New Cranbourne caravan show starts out small

Australia's newest caravan show is shaping up as one of the smallest, with around 70 exhibitors lined up for the inaugural Cranbourne Caravanning & Adventure Leisurefest.

Organised by Caravan Industry Victoria, the Cranbourne Leisurefest will be held at the Cranbourne Racecourse over three days (May 8-10), and is the second new show from the peak Victorian industry body following the launch of the Geelong Leisurefest in late-2025.

Among 40-odd caravan brands that will be on display at the Cranbourne Racecourse, 29 are local manufacturers and 11 imported brands.

Well-known Aussie RV brands taking part include Supreme, Essential, Jayco, New Age, Crusader, JB, Nova, Retreat, Lotus and Royal Flair, although there will be some noticeable absentees including Avan, Titanium, Great Aussie and Concept.

There will be 10 displays of different hybrids and camper trailers; mostly from imported brands except for the long-running wind-up campers from Victorian manufacturer Goldstream.

However, motorhome enthusiasts will be disappointed with only two manufacturers -- Red Centre and Snowy River -- listed as having a display of campervans or motorhomes at the show.

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The CIV has for many years run a handful of annual shows, including the blockbuster Melbourne Supershow, but recently added the two new shows in Cranbourne and Geelong.

It comes as rival show organisers including GTR Events and Australian Event Marketing ramp up show activities across the eastern seaboard, with around 25 RV shows now organised annually between the two private operators.

Add in the four RV shows run by Caravanning Queensland, and another four shows run by the Caravan & Camping Industry Association NSW, plus industry events in WA and SA, and that's close to 40 dedicated caravan shows around the country this year!

Most Aussie caravan shows, even in smaller regional areas, attract 100-plus exhibitors, with the biggest 'Supershows' boasting 250-plus exhibitor numbers in some cases, so the Cranbourne event will be quite small by comparison.

CIV CEO Daniel Sahlberg told caravancampingsales that the Cranbourne growth corridor area -- around a 40km drive from Melbourne's CBD -- has one of the highest concentrations of registered RVs in the state.

"So that's why we're (running a new show) down there (in Cranbourne)," he said.

He also said that CIV's 100-plus manufacturer members prefer to attend the industry shows as they prohibit "cowboys" or "start-ups" from displaying often much cheaper and in some cases non-compliant products at the same event.

The CIV also requires all of its show exhibitors to have a fixed retail outlet "with all the appropriate systems that a dealership should have to protect the customer..."

Caravan shows remain a go-to marketing and retail strategy for many of Australia's 200-plus RV brands. After all it's often the best way to reach new, often older and less tech-savvy customers, particularly in regional areas.

As a result it's not unusual for some brands to attend 30-plus shows each year!

Sahlberg says the proof is in the pudding with "probably between 70 to 80 per cent of sales coming from shows".

Apart from the bigger operators, many RV businesses also have a limited dealer network, or in some cases, are mostly factory direct; relying largely on reputation and word-of-mouth.

"(Smaller) shows remain important as you're meeting the consumers in their backyard, rather than forcing them to travel across town to see a product," he said.

Sahlberg said that CIV-run shows including the latest Cranbourne event, could be bigger and more profitable if it relaxed some of its strict exhibitor entry rules.

"It might financially hurt us to not let (non-member or start-up exhibitors) in... but we just don't do it, because we're trying to make the industry (standards) better and protect the customers," he explained.

"It's also not fair to (our manufacturer members) who do the right thing and put the right systems in place."

When: May 8-10, 2026. 9am-4pm (5pm Sat)
Where: Cranbourne Racecourse, 50 Grant St Cranbourne, Victoria
Parking: Free
Tickets: $12 (early-bird). $10 concession. Free for under-15s and dogs
Website: Cranbourne Leisurefest