Savage Direct Marketing, a Kirkland, Washington based direct marketing tour/lead generation company has announced a new “Owner Referral Viral” direct mail campaign.  Called “Friend-to-Friend,” it is designed to be especially effective in getting new and longtime Owners busy again referring friends to resort projects.

“Very user-friendly,” said Paul Savage, president of Savage Direct Marketing.  “Owners, friends of owners and sales teams benefit from this turnkey program.  Owners hand-out or “re-mail” postage–paid Vacation Certificate Guest Passes to friends and associates.  It’s all coded and trackable to give Owners the credit/incentives they earn for referring friends and associates.” 

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Fermin Cruz, VP of North American Business, DAE

Dial An Exchange (DAE), internationally known for providing exceptional customer service, has identified a need within the family of timeshare owners for a program that will enable them to become more knowledgeable about their purchase, the timeshare industry and their owner benefits. They plan to share that information with Orlando area timeshare owners on January 28.

Two years ago, DAE hosted their first Vacation Education Seminars for timeshare owners in Arizona with each program attended by about 150 owners. “The owners loved them,” said Fermin Cruz, VP of North American Business for DAE. “They asked tons of questions ranging from how their maintenance fees are spent to how they can rent their week out to the public.”

The event was so successful, that the DAE executive team decided to continue the series in other U.S. regions. To be credible, they felt the seminars should be given by a company not attempting to sell any product. DAE’s third Vacation Ownership Seminar is scheduled for January 28 at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center at the Florida Mall near downtown Orlando. More than one hundred timeshare owners who live and own in the Orlando metropolitan area are expected to be in attendance. The seminar will be about two hours in length and will feature a lengthy Q&A session for attendees to obtain the most benefits from each session. Each guest will receive a free gift for attending.  No sales presentations will be given. For information on the seminar, call 800-468-1799.

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Dirk Wilson of fractionalownership.co.za has just produced a series of educational Q&A videos featuring a panel of key leaders from all sectors of the fractional and vacation ownership industry, and posted them on the fractionalownership.co.za website. He says: “There are over 24 billion websites floating out there in cyberspace, with a staggering 4 million websites being added to this number each month. You Tube alone has 24 hours of video being uploaded to it every 60 Seconds. As time-starved consumers, we are increasingly seeking ways to avoid the clutter and cut to the chase, and to find niche content platforms which assist us with our decision-making.

“As a dynamic online marketing company that specialises in fractional ownership, we are assisting buyers, owners, property professionals and researchers by continually providing a variety of free and interactive content. This assists our visitors to fully understand the concept of fractional property ownership in Southern Africa, and the ownership and usage differences between timeshare, fractional ownership and private residence clubs. We believe that online video is the most convenient way to deliver this educational content.”

The first series of informative Q&A videos features a panel which includes Alex Bosch, Executive Director of the Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA); Deon Viljoen, Director of Operations of Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts; David Clifton and Darren Ettridge from Interval International (which is based in the UK but moving into Africa with their global exchange programme); and Henry Greyling, CEO of Seeff Fractional Ownership. The sessions are debate-style, and the viewer is a fly on the wall. Each clip is under 11 minutes long.

This series addresses the broad question of ‘What is shared vacation ownership?’, and includes topics such as ‘How has the shared vacation ownership market evolved over the past 5 years? Do we have a new generation of consumers that are dictating future products based on their usage requirements?’, ‘What makes conventional fractional ownership and private residence clubs different from conventional timeshare products?’ and ‘What is happening in the South African fractional ownership resales market, and what channels and methods can fractional owners use to resell their fractions privately?’

Wilson says anybody who wants to know why fractional ownership is revolutionising the way people own leisure use property should watch the videos – “Here they will hear all about it from our experienced panel of experts. Using the internet as a dynamic resource, we will help people to become better informed in order to make the right purchase decisions which fit in with their lifestyle, family and financial objectives.

“We encourage property marketers and sales professionals to embrace the fact that the power has shifted – consumers now have countless channels to research, compare, and find the facts before making a purchase decision. Companies that embrace this change, use technology and communicate are the ones that will increase market share.”

View the videos at http://www.fractionalownership.co.za/videos/listings

Contact Dirk Wilson on +27 (0) 72 591 8582; +27 (0) 21 556 5064; email dirk@fractionaladvertising.com.

Hotel-Stays Program Works as an Incentive or Reward for Customers or Employees

The Connex Marketing Group, which has been providing incentive programs for the past 23 years, offers pan-European leadgeneration and sales-incentive programs that can be tailored to the needs of individual resort developers, regardless of how many or few countries they have operations in.

Connex provides a hotel product that provides free accommodation in 1,500 quality hotels (mostly 3- and 4-star establishments) throughout Europe. Resorts can offer a membership of any length for their owners as a sales package benefit or first-day closing tool, provide individual certificates for one-stays as a tour gift, or use either the membership or one-off certificate as part of an exit program. The hotel stays are the perfect add-on for two key reasons:

• Program inventory available for short breaks throughout Europe is plentiful, even in areas traditionally known for having extremely limited exchange activity
• Program inventory is at hotels rather than timeshares, so that you’re not providing leads to your competition.

Participating developers receive a customized website carrying their own branding that is accessible in eight main European languages. The multilingual approach is essential for today’s European resort developers. Connex has the experience and ability to serve whatever regions your resort(s) market to – and may even help you expand to other European markets.

What’s more, the hotel certificates are perfect for use as sales incentives, employee appreciation gifts or customer-referral rewards.

Barbara Laws

“The Connex Marketing Program 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 programs,” says Barbara Laws, managing director of Connex UK & Ireland. “We offer incredibly effective solutions to suit every budget.”

Laws also emphasizes the extraordinary cost-effectiveness: “Our unique sales promotion programs cost a fraction of their real value and the developer/marketer offering them incurs no costs at all.”

Connex partners include major shared-ownership resort operators throughout Europe, with expansion into the Far East and Australia planned:
• Holiday Club Hungary
• Seasons Holidays
• Petchey Leisure
• Ambassador Club at Amadores
• Regency Resorts
• Absolute Vacation Club
• Resort Properties

“We were really impressed with the Connex hotel booking plan, which forms a critical part of one of our premium upgrade products,” says Leslie McCann, group marketing director for Seasons Holidays. “We have seen so many different bolt-ons over the years in our industry; it is refreshing to find a product to see that many of our clients find easy to use and appreciate.”

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

Privacy of client information and exclusivity of Connex Marketing Group’s products also are core elements of the company’s business model. “It is essential that our business partners know that Connex only operates on a B2B basis and as a result will never contact their database. All programs are only available through the selected group of Connex business partners and cannot be purchased by the client directly,” explains Laws.

Multiple Resort Solutions
The range of use of the Connex Marketing Group’s services and products is just as wide as the sales and marketing goals of their customers are manifold.

Customers
Sales enhancement
Promotions
Product enrichment
Customer loyalty
Complaint management
Cancellation avoidance
Internet communication

Employees
Rewards, anniversaries
Christmas

Sales Partners
Address collection
Recommendation schemes
Appointment setting
Sales promotions
Enhanced customer services
Cross selling
Sales contests

Public
Opinion formation
Image campaigns

For more information, contact Barbara Laws or Louise Knott on +44 (1428) 749 569 or by e-mailing officeuk@connexgroup.net.

For many years now European resale company’s mode of operation has been centred round obtaining exorbitant up front registrations from timeshare owners for registering their weeks and then doing nothing to sell them on. The type of companies that both TATOC and RDO have been fighting to close down for many years.  With this in mind Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket one of Europe’s leading resale companies, researched the various auction web sites that are in use and is proud to launch “Timeshare Shopper” at the TATOC conference this weekend being held at the Belfry Hotel in Nottingham.

Timeshare Shopper is a new auction website for timeshare owners which put you in control, whether it is selling, buying, renting, swapping or exchanging week(s) of timeshare. It’s free and easy to register at Timeshare Shopper and you will have access to hundreds of timeshare bargains, or as a seller you will only pay a modest fee to advertise your week(s). You can also use our unique comparison service to find the market value of your timeshare.

The concept behind Timeshare Shopper is to ensure that buyers and sellers of timeshare are in total control of the whole process with no middle man.  Timeshare Shopper will allow them to advertise their timeshare at the price they believe that it is worth but they will also be able to accept bids should they so wish. All monies will be held in trust by a recognised fiduciary so you know that your money is totally safe and secure. Timeshare Shopper will be open to both individual people as well as corporate entities which mean there will always be a good selection to choose from.

For further information about Timeshare Shopper contact Phil Watson, Managing Director Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket at philw@wwlg.co.uk

VacationGuard Inc. has introduced new plan enhancements for its travel protection product offerings. VacationGuard is the leading provider of customized travel protection plans for timeshare owners. The company’s travel insurance is specifically designed to cover timeshare owners in case of financial loss when their vacation plans are altered or cancelled by illness, weather, accidents or delays.

VacationGuard has simplified the purchasing process by eliminating the need to upgrade plans for additional premium.  The company’s new offerings incorporate numerous upgrades into its core plans, dramatically improving benefits, without increasing pricing. New plan benefits automatically extend some benefits for cruise exchange, frequent flier re-deposit fees, and other out-of-pocket expenses associated with a timeshare vacation. The result is simplicity of choice and significant savings.

“Life has gotten complex, which is why we wanted to simplify the process of buying timeshare travel protection. Our goal is to deliver products unmatched in quality and value. “said Brian Rock, VacationGuard’s Vice President.  “VacationGuard insurance contains costs, and that keeps owners happy.”

Available through a proprietary system at http://www.vacationguard.com, or via qualifying distributors, VacationGuard is underwritten by Nationwide, representing the strongest financial security possible.

VacationGuard is designed for the unique needs of timeshare owners. The company’s products were the first to cover a range of items in one policy, including medical costs, trip delays or cancellations, maintenance dues, property damage, and now upgrades. Consumers purchase VacationGuard annually, not per-trip, as they do with other travel insurance products. The consumer benefits because there is no longer any need for expensive multiple travel insurance purchases, or upgrade fees.

VacationGuard Inc. is a Seattle-based insurance firm with over 30 years experience developing products covering hospitality risks for travel consumers, timeshare developers and operators, hoteliers and others in the rapidly growing hospitality, travel and tourism industries.

Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor Expands Company’s Metropolitan Portfolio

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), today announced it has welcomed its first CLUB WYNDHAM® Plus owners to its highly anticipated urban property – Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor.  In development for more than three years, this 250-unit resort is the company’s second resort in the popular Washington D.C. market, joining Wyndham Old Town Alexandria.

“Our nation’s capital has always been a popular vacation destination.  Wyndham Old Town Alexandria was wildly successful when it opened in 1999 and it remains one of our most popular resorts so it was a natural decision to double our presence in this market,” said Franz Hanning, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. ”The fact that our National Harbor property is more than 75% sold out is a testament to the popularity of our urban properties and the Washington D.C. area.”

Situated within National Harbor – a 300-acre waterfront community in Prince George’s County, Md. on the banks of the Potomac River – this purpose-built resort property features 250 condominium-style, fully furnished units, including 42 opulent, presidential suites.  Built in an 11-story tower, the resort also boasts an expansive health and fitness club, indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, an outdoor terrace with a spa and wading pool as well as a recreation room.  Owners and guests will also enjoy the ever-growing popular urban vacation experience by having immediate access to the wide variety of shopping and dining options within the National Harbor complex, such as McCormick & Schmick’s, Dolce Enoteca, Ketchup, Grace’s Mandarin and Rosa Mexicano.

Located just minutes from the countless landmarks and attractions of Washington D.C., Wyndham Vacation Resorts at National Harbor, which will operate within the company’s CLUB WYNDHAM Plus exchange program, caters to a growing travel trend among timeshare owners to take vacations to major metropolitan centers.  In an owner survey, Wyndham owners indicated that nine of the top ten destinations they’d like to visit next are urban.

National Harbor was still being built when we bought,” said Eva and Al James of Oxford, NC, CLUB WYNDHAM Plus owners. “The location of the capital was a draw and the resort is right in the heart of the action.”

This resort property is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of urban resorts, which are designed to offer owners convenient access to the exciting shopping, dining and nightlife located in or near the epicenters of major metropolitan destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.  The company also boasts properties in other popular urban markets, including San Francisco, Calif., Seattle, Wash., Las Vegas, Nev., San Antonio, Texas, Vancouver, BC and Sydney, Australia.

About Wyndham Vacation Ownership
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests.  Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its three primary consumer brands, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.   As of January 1, 2009, Wyndham Vacation Ownership had developed or acquired approximately 150 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific that represent approximately 20,000 individual vacation ownership units and more than 830,000 owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by approximately 13,800 employees globally.

About National Harbor
National Harbor is a community unlike any other in the D.C. region, designed to take full advantage of the most historic river in the nation.  Rising from the banks of the Potomac River just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George’s County, Md., National Harbor is a 300-acre, mixed-used development designed to include five hotels (including the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center), thousands of residential and office units, tree-lined promenades with scores of shops and restaurants, a marina and much more.

Timeshare resort management company announces promoting Drew Langway to senior post.

SPM Resorts, a full-service, professional timeshare resort management company, recently announced Drew Langway has been appointed Regional Vice President Operations. The management company provides services to 30 timeshare resorts, serving approximately 100,000 owners/customers.

Langway began working with SPM Resorts in 2007, beginning in the management trainee program, and was appointed Regional Director of Operations in 2008.  He has a B.S. in Financial Management from Clemson University, holds a South Carolina Real Estate License and is a member of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).

About SPM Resorts:
SPM Resorts, Inc., a full-service professional timeshare resort management company, manages 30 resorts serving approximately 100,000 timeshare owners. SPM’s mission is to provide sincere and genuinely warm service and hospitality equal to the best in the industry, from every level of the organization. SPM’s philosophy is to maintain an environment of appreciation, respect and sound working conditions for their employees. The SPM team manages the operations of facilities under their control in a highly ethical and professional manner to produce the greatest possible financial accountability and responsibility to the timeshare owners. In addition, SPM’s management team is frequently called upon by banks and investment groups to assist with workouts and turnaround situations. For more information, contact SPM Resorts at 843-238-5000 or visit www.spmresorts.com.

Mary Jo Rich promoted to timeshare resort management company senior staff position.

SPM Resorts, a full-service, professional timeshare resort management company, recently announced the promotion of Mary Jo Rich to the position of Vice President of Owner Services/IT Support Services. Her responsibilities will include managing a team that provides services to the management company’s 30 resort-clients’ 100,000 owners/customers, as well as handling its information technology department.

Rich, who began her career with SPM Resorts in 1997, has served in various management positions including that of General Manager, Corporate Transition Coordinator and, most recently, Regional Director of Operations. With an Associate’s Degree in accounting, Rich’s experience includes a broad range of management functions involving resort management, corporate policies and procedures, new business transitions, corporate training programs, quality control and auditing.

About SPM Resorts:
SPM Resorts, Inc., a full-service professional timeshare resort management company, manages 30 resorts serving approximately 100,000 timeshare owners. SPM’s mission is to provide sincere and genuinely warm service and hospitality equal to the best in the industry, from every level of the organization. SPM’s philosophy is to maintain an environment of appreciation, respect and sound working conditions for their employees. The SPM team manages the operations of facilities under their control in a highly ethical and professional manner to produce the greatest possible financial accountability and responsibility to the timeshare owners. In addition, SPM’s management team is frequently called upon by banks and investment groups to assist with workouts and turnaround situations. For more information, contact SPM Resorts at 843-238-5000 or visit www.spmresorts.com.

TATOC, a non-profit company, was formed in 1989 to act as a networking group for the appointed members of timeshare owners’ committees. Today the Association has 70 resort members representing over 250,000 timeshare owners across Europe and is sponsored by some of Europe’s leading timeshare businesses.

One of its most important activities is the free Consumer Helpline which operates from the organisation’s head office in Manchester, United Kingdom. The Helpline takes over 600 calls and 80 emails per month from consumers looking for assistance and information. It has been estimated that the Helpline has saved consumers over £1 million.

The Association required a software solution that could support the activities of the Helpline, provide the necessary statistics and reports and assist with the marketing and promotion of the Association. Harry Taylor, CEO, said “TATOC is growing all the time and the Helpline is proving to be a great success. So we were looking for software that was flexible to handle every element of our operation. The added bonus is that Merlin comes with a full accountancy package so we will be able to run everything on one system rather than using multiple programmes”.

Chief software developer Mike Pnematicatos, a veteran of the timeshare industry said “Merlin caters for all types of business in the timeshare industry and we were delighted to assist such a worthwhile organisation. Working with Harry and the team has led to the development of additional functionality which all our clients will benefit from”.

Martine Pnematicatos, Merlin’s European Operations Director said “Merlin’s flexibility and ease-of-use is ideal for TATOC. We can support the activities of the Helpline while providing TATOC with marketing and accounting software to help them run the Association on a daily basis. They can communicate with consumers, collect membership fees, undertake marketing to generate new members and account for all of this activity”.

Board director and project co-ordinator Geoff Chapman added “Just as the original Merlin was to King Arthur – every indication is that Merlin will prove to be our very own ‘wizard’, and will enable the Helpline to provide an even better service to consumers.”

Developed as state of the art Business Application Software, Merlin is served across the internet and users simply access it securely via a web browser from anywhere at any time. This means that frequent traveller Harry Taylor will be able to access the system wherever he is to view the progress of the team.

Merlin is the leading industry software provider using the technology of Cloud Computing to deliver software direct to an internet browser.  Merlin is resource light, incredibly intuitive and allows unlimited users and multiple locations to access the software securely in real time from anywhere in the world. It enables resorts and hotels to benefit from time and cost savings – yet still be at the cutting edge of internet technology.

Contact details
For more information on Merlin Software for Vacation Ownership contact Mike Ashton on, email at mikea@quickmerlin.com  or visit www.quickmerlin.com to arrange a full demo.