Volume 35, Issue 1 Jan / Feb 2012
Join CONY at Tourism Action Day on March 6
In this issue: Chairman’s Report 2 President’s Report Marketing/Tech Pointers
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ADA & IRS Updates 8 Governance Committee Report
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Passing of Darlene 16 Ingram
Our VISION: Campground Owners of New York (CONY) will be the model campground association by providing professionalism and diversity in our programs, education, services, advocacy and support for continued growth and collaboration within the outdoor hospitality industry. Our MISSION: Campground Owners of New York (CONY) is an association dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State. nycampgrounds.com campcony.com
CONY will again be participating along with the Tourism Industry Coalition of which CONY is a member in this productive event. This years date is set for Tuesday March 6, 2012. If you would be interested in attending please let the CONY office know so that we can help you with registration and assist you in setting up appointments with your local legislators. Peter O'Connell of Hannan and O'Connell Public Affairs will be accompanying us to several appointments. We will have a full agenda here are some of the bills that we will be working on and sharing with our legislators.
vide a list of dumping stations
A00158 Prohibits the Adirondack park agency from implementing any rule or regulation relating to campgrounds which is inconsistent with department of health rules
To look up a pending bill: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/
A00151 Redefines "campground" for the purposes of the Adirondack park A02031 Relates to the right to cancel a membership campground contract A05561 Provides for the removal of persons from campgrounds by the owner or operator thereof, or his or her agent A07667 Authorizes certain campgrounds without dumping stations to pro-
Other initiatives currently known that we will be discussing and working on include: 1) Tourism funding for the I Love NY Program. 2) I Love NY website and other promotional programs. 3) The establishment of a blue ribbon commission to study the effect of competition between public and private outdoor hospitality establishments. To find your local Assemblyperson: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
To find your local State Senator: http://www.nysenate.gov/ Coming to Albany for Tourism Action Day? Consider staying over an extra day for the Annual Empire State Tourism Conference, March 6-8, 2012. Professional Development Seminars, Guest Speaker Kenneth Adams, Commissioner of Empire State Development, Scholarship Auction of Great Getaways, and MORE! Details: Www.nystva.org
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Chairman’s Report Christmas and the New Year are finally past us. It was a wonderful season and one that is near and dear to my heart – and my two 9 year old boy’s hearts. They love the Christmas season – and frankly Mike Papp Sandy and I spoil them shamelessly. Probably not good for them, but it sure warms our hearts to see the big smiles and hear the laughter on Christmas morning. Over the break we had the opportunity to go to lunch with Don, Traci, Suzanne, Laurie and Clyde. It was a great time and another opportunity to thank them all for the hard work that each of them does for our membership. I am looking forward to the coming season and all the exciting things we are planning! I am excited to work with our Board of Directors and see our association moving forward in exciting new ways.
I have visited other association websites and visited with other association leaders and I am truly pleased that the CONY members receive some of the best benefits in the industry. Our brochure program costs just $400 for 10 shows, at another association nearby, the charge is $400 per show. Don has negotiated a CONY discount through Suburban Propane that is equal to the ARVC discount. The ads in the CONY directory are less than many other comparable directories in other states. Our upcoming Zone Meetings provide you with good information that is relevant and timely and include a vendor show to help begin the purchase process. Our association provides many fantastic member benefits – are you using as many of them as you can? Just last week we were cutting trees down and blocking them for firewood this coming year. It was in the (Chairman’s Report continued on page 11)
From the Desk of the President and CEO Busy! One word that we often use over and over to explain society today and the place we find ourselves in within today’s rapidly changing business environment. Technology changes seem to be happenDonald G. Bennett, Jr. ing so fast that when we think we are able to be comfortable again with what we have learned and implemented in our businesses someone keeps changing the game. I would recommend a good book written by Spencer Johnson titled: Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. Although this book was written in 1989 it still rings true today that you must embrace change and welcome it, not to be scared of it.
form or transformation; it seems that if you transform something you might have a little more control over a positive outcome, whereas to change something I believe you don’t have as much control. Well this is one of the reasons that you must take charge of yourself and your business and become aware of where our industry is heading in the near future. At our upcoming zone meetings we will have Clyde Taylor of Taylor Communications deliver a key note address entitled ―What if?‖ This program will take a very candid look at the outdoor hospitality industry— specifically camping and RV Parks in New York State—from an entrepreneur’s viewpoint. It will focus on ―what’s coming‖ in our industry and what we need to be doing to address both the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead of us. Some shocking news recently that Eastman Kodak Company had filed for protection under the bankruptcy laws. This once thriving company only 25
First and foremost I don’t like to use the word change because you have a 50/50 chance of change being positive and 50/50 chance of change being negative. I like to refer to change by calling it trans-
(President’s Report continued on page 7)
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Take home pointers on marketing and technology Truman Hartshorn, CPO, Region 5 Director and ARVC Board Region 2 Representative
It is now important to offer a QR code on all our documents and advertising material that can drive customers to our websites. For those that are not familiar with QR Codes, they are the small puzzle-like squares that increasingly appear on documents and merchandise. People with QR Code scanner applications installed on their smartphones take a picture of the QR code, which directs them to a website. Here is the CONY website QR code:
Attendance at the 2011 ARVC Outdoor Hospitality Conference in Savannah in December scored a jump of 32% in comparison with the 2010 meeting Truman Hartshorn in Las Vegas. The new steppricing formula that lowered the cost to small and medium parks and the Battle for Savannah contest really produced results. Congratulations to the Maryland Association of Campgrounds for generating the greatest increase in attendance year-to-year and winning the sweepstakes prize.
You can create a QR Code yourself by going to google and typing in ―QR generator‖ and several websites will pop up to choose from. Left: QR Code for campcony.com Below: QR Code for nycampgrounds.com
Other winners in Savannah were the educational seminars which offered a much improved learning experience for the campground owner this year. I was particularly impressed with the usefulness of the information gained from the four technology and marketing sessions I attended. The convergence of the material in these sessions created genuine takehome value which I will try to capture here.
Use your QR scanner app on your smart phone to read these codes.
It goes without saying that social media has now come of age and has become a driving force in the business world, and in the camping business in particular. Social media applications are transferring power to the customer, our campers. We are not as much in control of our businesses as were in the past. Our customers are increasingly savvy with their smart phones, both in making travel and vacation decisions and in sharing their experiences. Speaking of smart phones, we are all hearing that they will surpass personal computers in number this year. Mobile websites such and the new CONY application will help us keep the lead in New York in terms of assisting the customer find us, but we also need to use our smart phones more productively. Let us just think of two applications in this regard: 1) the Quick Response (QR) Code; and 2) photography applications.
While I already knew the importance of a QR code in bringing customers to my website, I learned at the seminar that there should be a separate QR Code for each page of the website so customers could directly access an activities page, the rate schedule, and reservations page, etc. It is also important to place a note by each QR code to tell the user where it goes and what it is about. QR codes will also become indis(Marketing/Technology continued on page 6)
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Marketing/Technology tions grows.
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It is increasingly obvious that we offer an experience at our campgrounds, not a product. The amenities we offer are what counts to our customer. A campground provides a lifestyle experience. With this in mind, we need to create a sustainable advantage for our park. By differentiating ourselves from the competition we create a marketing advantage. As a park owner, we should do things that others cannot duplicate. The look and feel of the facility is the most important in this regard. Price is not as important, for example, as creating a memorable wow factor such as upgraded landscaping or flower gardens.
pensible to us to direct customers to other amenities we offer such as geocaching, walking tours, trails, and historical information. In the photography arena I learned about the Photo Cube which is a small tissue-box sized printer that produces photo quality pictures from a docked iPhone. It also connects to an android phone and sells for about $100 from Amazon. With this device iPhone Photo Cube Printer it is easy to capture images of your guests that you can share with them. The second photography tool is the Postagram Postcard application (app). Once this app is downloaded on a smart phone, you can take a photo of your guests and send it to them by postal mail for 99 cents. What a great marketing idea!
Providing a unique experience for the customer is the best way to create loyalty. By focusing on amenities we affirm that we are in the hospitality and entertainment industry. This is what customers think of as value, and in providing this experience we should exceed customer expectations. Improvements to facilities are also a good place to spend marketing dollars as this will improve the experience. In summary, we need to remember that our customers are on vacation and place a high value on a great experience. This is where the Postagram mentioned earlier fits in the equation. By taking a picture of each guest while they are at your park and sending them a picture they will receive when they return home along with a note thanking them for camping at your park, will not only create a memory, but a loyal customer.
With all the new applications for smart phones and tablets and the introduction of 3G and 4G service, the consumer is using more data. The demands for Wi-Fi access will also increase. As the demand for more bandwidth grows, the necessity for the tiering of service will also grow. This means that parks will have to Postagram Application offer different classes of service, and have a pay plan for more bandwidth. The need for premier service will expand as the use of gaming devices, Netflix, Skype, and other applica-
NEWS
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2012 Northeast Conference on Camping Thursday, March 22nd thru Saturday, March 24th Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center Sturbridge, Massachusetts Registration materials are now available as PDF documents.
http://campnca.org/ conference
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President’s Report announcement and many other updates at the upcoming zone meetings.
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years ago had over 70,000 jobs in the Rochester, NY market alone. It is mind-boggling to me just how quickly things that once were very important and vibrant have become irrelevant and insignificant due to changes in technology and a company’s misfortune to not see what transformations needed to occur to make sure that the vitality of the company and the industry continued.
The CONY board continues to set the goals of the organization at a very high level, and has worked over my tenure realizing the goals one by one. CONY member campgrounds have also risen to the many challenges over the past several years and have come out stronger than ever. As an industry we have endured many challenges from unstable weather, high fuel prices, terrorism, war, unemployment, to continual infrastructure improvements in our parks such as Wi-Fi, 50 amp electricity, new and improved amenities, rental units and cabins and the list goes on and on. CONY member parks have a great story to tell and we must continue to find any means possible to get that story out there. Our industry is definitely transforming and we will continue to work hard on your behalf to make sure that we are taking the lead in that transformation, embracing the future and continuing to grow and prosper. All this could not be possible without your dedication to our industry and our organization. Thank You.
Now for most of us our businesses are on a much smaller scale than Kodak with its thousands of employees, but the importance of the message should ring clear. Your CONY board of directors, officers, members, and staff have been working hard to make sure that our sector of the outdoor hospitality industry will continue to thrive into the future. CONY’s mission statement reads: CONY an association dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State (I do not know of any time in my short tenure as President/CEO of CONY of the many projects and programs that are being explored, discussed and implemented as we have today). Just one example: our coming Smart Phone Application. In the industry applications are nicknamed ―apps.‖ I am excited for the upcoming release or our very own app. By the end of 2011, 52% of Americans owned a smart phone and will be able to download our ―app‖ to their phone. The app has many features, such as showing how many miles away you are from a park, providing step by step directions with the push of a button right to a park’s door, finding parks by the amenities offered, links to park websites, email capabilities, and more. Your park can even utilize a special offer or coupon on the app. If your park chooses to offer one, the consumer can share your park’s listing with their friends and families and even have the ability to make online reservations to stay at your park.
The list of member benefits, programs, and projects seems to grow longer and longer as the years go by. I am often frustrated to hear that ―I didn’t know I could do that with CONY,‖ ―I didn’t know that CONY did that‖ or ―I didn’t know CONY could help me with that.‖ The CONY board has made it their mission to try to communicate member services and benefits in a more clear and concise manner utilizing tools such as our member binder system and other means to enable more direct communication with our members. To get a better handle on what YOUR association is doing I urge you to also become more involved with CONY. Several opportunities exist each year whether it be one of four zone meetings across the state, our annual conference and trade show, region meetings held in your region in mid September. Don’t forget you are welcome at any CONY board meeting. Read the e-newsletters, mailings, and newsletters for updates and tips. Don’t forget if you have any questions or something that
The Smart Phone App is just one of the latest projects that your Board has worked on diligently from concept to reality. Many more projects and programs are currently in the works and I look forward to their
(President’s Report Continued on page 9)
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2012 ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Rules and Regulations With the upcoming ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) revised rules compliance date set to take affect March 15, 2012 I have included some reference information for you to utilize in working with the new regulations.
The US Access Board conducted a webinar on requirements for Accessible pools and spas. You can click on the link to access the archived webinar: Accessible Pools and Spas Webinar, http:// www.accessibilityonline.org/Archives/ index.php?app=4&type=transcript&id=2011-0303
The ADA Department of Justice Standards: ADA Standards, http://www.access-board.gov/ada/ index.htm
For additional opportunities upcoming as well as archived webinars are available for you to utilize. You can find them at: Upcoming and Archived ADA webinars, http://www.access-board.gov/ webinars.htm#upcoming
You will want to note that Privately owned campgrounds fall under the Title 3 Classification Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities beginning on page 39.
Donald G. Bennett, Jr. CONY President and CEO
I also have found that the U.S. Access Board an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities as a terrific resource. The board was created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design. In 2009 at our annual conference one of our speakers was Mr. Bill Botten an Accessibility Specialist. If you should have any questions Mr. Botten is available by calling (800) 872-2253. He has also directed me to some of the training sessions in the form of webinars (basically a webinar is an online presentation that can be accessed at any time.)
2012 IRS Updates Payroll tax break extended until February 2012. Please go here for details: Payroll Tax break extended, http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/ article/0,,id=251650,00.html
our seasonal businesses it is easy to misclassify workers. If you have questions relating to who is an employee and who is a subcontractor, the IRS provides some guidance with the determination. Employee Vs. Subcontractor rules: http://www.irs.gov/ businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html
The 2% tax break on the Employee's share of Social Security has been extended until February 29, 2012. Discussion on a long term extension is taking place and we’ll notify you if a further extension occurs.
Please go here for updates 2012 Mileage Reimbursement Rates: http://www.irs.gov/ newsroom/article/0,,id=250882,00.html
1099's: Don't forget those subcontractors and non employees that were paid over $600. Go here for a link to 1099-Misc: http://www.irs.gov/ businesses/article/0,,id=243429,00.html
As always please consult your tax advisor/attorney on the applicability to your individual situation. Donald G. Bennett, Jr. CONY President and CEO
I have received many inquiries about the Employee Vs. Subcontractor classification debate. With 8
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I have received many letters of condolence relating to Darlene's passing. The following I believe tells it all.
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WHAT A WONDERFUL WOMAN
Received from Jim Vokes, former producer of the CONY Campground and RV Park Guide: "Tell her loved ones not to morn but to celebrate Darlene's life because she touched and brought joy to so many people and she will live forever. God Blessed Darlene and us as well for knowing and working with her.”
It was my extreme pleasure and honor to have worked with Darlene Ingram for twenty years as CONY's and my personal secretary in the CONY office when it was located in Dansville, NY.
“MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU DARLENE. PLEASE GIVE MY BEST TO GENE.” Thank you Darlene, Bob Klos CONY Executive Administrator 1976 - 2006
NO one could have been more dedicated to her job than Darlene. Her untiring efforts helped make CONY the organization it is today. My deepest sympathy goes out to her three children, Don, Karen and Laurie and their spouses and especially her two beautiful grand-daughters, Taylor and Rachel, who were the "twinkles" in Darlene's eyes.
President’s Report (Continued from page 7)
CONY can help you with please don’t hesitate to call the CONY office. In closing, I am honored to serve the organization as your President and CEO together we can continue to accomplish great things. I know you are BUSY but I promise if you make time for CONY you will not only be glad you did but it just might help you identify not only who moved your cheese but also learn how to get it back. See you at the zone meetings! Respectfully Submitted, Donald G. Bennett, Jr.
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News from the CONY Governance Committee The governance committee for 2011/2012 includes the following members: CONY 1st Vice Chairman Bill Perry, Kim Foro, Doug Brown, Scott Sherwood, Truman Hartshorn, and Ed Marden.
wanted to BE THE BEST! Other goals we will be trying to achieve will be to work to continue showing our existing members all the value that CONY brings to their business whether it be from marketing, education or advocacy. We also want to study our regions and explore realigning the regions to coincide with the New York State vacation regions, which will possibly eliminate two regions.
The governance committee has Bill Perry many goals that it would like to accomplish this year. One of our first goals is to increase membership. This is generally a challenge but with all of the member benefits and ser“At this time the vices we currently have in place and what is being worked on hopefully prospective committee would like members will see all the value of being a to challenge each and CONY member. Another goal is that we would like to increase collaborative partnerships for the organization. With the increase of membership hopefully we will be able to also increase our vendor base and the number of exhibitors that attend the expo and zone meetings. With the increase in memberships and vendors this will help keep our overall membership dues down as well as allow us to better members with more benefits and services.
every campground
owner to bring a new member to CONY. I’m sure we all know a non-member campground.”
serve our
In the last 3-4 years CONY has brought back the show program, designed a new logo, collaborated on a DVD, implemented an E-news letter, created an on line reservation system, produced bags for shows, upgraded to a full color directory, added a digital directory to the website , and is set to unveil a new smart phone app soon.
At this time the committee would like to challenge each and every campground owner to bring a new member to CONY. I’m sure we all know a non-member campground. Over the years we have all heard some campground owners say they don’t need CONY. They are able to run their park on their own. Spending all that money I don’t see the benefits, and so on. I would like to challenge this by saying, Many things go on ―behind the scenes.‖ Most people that are not directly involved with their organization don’t realize all that CONY is and does. A lot of which is legislative issues. Our ―Watch Dog‖ Pete O’Connell, diligently keeps an eye on the people in Albany, making sure that laws don’t get passed which could harm our businesses.
I personally feel that being part of CONY is a huge asset. I have not only saved tens of thousands of dollars along the way, but also have learned a great deal in being involved on the board, talking with other campground owners, and in the seminars that I have attended. My membership with CONY and all the benefits out weighs the time and money spent over the past 17 plus years.
———————————— Your CONY board is always looking for new programs and technology for its members. If you don’t Editor’s Note: If you’d like to meet the challenge of bringrealize it just to let you know that CONY is per- ing a new campground into CONY, you can start by inviting ceived to be one of the top three Campground them to join you at a CONY Zone Meeting coming up in associations in the entire country. That says a lot March. PLUS...EARN A $100 RECRUITMENT for your board and President. This started with Clyde FEE FOR SIGNING UP A NEW MEMBER! See Taylor four years ago when we realized that we your CONY member binder for a copy of the recruitment form. 10
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Chairman’s Report be getting ready this winter season:
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40’s and quite comfortable work weather. I know many campground owners were taking advantage of the mild winter weather and getting a great deal done outdoors that usually has to wait until spring. Then winter finally arrived. This week we have finally had some snow which means all the snowmobile and skiing fans are finally getting excited to be able to go out and play. The temps are pretty cold, minus 7 this morning which means we will probably have to let the remaining work wait until spring. That’s okay, because there is plenty of work to do indoors. CONY staff and Board are preparing for the upcoming Zone Meetings, get- ting ready to launch the CONY APP, meeting with potential new campground owner members, meeting with a potential new CONY charity (more to come soon) and working on creating new member benefits. There are many things you should
clean!
Have you updated your web- Is your site map ready for the site? This is something that season? Is your rack card many of us forget to do, but it ready? Have you ordered your is very important. You never guest passes? get a second chance to make a There are many things that need to first impression! be done and the list above is but a Have you scheduled time to small list but maybe this will get meet with vendors? Meeting you in the mood or motivate you with them during these slow to start getting these things done. months can save you a lot of I hope you are all as excited as I time in the spring when you am about the upcoming zone are busy getting things ready to meetings. I am looking forward to go for summer. seeing each and every one of you Have you set your goals for this summer? Better customer service, cleaner facilities, happier and more efficient staff – set the goal then prepare to measure it though the summer.
that attend the meetings and I hope that all of you will. Make some time to visit with us for one day and I hope you will walk away feeling great about the summer and your membership at Campground If you have a camp store – do Owner of New York. you rearrange it every year or It’s all good! every other year? You should Mike – if people know you store inside and out, they will spend less money! If they have to look – they will find – lots of things to buy! This also gives you a chance to clean, clean,
Don’t forget to let the CONY office know how many cases of directories you’ll be picking up at the Zone Meetings! Directories come 50 to a case, and you can indicate # of cases on your registration form, or email CONY at info@nycampgrounds.com 11
Every effort is made to print accurate information. CONY, along with contractors and advertisers will assume no liability for errors or omissions. We will gladly reprint any corrections. The CONY Newsletter is published by the CONY office, providing its members with industry related information. For information, article suggestions or advertising inquiries, call: 800-497-2669 or 585-586-4360. Or e-mail us at: info@nycampgrounds.com Campground Owners of New York, 1 Grove St. Suite 200, Pittsford, New York 14534 nycampgrounds.com (consumer website) campcony.com (corporate website)
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Member News CONY Spring ZONE Meetings Reminder to Register
tomers. Have you considered the CONY is always working to provide low-cost and easy to use CONY value for your membership, including a wide range of member programs, disRead the information on the previ- Co-op Mailing Program? ous page to see why you should For only 20 cents per piece, CONY counts and benefits—we’ll be sending you plan to attend one of the CONY will insert your rack card or bro- an update soon with a comprehensive list of your current benefits and services. But, Zone Meetings this spring! chure into a packet with the we’re always adding more, so keep up to CONY directory, and mail it diMeetings will be held: date on www.campcony.com. rectly to people who have actively March 27 Lake George, NY requested NY camping informa- CONY also has a great group of associMarch 28 K i n g s t o n , N Y tion. You get an extra boost in ate members looking to serve you. Be sure March 29 S y r a c u s e , N Y your promotion by sending your to consult your Handy Reference Guide March 30 B a t a v i a , N Y own detailed information right to of Associate Members included with your the consumers who are interested n e w s l e t t e r , o r a g a i n , v i s i t Registration materials have been in camping, and may decide to do www.campcony.com. distributed to all members via e- it in your park. news and in hardcopy format via regular US postal mail. If you did- You’d pay more than double that n’t receive your form, please con- amount to send our your own brotact the CONY office as soon as chure, and you’d have to take the possible at 585-586-4360 or time and find the recipients to do it, too. info@nycampgrounds.com. Your prompt RSVP will ensure that we have enough materials, as well as breakfast and lunch, for everyone at each meeting, and that vendors will be prepared to meet with you during the mini trade show.
Enrollment is on a rolling basis—we’ll include your piece as long as we have copies and payment in hand. As your stock gets low we’ll let you know so you can decide to send more.
We look forward to seeing you in Go to campcony.com and login to the member pages March! to retrieve a contract, or *** contact the CONY office at 585-586-4360 or MEMBER BENEFIT info@nycampgrounds.com UPDATE: Co-op Mailing Program for a copy. You’ve printed up all those rack cards or brochures, now you have to figure out how to get them out into the hands of prospective cus-
NOW is a GREAT time to get involved, the new directory is available and inquiries are starting to increase for 2012. 13
Providing Quality Protection for your Campgrounds 800-836-7860 www.calbranch.com Jane Peers Jenelle Ademovic
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Teresa Mitchell—Seaway Trail’s Champion Teresa Hall Mitchell, 59, Executive Director of the Seaway Trail Corporation, passed away January 24th, at her home in Clayton with family at her side. Teresa was a longtime advocate for tourism, first working for the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority from 1972 to 1986 marketing the 1000 Islands. She played a key role in developing the Great Lakes Seaway Trail into a national scenic byway, and for years had a hand in many developments affecting New York State tourism. CONY has long collaborated with Seaway Trail on tourism promotion. Teresa will be missed by many in the tourism industry across the country, and by her many friends and family. A complete obituary, including where to make memorial contributions, is online at: http://www.newzjunky.com/obits/0124mitchellobit.htm Photo used from Newzjunky.com obit page
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On the Road for the CONY Shows Program We’ve kicked off the 2012 CONY shows season, and so far I’m confident we’re having another good year for brochure distribution, and the outlook looks positive for the summer travel and camping season. As of this writing, we’ve attended RV shows in Cleveland, OH, Pittsburgh, PA, Toronto, ON, Edison, NJ, Hamburg, NY. We’ve also had a presence at other shows such as the one in Rochester, NY, with members taking CONY directories to distribute in their own booths. Overall, we’ve encountered show patrons who are excited for their camping trips, looking for a variety of camping and vacation destinations, both near and far from home. Attendees in Cleveland are crossing NY to get to New England and New York City. Toronto
folks are interested in getting over to the Adirondacks. Attendees in Pittsburgh wanted to get up and see Niagara Falls, but also the Hudson Valley and Catskills. And they’re happy that they have information at the show to help plan their trip.
with our brochures. Members supported the project through their ad placements on the bag. Anecdotally speaking, compared to last year, we’ve noticed a marked increase in the amount of literature patrons pick up with a handy bag to carry it. Thanks to our advertisI have been pleasantly surprised by ers for making a bag a reality! the enthusiastic response to our In February we’re off to Springdirectory cover, showing a man fly field, MA, and Suffern, NY. In fishing at High Falls in the Adiron- March we’ll be in Montreal, QUE dacks. Several times a day I hear and Syracuse, NY. And in April comments like, ―Where is that!‖ ―I we’ll be in Binghamton. want to go there!‖ ―That place From the show in Hamburg, NY... looks beautiful.‖ I congratulate the CONY membership for selecting a Suzanne Bixby cover that is resonating with the Marketing & Communications Director public at the RV shows. We have also started implementing plastic bags into the shows program. CONY printed a quantity of large plastic bags, to have on hand
Reporting from Edison, NJ It felt a little like old home week at the RV show in Edison, NJ. CONY had the exact same spot as last year (conveniently located just steps from the door to the parking lot!) and I saw many of the same exhibitors as last year. There was even a gentleman who walked up to me and said ―Hey! I remember you from last year.‖ It was my perfect ―in‖ to tell him how excited we are about all the great updates to the guide this year and to show him how to use the QR codes with his phone.
it didn’t feel as busy as it did last year but the buzz was that attendance was up and I gave away significantly more guides and partner brochures than I did the year prior. However, the highlight of the weekend was still the gigantic sandwich I got from Harold’s New York Deli, located about 2 miles from the convention center (see photo at left). This was one half of my sandwich, that I actually turned into two human sized sandwiches with a little meat left over for a snack later. Yummy!
opened at 1 PM. Saturday began slowly, in part because of the weather. But it picked up in the afternoon with relatively steady Friday was bustling, with people traffic until the end of that day. Traci Adedeji piling in as soon as the doors Sunday was pretty low key and was CONY Executive Assistant the lighter of the 3 days. Overall, 15
1 Grove Street, Suite 200 Pittsford, New York 14534
Darlene Ingram—Former CONY Secretary Dear CONY Family, It is with deep regret that I inform you that former CONY secretary Darlene Ingram of Dansville, NY passed away January 15th. Darlene was the secretary for CONY for over 20 years. Her death notice (modified from the Hornell Evening Tribune) reads as follows: Darlene Ingram, 74, died Sunday (Jan. 15, 2012) at Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville, after a long illness. Darlene was born in Dansville on Sept. 19, 1937, the daughter of the late Darwin and Aldine Luce. She was a graduate of the Dansville Central School District, and on Oct. 13, 1956 she married Gene Ingram, who predeceased her on May 16, 2003. Prior to her retirement she had worked for Campground Owners of New York in Dansville. She enjoyed knitting and giving
her creations to friends and family. Darlene was a member of the American Legion Women's Auxiliary in Dansville. She was an avid bowler, and she and Gene enjoyed bowling. Darlene is survived by her son, Donald (Tammy) Ingram of Dansville; daughters, Karen (Mike) Corbin and Lori (Randy Drake) Ingram, both of Dansville; brother, Norman Luce of Florida; sister, Betty Jean (Charles) Howe of Dansville; grandchildren, Taylor Ingram and Rachel Drake of Dansville; several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother, Thom Luce. A funeral was held in January. Internment in Union Cemetery in Scottsburg. Memorial contributions may be made to the Daniel Goho American Legion Post Building Fund, 34 Elizabeth St., Dansville, N.Y. 14437. Cards of sympathy can be sent to:
Then CONY President Janine Paddock (left) presents a gift basket to Darlene Ingram at a dinner marking Darlene’s retirement from CONY.
Ingram Family, 212 Main St., Dansville, NY 14437 Sincerely, Donald G. Bennett, Jr. (Darlene continued on page 9)