Maple Grove, Minn. (June 9, 2008) – Affinity Events, a division of Affinity (Ventura, Calif.), the nation’s largest provider of outdoor recreation clubs, services, media and events, has announced the acquisition of 12 RV and boating consumer shows. Nine shows were acquired from MAC Events, LLC of Spring Lake, N.J. The shows are produced in Providence, R.I., Edison, N.J., Atlantic City, N.J. and Richmond, Va. In a second deal, three shows were acquired from Mid-America Expositions, Inc., all produced in the Kansas City, Mo. area.

With shows produced in 22 cities across the United States, Affinity has expanded its diverse outlets to meet the needs of the growing outdoor marketplace, reaching passionate RV, boat and outdoor recreation consumers. Affinity produces 40 publications and 53 Web sites that serve various niches within the “recreation in motion” marketplace. They also manage five RV/recreation clubs, the crown jewel being the million-member Good Sam RV owners club.

The acquisitions give Affinity a total of 45 consumer shows, all acquired or launched over the past four years. Now, Affinity, the major multi-media powerhouse within the outdoor recreation space, increases its reach with additional high-touch, face-to-face consumer shows. The total audience of RV, boating, powersports and outdoor recreation enthusiasts who attend Affinity-run shows now exceeds 500,000.

“This company is amazing in the many ways it reaches its base of enthusiast consumers,” said Steve Hedlund, president of Affinity Events. “We’ve been building relationships with RVers, boaters and motorcyclists for years with our clubs, magazines and Web sites, but these shows are something else altogether. They allow us to create live, in-person communities of people who are passionate about the RV or boating lifestyle.

“When you bring product vendors, enthusiasts and field experts together in a face-to-face setting, magic happens,” continued Hedlund. “Combine that with our traditional communication channels, and we provide an unbeatable resource to our advertising and sponsorship customers.”

With 8.2 million RVs and 8.8 million motorcycles on America's roads, and 16.9 million boats on the water, the marketing opportunities within the outdoor recreation industry are limitless.

"Affinity's tremendous reach into the RV and outdoor recreation marketplace is what attracted us to signing a long-term partnership to promote our co-branded credit card to its customer base,” said Matt Massaua, senior director, Strategic Alliances and Partnership at Barclaycard US. “Affinity’s precisely targeted magazine, Web and database marketing have been very effective for growing our affinity-based products. By significantly expanding the consumer show and events business, Affinity is providing us with yet another marketing channel where we can communicate face-to-face with potential customers."

Mike Schneider, Affinity’s President and CEO concurs. “We regularly touch something north of six million RV, boating and outdoors enthusiasts with our various products and services, but the real key is the quality and frequency of those interactions. Affinity doesn’t just sell; we nurture ongoing relationships with our members and our readers. This is a business premise that has continued ever since we launched the Good Sam Club more than 40 years ago, and it continues with our aggressive expansion into the events arena.”

Affinity Events will maintain local management for its newly acquired consumer shows through agreements with MAC Events, LLC and Mid-America Expositions, Inc. For additional information, contact Hedlund at 1-800-848-6247 or shedlund@affinitygroup.com.

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Frank Murphy of Landmark Global Associates acted as strategic advisor to Mac Events.

About Affinity
Affinity, www.affinitygroup.com, is the nation’s largest provider of outdoor clubs, services, media and events that service the safety, security, comfort and convenience needs of the North American recreational vehicle (RV) and outdoor enthusiast market. By providing information, insights, and resources, the company champions the fun, freedom, and adventure of recreation in motion. The company works to enhance its customers’ recreational experiences and build the communities that share and promote their fun and adventurous lifestyles.

Affinity is organized into four different business units – Affinity Media, Affinity Clubs, Affinity Events and Affinity Ventures. Their corporate headquarters are located in Ventura, Calif. Subsidiary operations and divisions can be found at multiple locations throughout the United States.

Media Contact:
Sara E. Wacker, APR
Allison & Partners
Phone: 619-533-7975
sara@allisonpr.com