Perspective Magazine’s Second Annual Global Networking Expo, GNEX 2012 – The Global Meeting Of Minds, took center stage at the Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico as 177 delegates representing 91 companies gathered to seal business deals over January 31^st – February 2^nd, 2012.

Attendees from as far away as Australia, United Arab Emirates, Malta and Brazil converged for three days of outstanding panel discussions, informative presentations and clever social events to produce the most unique, globally-focused industry networking event on the 2012 calendar.

Participants such as Francisco Neto, Executive Director of Rio Quente Resorts in Brazil, Ashraf El Zarqa, COO of Emirates Vacation Club and Ramy Filo, CEO of Classic Holiday Group gave resounding reviews of the event, as the combination of audience-driven panel debate, business meetings, speed networking and nightly parties created an environment for delegates to build new and lasting relationships.

Numerous business deals were finalized throughout the event as the specially-designed networking lounge and extended networking time built into the conference agenda gave attendees the time and atmosphere to create strategic partnerships.

More information about GNEX 2012 will be available during the next few weeks on the conference website at http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex.

Our thanks go out to our GNEX 2012 event sponsors and supporters:

Blue Strawberry Resorts,  Holiday Systems International, Sunset World Resorts, Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Travel To Go, Interval International, Lloydshare, RCI, BuyaTimeshare.com, Customer Count, Emirates Vacation Club, First American Title Insurance Company, Hop-On, Merlin Software, Sell My Timeshare NOW, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, Track Results Software, Travel Guard, YachtsE, Circle One BlueBay Resort, El Cid Vacation Club, Grand Velas, Mayakoba Residences, Royal Resorts, Unlimited Vacation Club, Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP), Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), The Pacific Institute, Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest Conference, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), Women in the Industry (WIN) and Christel House International as Charity of Choice.

Next year’s event is already on the 2013 calendar as GNEX 2013 – The Global Meeting Of Minds makes its first foray into the United States at the world famous Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California during February 4-6, 2013. More information will be available in the coming weeks on the conference website at http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex.

About Perspective Magazine

Perspective Magazine is the leading independent, multi-media information provider for the shared ownership industry. The company publishes five regional brands covering North America, Latin America, Europe & Middle East, South Africa, and Asia Pacific which are, combined, the most read independent trade publications globally for the vacation ownership industry.

The company’s consumer magazine, Owners Perspective Magazine, is the only independent consumer publication that specializes in promoting the benefits of buying shared ownership products to the general public and is also available as a specially customized developer edition for lead generation, in-room marketing and third party sales collateral. Owners Perspective Magazine’s online version, http://ownersperspective.com, also features a new guaranteed lead generation program specifically designed for resorts and developers. The site will host the company’s latest endeavor, Vacation TV, a streaming 24/7 online video channel full of information about vacation ownership products and services.

Perspective Magazine also operates a recruitment advertising service through TimeshareStaff.com (http://timesharestaff.com ),  fractional property listing services and a customized in-room Resort Television product that encourages on-site spending and vacation ownership sales.

GNEX is the company’s annual global networking expo which gathers the top industry professionals from around the world to network, create new strategic alliances and develop joint ventures that can benefit their businesses.

Perspective Magazine also publishes online through http://perspectivemagazine.com, hosts an online community of industry professionals through Perspective Forums, engages a social media audience of over 44,000 followers through its corporate social media accounts and is a media sponsor of 30 major industry events around the world.

For more information, please visit http://perspectivemagazine.com or email Steve Luba at steveluba(at)perspectivemagazine.com. For information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit  http://perspectivemagazine.com/advertise.

Building on solid tourism numbers in 2011, the Mexico Tourism Board predicts 52 million tourists will visit Mexico in 2012. This follows a strong winter break season with hotels in many of the top tourist destinations – from Cancun to Los Cabos — seeing a significant increase in occupancy compared to last year’s winter break.

SECTUR, The Mexican Ministry of Tourism reported that the number of air arrivals in December 2011 was up 13 percent compared to the same period in 2010. More than 1.07 million international travelers visited Mexico in the last month of 2011, a record for December.

In addition to an increase of visitors from the US (10.6 percent) and Canada (9.1 percent), Mexico received significant year on year increases from Spain (6 percent), Italy (10.5 percent), Argentina (21.4 percent), and France (12.4 percent).

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Sunset World Resorts & Vacation Experiences announced that Hacienda Tres Rios Resort, Spa & Nature Park was awarded a Green Globe High Achievement Award for its environmental conservation commitments. This award was given to only six hotels in the world.

During the traditional Three Kings breakfast held for the media in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the tourism group announced the acquisition of this coveted award by the Riviera Maya ecotourism resort. In addition, a 2012 schedule of important cultural, environmental and sports events in order to boost tourism in the Mexican Caribbean was presented.

The Brand Director of Sunset World Group Annie Arroyo reported that Green Globe presented the High Achievement to Hacienda Tres Rios for achieving the highest score in the 320 indicators in environmental, social and cultural sustainability in the region of Mexico and Latin America.

The sustainability certification system developed exclusively for the travel and tourism industry also granted this recognition to; Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa, Bali (Asia / Pacific), Club Med Djerba La Douce, Tunisia (Africa), Hotel Concorde Berlin , Germany (Europe), Mövenpick Dead Sea, Jordan (Middle East) and Bucuti Beach Resort, Aruba (Caribbean).

Last year Hacienda Tres Rios reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability when they received their third consecutive Green Globe Certification for excellent environmental performance. The property, designed and operated by Sunset World, met 96 percent of the 320 indicators examined by the certification company, represented in over 90 countries, which was the highest percentage worldwide.

Sunset World Resorts & Vacation Experiences also announced events scheduled for 2012 promoting sports, culture and greater awareness for the care of the environment.

It was reported that the tour group will participate in the Bilin Bilin Cup this year in May 2011, hosted by the Sunset Ocean Spa Hotel, with the participation of 16 teams from Mexico, Argentina, Guatemala and Venezuela. It will be the sixth year for the competition and it is expected to generate more sports tourism.

The 2nd Sprint Triathlon Riviera Maya is another event scheduled to take place at Hacienda Tres Rios. Last March approximately 300 athletes participated and the event was covered by Televisa and TVC Sports.

Sunset World announced that once again they will participate in the celebration of World Wetlands Day, which falls in the month of February. Activities include the reforestation of mangroves and promoting awareness with students about the importance of these ecosystems. In the past four years, the Tres Ríos Nature Park nursery has produced and reforested more than 90 thousand mangrove trees.

For the third consecutive year the hotels and tourist properties will participate in the Earth Hour initiative by turning off their lights for one hour as a tangible commitment to raising awareness of the importance of preserving the planet earth.

Other events scheduled for 2012 will be the second edition of the Environmental Expressions Forum, which last year brought civil society groups together to exchange experiences in environmental preservation. In addition the details are being finalized for a 2nd bicultural meeting, which in 2011 joined representatives of the Mayan and Tibetan cultures in an unprecedented meeting full of magic and mysticism.

Finally, among the social and human development activities, the 3rd annual Stars by Nature Contest conducted in coordination with the Golden Years Club will take place in December to encourage the elderly to practice healthy living and arts and cultural activities.

Sunset World Operations strengthened with new appointments:

Sunset World Resorts & Vacation Experiences announced the appointment of German Fayyad Sierra as the new General Director and announced the appointment of new directors as part of its plans for growth and consolidation as the best Mexican Caribbean vacation experience for 2012. The tour group named Luis Alfonso Oñate Hernandez as Director of Operations and Oscar Quiroz Orbe as Executive Corporate Chef, a newly created position in the group.
Another change in the area of ​​food and beverages is the hiring of Jaime Gonzalez Izazaga as Food and Beverage Manager of Hacienda Tres Rios Resort, Spa & Nature Park and Sunset Fishermen. In addition Paola Flores joins the Vacation Club group as Manager of Sales and Promotion for RCI.

The Yucatan-based vacation experience company becomes the latest participant in the timeshare and fractional industry networking and awards event.

Perspective Magazine ( http://perspectivemagazine.com ) announces that Blue Strawberry Resorts will be a Platinum Sponsor of the Second Annual Global Networking Expo, GNEX 2012, in Cancun, Mexico.

“Blue Strawberry is very proud to be a sponsor and a destination host for this year’s 2012 GNEX conference in Cancun, Mexico. We look forward to reconnecting with industry colleagues and welcoming new partners to the GNEX family. Congratulations and welcome to Cancun,” said Erika Garcia, Owner and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Strawberry Resorts.

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The online advertising company for the timeshare resale and rental market becomes a sponsor of Perspective Magazine’s second annual industry networking and awards event.

Perspective Magazine announces that internet advertising company BuyaTimeshare.com will become a sponsor of the Day One Networking Break during GNEX 2012 – A Global Meeting of Minds in Cancun, Mexico.

“GNEX offers an opportunity for the best minds to share their knowledge and experiences, which creates a catalyst for better shared ownership experiences industry-wide,” said Wesley Kogelman, president and CEO, BuyaTimeshare.com.

BuyaTimeshare.com is one of the leading internet advertising and marketing companies online for timeshare owners who seek to sell or rent their timeshare by owner. In 2010, the company provided $90,435,503 in qualified offers to owners who advertised their timeshare for sale on the company’s website. Over 6,300 confirmed offers were sent to advertisers by BuyaTimeshare.com as legitimate offers due to the industry-leading, technological advances of the company’s website. The company’s average offer of $14,197 last year was about 70% of the $20,000 average price of a new timeshare interval, which is excellent value and significantly higher than the usual prices garnered on the resale market.

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The timeshare and fractional industry’s leading independent information provider is expanding its corporate presence into Latin America.  

Perspective Magazine announces the latest expansion of its global brand with the establishment of a new regional operation in Cancun, Mexico as the foundation of its corporate move into Latin America. To lead this expansion, the company has hired Joana Gonzalez as Director of Business Development – Latin America.

“Expanding into a new region is always exciting, but selecting the right people for your team is critical.” said Paul Mattimoe, President & CEO, Perspective International. “Joana’s knowledge of Latin America through her previous roles within the industry, and her natural drive and energy perfectly compliment our vision for company growth and we look forward to helping build her team which will deliver incredible services to so many resort developments throughout such a vibrant region.”

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cover image used for illustrative purposes only

Perspective Magazine will be unveiling its newest regional edition, Perspective Magazine Latin America, at its timeshare and fractional ownership conference, GNEX 2012 in January.   

Perspective Magazine (http://perspectivemagazine.com) has announced the launch of its fifth version of the award winning trade publication as the brand expands into the Latin America region with the introduction of Perspective Magazine Latin America. The first edition will debut during the Global Networking Expo, GNEX 2012 – A Global Meeting of Minds, in Cancun, Mexico in January.

Perspective Magazine Latin America will be focused on news, new product features and resort destination content unique to the Central and South American markets, inclusive of Mexico and the Caribbean which will receive more prominence in this edition, whilst still featuring more sporadically in the larger flagship North American edition. The magazine will be in keeping with the high quality, professional tradition of the Perspective Magazine brand, which has collectively become the most-read, independent trade publication globally for the timeshare and fractional ownership industry.

“There is enormous growth potential for the shared ownership product in Latin America, with over 900 properties already located in the region,” said Paul Mattimoe, president and CEO, Perspective Magazine. “80 new projects were started in 2010 and in Brazil alone there was 400% growth in interval sales between 2005 and 2010. This type of potential is what has drawn us to invest in the new magazine and staff based locally in the region.”

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RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of brands, today announced the renewal of its affiliation agreement with El Cid Resorts. The 35-year old Mexican hotel group continues the partnership in an effort to offer the high-quality services and varied exchange options its owners have come to expect over the 27 years RCI has been its exclusive vacation exchange provider. The agreement includes El Cid Resorts’ six developments in Mazatlán,Cozumel and the Mayan Riviera.  

“We chose RCI as a provider of vacation exchange because it offers members the benefits of the world’s largest vacation exchange network, in addition to being committed to the growth and expansion plans of our company,” said Carlos Berdegue, president and managing director, El Cid Resorts. “RCI’s business and marketing solutions complement our service offerings, making for a very productive relationship.”

Each of the El Cid Resorts attracts visitors with its first-class oceanfront accommodations, luxury spas and friendly and dependable service. Mazatlán’s four locations are renowned for their golf courses, while the Cozumel location gives visitors access to cave and cavern diving. In the Mayan Riviera region, travelers staying at Hotel Marina El Cid Spa Beach Resort can go snorkeling in the aqua waters of the Caribbean in Puerto Morelos National Reef Park.

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by Cathy Backus, CSA Travel Protection

Every 3 minutes, a woman in America is diagnosed with breast cancer.  For many of us these words go in one ear and out the other but for the organization, “Send Me on Vacation,” that’s not the case. On June 5^th, 2011, at the Grand Mayan Resort located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a “Survivors Scramble” began a day of celebration for every woman who has fought against breast cancer. Over 95% of the players in the scramble had never swung a club, but, driven by the worthwhile cause, everyone came out to play.

June and Mel Grant, San Francisco Exchange

Hosting this weekend event, the Grand Mayan Resort, San Francisco Exchange and CSA Travel Protection invited guests to enjoy a beachside dinner at the beautiful Punta Arena restaurant located on the grounds of the Grand Mayan Resort and Spa. The program’s initial honoree ”Jacque Duhame” of Scottsdale AZ, captivated 30 guests, sharing her tremendous challenges, counting her many blessings and sending her sincere love and hope to all women who have ever been affected by the disease.  She elaborated on the outpouring of love and support shown to her by her family, friends and industry professionals. There is certainly nothing good about any type of illness or disease but when people move mountains to come to the aid of others in need, a feeling of love for mankind prevails. 

Nine companies supported nine survivors, donating funds that will send 3 women on vacation in 2011 to refresh their body, mind and spirit after completing treatment. Aspen Financial, Backus ∙ Carranza & Burden, Chicago Title-Timeshare, Condominium Travel Club, CSA Travel Protection, First American Title-Vacation Ownership, San Francisco Exchange, Travel to Go and Women in the Industry.

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Timeshare and fractional ownership multi-media information provider Perspective Magazine announces its media sponsorship for the 2011 AMDETUR Convention later this month in Cancun, Mexico.

“We are very excited about having the opportunity to meet, learn and share again with our colleagues and all attendants to our Annual Convention, particularly in this occasion when we are celebrating its silver anniversary as the most important vacation ownership industry forum in Mexico –a US12 billion dollar sector that represents 40 percent of the lodging supply in the country”, said Juan Vela Ruiz, Chairman, AMDETUR.

AMDETUR (which stands for Asociación Mexicana de Desarrolladores Turísticos) is otherwise known as the Mexican Resort Development Association and acts as the national association for the timeshare and fractional ownership industry in Mexico. This will be the 25^th annual convention for the association and is scheduled for June 22-24, 2011 at the Moon Palace Golf and Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico under the theme “AMDETUR, 25 Years Promoting Mexico”.

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