45th Calgary RV Expo promises to be bigger and better than ever
For 45 years the RVDA of Alberta has been bringing its premier RV expo to Calgary. This year's Expo and Sale promises to be bigger and better than ever, with numerous new RV floor plans debuting for the first time in Canada.
Dan Merkowsky, executive vice president of the RVDA of Alberta, said attendance for the big event is usually around 26,000 people, with 14 dealerships showing off new products.
The show will take place at the BMO Centre in Calgary from January 30 to February 2, 2014.
"We're going to have a lot of the new products that came out of the Indiana open house a couple of months ago," said Merkowsky. "There will be a ton of new floor plans and as usual we will have small booth exhibitors there for people to buy aftermarket items for their RVs. There will also be prizes for Safeway vouchers and camping spots."
What's new in RVs
According to Merkowsky, people should be getting excited to see the amazing new layouts rolling out in January.
"There is going to be a lot more slide-outs on the units," he said. "People have been asking for bigger bedrooms and living rooms and things like that. A few years ago, all you could see was maybe one slide-out on the RV and now you're seeing as many as four.
"They've really focused on getting designs for the fifth wheels where the living room actually goes up to the elevated area where the bedroom used to be and the bedrooms have gone to the back of the fifth wheel. It's a complete reversal of what we saw up to 15 years ago.
"We are also going to be seeing a lot of double-door fridges and better kitchen amenities than we'd had in the past."
A giant show
A lot of preparation goes into a show like this. Merkowsky said planning started over 10 months ago. Having the show in January is also a way to shake off the winter cobwebs.
"Business definitely slows down in November, December and January," he said. "Then all of a sudden you get a great show in January when people are tired of the snow and cold and being in the house. It gives them the notion that summer is around the corner. It gives people the opportunity to see the new products and gets all the industry and dealerships going. Everyone who orders their products in January is guaranteed that when the snow is gone and the spring has come, whatever the customer bought at the show back in January will be parked in the lot and ready to go. It poses a great advantage for people who want to plan out their camping."
Because the 45th Calgary RV Expo and Sale is going on at the same time as three hockey games, anyone who shows a hockey ticket will get into the expo at half price. For hours of the expo and admission prices, please visit the website at www.rvda-alberta.org/shows.
