EXETER, PA – (February 3, 2020) Grapevine, Texas was the epicenter of the RV business as industry professionals from across North America gathered at the Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel and Convention Center on Jan 13-14 for The EXPO. The industry’s largest warehouse distributor event, presented by NTP-STAG and sponsored by Airxcel, provided attendees the unique opportunity to explore new products, visit with leading suppliers and participate in business seminars while benefitting from show-only specials and discounts.

Communicating the “Our Vision for Serving the Aftermarket” theme throughout the two-day event, NTP-STAG team members and executives presented their industry viewpoint while receiving valuable feedback from the dealers, suppliers and media in attendance who shared their thoughts on the positive outlook of the RV Industry.

“The EXPO provides us a tremendous opportunity to spend valuable time with our dealers. We gain their important perspective on our industry while sharing our vision on how we can assist them in growing their businesses,” said NTP-STAG President, Bill Rogers.

Taking center stage across the 150,000 sq. ft. show floor was the New Products Showcase, encompassing more than twice the space of the prior year, where suppliers were eager to introduce new products from existing and new categories such as housewares, pet supplies and marine products to the RV market. Also making its debut at The EXPO was the Overland Bound area, featuring vehicles outfitted with tents and travel gear essential to this popular outdoor lifestyle trend.

“These multiple innovations presented dealers in attendance with several opportunities to expand their businesses to adjacent spaces, such as the marine industry and overlanding, while suppliers introduced more new products than ever before,” added Rogers. “For many, Overlanding is exposing an entirely new segment to the experience of outdoor vehicle travel and camping as a gateway into the RV lifestyle.  As these interests develop, RVs will satisfy their eventual requirements for greater comfort and convenience.”

A cornerstone of the vision presented by Rogers, and a popular discussion topic throughout the show, was the agreements NTP-STAG has established with a number of RV Builders and Suppliers to provide warranty fulfillment services. These agreements, now in place with Coleman, Grand Design, Jayco and Heartland RV, address the important issue of shortening Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT) with expediting parts delivery resulting in faster response times and improved customer experiences.

“Downtime has been a crucial concern throughout the industry,” shared NTP-STAG Director of Category Management, Jon White. “Dealers were pleased to learn more about this collaboration and how we are working together to significantly reduce the time it takes to get parts to their dealerships to execute warranty repairs and get their customers back out on the road.” 

Preceding the show opening, participants were treated to insight from a compelling RV Professional Retail Organization (PRO) Education Speaker roster that included Chief Executive Officer of Sardek Love International Dr. Sardek Love, economist and best-selling author Dr. Mary Kelly, and America's Millennial expert Gabrielle Bosché, in addition to more than 30 product showcase seminars. These business development seminar sessions covered important subjects such as “Generating Increased Sales and Repeat Customers” and “Leading for Profit Growth” along with “Generational Leadership.” The trio provided valuable insight tailored to meet the needs of the RV industry.

“This was the tenth year we have provided the industry with a compelling roster of exceptional speakers,” said Rogers. “These seminars introduce show attendees to innovative skills and business techniques while the speakers’ discussions serve as a cornerstone to the continuing education programs available online through the newly revised RVU platform.” 

For EXPO attendees visiting with suppliers and learning about unique show specials and promotions, the product ordering process was easier and more streamlined than ever before with the refinement of electronic cart pre-load functionality. Utilizing this fifth iteration of the electronic ordering platform, many attendees built their orders in advance, improving the productivity of their show experience. The show experience was also enhanced by the introduction of the new EXPO Mobile App sponsored by Southwire featuring the show agenda, RVU schedule, an interactive floorplan, live notifications, Power Hour Specials and more. 

“Technology plays a significant role in how business is conducted so we are continually developing tools to increase EXPO attendees’ productivity on the show floor and streamline the sales process,” said NTP-STAG Vice President of Sales, Fred Petrivelli. “We anticipate that transactions will be completely executed via electronic cart pre-loading at The EXPO in the near future.”

As The EXPO delivered the message of NTP-STAG’s vision, Rogers was upbeat about the show based on attendees’ feedback. “We always conclude The EXPO with a large reception and this year, we brought everyone out to the Texas Live! Entertainment District adjacent to the Dallas Cowboys Stadium to celebrate together. Our customers and suppliers had a fantastic time and were positive and complimentary. The RV Industry is strong and we’re looking forward to doing it again in 2021.” 

About The EXPO:

The EXPO is the industry’s largest warehouse distributor sponsored event. It draws attendees from across North America and features educational programming, exhibits from over 200 suppliers, season-best buying opportunities and a variety of networking functions. To learn more about The EXPO please visit expo.ntpstag.com.

About NTP-STAG

For more than 50 years, NTP-STAG has been serving fellow enthusiasts and professionals across the industry. Today, as a division of Keystone Automotive Operations, the company is highly regarded as the leading distribution company across the recreational vehicle market and is uniquely positioned to offer customers and suppliers substantial scale, the most comprehensive inventory selection in the industry, high levels of customer service, and innovative marketing support. NTP-STAG is committed to expanding its offerings to meet the ever-growing needs of its customer base, providing them what they need, when they need it most.