Pennsylvania RV show sets record

Last month's Pennsylvania RV and Camping Show has reported record attendance for this year's event.

The show, which was held in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and is called America's largest RV show, set a new record by posting a 9 percent increase in attendance compared to last year. Officials say more than 35,000 people attended this year.

In addition, this year's show featured more than 1 million square feet of exhibition space and grew by 42 percent compared to the 2009 show. There were also more than 970 units on display, a 43 percent increase over the previous year.

The 2010 show also saw an increased international presence, according to the show's managers.

"This year we went global," said Rebecca Lenington, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania RV and Camping Association, the association that manages the show. "We had dealers from South Korea, Jamaica, Slovenia and Canada. It was also reported that we had public day attendees from Germany and Holland."

Manufacturers at the show say the increased attendance translated into more sales as well.

"Borderline, it was the best ever," Bill Fenech, president of the new Thor Motor Coach, told RVBusiness.com. "It was very, very encouraging. Many of our products did significantly better than any other year, and it was definitely better than last year."

The 2011 Pennsylvania RV and Camping Show is slated for September 12 through September 18, 2011.