The Boston RV & Camping Expo

We were thrilled to see a large-scale event return to Boston! From Friday, January 14th through Monday, January 17th hundreds of campers and RV’s filled the entire 170,000 square feet of Exhibition Hall A at the BCEC. Attendance was strong and many came with the specific goal of making a purchase by taking advantage of the $7,500 show-only discount. The great turn-out from attendees and vendors demonstrated that large-scale indoor events can still be successful and safe.

There’s really no better location in New England than the Expo for families to explore their campground needs, activities, and destinations! While the travel industry has seen thousands of flights canceled and popular vacation destinations closed or restricted, rentals and sales for recreational vehicles and camper vans have revved up. Many who have never thought about RV or camper are now keen on the idea of hitting the open road to work remotely while exploring the beauty of our country. With the ability to maintain a mobile “bubble”, these vehicles offer peace of mind and a level of privacy that most hotels aren’t able to match. The Boston RV & Camping Expo features the latest models in recreational vehicles, fifth wheels, travel trailers, pop-up campers, camping supplies, accessories, campgrounds, and travel information centers.

For this event, most of the public entered through the lower east lobby on the D street side. Our coat check was located there in that East Registration Area before the main gates into the exhibition hall. The stellar husband and wife teams of Mary and Bill Steele, as well as Betty and Michael Salemme, proudly represented FHS Boston. You could easily see them rocking our branded polos and face masks just beyond the vaccination checkpoint.

We checked 595 coats in total for the four days, with Saturday being by far our busiest with 363 coats. Though we had a steady flow of customers, we still had moments of downtime to explore the expo. What makes working the coat check for Finesse at these large events really fun is being able to experience them too! Our team quickly found out that beyond checking out the amazing campers, there were many other booths with a variety of companies showcasing their products and offering fun things to see, learn and try.

On Monday, the Founder J# and Business Development Manager Jimmy Chao joined videographer Anthony Lopez from Class VI Media to enjoy the show and make some connections. One booth that really stood out was T-Mobile, a Finesse business partner. They had a large truck wrapped in their signature hot pink. The T-Moblie team enthusiastically greeted everyone walking by and had fun putting the game to play for giveaway swag. Betty is still raving about her Cabella’s fishing tote she received at the Bass Pro Shops stand. This little bag was perfect for her needs and water-resistant too! At the same booth, Jimmy and his son had fun trying out their archery skills. Hint, they both need lots of practice!

The RVs and campers ranged from $50,000 to $380,000. The smallest one slept two on what looked like a futon. We saw many full-scale campers that had “upstairs” loft bunks and “basement” storage cabins. They had pop-out extensions and luxury amenities like gas fireplaces, full kitchens with granite counters, top-of-the-line appliances, led lighting, living rooms with massage chairs, multiple big screens inside, master suites with king-size beds, as well as full baths with his and her sinks. These rival some of the nicest homes. Glamping at its finest!

J# and Jimmy were pleased to have met Jon Murray, an RV Lifestyle Consultant with Pete’s RV Center. He gave us a thorough tour of their luxurious Montana camper and answered all of our questions. We learned so much and with knowledgeable and outgoing consultants like Jon, it’s no wonder Pete’s RV Center had 50 sales this weekend. Congrats!

We also met bubbly and bright Kylee Myer. She is a National Sales Executive with Campost. We learned all about Campost’s software, designed for both the convenience of online booking for campers and a powerful campground management tool for owners. Their system really makes it easy for campsites and campers to book reservations nationwide. The next booth we visited was the US Dept of Veterans Affairs. Dana Castagneto a community outreach specialist and the other guys at their booth were on hand with information about the wide range of benefits offered to our Veterans. They had informative booklets outlining everything from financial help and health care to employment and education assistance for our Veterans. Thanks, Dana and the VA, for all the great work you do and for the awesome grill spatulas!

The Finesse team had a blast working and enjoying the 2022 Boston RV and Camping Expo! We met so many friendly professionals and explored some top-notch mobile homes. We wish to send our appreciation to our client Carolyn Weston and The Paragon Group. Thank you so much for the opportunity to once again serve the public and be proud ambassadors of Boston!