Outdoor hospitality consulting · Planning · Design · Performance
Better Outdoor Hospitality Projects Start With Experience.
Glamping, safari tents, domes, cabins, tiny homes, lodge rooms and RV sites — planned so the lodging mix, the terrain and the nightly rate agree.
RDBA Outdoor Consulting is a specialized outdoor hospitality consulting firm for glamping resorts, RV resorts, RV parks and campgrounds — feasibility studies and business plans, site planning and design, construction strategy, operations and acquisition due diligence. Clients range from first-time developers and start-ups to owners of established parks. Led by Ron D. Beard, an architect, developer and operator with more than three decades in outdoor hospitality and hundreds of projects consulted on, RDBA helps clients evaluate opportunities, plan smarter sites, protect capital and improve performance.
Architect's precision. Operator's realism. “We put the pieces together for you.”
RDBA Outdoor Consulting — the practice formerly known as Ron D. Beard & Associates. Same principal, same experience, serving clients nationwide plus Alaska and Canada.
Ron D. Beard — architect, developer, operator and consultant to outdoor hospitality clients nationwide.
- 3 decades+
- Focused on outdoor hospitality
- Hundreds
- Projects consulted on
- 1 to 200+ acres
- No project too large or too small
- New & Existing
- Existing properties and built-from-scratch resorts
Long-term relationship
“I have been doing business with him for over 13 years... as the market has changed Ron has been up on how the demand has evolved.”
One advisor, whole project
Outdoor hospitality projects are interconnected.
A layout affects construction cost. Construction cost affects financing. Amenities affect rate. Operations affect occupancy. RDBA brings those decisions together so clients can evaluate the complete business, not isolated pieces of it.
- Design and economics belong together.
- Value engineering, not overengineering.
- Experience prevents expensive mistakes.
- Ron has operated, not just advised.
- Advice continues into implementation.
Core services
Engaged individually, or combined into a full planning and implementation scope.
Feasibility + Financial Strategy
Know whether the opportunity works before committing major capital. Market review, development or expansion assessment, income and expense analysis and financial viability.
Explore Feasibility + Financial StrategyPlanning + Design
Masterplanning, site layouts, buildings and amenities, accessibility, pre-civil utility and grading schematics, value engineering and development coordination.
Explore Planning + DesignGlamping + Alternative Lodging
Safari tents, domes, yurts, cabins and tiny homes planned around terrain, utilities, winterization and a nightly rate the market will actually pay.
Explore Glamping + Alternative LodgingRevenue + Operations
Identify what is holding an existing property back, prioritize improvements and build a practical plan for stronger operating performance.
Explore Revenue + OperationsDue Diligence + Acquisitions
Evaluate properties and purchase opportunities with an outdoor hospitality lens before the deal is done.
Explore Due Diligence + AcquisitionsConstruction + Owner Representation
Coordinate priorities, challenge unnecessary cost, keep the project aligned and support implementation on the ground.
Explore Construction + Owner RepresentationRepeat client
“I've used Ron for years and think he's great. I will continue to use him on any new parks I buy or build.”
Featured project
Haven Hills Campground & Resort
Illinois · Planning · Design · Client guidance through construction
A shuttered golf course became a multi-million-dollar glamping and RV camp-resort. Ron guided the client through planning, contractor decisions and implementation from day one.
See projects & resultsGlamping & alternative lodging
Glamping only works when the site, the story and the operating math agree.
Safari tents, cabins, domes, tiny homes and treehouse-style units all rent well on paper. What separates a performing glamping property from a stalled one is siting, privacy, utilities, access and a nightly rate the market will actually pay in every season. RDBA plans these properties the way a resort gets planned — terrain first, guest experience second, operating cost never an afterthought.
- Terrain-led unit siting
- Units placed against contours, tree cover, views and drainage so each one feels private and stays dry — not laid out on a grid and then defended.
- Utilities and winterization
- Water, power, septic, heat and pathway plans sized for the unit mix and the seasons you intend to sell.
- Unit mix and rate strategy
- Choosing the number and type of units — tents, cabins, domes, premium suites — around realistic ADR, occupancy and turnover cost.
- Amenity and guest-flow design
- Comfort stations, fire pits, trails, gathering areas and arrival experience arranged so the property reads as a destination, not a scattering of units.
What makes RDBA different
Design and financial thinking in the same room.
Experience with both new builds and existing-property turnarounds.
An operator's perspective, not just a consultant's.
Direct advice, including when the best answer is “don't do that.”
Hands-on involvement from early concept through implementation.
Business and financial expertise most designers simply don't carry.
Client experience
Clients describe the same things: candid, fast, technically deep, still involved at implementation.
Design + economics
“As an architect Ron has the unique ability to couple his design skills with the financial side of a project. These two aspects must fit hand in glove.”
Transformation
“Ron essentially took our vision and made it reality. What was a shuttered golf course turned into a multi-million dollar glamping & RV camp-resort.”
Design quality
“Ron displayed remarkable creativity and professionalism throughout the project, delivering a design that perfectly balanced functionality and aesthetic appeal.”
Feasibility
“Ron did some preliminary layouts for a few different properties we considered to help us determine max yield and viability.”
Long-term relationship
“I have been doing business with him for over 13 years... as the market has changed Ron has been up on how the demand has evolved.”
Straightforward advice
“I have found Ron to be an honest and straightforward person in his approach to his work... I would recommend him without reservation.”
More client results, project stories and full testimonials.
Projects & ResultsMemberships & conferences
Active in the industry he advises.
Ron holds memberships and speaks at the associations and conferences that set the standards for outdoor hospitality.
- AGAAmerican Glamping AssociationMemberThe national body for glamping operators, developers and suppliers — standards, education and pre-show expert roundtables.Visit AGA
- OHIOutdoor Hospitality Industry (formerly ARVC)Member & speakerThe leading national association for RV parks, campgrounds and outdoor resorts, where Ron has presented to operators and developers.Visit OHI
- TACOTexas Association of Campground OwnersMember & past Region 7 DirectorServed as Region 7 Director from 1995–1999 and has spoken at TACO events a handful of times.Visit TACO
- GSAGlamping Show AmericasInvited speakerThe largest glamping and outdoor hospitality expo in the Americas — Ron has presented planning and feasibility sessions there a few times.Visit GSA
R. D. Beard — Principal
Meet Ron
A career spent connecting design, development and business performance.
Ron D. Beard's background spans architecture and interior design, outdoor hospitality consulting, construction management, resort operations, financial modeling and ownership. Clients hire him for practical judgment, candid guidance and a willingness to stay close to the work.
About RonResponsiveness
“Currently in the design process with Ron and couldn't be happier. He is incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, and talented.”
Next step
Get an experienced outside view of the whole project.
Before you buy, build, expand or invest more into an underperforming property, talk it through with someone who has planned, built and operated these businesses.