The latest MC Fireside Chats episode was broadcast live from the OHI booth during the OHCE Conference 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. Brian Searl, Founder & CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, hosted the chat. The episode brought together a powerful panel of industry leaders and campground owners who shared their personal paths into the sector, discussed the current state of outdoor hospitality, and offered key takeaways from the conference.
The panel included Terry Munoz, of Campground Consulting Group, Erica Edmonds from New Book, Mike Harrison, Chief Operating Officer at CRR Hospitality, Greg Emmert with Vireo Outdoor Hospitality Consulting, and campground owners Angee Cozik, and Patrick McCormick from Happy Acres Campground. They were later joined by David Basler, Chief Strategy Officer and SVP of Government Affairs at OHI.
Angee Cozik, reflecting on her past conference attendance, noted a shift from being a "wide-eyed and excited" first-time owner to now being able to spot the "new people," while noting the constant presence of great information and networking. Greg Emmert emphasized that the conference's enduring strength is the people and the ability to share knowledge, finding the energy of in-person discussions irreplaceable. Mike Harrison highlighted the record attendance and vendors, viewing the conference through four roles—attendee, manager, vendor, and speaker—and was fulfilled by the shared passion and commitment to service among attendees and award winners. Erica Edmonds expressed inspiration from the passion of the young professionals and their potential for innovation, stating she couldn't miss a conference as it's a step in pushing the industry forward. Terry Munoz, an industry veteran, concurred, noting the vital, irreplaceable networking and the constant need to reinvent oneself. David Basler reported that OHI is seeing growth in every single metric, including members and trade show size, and shared that the prospective owners' workshop solidified attendees' resolve to be in the industry.
A major takeaway for Angee Cozik was the surprising consensus from a panel that AI is "not ready yet," suggesting its development in the campground industry hasn't reached full potential. Mike Harrison, however, strongly disagreed, referencing his company's work with Insider Perks to roll out the Rigsby and Campy chatbot nearly four years ago. He cited the debut of the first-ever reservation AI agent that prevents missed calls and offers 2:00 AM booking, along with AI's essential role in modern SEO and generative search. Mike asserted that companies not using AI will already be falling behind. Cozik clarified that the panelists didn't forbid AI use but suggested not jumping in "feet first".
When asked about current trends in rates, Greg Emmert noted that he sees both the hesitancy of smaller operators (who fear losing guests) and the practice of charging high rates due to pandemic-driven demand. He cautioned that while high demand allowed rate increases, the camping public is now feeling squeezed due to inflation, potentially shrinking the pool of affordable parks. Mike Harrison refined the discussion by suggesting the focus should be on RevPAS (Revenue Per Available Site), not just ADR (Average Daily Rate), noting that every property's demand will dictate the correct price. He shared that his company realized they were leaving a considerable rate on the table at one property and is implementing a strategy to raise its ADR by $25, which could yield $2 million. Angee Cozik confirmed that the advice on not being scared to raise prices was a key takeaway that both she and Patrick McCormick are bringing back to their business.
The panel also shared their most interesting conference conversations and their "origin stories" in the industry. Patrick McCormick’s most memorable moment was being stopped by a subscriber of his YouTube channel, Travels with Delaney, which...
