the fourth one that we had attended and we always enjoy them. In case you are wondering exactly what goes on at one of these gatherings let me explain. There are four days of seminars that range in subject matter from health care, crafts, photography and cooking to all forms of RV technical topics such as batteries, refrigeration, electrical systems, inverters and coach maintenance. In addition the major coach body and engine manufacturers have seminars to give tips on how to maintain their products. All of the major motorhome manufacturers have their new coaches on display…and for sale. Some of the most fun is just wandering through all of the vendor areas where everything you could possible image a motorhome owner ever wanting or needing is for sale. Each night there is special entertainment with one evening featuring the main headliner, which this year was country singer Lorrie Morgan. As busy as all of this sounds, so much of the fun is just renewing old friendships. This year I was the moderator at two of the seminars: Towing Roundtable and Supplemental Towed Car Braking. I am sure that these may sound like topics that would put you to sleep…but, not if you owned a motorhome. As a member of the Marketing Strategy committee, I was also part of a team presentation seminar giving tips and information as to how current members can reach out to other motorhome owners to generate new members. Each of these conventions usually attracts between four and six thousand people…which means that it takes a lot of space to park between two and three thousand motorhomes. This is the first time that the convention has been held here in Bowling Green, Ohio, on the campus of Bowling Green State University. All of the students and staff of the University who have been assisting us have just gone out of their way to be accommodating and are so very nice and helpful. The university grounds are absolutely lovely. Lots of new buildings surrounded by quiet, tree lined sidewalks and roads. The setting is the perfect picture of the small college in a small college town. We have had a great time and look forward to returning. Next we are off to St. Louis with a one night stop along the way in Indianapolis.