Tampa RV Supershow 2024, January 17 - 21

[SeaDawg]

The huge Tampa RV Supershow opens again this Wednesday. It's a fun time, great to explore, and maybe pick up a few accessories,  or ideas for mods (or just confirm and gloat that you already own the best camper for your camping style!)

Plus, there are always a number of free and interesting seminars on the schedule. 

Oliver is again exhibiting during the show, at a site a few miles away, at Force Customs.

9839 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619 

 

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/events/tampa-florida-rv-show/

 

[Steph and Dud B]

Now that they're starting a dealer network, why isn't Oliver displaying at (not "near") any of the RV shows? We picked our last 2 fifth wheel models at shows in the Northeast. (Didn't buy them there, but used our research from the shows to make a decision that we acted on later.) I've been dubious about the dealer network, but I can see Oliver really standing out at an RV show, where people can look at lots of different trailers and see how Oliver compares directly.

[SeaDawg]

If you're in the greater Tampa Bay area, this weekend is a "two-fer."

The St. Petersburg in eater boat show is going on this weekend,  also. These events are usually a week apart. 

Again, a bunch if interesting seminars, and a lot of transfer from marine to rv, to poke around. 12v life is 22v life, on land and sea.

 

[SeaDawg]

5 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Now that they're starting a dealer network, why isn't Oliver displaying at (not "near") any of the RV shows? We picked our last 2 fifth wheel models at shows in the Northeast. (Didn't buy them there, but used our research from the shows to make a decision that we acted on later.) I've been dubious about the dealer network, but I can see Oliver really standing out at an RV show, where people can look at lots of different trailers and see how Oliver compares directly.

I don't know anything about Oliver's plans for rv shows, but I do know the Tampa show is the biggest and most prestigious in the southeast, matbe in the USA, (read probably most expensive), and I  rarely see smaller manufacturers  there. 

Maybe they will, maybe they won't, as they grow. I sure don't know. 

I do think that setting up in reasonable proximity at Force Customs  gives folks an opportunity to see the Oliver, if they're doing what we did, 16 years ago (without driving to Tennessee,  or Georgia, NC, etc.). We spent long days at the RV supershow, walking through and often  crawling under the exhibited trailers at the show.

Obviously,  you know our final choice. And, it's been a pretty happy 16 seasons. 

 

[Steph and Dud B]

They could dip their toes in some of the smaller (less expensive) shows. There's 3 in the Northeast in the next couple of months: Hartford, Agawam, and Foxwoods Casino. No doubt many more like that throughout the eastern US. The nice thing about a show is that it could expose people to Olivers that would never even have considered (or maybe even heard of) fiberglass trailers before. They'd go in looking for a conventional camper and say, "hey what's that white one?" That's how we bought our unusual Glendale Titanium fifth wheel: saw one at a show and was amazed by the unique over-cab bedroom. 

Prior to stumbling on Oliver via an RV news article, we had seen the occasional Scamp or Casita but assumed they were cheap junk, never having seen one up close. An RV show gives curious buyers a chance to investigate products they normally wouldn't consider. If Oliver wants to expand their customer demographic, I'd think RV shows would be an effective way to do that.

[ScubaRx]

4 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

They could dip their toes in some of the smaller (less expensive) shows. There's 3 in the Northeast in the next couple of months: Hartford, Agawam, and Foxwoods Casino. No doubt many more like that throughout the eastern US….

An RV show gives curious buyers a chance to investigate products they normally wouldn't consider. If Oliver wants to expand their customer demographic, I'd think RV shows would be an effective way to do that.

I too think that going to the smaller RV shows could be advantageous to Oliver.  The issues I see with a larger show like the Tampa thing is several fold.

It is obviously geared toward folks in Florida. Since Florida is not on the way to anywhere else in the entire country, I know I wouldn’t drive to that show even for the delight of seeing an Oliver. If your goal is to see an Oliver virtually everywhere in the nation is closer to Hohenwald than to Tampa. so why not just go there?
 

Another issue is the expense of paying for a booth at the show vs any potential sales generated by that expense.

Oliver does participate in smaller rally’s and gatherings (they’ve been to Quartzsite many times) and have had good sales as a result. 

[MAX Burner]

Not to "High-Jackery" the thread, but there's a pretty good size RV Show starting this Saturday in Quartzsite:

https://www.quartzsitervshow.com/_files/ugd/b22f43_0c0897c16ed7444994c4fdca711eb3e4.pdf

Looks like some interesting vendors will be setting up....

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:

Not to "High-Jackery" the thread, but there's a pretty good size RV Show starting this Saturday in Quartzsite:

https://www.quartzsitervshow.com/_files/ugd/b22f43_0c0897c16ed7444994c4fdca711eb3e4.pdf

Looks like some interesting vendors will be setting up....

We’ve been to the show several times, always fun with a lot of interesting and unusual items along with the standard camping gear.  Mike

[MAX Burner]

26 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

We’ve been to the show several times, always fun with a lot of interesting and unusual items along with the standard camping gear.  Mike

Concur, 100%, @Mike and Carol.  We actually bought our first TPMS at the RV Show here in '09!

[dewdev]

FYI, Tim's RV in Massachusetts (Oliver's new local sales-sevice center) has the Oliver TT's in three shows in New England. Boston RV Show (January), Springfield MA RV show (February) and a smaller show in Auburn Maine in April. Hopefully  they are all inside the show facility

Also Charlotte & Atlanta shows will have Oliver's at it by the local Sales-service center so indicated in a email that Oliver sent out.

[SeaDawg]

I think the regional shows will be bigger advantages to the dealers. At the huge (80,000 plus attendees) Tampa show, most manufacturers have assistance (or vice versa) from the local dealers. Obviously,  you want to spend the big bucks marketing to your own area.