Everything you want to know about the biggest RV Show of the year.

WHO: Recreation vehicle (RV) owners from nearly every state and province are expected. Attendance is expected to be around 4,500 RVs which accounts for about 10,000 people at the event each day. Many from the greater Albuquerque, NM area are expected to attend each day on day passes.

WHAT: The Rally (formerly called the Great North American RV Rally) is an annual event hosted by the Good Sam Club, Camping World President's Club, Coast to Coast Resorts, Woodall's and Trailer Life and MotorHome magazines. All the organizations are owned by Affinity Group Inc., which is headquartered in Ventura, Calif.

WHERE: The Rally 2009 will be at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Rally moves to a different part of the United States each year. Past sites have been:

• Perry, Georgia, 2008
• Redmond, Oregon, 2007
• Daytona, Florida, 2006
• Redmond, Oregon, 2005
• Hutchinson, Kansas, 2004
• Louisville, Kentucky, 2003
• Pomona, California, 2002
• Perry, Georgia, 2001
• Gillette, Wyoming, 2000

WHEN: The 2009 Rally will be held April 17 – 20, 2009, though commercial exhibits will begin setup on April 14th and the early birds (people who have registered for an extra night or two of parking) will begin arriving on the April 15th. Attendees will vacate the facility by the morning of April 21, 2009.

WHY: Why hold such a big Rally? RV rallies have been around for about 30 years, though they appeal to various segments of the RVing world. Some are only for motorhomes; others are for a particular model from a manufacturer (such as Airstream) so there really wasn't an all-comers RV Rally. By uniting the interests of the various RV organizations involved, and by featuring the most comprehensive seminar program and exhibits, ours has quickly grown.

HOW: People learned about the Rally primarily through stories and advertisements in Highways, Coast to Coast, Trailer Life, MotorHome, RV View, RV Business, and Golf Traveler. Together these publications reach nearly 3 million people each month. Many registered on the Rally's website at www.therally.com.

PARKING: Rally attendees are sent confirmation packages before the event that contain an assigned parking lot and entry point. When they arrive, a volunteer parking crew directs them to their specific spot (depending on what type of parking option they selected). The base price of $169 (two people in a rig, dry camping) includes admission to all seminars and exhibits, the various club or publication day activities and the evening entertainment. Day passes are available for $10 per person. People who want to attend the Rally without their RV and stay for the entertainment may purchase a Rally Passport for $75 per person, which is good April 16 – 20, 2009.

Unique Attractions at the Rally

DOG SHOW: A majority of RV owners travel with pets, dogs being the most popular. So why not have a dog show? This year's show will be held on Saturday, April 18 at the Day Stage and is expected to draw dozens of dogs, plus hundreds of people watching in the grandstands, as dogs (and their owners) compete in numerous categories, with prizes to the winners.

SEMINARS: There are more than 30 seminars scheduled for each day beginning on April 16, all of which are free to registered attendees of the Rally (not including Day Pass holders). There will be seminars on places to go, on healthy cooking and there will even be an expert on hand to help spouses communicate better while living in an RV. Among the other seminar topics are:

• Campground safety
• Cell phones and mobile communications
• Computers
• Dinghy towing
• Engine performance
• Exterior and interior cleaning and maintenance
• Financial planning
• Hitches and towing
• Motorhome chassis
• Pet care on the road
• Propane
• RV insurance
• RV tours and caraventures
• Suspension systems

COMMERCIAL EXHIBITS: There will be more than 500 booths featuring the latest in RV products and services. Visitors will find everything from personalized license-plate frames and nametags to tow bars, jewelry and clothing. Beyond those will be more than 1,000 new units on display from some of the leading manufacturers and dealers in the United States. The Rally offers a unique opportunity to compare nearly every make and model in one location, as well as take test-drives.

OPTIONAL TOURS: Since most people attending the Rally are not from New Mexico, the Rally offers optional tours that showcase some of the best attractions of the region.

ONLINE AREA: One of the most popular exhibits at the Rally, the online area has been expanded to accommodate the growing number of RVers who travel with laptops and enjoy Internet access.

Hosting Organizations

GOOD SAM CLUB: The world's largest RV owner's organization, Good Sam Club membership is more than 1 million strong. Founded in 1966, Club members receive Highways, the members-only magazine, as well as a 10% discount at campgrounds and at RV service centers. They also have access to the Club's emergency road service, its auto and health insurance, discounts on books and can attend members-only events throughout the year called Samborees. The Club has a network of nearly 2,000 chapters throughout North America that function as camping groups and whose members are generally active in civic organizations and readily donate their time and money to charitable causes. Dogs for the Deaf, a Central Point, Oregon, organization that trains dogs to be placed with hearing impaired persons, is among the primary beneficiaries of Club member donations. Website is www.goodsamclub.com or call (800) 234-3450.

CAMPING WORLD PRESIDENT'S CLUB: Camping World is the nation's largest supplier of RV supplies and accessories with a 24-hour mail-order call center, catalog website and more than 40 locations in the United States. You can find virtually anything you need, from awnings to lawn chairs, from sunglasses to barbecues, and from water hoses to coolers at its locations, and most of its stores also do RV installation and service. Membership in President's Club entitles you to an extra 10% off every purchase you make, and the club is marking its 20th anniversary this year. There are also discounts on tours, trips and travel and members-only sales and events. PC members receive a free copy of the 240+ page Camping World Master Catalog RV Reference Book, as well as a free President's Club Coupon Book with hundreds of dollars in coupons on a variety of Camping World products. Headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky: Website is www.campingworld.com or call (800) 616-2267.

COAST TO COAST RESORTS: With continuous service to members since 1972 and a network of nearly 1,000 affiliated resorts and campgrounds in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Coast to Coast is the oldest and largest membership camping and recreation system in the world. Access to the Coast to Coast system begins with a membership in one of more than 300 privately owned Coast to Coast resorts. From your home-resort base, you gain access to most of the other Coast to Coast resorts and affiliated campgrounds in the system for a nominal nightly fee. Coast to Coast resorts offer RV sites, and many offer cabins, condos, park-model trailers and other types of lodging. They also provide a full menu of amenities, sports activities and social events. Website is www.coastresorts.com or call (800) 547-1822.

TRAILER LIFE & MOTORHOME: Two of the most respected publications RV owners turn to each month for RV lifestyle, industry news and information, each focuses on a different segment of the RV market. Each issue of Trailer Life includes a test of one of the new towable units to hit the market, while MotorHome looks at various makes and models of motorhomes. Both feature a variety of travel stories highlighting RV-friendly destinations. The two titles combined cover the RV industry from beginning to end. Trailer Life reaches 280,000 readers each month, and MotorHome has a circulation of 140,000. Trailer Life's website is www.trailerlife.com or call (800) 825-6861. MotorHome is www.motorhomemagazine.com or call (800) 678-1201.

WOODALL'S: Marking its 70th year serving the RV industry, Woodall's produces some of the most helpful magazines, books and campground directories and has been known as a "friend of the camper." Its books like the Woodall's RV Buyer's Guide and Go & Rent … Rent & Go do everything from help you select the right rig for your needs to help you find a good rental unit. Woodall's campground evaluation teams cover all of North America to provide consumers with a reliable and accurate source of information when they're on the road and looking for a place to spend the night. The company also publishes Campground Management, a magazine aimed at serving the campground and RV park owners with consumer-oriented and business tips. Website is www.woodalls.com or (800) 323-9076.

RV Info

TERMS: Recreation vehicles, or RVs, comprise a whole family of vehicles that combine transportation and temporary living quarters for recreation, camping and travel. Some provide a simple place for sleeping and eating, while others are virtually luxury lodges on wheels. Conveniences range from the basics - like running water, cooking and bathroom facilities, and a power source (either electricity or liquid propane) - to added comforts such as air conditioning, entertainment systems and slideout rooms. See the attached page for variations of motorhomes, trailers and truck campers.

CAMPING VARIATIONS: There is some variation in the way Rally attendees are camping. Most RVs have the ability to plug into water and/or electricity, though most sites at the Rally didn't offer those. Those camping without hookups (water, electric and sewer) are "dry camping" or "boondocking." Those using electricity being provided have "partial hookups." Full hookups, which includes connections to water, electricity and sewer, are not available at this event.

Attention Media!

If you are a member of the media and interested in receiving a press pass to attend all or part of The Rally, please submit your credentials for consideration. Please include the following information in your request:

• Name
• Media organization
• Outlet address
• Contact phone number and/ or e-mail address
• Number of passes requested

Please direct all press questions and requests for press passes for The Rally 2009 to:

Krystin Williamson
Allison & Partners
Phone: 619-533-7974
FAX: 619-533-7970
krystin@allisonpr.com