Live Your Dream With Paris Residence Club

Ask almost any woman where her dream vacation is, and you will be amazed at the number who answer just one single word as a romantic expression sweeps across her face: ‘Paris.’

It seems as though the rest of the world agrees. According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2007 alone, France saw over 81 million visitors, with Paris recording in excess of 35 million hotel and apartment rental stays, retaining its reign as the top destination in the world.

What is it about this city that perseveres as a siren to so many travelers the world over? Furthermore, what is this relentless attraction that beckons those to return year after year?

While we may never have a finite answer, one boutique company is certainly making it easier for couples and families alike to return.

Meet Paris Residence Club, the ‘City of Lights’ most unique and luxurious fractional ownership offering. Located in some of the best neighborhoods in the prestigious 6th and 7th arrondissements, shares are presented at 1/13 fractions, netting each owner four unforgettable weeks each year.

The program itself is designed to give owners the best of both worlds: guaranteed time without compromising flexibility. Owners choose 2 concurrent weeks upon ownership, from April to October, which is secured forever. The 2 remaining weeks are available any other time throughout the year–including Christmas, New Years and Spring Break–achieved through means of a simple reservation.

The benefits don’t end there. Members of Paris Residence Club are further entitled to a fifth week each year, available at either the Club’s three-bedroom farmhouse in Provence or the newly acquired and stunning Elan Impression 514 yacht, moored in the South of France. This truly is a club where membershiphas its privileges.

In addition to the advantages of ownership, every owner’s paradisiacal experience is top priority. Having been in the luxury apartment rental business since 1998, Walid Halabi, a Lebanese born Parisian and founder of Paris Residence Club has made it his business to know what his clients and owners expectwhile on vacation.

I have arranged to meet with Walid at the entrance to his residence in the chic 7th arrondissement and talk over coffee in a nearby café. “Bon Jour!” As the door to his building opens I am greeted by a beautiful young girl, whom I quickly find out is Walid’s daughter, Cassia, 12, who will accompany us a block or two before heading for school.

Walid is as presentable as his voice is over the telephone: late 40’s, confident yet warm smile, tall, and quite handsome, dressed with a casual yet impeccable flair. I soon realize that we associate as if we are old friends who, although haven’t seen each other in years, reconnect and speak as though we’ve never lost touch.

After a formal introduction we make our way to the end of Boulevard La Tour Maubourg and stop at Café Du Marché. Walid gives a quick kiss and hug to Cassia, says something in French, to which she replies “Ok Daddy,” and she is off to school. We enter the café and find a small table next to the window. Walid takes the liberty of ordering coffee and baguette for us both and we settle in.

“Isn’t this perfect,” Halabi says in his flawless English, a result of his college years in the States. He grins as he glances out the window, watching the Boulevard begin to awake with the morning’s activities. “People dream of mornings like this, and our owners get to experience this year after year, forever.” Halabi is certainly aware of all things, both great and small in his business. “How often do we take for granted the small things, such as morning coffee without realizing that this moment we are experiencing is one person’s
dream vacation come true?” Halabi has gathered from his rental experience and woven together a tapestry of services and amenities that are available to the members of Paris Residence Club.

The Club provides a level of service normally lavished on guests of luxury hotels: pre-arrival grocery shopping service, airport pickup, delivery with luggage handling, a full-time, English-speaking Concierge to reserve theater tickets, complimentary English newspaper and magazine delivery, priority taxi service, and free gym access, to mention a few. In addition, owners are given a cell phone for use during their stay. All of this is handled in residences dotted throughout the 6th and 7th arrondissements of Paris.

“Our owners, like our renters, come to Paris to truly experience life as a Parisian while they are on holiday,” Walid comments as the waiter delivers our espresso and baguette. “How can that be accomplished living among other tourists in a hotel? We are an urban residence club, and though our residences are scattered around the city’s best arrondissements, that’s what makes each of them unique, especially to the eyes of the owners. But we still offer everything that one would expect in a luxury hotel, only without the lobby.”

Paris Residence Club residences have been carefully and painstakingly handpicked not only for convenience, but for each owner’s personal experience. “They arrive at their residence, which is immaculate and stocked with their personal needs. They spend time enjoying Paris, living among Parisians, but without the hassles that Parisians have living in a large city,” Halabi comments as he dips his baguette, lightly buttered, in his
espresso. “And when they leave, they shut the door, go home, and dream of next year’s adventure,” Halabi says with a smile. “That is my experience.”

Halabi’s experience has paid off.

People gobbled up the initial shares almost immediately. “Fractional Ownership in Paris, let alone Europe is still in its infancy, but is catching on fast. There is a tremendous demand for second home ownership in Paris, but unfortunately that demand far outweighs the supply, and most foreigners are too intimidated by the French legal process and red tape obstacles, in addition to the price, to entertain the thought of ownership,” Halabi states.

By offering 1/13 shares, owners are presented with an alternative to second-home ownership. “The average second homeowner in Paris spends on average 3-4 weeks each year in their residence,” Halabi adds. Couple that with the stress and hassle of trying to contact a French electrician or plumber from across the Atlantic or wherever your primary residence is can be stressful in and of itself.

In addition to the maintenance issue is the economics of use. “Our owners can afford to purchase a residence in its entirety, but why in the world would you want to do that?” Walid asks as he finishes his espresso. “I know an American couple who insisted on doing that. After five years, they finally gave up and rang me last week to say that it was not worth the fight anymore and that they were selling out. Paris Residence Club offers the one thing you cannot purchase with a second home–convenience.”

“Where else in Paris can you get all the comforts of home, with all the services of a fine hotel?” Halabi is referring to his position as a Private Residence Club among other fractionals. “There are fractionals, and then there are fractionals,” He adds. “Paris Pieda- Terre [Halabi’s vacation rental company (www.parispiedaterre.com)] has empowered Paris Residence Club with an outstanding maintenance and administrative staff, and we’re able to provide a level of services and amenities that no other program can offer in Paris. They’re all Club employees. We don’t outsource our services, which unfortunately is
the standard here in this city. ”

In addition to its service level, Paris Residence Club spared no expense on each residence extensive renovation. As a base, all residences are equipped with Wi-Fi, high-speed internet and computer, TV and Bose 5.1 surround entertainment center, custom cabinets and imported French and Belgian furnishings, to compliment their contemporary decor.

Halabi went further, with additions that help to elevate every owner’s experience. Enhancements such as water softeners comes standard as does the Novy industrial grade kitchen fan, with its motor recessed in the ceiling, to virtually eliminate noise if owners attempt to re-create their favorite Parisian dish.

It doesn’t stop there. In the off chance that an owner experiences a hiccup in their travel plans one year, Halabi’s sister company, Paris Pied-a-Terre Vacation Rentals, will rent them out. And if the residence is out of commission for one reason or another, there are plenty of comparable rentals to replace in case of emergency.

When I ask Halabi if there are concerns about the size of Paris Residence Club, he says, “We are a boutique operation, but we love it and our owners love it too. I started the whole thing as a way to maintain a lifestyle standard that I could not have afforded otherwise, and PRC owners get to share the same lifestyle as me. I’m enjoying every bit of it and we’re in it for the long term. I think that there are plenty of people like me out there who far prefer boutique operations, with their unique characters. Having said this, our program
allows for anyone to bail out if they are not happy. “

“If owners feel like we are letting them down or we are failing to innovate, they can fire us anytime they like, as they are in full control of their property. But I’m not about to let this happen, since I need my owners as much as they need me in order to maintain the level of lifestyle that I aim for. You can’t do that with a Marriott or a Ritz-Carlton. Independence and experience are our most valuable assets.”

All these benefits are offered to the owners through a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation that in turn possesses the French Société Immobilière Civile, which owns the apartment.

This allows the owners of Paris Residence Club to bypass the world-renowned French red tape and strict inheritance laws and taxes, which can amount to a staggering 60 percent. Furthermore, legal conflicts, should they arise, would be resolved within the US judicial system. “In an increasingly complicated world, it’s good to make things easy,” says Halabi.

All this for ownership ranging from €99,000 – €199,000 for 1 – 3 bedroom residences.

When I ask if the current global economic situation has affected him, Halabi shrugs as though it is a non-issue. “Of course it has slowed down slightly. Parisian real estate has traditionally been a great value. We offer a long-term, recession-proof product,” he adds to confirm his body language. “When times are fruitful, we thrive, and when things turn for the worse, we still have a stronger market than most other places. This is Paris, and good or bad, it is a finite market.”

“Aside from the appreciable benefits of owning Parisian real estate, there’s an even greater rationalization that we have found from our owners.” Halabi explains further, “During turbulent times like today, families and loved ones tend to focus on what is most important to them: quality time. I can’t think of a better gift to give or receive than one that guarantees that, no matter how great or challenging the obstacles life throws at you, for at least five weeks out of 52, I get to celebrate an unforgettable experience with what matters
most to me,” he adds as he points down the rue where Cassia left for school.

As I thank Walid for his generous time this morning and we part ways, I can’t help but think of his final words. Ernest Hemingway once referred to the magnificence of Paris as a “moveable feast,” but I think Walid Halabi of Paris Residence Club captured this moment in time perfectly.

I can’t wait to bring my wife and children back to this breath-taking place.

I think Gertrude Stein put it best when she said, “America is my country and Paris is my hometown.”

For more information on Paris Residence Club visit www.parisresidenceclub.com

The Right Time And The Right Solution For Timeshare

For timeshare resale and rental advertising and marketing leader Sell My Timeshare NOW, it usually comes down to the same question: “Does your website really attract buyers the way you claim it does?” The answer
reverberates throughout the timeshare industry.

As company co-founder and CEO Jason Tremblay says, “$461 million in offers to buy and rent timeshares in 2008 speaks volumes for the effectiveness of our website and our ability to find buyers and renters for our customers.” With the current economic conditions and the tight credit market as the greatest challenges the timeshare industry has ever had to face, Sell My Timeshare NOW is developing solutions for resort professionals looking to leverage the secondary market.

Tremblay explains, “Our company can’t solve the country’s economic woes, but we can look for ways to help the timeshare industry as a whole. We are expanding our services and providing more innovative, developer-friendly timeshare resale options. We are in a unique position to offer meaningful services to timeshare companies and developers.” With an eye toward offering resale and rental solutions for some of the problems of resort developers, project directors, wholesalers, as well as consumers, Sell My TimeshareNOW is expanding its management team and enhancing its services with new internet-based solutions to prepare for the task ahead.

Timeshare Resale Solutions, One Click at a Time
When Sellmytimesharenow.com was founded, nearly six years ago, the internet was still pretty much a wide-open territory, an untapped resource for many in the business of selling timeshares or offering timeshare resales. Sure, everybody had a website, and most of those websites provided information about resort properties, beautiful photographs of mountain or beachside vacation destinations, and perhaps a phone number to call for more information. But until Sell My Timeshare NOW tackled the world wide web with the objective of being the most highly visible and complete online timeshare resales and rental advertising service, no one had fully explored the potential of how well consumers would respond to the option to buy, rent, or sell timeshares from the convenience and comfort of their home computer.

By using aggressive and well-timed internet marketing strategies, Sell My Timeshare NOW drew over 25 million visitors to its website in 2008. The company achieves ‘Page 1’ position in search engines such as Google for almost any timeshare related word or phrase a consumer might use when searching the internet for timeshare information. As the company has expanded its services from by-owner online resale and rental advertising to include rental assistance services, timeshare brokerage services, and comprehensive developer solutions, it has grown from three employees to more than 160, with offices in New Hampshire and Florida.

Resort Services for Timeshare Developers

Seeking to be the de-facto destination for the vacation ownership secondary market, Sell My Timeshare NOW is initiating a menu of resort services designed to help timeshare developers and timeshare companies deal with resale needs. In January of this year, William E. “Billy” Curran was appointed to the Sell My Timeshare NOW Board of Directors. Curran is the CEO of InnSeason Resorts® of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts and the founder of Curran Management Services.

Curran observes, “I am pleased to serve on this board because I think that in the long run this company will be instrumental in changing the landscape of the timeshare industry. Timeshare owners are looking for change and for a secure way of reselling their product.” Joining Curran as part of the Sell My Timeshare NOW team are Lee Goss and Jay Bade. Goss, the company’s new president and COO, reinforces Sell My Timeshare NOW’s commitment to internet strength fortified with sound financial systems and forward-thinking strategic planning. Lee Goss is the former president and COO of Eons (an online Boomer social networking site created by the founder of Monster.com) and past COO of the Boston-based Yankee Group.

Jay Bade is a timeshare man right down to his roots. A 20-year industry veteran, Bade was the past Vice President, Eastern Region for Trading Places International, former Director of Club Inventory Development for Bluegreen Resorts, and previously in charge of key client management and business development for RCI Resort Services.

Looking at the company’s cutting-edge online business model, Bade recognizes how critical it has been to their success and says, “Sell My Timeshare NOW demonstrates how effectively it finds buyers and renters for the inventory on its website by the $1 billion in offers collected since the company began in 2003. With the economic changes taking place in the industry, this is the right time and the right platform to find the right solutions for timeshare buyers, sellers, and renters.” Bade’s responsibilities at Sell My Timeshare NOW include creating corporate relationships in order to build on the success of the company’s resort services division, Vacation Property Solutions. He points out that outreach efforts are underway with developers, resort management companies, and homeowner’s associations to discuss solutions to their owner services and resale inventory needs.

Right Time, Right Place, Right Answer
The internet has changed the way consumers interface with the business world, and the timeshare industry is no exception. Add today’s economic challenges to this, and you get a timeshare industry in transformation and very much in need of solutions to both old problems and new challenges. Tremblay explains, “Now is the time for all of us to pull together. What benefits the industry as a whole benefits
each one of us who is a part of it. Our goal at Sell My Timeshare NOW is to provide real solutions that produce tangible results for timeshare owners and timeshare developers.”

SellMyTimeshareNOW.com
Toll free (877) 815-4227 (603) 516-0200
email: moreinfo@sellmytimesharenow.com
Daily Blog: The Timeshare Authority

Synchrony: A New Concept in Luxury Yacht Lifestyle

Synchrony, The Luxury Yacht Partnership, launched earlier this year offering a luxury yacht lifestyle program with year-round access to a fleet of premium yachts positioned in North America, Europe and the Caribbean.

Similar to the shared ownership programs that have been embraced in the high-end real estate and aviation industries, Synchrony is now raising the bar in the world of luxury yachting. Each state-of-the-art yacht is designed specifically for syndicated ownership and fleet access. Synchrony’s goal is to bring a consistently high standard of hospitality culture to the luxury yacht experience and deliver an extraordinary level of service and attention to detail, often overlooked by other fractional companies and yacht charters.

Synchrony was conceptualized by a group of individuals with extensive experience in yacht chartering, yacht ownership and luxury marketing. Chief Executive Officer, James Henderson, is a specialist in management, strategy, corporate development and marketing, working with premium brands and services catering to high net worth clients. While Bob Saxon, an iconic and respected figure in the global yachting community, is serving as a Synchrony Advisor and Board Director, responsible for marine operations and brings more
than 30 years experience in luxury yacht management.

“The Synchrony Yacht concept is unprecedented in the world of yacht ownership,” says Saxon. “By offering the industry’s lowest owner-to-yacht ratio, highest caliber vessels, unparalleled service and a combination of advanced bookings and flexible short-term access, discerning yacht owners now have a smarter option to the luxury yacht lifestyle.

After reviewing the pros and cons of full ownership versus charter, the Synchrony team came to the realization there must be a better way. A solution that comprises the best of both worlds: luxury yacht lifestyles, year round flexible access and the convenience of partial ownership. That is the genesis of Synchrony. After researching and evaluating the fractional programs in both real estate and private aviation, Synchrony decided to adopt the industries’ best practices and apply them to luxury yacht ownership.

The company also removed any of the unknown variables by bringing professional yacht and hospitality
management together. In this case clients have all the benefits of ownership such as access, personalized
service and flexibility with none of the hassles of full ownership, additionally offering a significantly lower
capital outlay and operating costs, especially timely during this economy. Most importantly, the program
is underscored by consistently high standards of personalized service.

The Synchrony fleet has been specifically designed to optimize the best in luxury yachting with effective service delivery, operational efficiency and lower operating costs. The team handles every element of the yacht acquisition and management process with exacting standards. They carefully specify and configure each yacht against a rigorous set of criteria to ensure it meets the requirements of the program. Synchrony has specifically focused on tri-deck luxury yachts in the 120ft range as they offer the ability to cater for 10-12 overnight guests as well as offering an intimate space and environment for smaller groups. This yacht format also provides generous crew accommodation and rest areas critical for a high usage platform.

Synchrony recently selected the Azimut-Benetti group to design and configure the yachts for the Synchrony
program. Benetti is one of the largest luxury yacht builders in the world with a proven and highly successful
fleet. Synchrony will initially offer the Benetti Classic 120ft yacht.

Synchrony’s yacht management is relentlessly focused on seamless operations, safety, driving down maintenance costs and ensuring the Synchrony fleet is of the highest quality, keeping clients’ needs at the forefront.

Synchrony has researched and structured the optimal yacht registration, flagging and operating model to enable shared usage of the yachts in its key cruising destination. It then manages the day-to-day expenditures, disbursements, registration, flagging, classification, maintenance programs, insurance, logistics, purchasing and scheduling. These are the kinds of things that take the joy out of yacht ownership – that’s why Synchrony does it all for its clients.

With full ownership, one of the greatest advantages is to make spontaneous short notice and short duration trips. Synchrony wanted to ensure that this flexibility was also available to its owners. Unlike other fractional programs that lock you into advance weekly bookings, with Synchrony owners can book a three-day or even a single day usage on the yacht.

Synchrony has set up the system based on advanced bookings prior to the cruising year and short-term
booking windows to offer owners similar levels of access and flexibility to full ownership. In order to optimize the flexibility of the program, Synchrony has built in 25% spare capacity to allow for more spontaneous short-term bookings. Synchrony refers to one booking day as a 24- hour period from 2pm to 2pm the following day.

When the yacht is not in use and owners know in advance that they will not use their full allocation, they
have the option to allocate advanced booking days to the charter bank. Synchrony will work on a best efforts
basis to charter those weeks and each owner will receive revenue from specific weeks that were chartered. The diversity of the owner profiles means that different people have preferences for different times in the year. Synchrony will initially approach other owners, and then promote the charter weeks through its partner in the charter community.

As for staff and crew, Synchrony recruits, trains and manages the team, selecting only the best of the best, all to make an owner’s experience flawless. It also provides the finest culinary service, making each voyage as satisfying as it is effortless.

The culinary experience is one of the key elements of any trip and Synchrony has joined forces with renowned hospitality partners to train its chefs and develop a variety of sensational gastronomic experiences onboard. The company also brings a consistently high standard of hospitality culture to the luxury yacht experience, delivering an extraordinary level of service and attention to detail that is truly unprecedented in the luxury yachting world.

Great service is about unrelenting attention to detail – so precisely executed that is goes almost unnoticed.
The goal is to excel beyond clients’ expectations in owner service. Its dedicated team of concierge and
lifestyle specialists will work with each owner to learn their preferences in using the yacht. Whether it be for
a family vacation, short get-away, entertaining friends or for business purposes, Synchrony’s team will
focus on getting to know personal styles and preferences, ensuring each trip is tailored to an
owner’s specific needs.

Through a detailed provisioning process, Synchrony takes care to have everything from an owner’s favorite
foods and wines, to music, movies, entertainment and activities for family and children. When in port,
Synchrony will continue its owner services, including management of bookings, travel services, third party
charters and more. And with the company’s reciprocal arrangements with destination and resort partners,
travelers will always receive the finest experiences in the greatest ports of call.

Synchrony is developing a series of strategic partnerships with private aviation, limousine, resort hotels and travel groups to provide owners with a range of additional travel services, making the Synchrony yachting experience truly seamless.

Synchrony Luxury Yacht Partnership is currently accepting new owners. For more information or to join, please call +1-954-462-3223 or visit www.synchronyyachts.com

RCI: 35 Years Strong, This Innovator Keeps Leading The Way

Now in its 35th year of leadership in worldwide vacation exchange, Group RCI is also celebrating many years of innovation in the vacation ownership industry.

As the world’s largest timeshare exchange company, with over 3.7 million members worldwide and more than 4,000 affiliated resorts, RCI continues to lead the charge with a company-wide initiative to advance its Web site capabilities to their fullest potential. “Our Contact Center has been in place for 35 years, but our customers have told us that our Web presence is equally important,” says Steve Hawco, senior vice president, of Global E-Commerce. “We wanted our Web site to be as sophisticated as our Contact Center and meet the needs of today’s discerning traveler.”

Hawco was looking for ways to improve search capabilities as well as enhance the online experience of customers. Most exchanges were accomplished by dialing one of RCI’s numerous call centers, where a representative would take the call, check availability, and the client would make a reservation. However, this system simply wasn’t enough and members looking for vacation availability on www.rci.com encountered a format with limited geographical definitions and travel windows. After supplying parameters such as which month, type of accommodation, and location preferences they desired, they were often met with limited choices despite there being over half a million available units at any given time.

“The question and answer-style exchange forced many customers to go back and forth several times and gave only limited results, causing them frustration,” said Hawco.

“We weren’t giving our customers the right tools to see their vacation options.”

Thus began the initiative to advance RCI’s Web interactive capability, to re-shape the customer Web experience to be as smooth as possible, as well as to dramatically improve the visibility of available
inventory to members. Launched in November 2008, RCI’s Enhanced Search for Weeks Exchange feature has dramatically increased the visibility of inventory during a member search. Now owners are “three clicks away” from viewing thousands of units, seeing all available possibilities within seconds, beginning with
geographic region at the highest level, then filtering down by smaller geographic areas, travel dates, features and amenities, vacation experience types, and other preferences.

Hawco likes to think of this improved search mechanism as a hip, cool “Vacation Store” where customers with a preconceived idea of their vacation options instead find many more vacation opportunities. As he puts it, “I want them to say, ‘I didn’t know they had this! Let me look at that!’” This innovation has not only
simplified the vacation planning process for members, but instantly connects them with more destination possibilities.

“We made searching for a vacation significantly easier and more enjoyable,” says Hawco. “Now our members can personalize their search and see all of the possibilities available within seconds.”

After logging on, members begin with a landing page displaying a world map complete with point-and-click inventory availability. Now at the outset of their search, members have more control, refining their selections by month, vacation type or region. Better still, for those who wish to backtrack to, say, a different destination, the search engine retains all previously selected data—a time-saving smart feature that makes searching for a vacation significantly easier and more enjoyable, and makes logging onto RCI.com more about pleasure than survival.

RCI hopes that the Enhanced Search feature will benefit RCI’s Contact Center as well by increasing the chances that a guide will be able to find a member a vacation on the first call. RCI’s new search technology may also present significant opportunities to developers, helping them to gain greater owner satisfaction by
serving as a powerful tool to utilize at point-of-sale.

In the future, RCI plans to roll out enhanced search technology to RCI Points and Club members as well.

Enhanced Search is the first of many planned enhancements underway at RCI. “Early in 2009 we hope to streamline the log-in and registration process,” says Fiona Downing, senior vice president, Business Transformation, who is one of the leaders driving the overall strategy. “We also plan to provide more images—up to 10 photos per resort—as well as continue to build the platform for such content as virtual tours, floor plans, and other innovations. Later in the year and into 2010, we want to further develop and improve the resort and destination content on our Web site. By the end of 2010, we plan to have an incomparable Web exchange program, benefiting both members and affiliates.”

The drive to enhance customer satisfaction continues, and RCI plans to respond with future innovations including real-time personal communication and updates, as well as streamlined online transactions, improved online account manageability, and a more efficient deposit and search process. As RCI continues to invest in its technology and its Web capability, the company looks forward to continuing its innovation to benefit developers and owners.

“At RCI, innovation can also mean reinvention,” says Downing. “Thirty-five years ago, we invented the timeshare exchange. We’ve listened to our members, and we’re taking action to better enable us to
meet member expectations for the next 35 years.”

Perspectives A LIST – Geoff Ballotti

An Interview with Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of Group RCI – On his first year and the future of Group RCI.

Could you tell us about your background in the real estate and travel sectors before joining RCI?
My first job was with Bank of New England in 1983 as a management trainee in their management training department. I went into the real estate lending group there, making development loans around New England and across North America. I got to know some great people at ITT Sheraton who were headquartered in Boston. At about the same time I went back to business school and when I got out I joined Sheraton in their development group. To me, after five years of banking, I thought the hotel industry was a lot more colorful and exciting than banking was—and a lot more fun. I spent the next 20 years with Sheraton, a company that took me all over the world. In the early 1990s, they sent me overseas to work on the acquisition of an Italian luxury hotel group called CIGA, and I got into operations.

I always wanted to be a general manager—I thought that being a GM of a great hotel was the best job in the industry. I still think that. My first GM assignment was as GM of the Sheraton Brussels, a city in which three of my four daughters were born. We then moved back to Italy and I had one of my best jobs ever as Managing Director of CIGA and the Starwood Hotels of southern Europe. In 2002 I was brought back to the U.S. to run the North American division of Starwood hotels and resorts, which I did for six years. I first met Steve Holmes, chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide, in January 2008 when I was approached for this job. Over a series of meetings Steve convinced me what a great company, a great group and a great opportunity running RCI would be.

You started working for Group RCI in April 2008. In your first year, what have been your biggest challenges?
One big challenge for me has been not diving too much into the details—which I’ve always tended to do. I’ve always wanted to figure out everything that is going on. After 20 years in the hotel business, there’s a ton for me to learn. So many aspects of the timeshare exchange and vacation rental businesses are new to me. My challenge has been taking a step back and trying to manage the organizational context, as opposed to managing the details of the operation. Organizationally, another challenge has been making sure we have the right leaders in the right seats. We’re surrounded by incredibly smart folks like Gordon Gurnik our president of North America, Tom Edwards our Chief Financial Officer, Faye Tylee our Global Head of Human Resources, Charisse Cox, our Managing Director of the Pacific… I could go on. Operationally, intellectually and experientially, these people are outstanding. It’s so important that we position the brightest people we can find into key leadership roles, over-communicating our strategy to our associates as to where we are headed and going from there.

After having worked in Europe for a leading hospitality brand for many years, do you think this has given you a wider understanding of the global marketplace and its differences from region to region?

Absolutely. If you think about RCI and how global we are, Europe is absolutely critical for us. Our businesses in Europe are led by two new great talents at RCI: Jonathan Back, who heads our Exchange businesses and Ian Ailles who heads our Rental businesses. In terms of organizational context or managing cultural differences, I think my years in Europe have been very helpful for me in managing issues and opportunities.

Group RCI has also been expanding in areas other than Exchange, such as rental programs, holiday cottages and fractional ownership. Can you tell us more about the strategy behind these additional products and services?

Our rental strategy is about fulfilling our customers’ needs. This includes our ability to rent inventory and provide affiliates and developers with an outlet to rent their product to generate leads for their resorts. In some respects it’s similar to a hotel room: a night not occupied is a night forever lost. So the ability to rent if we cannot fill a unit with the exchange is very important. An example is Endless Vacation Rentals (www.evrentals.com), which is a phenomenal success for us. We’ve registered over 21,000 travel agents and over 29,000 travel agencies. We’ve been very successful on Web deployment. In 2008 alone, we had over
three million unique visits to EVRentals.com. We’ve got a lot of unique features within our Endless Vacation Rentals product. One is the best price guarantee—an assurance that our offerings aren’t available for a lower price anywhere else. We also have no booking fee, complimentary concierge service, and a three-day, 100% refund, giving you a complete refund if your cancellation is made three days in advance of the start-date.
Other features that set us apart from our competitors are Wyndham Rewards Points, which give the customer 5,000 points for every EVR rental and 24-7 check-in assistance.

I think that the most important thing about Endless Vacation Rentals, however, is that our properties are rated by our customers. When our members leave a unit they complete an online survey, and our Web site allows customers to read those reviews. A recent survey showed that after booking through Endless Vacation Rentals, 89% of our customers reported that we either met or exceeded their expectations.

What goals have you set for the next 12 months?
There are three major goals over the next year. The first is our continued investment in technology, our Web sites, and search capabilities. The second is the continued investment in sales and marketing infrastructure, making sure that we’ve got the best sales and marketing opportunities for affiliates and developers. As the economy struggles, our focus will be to continue helping affiliates and developers with lead generation. The third goal is continued growth, by adding quality new affiliates that represent us well and have resorts where our members want to travel. Our recent affiliation with Disney Vacation Club is a great example of this. The Disney Vacation Club management team I believe saw that our management depth, technology resources,
and global marketing infrastructure is in alignment with their strategic growth plan. Now RCI’s more than 3.7 million members will enjoy the opportunity to exchange into Disney Vacation Club resorts.

Are there any new plans or upcoming announcements we don’t yet know about that you could divulge?
In 2009 we will provide increased flexibility for owners to customize their vacation needs by introducing Enhanced Search for Points, much in the same way we developed Enhanced Search for our RCI Weeks members. Again, we are continuing to invest in technology. Our new Enhanced Search feature has given our members the ability to quickly go online and see total availability anywhere in the world. We believe in having the most flexible technology in terms of what you can do with your Points or Weeks. All the research indicates a trend toward shorter vacations. And that’s something powerful. We will continue to stay focused on technology enhancements, providing our members with the most Webfriendly content and functionality available in the exchange industry, while also providing more flexibility and options than anyone else
in the industry.

Can you say a few words about our European rental business/brands?
The European rental business is a collection of great brands that cover an extraordinary range of holiday products; from rural homes, to Italian manor houses, to outdoor parks in Holland, to camping holidays in France and Spain…I could go on. They are united by being self-catered and family-centric in their product offering, giving freedom of independence and space to their travelers. There are other European holiday companies, but none that can offer the range of nationalities: we are proud to market to as many as 17 languages – reaching into every corner of Europe.

Sustainable Development Through Alternative Tourism

In the Mayan houses of the Yucatan Peninsula, a kanché is a germinator where seeds are planted in a tray raised above the ground so that they can grow safely in rich soil and out of harm´s way from animals or insects that might eat them. Kanché Asociación Civil (NGO) is a germinator for ideas and processes
for sustainable development in rural Mayan communities.

The goal of Kanché is to offer rural Mayan communities access to the knowledge needed to become proactive. By combining the conservation of both nature and culture through sustainable development, they can improve the quality of their lives. Kanché aims to enable the development of these rural Mayan communities by giving them models to work with that are based on the sustainable management of natural and cultural resources.

Lilia Gonzalez is the Director of Kanché AC, which was created in 2006 by a number of young people from Mexico and other parts of the world. They met while working within rural Mayan communities. They found that the people in these communities were living in poverty and lacked opportunities. Due to their previous experiences within International Organisations and Governmental Institutions they believed that they could make a difference to the lives of these people and their communities, both now and in the future.

- The creation of Kanché generated a new and unique way of understanding alternative tourism and sustainable development: They support education and a revaluation of natural and cultural
resources as basic principles for true sustainable development.

- They provide rural communities with sustainable development initiative tools to cope with the needs that arise from these processes.

- The centre unites and organises different actors, like institutions, organisations, companies and individuals and all types of efforts focused towards transforming the reality of the communities in a positive way.

Alternative Development
Located less than an hour away from one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world, Cancun and The Mayan Riviera, tourism in these rural regions is the most obvious option for fulfilling Kanché´s mission. Alternative tourism is welcomed in this corner of the Yucatan Peninsular by the entrepreneur groups in these rural communities, who seek a better quality of life – but not at the expense of their natural habitat and culture. It is seen as a complement to traditional activities and allows for diversification and strengthening of the local community.

Kanché is currently working with fourteen co-operatives from rural communities in the Northern Yucatan Peninsula, twelve are in the municipality of Lazaro Cardenas (Quintana Roo) and two are in the municipality of Valladolid (Yucatan). The municipality of Lazaro Cardenas is one of the poorest in the State of Quintana Roo. Many of its traditional activities are becoming more and more limited. Fishing is scarce and agriculture is poor, resulting in deforestation and intensive hunting. These activities were their only source of income and food, but they caused damage to the marine and land eco-systems of these areas. Kanché´s goal was to create a new form of income for these people, in the form of tourism. The creation of tourism in this area generates work and economic benefits to the local co-operatives.

The benefits are continually reinvestedin projects with these and other new cooperatives that are starting up other new sustainable activities.

The local groups have made a great effort to develop their skills and create their own economic alternatives. In addition, these groups have created a Communitybased Alternative Tourism Network named Puerta Verde (“The Green Door”) in order to provide the visitor with a much greater adventure.

Only Real Experiences
Travelling with Kanché AC through the Puerta Verde Community-based Alternative Tourism Network not only helps reactivate local economies but also allows the tourist to experience the real culture and nature of the area. You will experience Mayan Culture first-hand and be captivated by the tranquillity of its people. They understand that their most important assets are their people; and you will be invited to learn from local guides about nature and the wisdom of present day Mayan culture. The area that they operate in is peaceful and safe and Puerta Verde operates to the highest standards and provides the best safety equipment for
all activities. You can choose from over 23 different activities – from swimming with a whale shark to a Mayan music concert – and there is an itinerary for all tastes and abilities.

You could choose……

……an Encounter Getaway and get to know the descendents of the Mayan culture and their way of life; learn about their knowledge and their vision of the world and leave behind a bit of yours through sharing experiences……

……a Senses Getaway and experience the secrets of nature by getting to know the ecosystems of this region and learning everything you can about the local animals as local guides show you their habitat……

……an Adventure Getaway if you want to fly over the jungle… if you like to feel your adrenaline flowing, then unforgettable experiences and genuine adventure are waiting for you in incredible spots hidden in nature……

Other options include swimming or observing whale sharks, scientific trips, team-building activities, volunteer work, bird watching trips and children’s camps.

The Ultimate Adventure
Plunge yourself for 4 days into the experience and live alongside both the Mayan culture and nature. You will sleep in rural cabins in a campsite in the middle of the jungle and on the Caribbean island of Holbox. The adventure includes:

Walk under the earth, spider monkey sanctuary, Mayan music concert, Insects´ house, swallow well, bike through the jungle, kayak in lagoon, zip-line/flying fox, flora and fauna observation, canopy, butterfly house, orchid nursery and Millenial tree, and boat trips to cenote/water spring, Bird Island and Holbox Island.

Kanché and Puerta Verde seek a different type of tourist, one that is sensible, responsible and open; but who also has a taste for a real experience. They take great care of the number of visits and the size of the groups that visit in order to preserve the habitats of the attractions; and in turn this gives a very personalised and
memorable experience.

Yucatan Peninsula
The Yucatan Peninsula is a huge block of limestone with barely any mountains. It used to be below sea level and completely covered in coral reefs. The limestone material is very easily dissolved by the acidity of rain water, causing the formation of underwater rivers, many which are still unexplored. A cenote/water spring appears when the roof of a cavern collapses. These water springs used to be the main source of fresh water in the peninsula.

The Whale Shark
Aside from being the largest fish in the world, not much is known about the whale shark. It has never been seen reproducing, nor have newborn sharks been witnessed. Off the coasts of this peninsula, where one of the largest whale shark groupings in the world is found, it has been give the name “domino” – inspired by the white spots on its dorsum. Its mysticism and charisma are the keys to the respect that locals have for them.

The Rubber Tree
The Chicozapote or rubber trees, which show zigzag cuts along their trunks, can be found in this region. The resin of this enormous tree has been extracted through the cuts for many years to make latex and chewing gum without harming the tree. These days rubber is made synthetically but some towns continue to make a living from it. The extraction of resin from these trees is an admirable example of sustainable use of natural resources by providing benefits to people without causing harm to the tree itself or the ecosystem.

The Ceiba
In the Mayan Culture the Ceiba is known as the “tree of life” or the “sacred tree”. Thanks to its special appearance, the Ceiba has played an important part in the region´s culture and is a much respected tree that can be found in abundance near archaeological sites. It is the key to a famous myth about Xtabay (pronounced Shtabai) and is also said to be the tree of fertility, as its trunk resembles the body of a pregnant woman.

The Aluxes
To the Mayans, the aluxes (pronounced alushes) are guardian spirits that protect nature. Being good protectors, they always respect those who respect the environment. However, if someone were to hunt more than necessary or drink more than they should, then the aluxes would make a lot more noise during the night. If the traditionally established norms were not respected, the aluxes will re-establishthe jungle´s natural balance by any means necessary.

For more information on Kanché visit: www.kanche.org www.puertaverde.com.mx info@kanche.org
puertaverde@puertaverde.com.mx Office (+52) 998 892 7767 Mobile (+52) 1 998 204 3275

Transformation Opportunities Ahead In Shared Ownership Industry Says World Class CEO

Michael J.Tolan is a 25-year Veteran to the Shared Ownership industry in Europe and the Middle East.

As a Senior Consultant, he has pioneered and empowered projects in various countries including urban and resort properties in London, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and has pioneered and consulted for marketing operations in Russia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Lebanon.

His organization also founded a Charity group for underprivileged children in 2000, and has organized ‘fun’ day and awareness events for over 15,000 children from 12 countries in the past eight years. This charity is a social action group, and has worked with the United nations in Lebanon and Slovakia, and gathered sports stars and Heads of State to participate in events that called the community to action to social and corporate responsibility.

He is the CEO of World Class Group, a multi-disciplined consulting group where he heads the shared ownership practice within the group. The group has representative offices today in Malta, Beirut and the United Arab Emirates. WCG today operates World Class Vacation Club, a travel portfolio of various resort properties throughout Europe, with alliances in a multitude of destinations.

Q: Michael, When did you start World Class Group?

A: It was an evolutionary process, which was born out of many years of experience in so many various projects we were involved in through our subsidiary company, Platinum Resorts International.

For fifteen years Platinum presented a platform for franchise operators to duplicate our marketing processes in a variety of territories to present to consumers select forms of shared ownership offerings.

From these experiences, we initially resisted the temptation to make a lateral shift into the consulting space as we felt we might eventually create undue competition on our own property portfolios and only two years ago opened the practice as we had sold the majority of our own stock.

Q: What were the goals when you began?

A: Very Simply, diversification and passion. We knew we had earned our PHD in operations, creating resort concepts, marketing and lead generation, sales and training and management, so it was a natural outgrowth for us to leverage that into a full service practice. Our passion to put this knowledge from concept to application was a major driving force.

Q: What could you actually do for a new developer?

A: We are able to provide any developer with a full range of seamless and integrated solutions. If we are brought into to a totally new operation, we conduct a feasibility, SWOT analysis, we make site evaluations, review or make unit mix and amenity recommendations, create a story board for the sales and marketing communications process, HR and Training, International strategies and total start ups. We have been appointed in variety of scenarios, including troubleshooting or re-adapting current process management activities as well as retrofitting a shared ownership component into an existing real estate offering.

In some cases we are able to install an exec team to act as interim leaders in our clients business until we have substantially propelled the operation to one that is self-sustaining.

We have to have the ability to positively impact each client’s needs, and then tailor a solution to solve each challenge.

Q. Which locations do you service?

A. We have been focused on Europe and the Middle East, however the world has become a small place after all, and therefore we are open to new alliances in Asia and Africa also

Q. What type of Developer clients would seek your services?

A: Due to our team’s vast experience, we are able to offers solutions to all developers.

Every new client has special requirements, so there is no cut and dry profile of which clients could benefit from our services. However, those clients that have considered a shared ownership offering may take advantage of partnering with us, hotel groups in various countries that have a vision to expand their brand, create a vacation club that integrates the synergy of their core hospitality business, who could easily host
a stable flow of visitors to their own sales galleries through the inclusion of a holistic strategy.

As fractional and private residence club concepts grow in notoriety, classical real estate developers are also now realistic partners for us also.

Another profile is a resort developer that has started operations and experienced a slow down in operations. This could be due to poorly planned or executed marketing, HR deficiency, an ancient or outdated sales process, or perhaps their strategic planning needs to be revisited. So, in this respect, we are able to offer new and seasoned developers our services. We also conduct training schemes, develop marketing systems, and customer service evaluation and training.

Q: How would you guide an existing developer through the obvious financial turbulence we are facing worldwide?

A: Courage .In Dubai for example, where we have a base of operations, the answer to this question was answered by major property developer companies when they decided almost over night to eliminate sales and marketing departments completely. This was a fear based, knee jerk reaction which I would never recommend.

Some of these giant companies have eliminated thousands of staff overnight as more and more people buy into the sky is falling urban legend.

“I think it is time to calm down and face the changes in the market as challenges, armed with an objective and fearless perspective, rather than a myopic point of view.” “The winds of change provide transformational opportunities.”

“I recall the magically inspiring words of Dr.Robert Shuller when he wrote “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!”

My advice is to use this opportunity to re-explore process management, increase investment in training and human resources, drill into affectivity of all owner programs, referral schemes, consolidate back office teams, redefine ownership missions of management, increase marketing spend on profitable programs, seek compatible new alliances to compliment organizational goals. In essence, be smart but never fear driven, growth is possible in areas where determination and passion prevail. Discover new methods of working with consumer resistance, not against it.

Developers may align themselves with other groups through alliances or mergers prosper in new relationships and innovate new products. Finance is a major concern for many as the upfront marketing costs are prohibitive in some cases, therefore necessity being the mother of invention, its time to be innovative in their approach. Think about all of the products and services, which have been developed during recessionary times. Drive to destination resort opportunities will continue to grow.

Q: How do you view the future of Fractional Ownership?

A: Very bright indeed for offerings that speak to real consumer satisfaction. Fractionals have over the past ten years in the US, been a windfall for developers and consumers alike.

It is a relatively new concept in Europe, and the Middle East even more so. We see an upward growth sector in this space, and are optimistic about its longevity and acceptance by the markets around the world.

Providing stunning quality, impeccable service and profitable consumer options are in place, this is where the real growth will emerge in this part of the world over the next five to ten years and beyond.

Q: Could you tell us more about your Time4sharing charity organization? How did it start and what are the goals?

A: That is the real fun stuff. It started as a fluke to be honest. At the time, in early 2000, we found out that my wife, who had struggled for eight years to have children, was going to have twins, so we felt extremely grateful and decided to do a gratitude event for 40 Underpriveledged children in Prague. That was all we imagined at that stage, one little warm and fuzzy event.

We knew that we had no experience or capability to find these orphans parents, but felt we could do some thing special and memorable. Our project decision was to take these kids to the Prague Zoo for the day. In the spirit of serendipity, this evolved into us sponsoring an animal in the zoo in the name of our movement, Time4sharing, and then we got the idea to have these very children adopt the Kangaroo who we named “Boomerang” as Moms and Dads. We issued them birth certificates, naming the Kangaroo as their
adopted child.

The event gave us all supercharged spirit, the children and our team, and we kept this spirit up for the next year doing 4 events in similar style. That was eight years ago. Since then, we have never asked or received any donations of funding, but do request people donate their time to kids that matter in these events. In all so far, 15,000 kids have participated in kaleidoscope of fun days around Europe and the Middle East.

Our Mantra is to ‘Raise Fun, Not Funds’, as we sponsor the events ourselves, sometimes partnering with our own suppliers, but never with a tin cup. It is about raising awareness essentially.

Time4sharing.org has done some amazing social action projects in the mix for education, environmental, and provided opportunities for many of these kids to meet Sports Stars, Presidents of countries, Singers, it has been an amazing journey and totally enjoyable for everyone involved.

The whole idea was and is now, that sharing time with kids that matter is a rewarding experience for both the lender of the time and the recipient. Volunteers have been members of our Vacation clubs, Developers, staff and students.

We are only too happy to create events with like thinking companies to impact their community awareness and corporate and social responsibility.

Q: What are your business goals for the future?

A: To attract other existing resort operators to partner into our alliance within the WorldClassClub.com portfolio.

To positively contribute our experience and skill sets to quality developer clients around the world in the hospitality and real estate space, to build their brand, to align and partner with innovative groups that have vision to recognize and seize opportunities that provide prosperity and satisfaction for every party involved in the relationship.

We seek to open the many avenues of opportunity ahead of us. To grow our practice and the businesses of our developers and have a lot of fun doing it.

For information about consultancy, write to : info@worldclass-uae.com or contact Michael J. Tolan at: mjt@worldclass-uae.com +971 50 157 2321

Catching The Fractional Wave: A Legal Expert’s Perspective

Eric Gummers heads the hotel and leisure team at Howard Kennedy, international lawyers based in London.

Eric is widely recognised as a leading legal expert in shared ownership and has established fractional and mixed use projects internationally including Brazil, Dubai, Morocco, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

Fractionals: A product whose time has truly arrived?
There is a very considerable buzz at the present time on the subject of fractionals.

The purpose of this briefing is to:

- examine the drivers for this

- consider what is essential in terms of legal structure

- discuss the importance of clarity in delivery and documentation

- touch on some legal aspects which should not be overlooked

Why Fractionals and why now?
Unless you have been lucky enough to be living in a completely news free zone, you will be all too well aware that there has been a seismic shift in the financial and property world over the last 12 months.

These upheavals have radically changed the attitude of consumers to real estate and shattered the illusion that the only direction for the value of bricks and mortar was up.

Aside from the macro economics, there is a growing understanding based on experience that the actual utilisation of a leisure property is normally partial and that there can be considerable advantages in sharing the upfront capital cost and the ongoing annual upkeeps costs with others in line with the time enjoyed at the property.

These twin drivers of the changed economic landscape and new appreciation to the advantages of not having full ownership is creating a very interesting dynamic.

Just one statistic to illustrate that “something is going on”:

So what do you mean by a fractional?
A simple definition of fractional ownership is:

A structure allowing multiple buyers to acquire an interest, equity or otherwise, normally in a luxury property and to collectively enjoy the benefits of that ownership whilst sharing the annual management costs.

As to the period of use: I suggest that for the purposes of categorisation as a fractional this is for a minimum period of two weeks and probably a maximum of a quarter (3 months) giving the relevant fractional owner the right to stay in the property for the corresponding period of the year. The period of occupation is often allocated on a rotational basis. The property may or may not be part of a larger
resort environment. A fractional property can be a single stand alone unit.

There is a view that a distinguishing feature of fractional ownership is that fractional owners have a direct ownership interest in the underlying property.

Grasping the Timeshare Nettle
At the risk of being controversial, I have to say that I am very concerned that a number of developers feel the need in their marketing materials and presentations to state that a fractional product is “not timeshare”.

I am concerned by such an approach because as a matter of legal definition with the European Union, I consider such statements as wrong and misleading.

This analysis has been put beyond any doubt by the Second European Timeshare Directive which was published in January 2009 and which is to be implemented across each European Union member state by February 2011.

The Structure of a Fractional
As always with long term consumer facing products, careful and considered structuring of the offering at the outset will be time and effort extremely well spent. In looking at the appropriate structure, care must be taken to comply with local legal requirements in the location where the property is situate as well as the
jurisdictions where the fractional will be marketed.

I would stress that structuring should seek to encompass all aspects and that it is remarkable how often taxation aspects are considered at a late stage (which is poor planning).

Similarly, an integral part of structuring is the integration of the development financing and arrangements for consumer financing. The structure has to be compatible with those financing requirements and again these aspects should be addressed early with lenders and backers.

If you are contemplating a structure which involves the sale of a share in a company, you must ensure that such an approach is in compliance with applicable securities law and regulation. Again, I am sometimes surprised in reviewing structures prepared by others how this aspect can be overlooked both in the local and the international sales context.

Clarity
For me, well prepared product documentation can only assist the sales process.

A sign of such well prepared documentation is that it is clearly written, well laid out and easily understandable by the purchaser.

I am sometimes astonished that a luxury consumer offering can on occasion be accompanied by documentation which does not match the impression which is sought to be given by the website, the physical property and the glossy brochure

The essential elements of the purchase documentation should clearly set out:

- the fractional interest being purchased and the financial arrangements

- the terms of purchase and the obligations on seller and purchaser

- details of the physical property

- the reservation arrangements

- the ongoing rights and obligations (including the sharing arrangements that are part of the fractional product)

- maintenance arrangements and cost (together the method for calculation of such costs)

- any ancillary services and how these are paid for

Well drafted documentation should remove elements of potential future arguments and ensure that the purchaser understands the fractional product they are proposing to purchase.

Aspects requiring particular care

Investment
Most fractional products structured with proper advice are framed so as not to constitute a security or collective investment.

Accordingly, I caution against emphasising the concept that purchase of a fraction is an “investment” opportunity.

This caution derives from two linked concerns:

1. there are serious legal dangers in being seen to offer a financial product; and
2. the actual financial return is likely to be unproven and recent events have shown how real estate prices can fluctuate;

thus potential future return should not emphasised as part of the sale processif you wish to avoid future litigation if those representations at the time of sale as to future financial performance do not actually occur as indicated.

Over promising
Resist the temptation to over promise. The proposition should be correctly described as it is and as it can be delivered over the life of the project.

It is a mistake to build up an expectation that cannot be genuinely provided.

This includes any additional or ancillary services where you should reflect whether it is really necessary to include these or create the expectation that these will be available.

Correctly estimate annual costs
Similarly, you should be transparent about the level of ongoing costs. Low balling these at the outset will only build up resentment and potential future disputes.

Resales
The potential of a resale of a purchased fraction is a very legitimate concern of any considered purchase. The mechanism and process for resales should be carefully thought through by the promoter of any fractional offering. An indication of a truly successful fractional project will be a thriving and active resale market.

The mantra: Position, Position, Position

There is considerable excitement about fractionals and the fractional world. That interest and excitement does not change certain fundamentals of successful development. One such fundamental is that turning to fractionals is very unlikely to be a solutions for a poorly located or designed property which is not the sort of property where whole ownership would be desirable.

Bluntly put, calling it a fractional will not turn lead into gold.

Catching the Fractional wave
For those readers who are prepared to invest the time, effort and money in creating and carefully positioning truly desirable fractionals, the current times look absolutely right for you and your businesses.

Perspective Magazine – April 2009

As a result of all the conventions and events we are covering throughout this year (16 so far, 9 as official media sponsors), there has naturally been an increase in advertising as developers, markets and suppliers benefit from the additional exposure we achieve above and beyond our core print and online circulation of 19,000+, but we’ve made sure to add plenty of extra
content too to balance it out which has made this edition our largest to date at 88 pages!

April’s Front Cover sponsor is Timeshares Only, who explain why a new period of cooperation between developers and resale companies has begun. We have our first part of Who’s Who In The America’s which includes Group RCI and Sell My Timeshare NOW, with others featuring in May & June editions.

Our exclusive A-List interview this month is with Geoff Ballotti, President of Group RCI on his first year and what plans the company has for the future. Fractional Ownership is certainly getting everyone’s attention lately and Perspective Magazine is no different. This month alone we feature Synchrony Yachts, Paris Residence Club and Eric Gummers speaks out in our second “My Perspective On…” and talks about “Catching The Fractional Wave: A Legal Experts Perspective”.

Later this month we travel to the Fractional Summit London in April and in May we are at the VOASA Conference in South Africa. If you are attending either event and would like to book an appointment to meet with us please call +1 407 792 2343(USA) or +44 191 250 2501 (UK) or email sharon@perspectiveinternational.com

EDITION HIGHLIGHTS Front Cover Sponsorship: Timeshares Only A-List Interview With Geoff Ballotti, President Group RCI Feature: My Perspective On…Catching The Fractional Wave Upcoming Convention: VOASA South Africa Feature: Who’s Who In The America’s: Group RCI Feature: Who’s Who In The America’s: Sell My Timeshare NOW Feature: Fractional Ownership Paradigm Shift Feature: A New Concept In Luxury Yacht Lifestyle Feature: Transformation Opportunities Ahead In Shared Ownership Industry Feature: An Incentive Today – A Dream Come True Tomorrow Feature: Introducing The Villa Las Palmas Collection Feature: Live Your Dream With Paris Residence Club Feature: Sustainable Development Through Alternative Tourism Feature: Providing A Harmonious Blend Of Luxury And Nature Feature: Why Should We Use The Services Of A Third Party Debt Collection Agency? View Digital Page-Turn Edition Online Download PDF Version To Hard Drive

An Incentive today – A Dream Come True Tomorrow

The Connex Marketing Group is leveraging its international presence to deliver sales promotion and motivation programmes, for companies in all sectors, throughout the UK & Europe. The programmes focus on holiday and leisure, and use emotive themes which will motivate every target group and can therefore be used by a wide range of corporate divisions to drive sales. In the current climate, the extremely effective “Made by Connex” incentive products are highly sought after.

“The Connex Marketing Programme focuses on the three key areas of sales promotion, customer loyalty and employee motivation. Connex products have proven themselves over more than 22 years, particularly in conjunction with sales and appointment setting incentives in the new customer acquisition process, but also as valuable enhancement of existing programmes. “We offer incredibly effective solutions to suit every
budget,” says Barbara Laws, the MD of Connex UK & Ireland.

She sees many opportunities for a successful co operation with both developers and marketers throughout Europe.

Prestigious companies operate a Connex holiday incentive scheme which offers a short break for two people. Recipients can choose the time and place of the break, and have a whole year to redeem their holiday. There are currently around 1200 plus selected three to five star hotels, spanning twelve European countries, to choose from. In addition, this incentive product is available in several versions and languages, tailored according to the range of hotels and holidays offered as well as the country or region.

Barbara emphasises the extraordinary cost effectiveness: “Our unique sales promotion programmes cost a fraction of their real value and the developer/ marketer offering them incurs no costs at all.”

Additional to these incentive products, a range of other programmes are available, with prices to suit every budget. Numerous current projects demonstrate the ongoing effectiveness of these programmes, including highly cost-effective sales promotion tools for wide-ranging promotions. Custom-made programmes for targeted implementation through developers, sales and marketing companies can also be designed in no time.

Barbara believes that the Connex programmes can help the industry in the following areas:

- Tour Incentives and Referral programs
- Sales Incentive for cold line as well as in house
- First day closing tool
- Fantastic added benefit for sampler programs (or exit programmes): due to the fact that the programmes offer Hotel Stays, they can be easily integrated into the sampler programs without the developer to start worrying about becoming a lead generator for other resorts.

“It is essential that our business partners know that Connex only operates on a B2B basis and as a result will NEVER ever contact their database. All programmes are only available through the selected group of Connex business partners and can not be purchased by the client him/ herself”.

Additional to the already mentioned benefits Connex fills the gap of sought after and high quality European short break stays within the TS industry.

“The range of use of the Connex Marketing Group’s Services and Products are just as wide as the sales and marketing goals of our customers are manifold”, concludes Barbara.

Contact: Barbara Laws, barbara.laws@connexgroup.net

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