Leading timeshare companies and service providers have thrown their chips in to be Signature Sponsors of the 2010 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition at Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. The annual convention, from March 14–18, will feature an impressive line-up of speakers and entertainers, including keynote speaker Andy Sernovitz. Sernovitz is considered the guru of the word-of-mouth marketing movement, helping countless companies understand the radical changes brought by blogs, MySpace, and consumer-generated media.

The 2010 Signature Sponsors include American Express, Equiant Financial Services, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Systems International (HSI), International Cruise and Excursions, Inc. (ICE), Interval International, iTravel Companion, RCI, Redweek.com, ResortCom International, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., and VacationGuard, Inc.

The convention offers companies prime exposure to top vacation ownership industry professionals who gather to network, learn the latest industry trends, and visit hundreds of industry suppliers on the exhibit floor. Thanks to the generosity of the Signature Sponsors, the ARDA Convention has become the number-one annual resource, providing networking for industry leaders, timely educational programming, and exposure for sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees.

“We are grateful for the support we receive from our Signature Sponsors,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “These companies enable us to offer the high-quality events our members need, while getting great visibility among the attendees.”

RCI is once again sponsoring the RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Bear’s Best Las Vegas golf club. Interval International is hosting its annual “Party with a Cause” with ticket proceeds benefiting industry research and education. Equiant Financial Services is providing the “smart car fortwo” for the AIF Auto Driveaway contest. The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), will include a cocktail reception, elegant dinner, presentation of the annual ARDA Awards and live entertainment by the Rhythmics.

Companies interested in participating as sponsors or exhibitors at the timeshare industry’s premier annual event may contact Bob Craycraft at 202-371-6700, or bcraycraft@arda.org. Visit www.ARDA.org for more information about the 2010 convention.

The American Resort Development Association is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has over 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced the extension and expansion of its strategic alliance with International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE), the worldwide industry leader for integrated cruise and leisure packages to the vacation ownership and travel industries.

“For more than eight years ICE has been a fantastic partner offering quality cruises and services to our members in the United States and Canada,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “This extension now provides the framework to expand our relationship globally and allows us to continue to offer great cruise and related vacation programs to our members in the United States, Canada, Asia and Australia.”

As part of the agreement, ICE will provide cruise fulfillment including operations and technology for RCI global exchange programs. ICE will also provide technology platforms and related fulfillment for member loyalty, lead generation and purchase incentives which are designed to provide value-added benefits to RCI’s affiliated developers.

As the exclusive exchange provider for ICE, RCI will become an extension of business development efforts for ICE products and services.

“Our strategic partnership with RCI has been a mutually rewarding relationship and we look forward to working side by side with RCI to provide innovative products and services to the international marketplace,” said John Rowley, chairman and CEO, ICE. “We are dedicated to providing RCI members world class cruise and vacation benefits coupled with quality customer service as part of their RCI membership.”

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 73,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit www.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

For additional information on the services offered to developers by RCI and how they can add potential value to leisure real estate projects, visit www.grouprci.com.

About ICE
International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) is a worldwide travel and leisure organization with a global network of innovative travel alliances including top corporations, resorts, cruise lines, vacation suppliers and travel providers. ICE provides innovative cruise, vacation and travel programs, unique member reward and loyalty programs, as well as cruise and vacation fulfillment services to more than 150 major corporate brands serving more than 55 million consumers worldwide.  Enjoying more than 12 years of tremendous growth and a legacy of successful industry innovation, ICE continues to raise the bar in creative marketing solutions, service and passion within the travel industry. Visit www.iceenterprise.com for more information.

Industry Perspective, Education, and Networking Highlight ARDA Convention

Almost three thousand timeshare industry professionals gathered together at the 2009 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition, March 29–April 2, 2009. The annual convention and tradeshow, hosted at the Orlando World Center Marriott, showcased 164 exhibitors, including 36 new exhibiting companies.

This year’s convention kicked off with the Group RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Hawk’s Landing Golf Club. One hundred and forty-four golfers played in support of the ARDA International Foundation. All net proceeds from the tournament and Auto Driveaway support industry research and education programs. Interval International’s “Party with a Cause,” which showcased the Spinners, also raised funds for the Foundation.

The convention’s opening general session, sponsored by Group RCI, featured keynote speaker Dr. Jeffrey Rosenweig, who is a global economics forecaster and expert on global investing and business strategy. This session also feted the industry association’s 40th Anniversary, which will be celebrated in various ways throughout the year.

The week’s events featured a notable line-up of forum and educational sessions with outstanding speakers and entertainers. Highlights of the convention included Tuesday morning’s opening session, “State of the Industry in Three Parts”. Three back-to-back panels discussed the rapidly changing state of timeshare industry from different viewpoints: The Advocates, The Communicators, and the CEOs.

Other events included the Industry Think Tank, sponsored by North Highland. Three hundred industry leaders came together to share and design new business strategies and models needed in order to succeed during the current economic environment. The Resale Forum, “Shaping Resale for the Future,” was presented to discuss the need for better consumer information about the secondary market and future plans.

ARDA members were joined this year by members of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE), who held an annual two-day leadership conference in conjunction with the ARDA Convention and attended educational sessions.

Throughout, industry executives shared industry practices, gained knowledge of the most recent marketing trends and tools, heard state-of-the-industry updates, and witnessed firsthand the impact of timeshare in Orlando, one of the top resort regions in the United States. Panel discussions and educational sessions addressed a wide variety of topics, such as hospitality issues, fractional and private residence clubs, fundamentals of finance, cross-industry developments, green management, and e-media trends–all with the goal of drawing a new road map for the future.

“Although the industry has been hit hard by the current credit crisis, the fundamentals remain sound, especially in fulfilling the need for better vacationing at a great value,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “Our industry was developed during the recession of the 1970s, and the entrepreneurial nature and creative spirit of our members will continue to meet the needs of a new generation of Americans eager to answer their wanderlust with vacation ownership.”

Highlights of the program also included Breakfast of Champions, sponsored by Hilton Grand Vacations, featured legendary Olympic swimmer Janet Evans. The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), which featured the presentation of the annual ARDA Awards and a performance by famed composer Marvin Hamlisch.

The 2009 Signature Sponsors include American Express, Group RCI, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Systems International (HSI), International Cruise and Excursions, Inc. (ICE), Interval International, Redweek.com, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., Textron Financial Corporation, VacationGuard, Inc., and Whirlpool Corporation.

Leading vacation ownership companies and service providers have signed on as Signature Sponsors of the 2009 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention and Exposition at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida. The annual convention, from March 29 – April 2, will feature an impressive line-up of speakers and entertainers, including keynote speaker Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, global economics forecaster and expert on global investing and business strategy.
 
The 2009 Signature Sponsors include American Express, Group RCI, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Systems International (HSI), International Cruise and Excursions , Inc. (ICE), Interval International, Redweek.com, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., Textron Financial Corporation, VacationGuard, Inc., and Whirlpool Corporation.
 
The convention offers companies prime exposure to top vacation ownership industry professionals who gather to network, learn the latest industry trends, and visit hundreds of industry suppliers on the exhibit floor. Thanks to the generosity of the Signature Sponsors, the ARDA convention has become the number one resource for networking with industry leaders, timely educational programming, and exposure for sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees.
 
“We are grateful for the 2009 Signature Sponsors whose support enables us to continue to bring cutting-edge programs and high-quality events,” said Howard C. Nusbaum, ARDA’s president and CEO.
 
Group RCI is sponsoring the Group RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Hawk’s Landing Golf Club. Interval International is hosting their annual “Party with a Cause” with ticket proceeds benefiting industry research and education. The Breakfast of Champions will feature gold medal swimmer, Janet Evans. The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), will include a cocktail reception, elegant dinner, presentation of the annual ARDA Awards, and entertainment by music notable, Marvin Hamlisch.
 
Companies interested in participating as sponsors or exhibitors at the timeshare industry’s premier annual event may contact Bob Craycraft at 202-371-6700, or bcraycraft@arda.org. Visit www.ARDA.org for more information about the 2009 convention.