Mr Chapman ... caravanning industry stalwart Photo: Caravanning News

'I am overwhelmed and humbled'

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CARAVANNING Queensland chief executive Ron Chapman has been recognised as a "Living Legend" by the nation's peak caravanning industry body.

The inaugural award comes from the Caravanning Industry Association of Australia and follows his "decades of hard work".

"I am overwhelmed and humbled," Mr Chapman told Caravanning News.

"It was totally unexpected ... you don't look for accolades when you're doing something you have a passion for. But to receive something that has only just been conceived is really special."

Mr Chapman joined the Chesney Caravan Group in 1966 as a public relations officer and handled its advertising, promotions and PR for the manufacturing, retail, spares and accessories and importing/distributor/wholesale divisions.

He was then headhunted in 1970 by Glendale Caravans, becoming national marketing manager responsible for building a national dealer network.

He left in 1973 for a partnership in a Maryborough caravan dealership and subsequently opened a second dealership in the same Queensland city.

He sold both two years later and returned to Brisbane, where he did a variety of consulting, relief management and development work for other businesses in the industry.

Mr Chapman served on the Caravan Trade & Industries Association of Queensland board from 1966 to 1975 and was vice president from 1971 to 1974 before being asked to take on the Secretariat of the CTIAQ in 1975.

He was director of an advertising and promotional agency in Brisbane for 17 years until taking on a fulltime role with CTIAQ in April, 1994, having previously done the Secretariat and other roles part-time for many years.

In 1979 and 1980 he was the secretary of the Caravan Parks Association of Queensland and in 1994 took on the full time role of chief executive in addition to his work with CTIAQ.

He has been a member, PR consultant and/or show manager for all 50 caravan and camping shows held in Brisbane.

Mr Chapman was the founding secretary of what is now Caravan Industry Association of Australia in 1991 for nine years and a director until 2001.

He was a member of its Federal Advisory Committee until mid-2017 and also served as both chairman and chief executive for a period.

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