In early May, vendors, delegates and exhibitors travelled to the Gold Coast for the caravan industry's biggest educational and networking event of the year - the 2021 National Conference, hosted by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

As well as being one of the first major in-person conferences since the arrival of COVID, this year also celebrated the event’s 25th anniversary. 

To top off the celebrations, RMS Cloud (RMS) was the recipient of two awards, including the prestigious Eric Hayman Award For Excellence, presented to RMS Founder and CEO, Peter Buttigieg for outstanding contribution to the Australian Caravanning and Camping Industry at a national level. 

“Where do I start; I’m actually speechless,” said Peter when he took to the stage.

Even with ongoing global expansion and success in other hospitality industries, Peter and the RMS team have always stayed true to caravan parks, the place where it all began for Peter back in the mid-80s. 

“This industry has been great to work in, and even though RMS is all around the world now, this award really does emphasise where it all started - right here, in Australia, in the park industry.

“In the beginning, it was very different; none of the parks really wanted to embrace what we had, but we never stopped persisting and innovating to create a product that simplified their operations and ultimately helped them drive revenue and achieve their goals.

“People really are everything, and I’ve been very lucky through the 40 years I’ve been in business to have a great team, and without a great team and industry, it’s impossible.”

​The second award RMS secured was the Richard Davis Award, presented to the company for outstanding contribution to the Peak National body for the Australian Caravanning and Camping Industry.​

Over the years, RMS staff have assisted the association in developing their computer systems and were the first to help collect caravan park data which is now the envy of many other tourism businesses. “They are passionate about the industry and have been an enormous support for the association for many decades,” concluded Dennis Austin, who presented RMS with the Richard Davis Award.

This was a particularly special moment for Peter, a long-standing associate and friend of Richard, who described the achievement as “quite an unbelievable honour."

“We wouldn’t be here winning this award without our great team,” said Peter, “and also our loyal customers who have been with us for the last 40 years.” 

Peter has been a strong leader and mentor to his staff, many of who have been there from the very beginning. The success of thousands of businesses around the world was made possible by the pioneering work performed by Peter and the motivated teams he assembled.

​This dual recognition reflects RMS’ long-term commitment to the accommodation industry and their innovative attitude towards making RMS the best performing platform for hospitality operators worldwide.