Alan Rogers Guides - anyone know anything?

ValDa

I've heard a 'rumour' that the Alan Rogers guides won't be produced next year and wondered if anyone else has heard anything about this?

DavidKlyne

Perhaps someone going to the NEC could ask that question?

David

Oldgirl and Staffy

This is a copy of a news release I saw yesterday:- 

Alan Rogers Publishing & Advertising Services to be consolidated within The Caravan Club of Great Britain

 

"Following the acquisition of Alan Rogers Travel Group by The Caravan Club of Great Britain in 2012, The Caravan Club is working to consolidate the core services of the Alan Rogers business into its own operations.

This follows an extensive review that has identified clear efficiencies in the consolidation of the two organisations and the products and services they offer. It is currently planned that the specialist advertising services and promotion of Europe-wide camping and caravanning sites offered by Alan Rogers will be consolidated into The Caravan Club’s sector-leading products and services.

Since 1968 Alan Rogers has been synonymous with its own series of annual guides to independently inspected and selected campsites in over 30 countries across Europe. In addition the Alan Rogers business is renowned for its innovative approach to publishing and the provision of B2B solutions for campsites and businesses wishing to attract customers from European markets.

The Caravan Club is the largest UK caravanning organisation with over one million members. The organisation manages its own network of over 200 UK campsites, publishing a monthly magazine (circulation 360,000) and a similar range of campsite guides (20,000 copies) as well as creating an online presence for its caravanning community that includes the world’s largest caravanning forum (including 35,000 non-member participants). The Club also arranges overseas holidays for some 30,000 caravanners, motorhome owners and tent campers to over 250 European continental campsites annually through its own Travel Service.

The Caravan Club, with Alan Rogers, has been developing a group-based strategic vision for the future, aiming to address changing consumer behaviours and the impact of ever evolving technologies. Extensive work has been carried out over recent months to also plan the options for areas of both businesses where there is duplication.

As a result, it is with regret that the decision has been taken to close the Alan Rogers publishing and B2B advertising businesses. These products and services will be consolidated into The Caravan Club by the end of 2016.

The Alan Rogers guides will not be published for 2017 and advertising on the Alan Rogers website will not be available beyond 2016. The Caravan Club will be offering these advertising services via the Club’s European Touring publications and websites."

 

Such a release indicates this is now public knowledge although rumours have been around for a while.

 

ValDa

Thanks for that OldGirl and Staffy!   The Alan Rogers guide was the first one we ever bought in 1980, when we first thought about camping in Europe!  They were the best at the time, with independent reviews of sites.  However, I do feel the ethos of the
business changed when the founder died and the business went to a more commercial organisation, with advertising in the guides taking up an increasing amount of space.

eurortraveller

So the Club paid £3.125 million for Alan Rogers Group Plc, which appeared at the time to be a group of loss making companies.

 In return the Club gained the UK selling/ distribution rights for Camping Cheques ( which now appear to be shrinking in popularity) and a range of guide books (which are now being closed down), and now the Club will presumably have to meet redundancy paments
to some of the Alan Rogers staff. 

But perhaps there have been profitable gains for the Club on the other side of the books.  I await the Treasurer's statement about all this at the next AGM. 

Oldgirl and Staffy

Thanks for that OldGirl and Staffy!   The Alan Rogers guide was the first one we ever bought in 1980, when we first thought about camping in Europe!  They were the best at the time, with independent reviews of sites.  However, I do feel the ethos of the business changed when the founder died and the business went to a more commercial organisation, with advertising in the guides taking up an increasing amount of space.

...It is a shame, but I don't think its really surprising that guide books aren't so popular anymore. Most people I know just look for what they want on the internet where they can also get reviews of sites as well.   Modern technology changes things.

peedee

Interesting OG&S, I presume they kept the Media side of the business. It would appear it was the only one doing well.

I only ever bought one AR guide and that was when I first started caravanning. Like you say, I now tend to use the internet and  download information onto my netbook.

peedee

rogher

I cannot see the Club admitting that it made a mistake when it bought out Alan Rogers. Reading the statement it produced, above, simply reminds me of the incredible spin that it spews out:

Over one million members; I think I know how it calculated that but wonder if it could actually put a name to them all?

The largest caravanning forum in the world; I wonder why it seems happy to let it decline, then? It may be the largest in terms of users that have ever signed up (at no cost to themselves) including spammers (their IDs are still
there), but surely not in terms of activity? I wonder which is the second largest forum?

cyberyacht

So the Club paid £3.125 million for Alan Rogers Group Plc, which appeared at the time to be a group of loss making companies.

 In return the Club gained the UK selling/ distribution rights for Camping Cheques ( which now appear to be shrinking in popularity) and a range of guide books (which are now being closed down), and now the Club will presumably have to meet redundancy paments
to some of the Alan Rogers staff. 

But perhaps there have been profitable gains for the Club on the other side of the books.  I await the Treasurer's statement about all this at the next AGM. 

Three million quid for a husk of a company. Sound business acumen displayed at Grimstead Towers then.

peedee

I seem to recall a bit of "goodwill" written in to the last set of accounts!

peedee

VolvoV70

I have long questionned the logic for the Club to purchase the AR organisation at a cost of over £3M of "our" money. Just about all of the above posts also question the decision - when will ever get a plausible explanation?

Perhaps we should start a petition on "38 degrees" or similar?