The AGA Community Time Capsule: A Look Back at 2025

As we say goodbye to 2025, the AGA Community Time Capsule offers a snapshot of where our industry stands. Join us in reflecting on the milestones reached, and the growth, resilience, creativity, and conviction that carried us here. Thank you to all that contributed a piece of your 2025 with us, we look forward to 2026 with you all!

We asked our community to reflect simply and honestly: three words to describe the year, a guest moment that stayed with them, a behind-the-scenes realization, a hard-earned win, or a challenge that reshaped their path. What came back was more than a recap. It was a collective story of an industry maturing — and people evolving right alongside it!

First Seasons, Big Dreams

For Glenn Piersall of Elk & Embers Mountain Hideaway, 2025 marked an exciting debut. Launching in May, what he calls “Season 0” brought both validation and momentum. Guest reactions said it all — “There are no words to describe the true beauty of this place… truly 5 stars.”

Behind those words were thoughtful details, intentional design, and a clear vision for what’s next: the Overlook Lodge Guest Services Welcome Center opening in Spring 2026. To thank early supporters, Glenn named all first-season guests “Ember Members,” granting them lifetime perks. It’s a reminder that the earliest chapters often shape the strongest communities.

Perseverance, Partnership, and Growth

For Leslie Martin of Lagom Retreat, the path was anything but linear. Regulatory hurdles tested patience and resolve, but perseverance became a daily practice. Partnership — from investors to guests to community supporters — carried the project forward when momentum felt fragile.

Growth showed up not just in recognition and expansion, but in deeply personal ways. Guests finding peace under Texas stars, reconnecting with themselves, and embracing the idea of lagom — just enough — reminded Leslie why she started. “2025 wasn’t easy,” she shared. “But it was real, and it was ours.”

When the Hard Part Isn’t What You Expect

For Sarah Stahl, the hardest part wasn’t scaling a treehouse resort — it was leaving. After helping grow a property from six units to 21 and flipping bookings to 93% direct, she stepped away when ownership shifted direction.

What followed was nine months of uncertainty, self-doubt, and rethinking what “next” looked like. The turning point came when she stopped applying — and started building. Drawing from deep experience in both operations and marketing, Sarah launched her own business focused on connecting guest experience to growth strategy. “You cannot go wrong believing in yourself,” she shared, “and putting everything you have into making your vision real.”

A Global Perspective, Rooted in Purpose

For Mike & Anne of HoneyTrek, 2025 was defined by movement, curiosity, and deep pride in the glamping world. Traveling across 29 countries while researching their next book on the World’s Best Glamping Destinations, they sought out properties that blended creative accommodations, sustainability, experiential dining, and uncommon adventures.

From Scandinavian ice baths at Aurora Safaris to the emotionally moving conservation work of Wolwedans in Namibia, their journey reinforced a shared truth across our community: glamping can be a force for good. As glamping pioneer Sarah Dusek once told them, “We desire not just to create access to extraordinary places in nature, but to move the needle on solving some big world problems.” That idea carried them through overnight buses, hitchhikes, and long-haul flights — always eager to share stories worth telling.

Scaling With Courage

At Flatspot Decking Services, Joanna described the year as development, growth, courage. Behind the scenes came rebranding, process refinement, and operational restructuring. On the surface? A 200% increase in production, expanded reach, and meaningful new partnerships — including with the AGA.

Rapid growth brought challenges familiar to many in our community: scaling systems, improving communication, and ensuring quality didn’t slip as momentum increased. Each obstacle pushed Flatspot to become more resilient and more capable — laying groundwork for what’s ahead in 2026.

The Invisible Work That Makes Magic Possible

At Monument Glamping, Chris Jeub summed up the year in three words: Conviction. Complexity. Clarity. While guests described their stays as “magical,” the moments that lingered most happened behind the scenes — late-night walks through units, ensuring every invisible system was working in harmony.

Chris shared how navigating regulation and enforcement — even when everything seemed “right” — forced deeper intentionality. Slowing down, documenting better, and communicating more clearly strengthened the business in ways that weren’t glamorous, but were essential. The result? A more durable, respected operation grounded in responsibility and trust.

That behind-the-scenes reality echoed strongly for Andrea Pinto of RoverPass, who described her year in three words as Innovation from feedback. While customers praised RoverPass for its patient, accessible, and human support — “the helpful voice on the other end of the phone” — much of the real work happened internally. From navigating flight cancellations and extreme weather while traveling, to finally meeting a largely remote team in person, Andrea highlighted the unseen effort required to keep systems and people aligned.

One of RoverPass’s biggest wins came unexpectedly: closing the final quarter of 2025 as their strongest sales period ever, thanks in large part to trade shows, live demos, and in-person networking. At the same time, Andrea led the challenge of thoughtfully integrating AI across departments — taking a slow, intentional approach to ensure tools enhanced productivity without disrupting culture. It was a reminder that innovation works best when it’s human-centered.

Well-Deserved Recognition

For Antonio Gonzalez of ÖÖD House, the year was Reflected. Reimagined. Rewarded. Guests asking “Where’s the house?” while standing right in front of it perfectly captured ÖÖD’s design philosophy: start with nature, then mirror it.

2025 brought major recognition — Manufacturer of the Year at Glamping Show Americas — and reinforced ÖÖD’s commitment to design-forward, turnkey solutions that don’t sacrifice comfort for immersion. “You’re inside,” Antonio shared, “but it feels like you’re standing in the middle of the woods.”

That same dedication to design, craftsmanship, and immersion showed up for Moez Faruqi of White Duck, who described the year as Growth, innovation, community. Guest reactions compared White Duck tents to “a luxury cabin under canvas,” praising the attention to detail and quality that made guests reluctant to leave.

A defining moment came at The Glamping Show, when White Duck showcased the Alpha Pro and Avalon 16 side by side. Watching operators step inside and say, “This is the tent brand we want for our glamping ventures,” validated years of intentional product development. That momentum culminated in major recognition — Best Glamping Tent of 2025 by GearJunkie and Men’s Journal Editors’ Choice 2025.

Behind the accolades was a tough decision: absorbing tariff and economic pressures to keep retail prices stable. For Moez, it wasn’t just about tents — it was about honoring trust and supporting the community that relies on White Duck to deliver consistency and quality.

Across every response, one thing was clear: 2025 asked a lot of everyone! Patience, courage, adaptability, and belief. And in return, it delivered clarity, connection, and growth.

The AGA Community Time Capsule is a reminder of what’s possible when we build thoughtfully, support one another, and stay rooted in purpose. As we step into 2026, we carry these stories with us — as inspiration, as lessons, and as proof that this community is shaping the future of outdoor hospitality together.