Umbrella Campaign

Posted on November 5, 2018

Umbrella Campaign

The Family Holiday Association has launched a new strategy and umbrella campaign called ‘Together’ with the goal of doubling the number of families offered a break annually by the end of 2020. The two year ‘Together’ campaign includes new initiatives such as Adopt a Caravan – inviting individuals and organisations to fund one of their owned caravans for a year – and building on existing successes such as their annual Shades Day awareness day in May. As part of the new approach, the charity is also looking to grow the number of donated accommodation, attraction and travel tickets they receive to UK destinations. Commenting on the campaign, Angie Watson, Head of Fundraising and Comms, said, “So many families are trapped in terrible situations, and they desperately need our help. They need a reason to smile. “That’s why we’ve set ourselves the goal of doubling the number of families offered a break annually by the end of 2020. “It’s ambitious, but by working together with colleagues in the travel and tourism industry we can reach our target and change even more lives. Together, we can help families find sunshine through the rain.”

Praise For Secret Wood

Posted on November 5, 2018

Praise For Secret Wood

A Somerset holiday park which has helped release hundreds of birds and animals into its woodlands has been praised by the charity behind the scheme. Holiday Resort Unity in Brean Sands has been working this year with Secret World Wildlife Rescue to give crisis-stricken creatures a fresh start in life. Each has been cared for by the charity following injury, sickness, or being abandoned by its parents – and then put back into their natural habitat on the park. Now Holiday Resort Unity has celebrated its successful partnership by naming its two acres of woodland after the volunteer-led charity. From now on, it will be known at the park and on local maps as Secret Wood. Holiday Resort Unity, which has been family-run for over 70 years, is one of the Somerset coast’s largest and most popular parks with holiday homes to let and buy.

Avoid Huge Out-Of-Hours Claims

Posted on November 4, 2018

Avoid Huge Out-Of-Hours Claims

An Appeal Court ruling on out-of-hours pay has triggered concerns that the holiday park industry could face substantial claims from employees. Traditionally, holiday parks have provided a 24 hour on-call service as part of their daily role but staff may have only been paid for part of that time. Employment Tribunals have, in the past ruled that employees should be paid at least the minimum wage for the time they are on-call even if they are sleeping. That decision has been recently reversed by the Appeal Court for cases involving the care sector but it may not apply to the holiday park industry who could be open to significant compensation claims. It is estimated it could cost park operators more than £20,000 a year per employee and claims for compensation could go back several years. Now, Hull-based SJP Law, who provide a specialist legal service to the caravan and holiday park industry, have launched a dedicated service to help and advise holiday park owners. Alistair Latham, Director of SJP Law, said: “The Appeal Court ruling applies to the care sector and therefore should be used with great care. Ignoring the law in this area may still have dire consequences for the holiday park industry.” He explained that most holiday parks employ wardens to carry out a range of day time duties and to be on-call during the night should an emergency arise and he urged operators to review their employment contracts and working methods to safeguard against any potential liability. Mr Latham said: “This is a serious situation for park operators and we have set up a dedicated service to help them to assess their risk and to provide them with revised employment documentation and adapt their working requirements where necessary. “If park operators believe that this may be an issue for their business they need to take action sooner rather than later so that steps can be taken to reduce any potential liability.”

Naked Ambitions For Caravanners

Posted on November 4, 2018

Naked Ambitions For Caravanners

Twelve months of bare-it-all bravery by a group of friends at a Flintshire holiday park, are set to swell the funds of the charity Breast Cancer Care. The feisty females stripped-off for a fundraising 2019 calendar at Tree Tops Caravan Park. Ranging in age from 30-plus to over 70, the inspiration for putting the fun into fundraising came from two of the group who own holiday homes at the Holywell park. Rachel Anchors and Wendy Wild said it was back in summer this year when they hit upon the idea of helping a good cause about which they both felt strongly. “Breast cancer is a disease which affects so many women, and Breast Cancer Care does a wonderful job in providing expert information to anyone diagnosed with the illness.” Andy Walker, who runs the park alongside his parents Maureen and Harry, was known by the group to be a talented amateur photographer, whose pictures feature on the park’s website. Andy agreed to photograph the courageous caravanners who posed with carefully placed props ranging from tractors to balls of knitting wool. With advance orders worth over £2,000, copies of the initial calendar print-run are available for £6.50 each. The group has a JustGiving page and a Facebook page @CaravanGirls providing more information.

Great Outdoors ‘On Prescription’ Call

Posted on November 4, 2018

Great Outdoors 'On Prescription' Call

Camping, caravan and motorhome holidays can encourage people outdoors and towards a potentially healthier lifestyle, says TV’s Dr Hilary Jones, who appeared at October’s Motorhome and Caravan Show 2018 at Birmingham’s NEC. Dr Hilary says there’s many aspects of camping and leisure vehicle activities that support both mental and physical well-being. “Camping and leisure vehicle holidays provide the perfect opportunity to get up and go on shorter trips and adventures, and encourage family time as well as getting outdoors, exercise, a change of scenery, new adventures and socialising. Dr Hilary suggests scientific evidence shows people also benefit from getting closer to nature, which is a fundamental connection for humans and the opposite of connecting to screens and electronic devices. “The outdoors even impacts on recovery after surgery, concludes Dr Hilary Jones. “In a gall bladder surgery experiment, half the patients post-surgery had a view of hospital walls only, half had a view of the outdoors. The latter group reported less pain during recovery than those looking at just hospital walls.”

Unmissable Event

Posted on November 3, 2018

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation show beckons…

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show is an unparalleled opportunity for holiday and leisure entrepreneurs to make the most of their resorts, holiday parks and attractions by delivering first-hand the very best in advice, products and services. The event has grown considerably since 2016 and is set to be the most exciting and comprehensive instalment yet! Combining world class experts, face-to-face advice, 150 inspirational seminars, 350 leading suppliers, workshops, unrivalled networking and live features all under one roof - these two days are truly unmissable for anyone in this sector! Whether you’re relatively new in the holiday market and looking for inspiration and advice or an established business looking for new and exciting ways to improve your offering, the event covers everything you need to run your holiday business more efficiently.

Discover all the latest technology and trends from within the sector and find out more about current marketing and business strategies. The industry’s most innovative and influential figures will pass on their peerless knowledge and advice and ultimately help you stand out from the competition and increase your occupancy rates. Join some of the industry’s most progressive and ambitious suppliers and find absolutely everything you need to develop your holiday business whether it’s accommodation, marketing, booking systems, food and drink services, leisure equipment or energy companies. Running alongside the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation show again this year is the Farm Business Innovation Show, the Family Attraction Expo, and the Country House Innovation show. New for this year, we have the Public Space Innovation show, and Destination Hotel. Register for free tickets to attend via the website. Looking forward to welcoming you to the event on the November 7th & 8th, NEC Birmingham.

Aqua Spa Supplies: Stand 1232

Aqua Spa Supplies are suppliers of accessories and equipment for spas and swim spas. They will be showcasing their End 2 End Covers - Roll on, Roll off covers for spas and swim spas and a host of other equipment. Look out too for spa brands including American Whirlpool, Vita Spas and the Villa Tub.

Aqua Spa Supplies
Tel. 01245 477 400
www.aquawarehousegroup.co.uk

BusinessesForSale : Stand 1802

If you’re looking to sell your business, BusinessesForSale can cost-effectively help market your business to over 1.2 million buyers every month. They connect business buyers and sellers. There are 4,000 leisure and holiday related businesses on the site, as well as thousands more businesses and franchises for sale in every sector imaginable. We’ll be displaying a handpicked selection of current businesses for sale at the stand. Come and find the inspiration for your next business venture.

BusinessesForSale
www.BusinessesForSale.com

Forbo Flooring : Stand 1556

The impact of the interior scheme and the overall ambience of a building can play a crucial role in a visitor’s experience to any holiday park or attraction. As such, on stand 1556 at this year’s Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show, Forbo Flooring Systems will be highlighting the benefits its range of flooring solutions, which are suitable for a wide range of applications across the leisure sector, can offer to improve visitor experience.

Forbo Flooring
Tel. 0800 0935 258
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/leisure

Gem Park : Stand 1636

The GemaPark management system is web based Park Management and booking system that allows you to manage all your customers and bookings easily. Take online bookings and payments. Record meter readings and invoice owners. Email booking confirmations, balance reminders and welcome letters automatically. Manage your availability from our interactive chart. Link with other systems to increase bookings. Access from multiple computers, Low monthly fee instead of a large purchase price with full training and support.

GemPark
Tel. 01983 282420
www.gemapark.co.uk

Holiday Park Scene : Stand 1950

Don’t miss the Holiday Park Scene magazine team who will be exhibiting on stand 1950. Call by to tell us about how your business stands out from the crowd or to discuss promotional opportunities for your products and services through the industry’s biggest and best magazine for park operators.

Holiday Park Scene
Tel. 01353 666663
www.holidayparkscene.com

Light Sauce : Stand 202

Light Sauce is the leading importer and distributor of light-up, flashing LED and glow novelties in the UK. Trade suppliers for over 15 years to family attractions, holiday parks, theatres, local government, schools and charities. With long term partnerships in China and the Far East they are able to design, brand, source and manufacture products that complement and promote your organisation. Light Sauce specialises in the volume supply of light-up toys to order but with large UK based stocks and a wide choice of products for next day delivery throughout the UK.

Light Sauce
Tel. 0845 470 6060
www.light-sauce.co.uk

Marquis Spas : Stand 10-710

Marquis today is one of the leading manufacturers of hot tubs and swim spas in the United States, with distribution around the world. Long noted for our product quality and unique high-flow therapy systems...Marquis’ dealer network around the world annually rates it with SpaCertified as among the very best suppliers. A UK network of dealers present a full range of Marquis products and offer UK consumers excellent sales and service experiences as well. Marquis’ three dedicated holiday park models, the ‘Relax’, the ‘Getaway’ and the ‘Escape’, offer an array of sizes and features to give you the perfect hot tub for a perfect holiday.

Marquis Spas
Tel. 1-503-838-0888
www.marquishottubs.co.uk

NBB Recycled Furniture : Stand 1012

NBB Recycled Furniture manufacture an expansive range of outdoor furniture using 100% recycled plastic. There are many advantages of the material: the non-porous properties mean that it will never rot, splinter or corrode; it is graffiti proof and easy to clean; and it does not require annual upkeep in fact it is completely maintenance free! Recycled plastic is extremely robust and hardwearing making it great for heavy use areas such as holiday and leisure industries; public parks and gardens; schools and businesses! All of products are guaranteed for up to 25 years, more reason to replace your old timber furniture today!

NBB Recycled Furniture
Tel. 0800 1777 052
www.recycledfurniture.co.uk

Park Leisure Solutions Ltd : Stand 1230

National suppliers, Park Leisure Solutions launched their brand new Climacube Hot Tub Heat System earlier this year. The Climacube Heat System offers the very latest energy saving heat technology, dramatically reducing running costs, increasing usage, reducing the carbon footprint and enabling customers to use their hot tubs all year round, at the desired temperature without the concern of cost. Customers are already benefiting with installations producing significant reductions in their energy bills. Unlike conventional heat systems, Climacube will heat your Hot Tub in around 4-5 hours from cold with a consumption of only 1KW per/hour with a COP of over 3.5 in minus temperatures.

Park Leisure Solutions Ltd
Tel. 01202 691166
www.parkleisuresolutions.co.uk

Pitched : Stand 1742

Pitched are the smart choice for the holiday park industry, from online booking management software to website, brochure and email design as well as management of social and email campaigns, SEO content and data analysis. The new name in booking software, suitable for independent and holiday park groups of all sizes. Built specifically for caravans, lodges, cottages, glamping, touring and camping pitches and management of owners and holiday home sales - our GDPR ready software comes with stylish customer steps and is simple and easy to operate. Unlimited users working simultaneously with individual security rights. Securely hosted, and all data encrypted and backed up. Convert browsing to booking, giving you more time to run your park. Arrange a demo either by calling today or at the show.

Pitched
Tel. 01726 418 118
www.pitched.co.uk

Portrait Pools : Stand 3406

The multi-award winning, Portrait Pools team specialise in the construction, build and design of home indoor swimming pools, commercial swimming pools, spas and saunas, pool refurbishment, pool maintenance and pool accessories. A swimming pool says so much. Especially when it is built to your precise specifications and to exacting standards.. Most people will have a vision of their own swimming pool in their mind`s eye. Portrait Pools have the experience and expertise to open up the countless possibilities, and to capture the essence of your lifestyle. Portrait loves nothing better than to take what you thought an impossible dream and turn it into stunning reality.

Portrait Pools
Tel. 01625 466200
www.portraitpools.com

Suntrap Systems : Stand 1444

Specialists in supplying lifts and hoists providing disabled access into swimming pools, spas and hot tubs, the team will be displaying three different models from its extensive range of lifts, all of which are suitable for both commercial and private use so whatever the size, shape or type of pool and whatever the budget, we can offer a suitable solution. Suntrap Systems is a long established company with more than 20 years’ experience which offers a specialised service to both private and commercial customers, and enjoys a reputation for quality, reliability and a personal service you can depend on.

Suntrap Systems
Tel. 0121 428 1155
www.suntrap-systems.co.uk

Superior Spas : Stand 10-703

Add a touch of luxury to your holiday home or letting business, and boost your revenue by up to 60% with a Superior Spas Holiday Let Hot Tub, while ensuring you stay firmly within the parameters of the HSG282 guidelines. Established in 2009, Superior Spas are the UK’s largest distributor of hot tubs and spas. We pride ourselves on quality craftsmanship, commitment, reliability, and competitive pricing. Hailed as one of the best Holiday Let Spas retailers on the market, we have been named as the official supplier to Sykes Cottages. Our range of Holiday Let Hot Tubs is specifically designed for heavy usage and minimal maintenance. They come in a variety of sizes, making them the ideal choice for any garden, decking or outdoor area.

Superior Spas
Tel. 01246 559071
www.superiorspas.co.uk

The UK Ramp Company : Stand 1424

The UK Ramp Company provides design, supply and installation of Modular Pumptracks and Skate Ramps throughout the mainland UK. The company’s core customers are holiday parks and councils. We pride ourselves on providing second to none customer service from the initial enquiry until the end of life of the products.

The UK Ramp Company
Tel. 01923 678432
www.theukrampco.com

Trimax Mowing Systems : Stand 1330

Trimax Mowing Systems design and produce tractor-powered mowers with the highest level of finish and minimal maintenance. It is this that makes them a turn- to equipment manufacturer. The company began in New Zealand in the 1970’s with tractor-mounted mowers to cut grass beneath kiwifruit vines. Innovative developments, pioneered in flail blades and multi-spindled rotaries meant rapid advancement into amenity and sports surface mowing and exporting well beyond down-under. The Trimax name is now known everywhere by professionals who maintain grassed sports facilities, golf courses, public amenities and holiday parks.

Trimax Mowing Systems
Tel. 01933 652235
www.trimaxmowers.co.uk

Wilby Ltd - Park Protect : Stand 1440

The Park Protect policy has been specifically designed for Holiday and Caravan Parks and provides outstanding cover and value for members of the scheme. As a park insurance specialists, Wilby currently arrange insurance for more than 100 parks across the UK, from the North of Scotland to the South coast of England. As well as providing insurance to caravan parks across the country, as members of The National Caravan Council we are actively involved in the industry and know the challenges faced by parks. We have a team of advisers with a wealth of experience in dealing with touring, holiday and residential caravan and park home resorts of all shapes and sizes, so you can be sure you are dealing with a company that knows the needs of your business. As the scheme is developed specifically for the park industry it offers a range of extra benefits including Stock of holiday and residential homes £250k. Landscaping following a loss £5,000. Site services, inc underground pipes £10k. Contract works cover £25k.

Wilby Ltd – Park Protect
Tel. 01422 358 525
www.wilbyltd.co.uk

World Leisure UK : Stand 1841

World Leisure (UK) is a multi-award winning provider of design, technical and installation services for the water leisure industry. Offering full turnkey packages, from design and installation through to commissioning and continued maintenance support, World Leisure`s extensive industry experience and a proven track record provide peace of mind to contractors and clients. Providing tailored solutions to meet the exact needs of each individual project, World Leisure partners with manufacturers and specialist equipment suppliers of the highest quality to ensure projects are completed on time and to the highest industry standard. Recent projects include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, Lagan Valley Leisureplex (Northern Ireland), Ellesmere Port Sports Village, De Vere Scottish Urban Leisure Resorts, Brookfield Multiplex Centre Point, and the Defence & National Rehabilitation Centre`s new world class facilities at Stanford Hall.

World Leisure UK
Tel. 01722 284883
www.worldleisureuk.co.uk

World Of Rides : Stand 3441

For nearly 50 years, World of Rides has been the leading UK manufacturer of children’s leisure rides in the United Kingdom. From premises in County Durham the company supply major shopping centres, retailers, visitor attractions, fun farms, holiday parks, garden centres, family entertainment centres and hospitality centres that include national and single-site operators. The company boasts vast knowledge and experience ensures that every ride we manufacture is rigorously tested both in the factory and on-site before being released for sale. Customers receive the very best advice on the profitable and safe operation of their rides.

World of Rides
Tel. 0191 49 20 999
www.worldofrides.com

Key Seminar Sessions

Theatre 13 - Wednesday 13.15 - 13.45

Andy Sutton

Maximising food and beverage in the holiday park industry One of the areas within the holiday park sector that has always been a struggle to maintain, is the food and beverage operation. The issue has been how to manage and carefully balance the gap between seasonal business, your offerings, and if you allow external business on park to contribute towards the success of your F&B. During my talk, I will discuss how you can look at simple options within your business, how to maintain out of season trade, and how to keep control whilst making a healthy profit.

Theatre 10 Thursday 11.00 - 11.30

Dawn Bee

Online Booking: Win and keep the customers you want Taking Online bookings may feel like losing control but this seminar will show you how you can use it to gain more control over the type of customer you attract. Repeat customers are the mainstay of most holiday park businesses. We will cover how you can use automation to set off on the right foot to create a lasting profitable relationship with each customer.

Theatre 10 Thursday 13.15 - 13.45

Steve Hasenmueller

Marquis – The Ultimate Holiday Park Hot Tub Program Holiday Park guest turnover and high hot tub usage create unique requirements for a safe and effective low-maintenance program for hot tub owners. Get a complete overview of the Marquis Holiday Park program and models which address these unique requirements with specific features and designs.

Book your free tickets today - visit www.holidayparkshow.co.uk

Ambitious Planning

Posted on September 11, 2018

Ambitious Planning

Doncaster-based park homes operator Serenity Parks might be a relative newcomer to the industry but they have ambitious plans for the future.
The Company was established in 2016 by Directors Gary Burns and Andrew Wilson, who already co-own a successful and longestablished civil engineering business – the NMC Group. After many years of working on engineering projects that included residential and holiday park developments, Gary and Andrew decided to take the plunge and invest in their own parks. “Through our civil engineering contracts we have long been involved with infrastructure and development works for many residential park home estates throughout the country,” explains Gary. “Given the steady increase in this market and the changing perceptions of park home living, we identified a strong opportunity to diversify our business interests and this has proved successful.” Gary and Andrew launched Serenity Parks by taking the opportunity to acquire two existing residential parks in Cheshire that were ripe for re-development.

POPULAR CHOICE

Chester’s Croft is situated in the leafy Stockport suburb of Cheadle Hulme, and was acquired by Serenity Parks in November 2016. Its highly desirable location, just over two miles from Stockport itselfand seven miles from Manchester, makes it a popular choice with residents. The park offers plenty of green outdoor space, as well as excellent travel links, including two nearby rail stations and the ease of Manchester Airport just a few minutes drive away. Since taking on Chester’s Croft, Gary and Andrew have completely redeveloped the park and its infrastructure, investing heavily in surfacing, drainage, curbing and landscaping. They have bought back a number of plots in order to upgrade with new homes for sale. Out of a current 47 plots at Chester’s Croft, just three remain available. Serenity Park’s second Cheshire-based development, Alvanley Park, has also undergone a major upgrade. Many new homes have been added to the site and just one remains for sale out of a total of 40. The park sits in a prestige location in pretty Cheshire countryside and next to National Trust woodland, but with easy access to amenities in the nearby market town of Frodsham.
Both Chester’s Croft and Alvanley Park offer high-end, one and two bedroom park homes from leading manufacturers including Prestige, Oakgrove, Stately Albion and Omar. Both parks cater exclusively for over-55s and offer residents a thriving social scene and a supportive environment in which to spend their later years.
Gary and Andrew did not found Serenity Parks with the intention of just ‘owning parks.’ For them, the business represents an opportunity to create and develop communities.
“We really believe that moving to a park home should not just be a decision of where to live, but also of how,” explains Gary. “We pride ourselves on the lifestyle we enable our residents to lead. By providing attractive, accessible and well-equipped homes, in an environment that actively facilitates positive interaction, we create the perfect park home environment with a real community feel.”

SAFETY AND SECURITY

“Our homes offer an increased level of safety and security compared to city centre or suburban living, as well as encouraging residents to manage a more independent way of life in their later years. When you own a park and see new residents coming to make their home here, you can really see the positive difference in people after just a few months living amongst like-minded new friends.” Serenity Parks was born out of an absolute belief in the huge potential of park home living and its tremendous benefits, not only for park residents, but also for park owners, developers, and local authorities.Gary says: “There has been a seismic change in perceptions of park home living, especially among the over 50s who are placing more importance on leisure and the freedom that park home living can offer. The recent changes to housing policy also mean that residential park homes are now accepted as a dedicated form of housing, which gives us greater confidence in planning policy for more plots.” It’s clear that the tides are turning favourably for park home living but Serenity Parks believe much more needs to be done to educate the Government and local authority planners about the wider benefits of residential park home communities.
With this in mind, Gary and Andrew have created a detailed resource document that they are proactively sharing with local authority planning departments that explains the social, economic and environmental advantages of the park home trend.

HOUSING SUPPLY

Gary says the potential saving to the public purse from park home developments is massive, not to mention the solution they can offer to aid the national housing supply crisis.
“Cheshire, where we already have two parks, is an area of really high demand for homes and there is simply not enough accommodation to go around,” says Gary. “Many areas of the country have the same situation and frustratingly, I believe that not enough is being done to pass off sites for development.”
Gary and Andrew see this challenge as a unique opportunity to change out-dated misconceptions about the park home lifestyle.
With two successful re-developments under their belt in the Northwest, Gary and Andrew are now turning their attentions to other opportunities.
“We are interested in developing more high-end parks in the North but our interest remains national,” says Gary.
“We are ready and able to invest in redevelopment opportunities where we can transform tired sites to offer prestige park home communities in desirable areas. We have plans to double the size of our portfolio year on year over the next three years and promote the Serenity Parks brand UK-wide.”

On Your Marks For Trade Events

Posted on September 11, 2018

On Your Marks For Trade Events

A busy show season lies ahead packed with a wealth of business ideas to help with your winter planning...

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Landscape Show - 18th-19th September

Evolution Centre, Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ www.landscapeshow.co.uk

The key trade show for the industry LANDSCAPE is back for another year, uniting Garden Designers, Landscape Architects and Contractors under one roof for two days, dedicated to sourcing the latest innovations and technologies in the landscaping industry. Come down to Battersea Park onTuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th September 2018 to select, sourceand network. LANDSCAPE 2018 promises to deliver a range of both new andreturning exhibitors showcasing everything from Outdoor Furniture,Living Plants and Trees, Planters, Stone and Decking to mention justa few. The event is the go-to for any professional designer looking tosource new product ranges to use within their projects. Andrew Fisher Tomlin from Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer says: “The thing that distinguishes the LANDSCAPE Show is that you always find new trade suppliers and new products that you would never find elsewhere.” Alongside the main exhibition is a free to attend Seminar Programme hosted across four seminar theatres. Each session is CPD accredited and addresses current topics integral to the industry

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Beaulieu Trade Show - 20th September

Hides Field, Beaulieu,Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7ZN www.lawnsandbeaulieushows.com

The annual HERCMA Southern Trade Show at Beaulieu takes placethis year on Thursday 20th September, from 10am until 5pm. More than 150 of the latest caravan holiday homes, lodgesand park homes will be displayed in the splendid setting of theBeaulieu Estate in the New Forest in Hampshire. Leading brandson show include manufacturers such as ABI, Atlas, Carnaby, Delta,Pathfinder, Pemberton, Prestige-Homeseeker, Regal, Stately-Albion,Swift, Tingdene and Victory. Other exhibitors range from decking companies to software and furniture suppliers. Parking and entry are free for bona fide trade visitors who can register to attend on www. hercmatradeshows. com. Trade visitors are also welcome on Friday21st September, the opening day of the annual Caravan Holiday Home and Park Home Show. This continues over the weekend of 22nd and23rd September from 10am until 5pm each day. Details of the public event are on www.lawnsandbeaulieushows.com

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Be My Guest - 2nd & 10th October

Torquay, Carlisle & Skegness www.bemyguest.live

Following a successful launch earlier this year, the Be My Guest event series has announced its autumn dates. A UK roadshow for independent accommodation providers including holiday parks, camping sites, glamping experiences and holiday rentals. Theevents are supported by partners like The AA,Google, Expedia, local DMOs and media partnersincluding Holiday Park Scene. The one-day business development eventswill be visiting Torquay (2 Oct), Carlisle (10 Oct) and Skegness (13 Nov). The events are free to attend for providers and feature a fantastic speakerline up to help businesses improve their performance by mastering topicslike digital marketing, local networking, supplementary incomes throughinitiative like electrical vehicle charging ports. Visitors to the show will also be able to take advantage of theMarketplace exhibition which showcases the latest products and servicesfor providers and is packed with show-only offers. As an example, theBe My Guest team provide a 20% subsidy for any new accommodationproviders looking to undertake The AA Quality Assessment Scheme forthe first time. For more information and to register your FREE place at the show justvisit the website.

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Saltex 2018 - 31st October - 1st November

NEC, Birmingham B40 1NT www.iogsaltex.com

Those working within the holiday park and campsite management industry will have the opportunity to learn from leading opinion formers, further their career prospects and see new products and services fromprominent suppliers when SALTEX opens its doors at the NEC,Birmingham on October 31 and November 1. This year, the show floor will be bursting with everything avisitor needs to increase their efficiency and improve operations andwill contain a plethora of exhibitors representing the likes of playequipment and services, turf maintenance equipment, fencing andlandscaping, sports surface design, research and consultancy, seeds,turf, aggregates and treatments, and facilities services management. As well as a wide range of innovative products on display within the three large halls, visitors to SALTEX will have the chance to see many of these products in action. The outdoor demonstrations will take place on a grassed area directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8. There will also be a number of education opportunities through Learning LIVE - SALTEX’s all-encompassing, free-to-attend education programme. Learning LIVE will take place in four dedicatedseminar theatres situated on the show floor and willfeature a wide range of expert speakers discussingrelevant topics. SALTEX 2018 is free to attend. To register yourattendance and beat the queues visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show - 7th & 8th September

NEC, Birmingham B40 1NT www.holidayparkshow.co.uk

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show is back at the NEC, Birmingham on the 7th and 8th November providing holiday and leisure entrepreneurs with an unparalleled opportunity to make the most of their resorts, holiday parks and attractions by delivering first-hand the very best in advice, products and services. Combining world class experts, face-to-face advice, 150 inspirational seminars, 350 leading suppliers, workshops, unrivalled networking and live features all under one roof - these two days are truly unmissable for anyone in this sector! Whether you’re relatively new in the holiday market and looking for inspiration and advice or an established business looking for new and exciting ways to improve your offering, the event covers everything you need to run your holiday business more efficiently. Discover all the latest technology and trends from within the sector and find out more about current marketing and business strategies. The industry’s most innovative and influential figures will pass on their peerless knowledge and advice and ultimately help you stand out from the competition and increase your occupancy rates. Tickets to attend are free and you can register via the website. We look forward to welcoming you to the event.

No Quick Fix

Posted on September 11, 2018

No Quick Fix

I will start with a confession. Wisper it quietly, but there is no ‘quick fix’ that will instantly fill your holiday park with customers, especially in the quieter months. That magic button for your website – the one that will send bookings through the roof is, well, I’m afraid just a myth…
So, it’s time for a reality check. The only way to ensure your park is best placed to turn those clicks and enquiries into bookings and sales is to have a proper strategy in place. It can be really frustrating to see large volumes of traffic coming to your website but so few of those continuing to book their holidays. Abandoned bookings and poor conversions rates are an obvious sign that all is not well somewhere in the online booking process.

JIGSAW PIECES

Whether you own a large group of holiday parks or you’re just starting out with a few touring pitches, your online booking platform is arguably the most important piece of the jigsaw. You can spend thousands of pounds per month on marketing but, if it’s all let down by a process that inhibits the booking process then you’re wasting all your hard-earned cash. Online booking systems vary greatly from one another - and the most expensive one may not necessarily be the best for your park. You need a system that not only fulfils your requirements from a park management perspective but is, crucially, easy for your customers to navigate and book online.

It is too easy to forget the customer booking journey with parks too often spending more time focusing on the back-office functionality of an online booking system. But these online booking steps are, potentially, far more important than whether the system can produce all your different financial reports. Most systems (but not all) on the market will come with a set of online booking steps that will be the link between your website and booking system. It is crucial that you choose a system that has booking steps that are clear, straightforward and easily navigable for your customers.Why not take the journey yourself, as a customer would (we recommend trying this on a mobile too). If you find yourself getting frustrated then multiply this by the average number of people who visit your website and you’ll soon see why so many people abandon their bookings.

GDPR COMPLIANCE

hate to be the bearer of bad news but complying with GDPR wasn’t just sending out a few re-subscribe emails to your database at the end of May. It’s fair to say that it’s had (and will continue to have) a big impact on the holiday park industry. One thing’s for sure – it’s already had a big impact on the online booking sector, with many changes having been made to systems to comply as best they can with the new regulations. A cornerstone element of GDPR is customer data. Your online booking system is, potentially, storing thousands of customer records, accounts and, in some cases, payment details too.

Do you know for sure where all that customer data is? Is it stored directly on the computer in your office – and is this vulnerable to hackers? Or is the data stored in the cloud? Is it encrypted to the highest level? Are your online booking steps collecting marketing information even from those who don’t complete a booking? If so, what’s being done with all that data? All these are vitally important questions you should ask your current provider or ask yourself before changing to a new system as you will be liable, should the worst happen.If your online booking is the final part of the jigsaw, then getting your customers into that booking process, is the first. How do you attract the right sort of customer to your park to begin with?
Before you commit to spending hundreds or thousands of pounds per month on a Google AdWords PPC campaign or such like you need to ask yourself one fundamental question – who are your customers? How old are they? Where do they live? What interests do they have? What do they spend on an average holiday? Once you have a clear idea of the people you’re targeting then you’re more likely to achieve the desired result. Depending on the sort of customer you’re targeting, your marketing can be grouped into various activities, including your website, email, social media, pay per click (PPC) or printed media. All of this will filter back to the online booking process.

KEY WORDS

A good website that’s well optimised for all the relevant keywords is certainly a good start and will be integral for just about everything you do but it will not, necessarily, be the huge driver of traffic on its own, that it once was. Things are ever-changing in the world of the web and the level of competition has gone from stiff to fierce, especially in popular holiday destinations such as the South West of England.

That being said, there are some key things to consider with your current website to help it work best for you:

• Does it stand out from the crowd? Does it have a ‘wow’ factor?
• Is it quick and easy to use on a mobile device?
• Do the images properly showcase your setting and accommodation range?
• Are your CTAs (calls to action) clear and consistent – ‘book now’ ‘check prices & availability’ ‘call now’

How much do you spend on your marketing and what sort of Return on Investment (ROI) are you getting? Do you know? If the answer to this last question is a resounding ‘no’ then it’s time to take stock of your current activity…and think again. If, for whatever reason, you are not able to apportion revenue against your marketing then you are working with one hand behind your back.

MEASURE SUCCESS

E-commerce tracking really is the cornerstone of measuring a campaign’s success, whether it be a promotional email or a Google AdWords campaign. Without this knowledge it’s almost impossible to know if what you’re doing is right. So many people are obsessed with the volume of clicks and traffic that a campaign sends to their website but this can often be very misleading. Always think – quality over quantity! You’re aiming for ‘qualified’ clicks; those that come from an audience who are in-tune and interested in your product, not those who may have clicked your banner ad by mistake. To this end, your external marketing should follow the same premise. As mentioned, know your audience and aim your marketing at this focused bunch of people, don’t waste your time and money on a scattergun approach because it simply won’t work.

Pitched
Tel. 01726 418118
Pitched.co.uk

Diamond Celebration

Posted on September 11, 2018

Diamond Celebration

When it comes to holiday parks, Shorefield Holidays may be one of the UK’s best-kept secrets. For 60 years, the family-run company has been offering stunning gateways to some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. Eight parks in two counties offer five different ways to stay (luxe holiday lodges, beautiful family houses, premium caravans, and camping or touring pitches), all set amongst some of the best countryside the British Isles has to offer, from the beautiful New Forest National Park to the heritage Jurassic coastline. Each park has its own individual character and different facilities, which variously include indoor and outdoor swimming pools and aqua fun, imaginative children’s play areas, gyms, vibrant restaurants and bars, great entertainment and a spa offering a range of treatments.

EASY DRIVE

Parks are an easy drive from either the beach or the unique New Forest National Park with its ancient, wild landscape and famous roaming ponies. Cycle the trails of the New Forest and the Isle of Purbeck, walk down hidden pathways to the south coast, or use your time to get fit or learn a new activity and then come home to your own lodge or holiday home. All parks are pet friendly, so there’s no reason to leave anyone behind. Ever since company founder, Dr Robert Pollock, bought a workedout gravel pit on the south coast in 1958 because he couldn’t find anywhere to park his caravan, the directors have never lost sight of why people choose to spend their precious downtime at a Shorefield Holiday park and continue to invest in new ways to deliver happy family holidays. The gravel pit was transformed into Shorefield Country Park and, since then, the company has grown to offer a portfolio of seven premium, award-winning parks across Hampshire and Dorset. The acquisition of Wilksworth Caravan Park at the start of 2018 became Shorefield’s eighth park and an ongoing investment in quality accommodation saw 80 brand new caravan holiday homes installed at Oakdene Forest Park in Dorset ensuring no caravan on the park is more than a few years old.A community of 12 luxury boutique lodges launched this year at the New Forest Lodge Retreat, on the edge of both the New Forest National Park and the beach at Milford-on-Sea. Lavender House, set in stunning private grounds close to Shorefield Country Park, has been completely refurbished and sleeps up to 14 people in six en suite rooms. In addition to this Rose Cottage, a historical property at Wilksworth, will soon be available to holidaymakers. Shorefield Holidays’ chairman and Managing Director Simon Pollock says: “2018 is a really exciting year for Shorefield Holidays, as well as our holidaymakers and home owners. “Not only are we celebrating six decades delivering happy holidays, we’re also investing in some significant improvements and introductions which we hope our customers will love.” “We are so proud of what Shorefield Holidays has achieved over the last 60 years. We wanted to show our appreciation to all our staff for the dedication they have shown to our company, whose family values are as strong today as they were when my father opened our first park in 1958. “Every member of staff is valued and encouraged to understand how they can make a difference to the success of our business,” he continues.

FORWARD THINKING

“In the last 60 years, we have seen significant growth - both for holidays and holiday home ownership,” adds Simon. “With more and more post-Brexit vote Britons opting to holiday at home instead of travelling abroad, we are anticipating this growth will continue and lead to even more exciting developments for the future. “As a forward-thinking business, we spend millions of pounds across all eight of our parks to keep us at the forefront of the family holiday market, and are continually looking for more opportunity for growth. We have exciting times ahead of us!” Shorefield Holidays is a major local employer in Hampshire and Dorset, employing just under 250 full-time employees. Some 95per cent of employees come from within a 10-mile radius of each park. Senior employees in the business are experts in the hospitality industry; many have worked for several decades in the sector and held positions in key industry associations and governing bodies. A number of the senior management team have been with the business for more than 20 years and have progressed from general roles in the business up through to senior manager level. The team has expanded to include new members, all highly experienced in their fields of responsibility, leading to numerous business awards for the team and the company’s Financial Director, Sara Bertin. The business stands out as a first-class employer because of its strong family culture. Shorefield Holidays is a proud member of the local community, and sponsors a range of local events, including Bournemouth Air Festival with Wave 105.

Shorefield Holidays Limited
01590 648300
www.shorefield.co.uk