The Caravan and Camping Industry Association (CCIA) NSW has thrown its support behind a Gay Nomads motorhome ‘float’ that will take part in this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.
“We partnered with the Gay Nomads for Fair Day, which is a lead in to the Gay Mardi Gras here in Sydney, and the Nomads are also going to be doing a camping-themed float in the Mardi Gras for the first time,” CCIA NSW CEO Lyndel Gray said. As well as the industry association’s ‘Let’s Go Caravannning & Camping’ logo on the brightly decorated Winnebago Esperance motorhome of Gay Nomads co-founder Lynne Hocking, around 30 people are expected to march in support, holding signs including ‘Out and Proud in Canvas'. The Sydney Mardi Gras Parade takes place Sunday night (March 5) and along with an expected crowd in the hundreds of thousands, it will be televised live to a national audience on SBS.
While the CCIA NSW’s main marketing focus remains on traditional industry shows like the annual NSW Caravan Supershow, Gray said it’s increasingly using other promotional ploys such as ‘pop-up’ displays in the Sydney CBD to introduce the RV lifestyle to other population segments like office workers.
“We have our mainstream audience but yes, we’ve also got target segments that we want to further develop,” she said. “Let’s take product to places we’re people will be surprised about what caravanning and camping has to offer, and get them engaged that way.”
“It’s also developing new markets; increasingly the Gay and Lesbian market is known to have high disposable income for travel and the Gay Nomads is an interest group of people that are Gay and Lesbian that travel around and talk about all things caravanning and camping."
Gray said the CCIA NSW has also been in discussion with Rolling Solo Australia, an online network for solo women travellers that is planning a major event in the Red Centre later this year. “I think it’s a great initiative and we’ve met with (Rolling Solo founder) Michelle (Lang) and we’re talking to her about that,” she said.
The CCIA NSW won’t be the only big corporate or industry ‘road transport’ sponsor at Mardi Gras, with car brand Holden supplying rainbow-coloured Colorado utes to carry celebrities during the parade in its role as officlal automotive partner.