KOA’s Campground Operating System a Big Hit Down Under

Centralized Reservation System Benefits Australia’s BIG4 Holiday Parks

For More Information, Contact:
Mike Gast
Vice President of Communications
Kampgrounds of America, Inc.
406-254-7409
mgast@koa.net

BILLINGS, MT (February 23, 2010) – Kampgrounds of America’s KampSight campground operating system has found a new home – and a new name – on the other side of the world.

BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia has adopted KOA’s KampSight as its software for centralized online reservations, renaming their version of the industry-leading system BIG4 PAM (Park Accommodation Management).

BIG4 PAM is a simple, all-in-one, web-based system for accommodation management that will not only improve the day-to-day operation of each member park in Australia and increase revenue, but will arm the BIG4 group with valuable consumer insights, improving its ability to market to different customer groups. Already, five BIG4 parks are using the new system, which enables them to track all room allocation in real time, removing the ongoing task of uploading inventory and ensuring they are not missing out on any potential business. In its first year of operation BIG4's new website, featuring 24-pages for each of its 180+ parks, has generated in excess of $6 million in bookings. The increased revenue is now averaging in excess of $1million per month with between $10 million to $12 million of online revenue forecast for the financial year.

"An upgraded, centralized system will only add to this increased revenue our parks are already enjoying," says BIG4 Holiday Parks CEO, Terry Goodall. "Our relationship with Kampgrounds of America enables BIG4 to share best practice and adopt systems like this, which is modeled on KOA's KampSight system. These initiatives all provide a better customer experience and further cement our position as market leader," he said.

"One of the key advantages with BIG4 PAM is the removal of the need to constantly upload room inventory to the system. Typically, people will book a holiday between 30-40 days out, but potentially up to a year out, so by having a comprehensive offering of room availability our parks can capture that business then and there. We don't even like to think how much business our parks may have missed out on where inventory wasn't loaded.”

Goodall said KOA's proven track record with the KampSight operating system has enabled BIG4 to recommend this system to its parks with uncompromised confidence.

"KOA has been using this online accommodation management system at 100 per cent of its parks for three years now, with the system providing great benefits to its 400+ parks. While our system has some similar functions, we know from KOA's experience with their model that there is significant potential to increase revenue and further build our brand with a centralized system," he says.

KOA Chairman and CEO, Jim Rogers said the benefits KOA's centralized park management system has been providing both for guests and park owners. "Today's hospitality guests want recognition, customized services, and technologically advanced conveniences. KOA's centralized park management system allows us to serve guests with the most advanced high tech/high touch technology in the outdoor hospitality sector," Rogers said.

"Over the last three years, more than one million bookings have been made directly online, with the average booking $120 giving a total revenue value of $120 million. Currently 30 percent of all bookings taken are made through KOA's centralized reservation system, and that is growing.

"The guest data has allowed us to launch the first automated loyalty rewards frequent camper program in North America,” Rogers said. “It also serves as the basis for our comprehensive guest feedback research which allows targeting very specific service and marketing opportunities by camper and park. Developed by park owners, the system includes financial, accounting, and reservations systems they needed to optimize the park business.”

BIG4 Holiday Parks plans to have all its parks transitioned onto the BIG4 PAM system within the next three years.

For more information on Kampgrounds of America Inc., visit www.koa.com. For more on BIG4 Holiday Parks, go to www.big4.com.au.