Forget about “The Official Internet Provider of USA Swimming” – strategic alliances in the resort industry are all about synergistic fit.
By Matt McDaniel, editor

While there are still a few companies that will align themselves with any other company willing to write a big check, many of today’s corporate alliances actually make sense. Two cases in point: Intrawest’s relationship with Land Rover and The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club’s relationship with Marquis Jet.

The 2010 Land Rover Range Rover at Steamboat Resort

While the relationships that Intrawest and The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club have with their strategic allies are quite different in purpose and execution, they share an important element: value and relevance to their company.

Intrawest/Land Rover
In January, Intrawest and Land Rover North America announced a new strategic partnership that will see Land Rover serve as the year-round automotive partner at three of the premier mountain resorts in North America – Stratton Mountain in Vermont, and Winter Park Resort and Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, both in Colorado. Under the terms of the agreement, Land Rover vehicles will be on display at each resort and included in on-site and web-based promotions throughout the year. Online videos featuring Land Rover vehicles will feature winter driving tips for consumers and Land Rover will be the presenting sponsor of the Snow Report page on each resort’s website as well as the email notifications that help resort guests plan their winter vacation experiences.

Intrawest is no stranger to strategic alliances. The company has agreements with American Express, Coca-Cola, Sprint and “a vast variety of major national and global brands,” says Andy Wirth, senior vice president of strategic alliances for Intrawest. He says that most of his company’s strategic alliances are built on three legs:

• Advertising and brand exposure. The realm of the advertising and promotions agencies, quality and volume of exposure offered by this component can compare very favorably to outdoor advertising or other promotional and advertising campaigns that a company might engage in. “Specifically, we provide exposure to a great number of customers over an extended period of time,” Wirth explains. “Relative to Land Rover, we’re doing that through the test-drive events and the daily snow and grooming reports and much, much more.”

• Staff and client entertainment. “Resorts are used as entertainment locales for our partners,” Wirth says. “Sprint will entertain its largest business customers here in Steamboat, while we are staging major NBC broadcast events,” for example. He says that over time, his company will move forward similarly with Land Rover.

• Direct return on investment. Wirth says that where his company is able to, they provide either primary or exclusive access to their business as an account for the ally’s service or product. He again cites Sprint as an example, as Intrawest exclusively uses their telecommunications devices. “In that case, we pay our phone bill and it becomes a direct return on investment.” He says that while his company is unable to employ Land Rovers as vehicles for all staff, “ultimately this all distills down to helping Land Rover sell vehicles – and we’re quite confident we can do that.”

Intrawest's Steamboat Resort in Colorado

While the alignment of customer profiles is a given, what may be most interesting is the customers’ disposition while on vacation. “When people visit our resorts, their advertising filters are somewhat decreased,” Wirth says, adding that people tend to be significantly more receptive to and engaged by contact with Land Rover than they would be at home.

“The customer has significantly higher recall and the quality of impressions as measured through some of our focus groups ranks significantly higher,” he says.

The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club/Marquis Jet
Like Intrawest, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club seeks compatible companies to align with. “We look at relationships we think would be complementary whether it’s a car company, whether it’s a luxury goods company,” or other upscale organization, says Ed Kinney, vice president of corporate affairs for The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, which oversees the private residence club. “We have to be very selective; obviously, there are people who are very willing to do business with us because they want the relationship or the connection with Ritz- Carlton … we’re pretty guarded about making sure we’re not aligning ourselves with somebody that is trying to use us simply as an endorsement.”

The club’s partnership with Marquis Jet, which officially began in November 2009, is the farthest thing from being a mere endorsement. Kinney says the club’s alliance with Marquis Jet, a leader in private jet cards, is a relationship that not only aligns the two companies’ similarly upscale members, but also complements the two travel components offered.

Kinney says that the relationship with Marquis Jet made sense because club owners highly value their vacation time and don’t want to spend a lot of time waiting in lines – instead, they want to maximize their time and “feel somewhat like they’re living a privileged lifestyle, so Marquis Jet just seemed to fit that,” Kinney adds.

But it takes more than that to become a partner with The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club. “They have a great customer-service track record too,” says Kinney. “Everything about their operation is first class – not only in just the total experience, but obviously the equipment and everything that they offer. Kinney says The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club was confident that their members would appreciate and enjoy the Marquis Jet benefit, making his company very comfortable with the alliance. He notes that Marquis Jet “knows all the airports and their facilities” and can work almost seamlessly with the club to make the trip hassle-free and enjoyable. “It’s not like they’re hopping on an unfamiliar charter – Marquis Jet knows our side of the business, so we can work together and make sure everybody’s needs are taken care of,” Kinney says.

Exterior of a Marquis Jet Hawker 800XP

“Complementing brands that reflect each other’s values of customer service and perception of prestige is critical for both of us.”

The Marquis Jet relationship also provides members with additional valuable benefits, including an executive response program that provides 24-hour access to medical services Mayo Clinic.

Of course, there are benefits to The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club as well. “Certainly there’s a collaborative marketing effort,” Kinney explains. “Marquis Jet members are great prospects for us and they’ve been included in the database to receive Ritz-Carlton Destination Club information.

That is one of the mutually beneficial aspects of the partnership with Marquis Jet; our members are great candidates for their program and their members are great candidates to become members of Ritz-Carlton Destination Club.”

So what does the club look for in a potential strategic ally? Kinney says there are four primary elements:

• Complementary products/services
• Excellent customer service
• Best-in-class status
• Stability

Kinney says Marquis Jet has all four components. “We’ve both been around for quite some time – Marquis Jet not so much as the Ritz-Carlton brand, but about the same amount of time as The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club – and we continue to show our customers that we each are the best of the best of our respective areas,” he notes. “That’s important as time goes by and you see other people in our industry going by the wayside and then other people on the jet card side going by the wayside as well, but each of us have maintained a stability and a solid reputation for being the best at what we do.”

And reputation is certainly important – perhaps even more important for this customer demographic. Kinney says club members look to his company and the expertise of their staff to evaluate and vet outside programs, and only present to members the ones that are the best fit. “There are many other fractional air programs out on the market today,” he says, “and the fact that we would go through the time and effort to evaluate them for what their merits are and use them as an extension of the membership benefits gives our members peace of mind.”

New Brand Introduces New Capabilities and Enhanced Services Providing a Local and Flexible Approach to Travel, Expense and Cash Flow Management with a Focus on ROI

Regardless of company size, business travel is frequently one of the largest controllable expenses – yet many small to mid-sized companies may not believe travel management programs are accessible for their travel budget. To meet these companies’ needs with a range of services tailored to their unique requirements, American Express Business Travel has reaffirmed its commitment to small and mid-sized companies with the launch of aXcentis. Backed by American Express Business Travel’s global travel management expertise, aXcentis is a newly branded offer introducing new capabilities and enhanced services focused on delivering localized, flexible and comprehensive travel management programs to companies with up to $10 million in annual travel spending.

“The new brand, aXcentis, is part of an enhanced suite of services and new capabilities designed to address the evolution of small to mid-sized company needs for sophisticated managed travel programs at a reasonable cost,” said John Berkley, vice president, U.S. middle market client segment, American Express Business Travel. “We have a long history of working with small and mid-sized firms, but many of our services have not been clearly defined and we saw an opportunity to add new innovations through one singular offering. It was important to launch aXcentis as a way to raise awareness about our services and further demonstrate our commitment to helping these companies get their travelers back on the road and growing their business.”

Transcending the basic tools and practices traditionally employed by small and mid-sized businesses, aXcentis can manage 100 percent of total travel and expense spending focusing on:

* Program Strategy – Applying proprietary methodology to evaluate a company’s current travel and expense process, identifying areas of improvement and matching a business goal-driven program with clearly defined measurements for return on travel investment.

* Cash Flow Management / Spend Recycling – Employing a system to manage budget spent on unused travel so these resources can be applied to future trips; this “spend recycling” technique can save companies 3-7 percent, freeing up cash that can be used to invest in other business areas.

* Insight and Benchmarking – Using its large and comprehensive database of T&E spend to deliver business intelligence that informs sourcing and spend efforts and provides the basis for benchmarking and performance measurement.

Driving Return on Travel Investment
A well-designed travel management program helps companies ensure that they do not under-invest or overspend as their need for travel increases in line with economic revival. Recent studies suggest that business travel can have a positive impact to growing revenues, and companies with a managed travel program can achieve a greater return on their travel investment.

Berkley continued, “A common challenge facing small to mid-sized companies is that many lack a dedicated internal travel department, and with the Great Recession, most businesses were forced to cut back on resources and spending dedicated to travel services. But in the new normal of business travel – where companies will begin traveling again but with likely spending constraints – there is a clear opportunity for these companies to invest their travel spending more strategically.”

Ongoing program management is handled through a local and dedicated aXcentis client management team that will work with companies to optimize their program and provide counsel to help them realize the greatest return on travel spending. Clients also have access to experienced travel counselors who understand the needs of small and mid-sized companies and are available 24 hours a day.

To underscore the combined dual global and local nature of the aXcentis brand, American Express Business Travel has introduced the tagline, ‘Wherever you are, we speak your language’. The name ‘aXcentis’ is derived from the word ‘accent’, illustrating American Express Business Travel’s emphasis on the new offering. An accent is also literally “a mark used in many different languages to create emphasis on specific sounds” – symbolizing American Express Business Travel’s ability to provide local service, worldwide. The American Express Business Travel ‘X’ branding standard was used to illustrate how aXcentis is a key component of the overall corporate brand, taking American Express Business Travel’s core attributes and incorporating them into the new offering. The brand also introduces a new vibrant orange color to the American Express palette, giving aXcentis a unique visual identity.

Additional benefits of aXcentis include:

* Access to exclusive negotiated deals with suppliers and the lowest total trip costs in the industry.

* An automated travel manager suite, including a pre-trip auditor and authorization tools, which support travel policy both on and offline. Additionally, traveler tracking tools are included to help companies identify where their travelers are at all times.

* A meetings management package that includes a self-service booking tool for smaller meetings and access to a meetings desk of experts to assist with larger meetings.

* Tools to calculate potential savings, recover unused airline tickets automatically, and manage expenses online.

The new aXcentis brand and offering is being rolled out in six key markets including the U.S., Canada and Australia. In the UK, the Nordic region and France a similar platform is being launched called aXcent.

About aXcentis – by American Express Business Travel
aXcentis is backed by nearly a century of American Express experience in providing travel management services to business of all sizes and travel budgets. Through aXcentis, small to medium-sized companies have access to a broad array of travel services through local account management and a reliable and experienced global organization. A focus on driving savings and control over travel and related spending through a proactive and consultative approach can help companies achieve a positive return on travel investment. Our reach may be global, but at the heart of our success are businesses just like yours.

About American Express Business Travel
American Express Business Travel (www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel), a division of American Express Company, is committed to helping its clients maximize the greatest return on their travel investment through increased cost savings, world-class customer service and greater spending control. Ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, American Express Business Travel provides a combination of industry-leading technology, travel management consulting, strategic sourcing and supplier negotiation support, alongside global customer service available online and offline. The Company also provides a dynamic online community (www.BusinessTravelConneXion.com) harnessing the collective intelligence of those in the business travel industry offering a variety of perspectives, best practices, current research and industry news.

American Express operates one of the world’s largest travel agency networks with locations in over 140 countries worldwide.

American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.

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).

VacationBetter.org Announces Winners for 2009 Photo and Story Contest

As part of an industry effort to promote the power of travel during National Travel and Tourism Week in May, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) launched the “Bring Your Vacation to Life” photo and story contest. Contestants were asked to share a memory of a timeshare vacation that impacted their family, health, or enjoyment of life.

American Express gift cards were awarded to first- and second-place photos and one first-place story. The highest award went to Sally Lessig for the photo “Al Relaxing” and the story “Thru the Years”. Second-place photo prizes were awarded to Alexis MacDonald for “Lexie & Dan Love Myrtle Beach” and to Tracy Dunn for “For My Next Act”.
ARDA recognizes the need for vacations and the long-term benefits associated with taking regular vacations that contribute to better health, relationships, and job performance. In these tough economic times, the large number of entrants reflected the real value of timeshare ownership and how pre-paying for future vacations, guarantees that owners get away at least once a year.

According to ARDA, timeshare owners continue to travel to their timeshare destinations. The ARDA International Foundation (AIF) reported occupancy rates are at 81.6% in the State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry: United States Study, 2009 edition.
Owners are encouraged to share their stories, photos, and videos by visiting www.VacationBetter.org/Vacation-Scrapbook.

About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) on-line resource informs consumers of the importance of vacations and the overall health and wellness benefits of enjoying one – regularly and economically – through timeshare. VacationBetter.org gives vacationing families and consumers a way to learn about traveling better with vacation ownership.