Camping Trade World – Issue 05

WELCOME
MEET THE TEAM
DAVID GUEST
EDITOR
David has worked in B2B publishing since 2006 and has edited
several major titles in that time. He has also worked on the UK’s
biggest consumer camping magazine, Camping & Caravanning. A
keen camper and outdoorsman, David will bring you the very latest
international industry news.
david.guest@dhpub.co.uk
JUSTIN FOX
PUBLISHER
Justin is hugely experienced in publishing and oversees the running
of all of David Hall Publishing’s titles, which includes not only B2B
titles, but also some enthusiast consumer brands too. Justin’s
organisational and sales skills are invaluable to the business.
justin@dhpub.co.uk
WILLEM BONNEUX
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Fluent in several languages, Willem is hugely experienced in
helping outdoor industry brands realise their global communication
ambitions. He has a broad background in sales, marketing and key
account management.
willem.bonneux@dhpub.co.uk
GUIDO KNEGT
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Guido has a wealth of experience in helping companies grow their
international export businesses. He speaks numerous languages
and is well-known for going that extra mile for all of his international
customers.
guido.knegt@dhpub.co.uk
MARK GRAFTON
DESIGNER
Mark is the man who takes our essential trade info and turns it into
something beautiful. A freelance designer with more than 20 years of
experience as a magazine and digital designer, we trust him to make
us look good.
housegrafton@gmail.com
PAUL EVANS
ART EDITOR
Paul is the Art Editor of our publishing house and he runs the rule
over the creative direction of our titles. He has worked in the company
since 2008 and keeps our vision in focus.
WALK BEFORE YOU RUN
W
■ith the crazy growth
that the camping sector
has experienced in the
aftermath of the pandemic, it can
be easy to get wrapped up in the
idea that your company needs to
be growing at a rapid rate too. Fast
growth, however, may not always
be the best long-term strategy for
your company. There are actually
a few potential downsides that
can occur if your growth races
away at a rapid pace completely
unchecked. For starters, quality can
suffer. In the desperation to meet
soaring demand, not only could
your manufacturing standards
slip, but so could the cultural
standards within your company.
Think about it – if you desperately
need 10 new workers in your office
or factory to meet crazy demand,
are you going to spend the right
amount of time and consideration
on those candidates to ensure
you get the right people who are
compatible with your business?
You might get lucky, you might
not. Another downside of rapid
growth, and something we are
seeing a fair bit of in the industry
already, is not actually being able
to meet the demand you create. As
I write this, I should have recently
returned from the Motorhome
and Caravan Show in the UK, but
it was cancelled – not because of
COVID restrictions, but because of
discussions between exhibitors and
organisers whereby many brands
said they simply didn’t want or
need to create more demand for
their products via a show because
they were already struggling with
what they had. This point really
stuck with me, as it’s something I’ve
always believed in in business – you
must walk before you can run.
Sure, you could chase those quick
easy sales when times are good,
but if you make a bad impression
with customers, suppliers, and the
industry as a whole, it will have
a long-term negative impact on
your image or brand. Sometimes
the issues that could cause this
negative view of your company
might not even be in your control
– check out our story about
shipping issues on page 22 for a
really good example of that.
Growth is good, and growth is
what we should all be aiming for
as companies and as an industry.
But make sure it is within your
means. Crawl, walk, run – in that
order and at your own pace. Don’t
change your well-thought-out
five-year plan chasing a quick
buck if it is not going to pay off in
the long run.
Enjoy the issue,
David Guest
02 | www.campingtradeworld.com