With more than 500 locations throughout North America, Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has long been a popular vacation choice for families. Its variety of campsite and cabin accommodations, recreation activities, amenities, and meeting spaces make KOA ideal for groups as well. Plus, as more planners look for venues providing fun for the entire family—including pets—KOA offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure, meeting hub, and home comforts appealing to attendees.
Kimberly Wootteon, vice president of commercial strategy for KOA, has more than 20 years of experience in retail, sales, marketing, and hospitality, including independent and branded hotels, campgrounds, and attractions. As part of the commercial strategy team—which includes five core business units: local marketing, revenue management, field operations, business intelligence, and retail—she works with franchise locations and the owned assets of KOA to develop integrated strategies to drive top-line revenue.
Here, Wootteon shares what KOA campgrounds offer for group meetings and events.
What about KOA campgrounds might surprise meeting and event planners?
The KOA Family of Campgrounds offers three distinct brands: KOA Journey, KOA Holiday, and KOA Resort. KOA campgrounds offer an experience for every type of camper—tent sites, RV sites, “glamping” sites and amenities, and cabins. KOA RV Patio and Signature Sites offer multiple seating areas, fire experience, an outdoor kitchen, a private recreation area, and a paw pen for your furry friends. Deluxe Cabins rival a traditional hotel experience offering all the comforts of home, with temperature control, linens, full bathrooms, partial or full kitchens, and an outdoor experience complete with a fire ring, seating for six, and a barbecue grill. Many KOAs feature glamping tents, covered wagons, treehouses, and even hotels.
KOA campgrounds offer a wide range of unique amenities and recreation, including a fully stocked camp store, a pool, playgrounds, pocket parks, jump pillows, ziplines, planned activities, area tours, hiking trails, Wi-Fi, and KampK9 puppy playgrounds for four-legged companions. Select locations offer EV charging.
While campgrounds are known for hosting families, reunions, and RV rallies, KOA campgrounds offer venues for a variety of meetings and events, including SMERF groups, corporate retreats, and weddings. With most KOA campgrounds offering lodging and meeting space, the campground becomes a camper or a meeting planner’s outdoor hotel. Front-desk teams are on site to welcome guests and guide them to their site. Onsite amenities and recreation options offer guests plenty to do before and after planned events. Many KOAs are conveniently located or offer transportation to explore the area. Meeting spaces offer a variety of seating types and audiovisual equipment, with some even featuring onsite F&B or catering options.
What unique appeal do KOA campgrounds offer over traditional meeting and event venues?
At KOA, we believe there are intrinsic health benefits from being in nature. The outdoor setting creates a sense of community and connection; a campground becomes neighborhood, friendships are formed between campsites, and relationships are strengthened by quality time outside together. A campground offers a more relaxed, casual meeting environment centered around fun. Campers can go for a morning walk, sit by the pool in the afternoon, and gather around the campfire in the evening. The teambuilding opportunities offered at a campground are unlike any a hotel offers. From hiking trails to rope courses and s’mores around the campfire, KOA campgrounds offer a memorable meeting experience.
For meeting planners interested in a one-stop meeting destination, how do KOA campgrounds compare with all-inclusive hotels?
KOA Resort brand’s unique amenities can rival all-inclusive hotels and resorts. Meeting spaces vary, from a more traditional hotel meeting room to a lodge or large cabin. Some campgrounds offer indoor/outdoor space with enclosed pavilions. Event spaces accommodate a minimum of 30 people, are climate-controlled, offer a variety of seating options, and include audiovisual services. Onsite F&B offers easy dining options, and most campgrounds have strong community relationships with local caterers.
Each KOA Resort campground offers an onsite activities director to make a planner’s meeting come to life. In addition to offering support with teambuilding activities, the activities director maintains meeting spaces and coordinates F&B.
Select locations, such as Gulf Shores/Pensacola West KOA Holiday (Lillian, Ala.), Bowling Green KOA Holiday (Ky.), and Outer Banks West/Currituck Sound KOA Holiday (Coinjock, N.C.) can host groups of 100 guests. Branson KOA Holiday (Mo.), Okeechobee KOA Resort (Fla.), Nashville KOA Resort (Tenn.), and San Antonio/Alamo KOA Holiday can welcome groups of 300 more, with a variety of seating options, onsite F&B, as well as a group coordinator. Each space is unique; from a full convention center to large indoor/outdoor pavilions, planning a meeting or event at a KOA will be memorable.
How can event planners ensure an enjoyable experience for attendees not experienced in camping?
Our research indicates that over the past decade 41 million North Americans tried camping for the first time. KOA campgrounds make an excellent first-time destination for new campers. In addition to offering a variety of amenities and unique lodging options, we also offer a KOA Field Guide to better educate new campers on the KOA brand and the do’s and don’ts of camping etiquette. In addition, Deluxe Cabins offer all the comforts of home, including temperature control, full bathrooms with amenities, and partial and full kitchens, with linens provided.
