Politics & Government
City Of Fort Worth: RV Parking Provides Customer Convenience, Venue Revenue
As eager travelers sought alternatives for air and train to reach their destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, RV sales boomed, sett ...
June 24, 2021
As eager travelers sought alternatives for air and train to reach their destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, RV sales boomed, setting record increases of more than 170% year over year in May 2020, according to the RV Industry Association.
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In the equine industry, recreational vehicles and horse trailers with living quarters are a way of life. When traveling to horse shows and competitions, owners or trainers need to be close to their animals’ stables or stalls to give them attentive care from dawn until well after dusk.
The RV lifestyle has been a solid positive to the bottom line in an otherwise unstable year for public events at Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC).
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“We’ve been renting RV spots for decades because of the unique needs of our equine and livestock show customers to be conveniently located close to the show arena and to their animals,” said Kevin Kemp, general manager of WRMC. “Twenty years ago, we had a dirt lot with 30 spaces. In 2012, we added 104 concrete, full-service RV spaces and 78 additional spaces with the construction of nearby Dickies Arena in 2019. We now have 212 spaces with power, water and sewer.”
At $60 a night, the revenue generated from RV rentals for fiscal year 2020-21 has already surpassed $1 million for WRMC. A generator lot is also available for a reduced rate for larger shows. Kemp said 10 years ago, RV parking revenues were half of that amount.
“RV parking is all about customer convenience,” he said. “Even dancers, athletic competitors and consumer show exhibitors take advantage of the RV lots. I’ve seen this trend increasing over the past three to five years, and the pandemic definitely accelerated it.”
Will Rogers Memorial Center has a total of 2,500 horse stalls available for dozens of annual national and regional shows and competitions featuring the NCHA, APHA, NRCHA, AQHA, AHA, APHC, AMHA, American Saddlebreds and hunters and jumpers.
Photo: Will Rogers Memorial Center is a sprawling 120-acre, renowned equestrian and event facility less than three miles from downtown Fort Worth.
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This press release was produced by City of Fort Worth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
