Dometic Director of Marketing Brian Noble said the supplier used its product showcase in late October to re-engage with RV manufacturers.
The weeklong event was conducted at Dometic’s Elkhart, Indiana, showroom. The event is Dometic’s first product showcase. Over 40 manufacturer representatives attended.
“We needed to reset the tone in our own company,” Noble said. “We needed to reset the tone in our industry. This showcase was an opportunity to do that.”
Beyond introducing OEM representatives to new toilets, vents and other products, Noble said the company wanted to reiterate its commitment to the RV industry. He said the company recognizes an industry impression that Dometic has been too focused in recent years on non-RV products, including portable coolers, camp tables and camp chairs.
“We wanted our engineers to talk to decision-makers, from all of the manufacturers, to say we are engaged,” Noble said. “We are engaged today, but let us be engaged every day, because we have not been doing as much as we need to. It literally hurts to say that out loud, but that is the situation.”
Noble said Dometic employees began planning the product showcase in May. The company added RV industry veterans to its sales team and worked with those new hires to determine the best time to conduct the showcase. Dometic also improved its showroom before the showcase.
“We started in the spring with a couple of pieces,” Noble said. “I think we are good now, but hopefully, a year from now, we will go from good to almost great. I think that is a necessity that we invest into our business.”
Noble said the product showcase enabled in-depth conversations about Dometic’s new products. OEM representatives were scheduled for one-hour blocks. Noble said the manufacturers’ teams were so engaged that they often needed additional time, which Dometic accommodated.
“They were seeing a whole different line of Dometic and a whole different experience,” Noble said. “They anticipated to walk in and be like, ‘I’ll give you 30 minutes,’ but I could see it in their faces. Most of them spent an hour to an hour and a half. Some were in the room north of two hours, which is amazing.”
Noble said OEM teams took measurements and made phone calls to engineers and product designers at their factories to determine how new products might fit into 2027 models.
Dometic Regional President of the Land Vehicle America Segment Tim Hall said the showcase was a success.
“It provided meaningful face time with key industry players and gave us direct insight into their needs,” he said, “helping us to shape solutions that are truly aligned with the demands of the industry.”
Noble said products that generated buzz included the new 400 series of space-saving toilets, a new line of Fan-Tastic vents and a revived furnace line. The furnaces are equipped with automotive-grade Hall Effect sensors and a built-in soft-start function.
The Dometic Marketing Trailer showcased many of the company’s products. Noble said the trailer will be used to perform on-site product and installation demonstrations. He said Dometic will haul the trailer to manufacturers outside of Elkhart, including Airstream and Winnebago, to interact with manufacturers.
On Nov. 19, Dometic will conduct an online session for the RV aftermarket to introduce service and parts departments to new products. The session is an invitation-only event.
Parties interested in attending can email Noble at [email protected] for more.
“Being a leader in the industry is an important aspect to Dometic,” Noble said. “So, we want to get back to being a leader.”
