PLEASANTON, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/03/12 -- The numbers are in and they show that the crowds came out in force to January's 24th Annual Manufacturer's RV & Sports Show and Sale in Pleasanton. Attendance grew by 10 percent over 2011 and set a single-day record in the first weekend -- sure signs, organizers say, that RVing is bouncing back as the economy improves.
"We're feeling good about where RVing is going," said Shawn Nohr, the show manager for GoodTimes Promotions, which has organized Northern California's largest indoor RV show for the last 24 years. "A lot of buyers came to our winter event, and it's clear people are ready to enjoy themselves after several years of hard times. They've learned the value of a buck, and the fact is, RVing remains one of the most economical ways to take a trip."
Attendance at the event, held from Jan. 6-16 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, grew to 24,769 people, a roughly 10 percent increase over the 2011 winter show, Nohr said. The first Saturday was particularly popular, drawing 5,600 people, he said.
"That's the most people we've seen on a Saturday in the 24-year history of the show," Nohr said. "The economy has definitely turned a corner."
Industry figures support Nohr's assessment: 2011 RV wholesale shipments were even higher than they were in 2010, which, at the time, had the highest number of RV shipments in three years, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.
In November 2011 -- the latest data available -- RV manufacturers shipped 16,300 units, up 21.6 percent from the same month the year before. RV shipments in 2011 are expected to total 247,100 units, an increase of 2% from the 2010 total, according to RV industry analyst and director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan, Dr. Richard Curtin.
About GoodTimes Promotions:
Good Times Promotions was founded by Michael Nohr in 1988 after he stepped away from 30 years in the RV industry. He started in the RV and trailer business working for Nohr's RV, which was owned and operated by his father.
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