Show Director Tom Gaither looked at a large, empty Ferris wheel during the opening weekend of the 10-day RV Industry Association’s California RV Show in Pomona, Calif.
The temperature at the Pomona Fairplex was about 107 degrees, and Gaither guessed the dark seats inside the attraction were probably 120 degrees.
“I was wondering if that was even worth the expenditure,” he said, looking back on the first few days of the event that ended Sunday (Oct. 18).
But despite the heat slowing early attendance by 5 percent over the first four days, temperatures dropped into the 80s midweek, the Ferris wheel picked up steam and attendance followed suit.
“The second weekend really proved it to me,” Gaither said. “The Ferris wheel rarely ever stopped, it was full, and kids and families were taking selfies and all that stuff.”
The event finished more than 5 percent ahead of 2014, reaching a total attendance of 35,148, compared to 33,269 in 2014.
“We went from 107 (degrees) the first weekend, and the second weekend we were (in the low 80s). It was a much more pleasant weekend with a little more cloud cover,” Gaither said.
In addition to more than 1,500 RVs and 100 vendors covering more than 850,000-square-feet of space, the show featured a pool with a diving dog competition, TV and sports celebrity appearances and a vintage RV display.
The show has increased in size by about 100,000 square feet over the last three years, and after RV display space sold out June 1 this year, Gaither plans to add another 100,000 square-feet next year.
“I’ve already had my CAD (computer-aided design) drawer (at the Fairplex),” he said. “We’re going to push the show further to the north and a little bit to the west. Right now, the preliminary drawing shows it will be just a little over a million square feet next year.”
That would essentially max out the available space at the current location, but looking beyond 2016, Gaither said the show committee has begun talks with Fairplex officials about other options.
“We’ve had talks with the Fairplex about moving it across the street, possibly,” he said. “There’s a horse track there that is no longer a horse track, and they’re going to do some renovations to that area, where we would be able to do the show on the other side of the street.”
For at least 2016, the show will remain at the Fairplex, and next year’s event should incorporate several changes made to the 2015 show to improve traffic and attendance, which included adding three entrances on the north side of the event, nearest the main parking lot.
“I’m already working on next year’s layout a little bit, and those entrances will be very similar because they worked,” Gaither said.
Among the new attractions this year, Gaither said he’d also like to see the diving dog contest return, and of course, the Ferris wheel.
“I’ve already booked the Ferris wheel next year,” he said.