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.

RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange, and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury holiday exchange program, will organize and co-sponsor three Shared Holiday Ownership Workshops in 2012. The workshops provide essential information for those involved in the shared holiday ownership industry or anyone interested in entering the field. The first workshop takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 6, followed by workshops in Edinburgh, Scotland (April 25) and Vienna, Austria (May 22).

“We are proud to be organizing and co-sponsoring the Shared Holiday Ownership Workshops in 2012,” said Sean Lowe, managing director, EMEAI, RCI. “At RCI, we value education and lively discussion surrounding industry topics, and the interactive programs for these three workshops will provide new information and perspectives to all attendees.”

Topics covered at these workshops will include:

• Why shared holiday ownership?
• The range of shared holiday ownership options including timeshare, fractional and mixed-use models
• How shared holiday products work
• Legal structures
• Efficient and effective sales and marketing
• Customer care

The workshops boast an impressive lineup of speakers who will make appearances in at least one of the workshops, including: Dimitris Manikis, RCI; Paul Mattimoe, Perspective International; Philip Bacon, HVS; Christopher Allen, Hutchinson & Co Trust Company; Eric Gummers, Howard Kennedy; Piers Brown, Fractional Life; Lisa Migani, FNTC; Philip Broomhead, FNTC; and Ioannis Verdelis, Best International.*

The co-sponsors of the workshops are HVS, FNTC, Howard Kennedy, Best International and Citadel.

Visit www.SHOWorkshops.com for more information and booking forms.

*  Speakers may be subject to change

About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with over 4,000 affiliated resorts in approximately 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through RCI^® Weeks, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points^®, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center, rciaffiliates.com or The RCI Blog. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

About The Registry Collection program

The Registry Collection program is the world’s largest luxury exchange program comprising over 33,000 members and more than 160 affiliates on six continents. More than 180 properties are available through The Registry Collection program and are either accessible for exchange or under development. From condo hotels and high-end fractional resorts to private residence clubs and fractional yachts, The Registry Collection program provides members with access to an elite network of the finest vacation properties at some of the world’s premier destinations, as well as personal concierge services that are available 24 hours a day. The Registry Collection program is offered by RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center or theregistrycollection.com.

Applications have been made to the UK High Court in relation to the proposed mergers of Diamond Resorts (Europe) Limited with three of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Diamond Resorts Spanish Sales S.L., Diamond Resorts Tenerife Sales S.L., and Diamond Resorts Balearic Sales S.L. in accordance with The Companies (Cross-Border Mergers) Regulations 2007 (“Merger Regulations“).

Pursuant to regulations 10 and 12  of the Merger Regulations the merger plan and directors’ report in relation to each of the three mergers are available to download on the Diamond Resorts’ website by clicking here.

Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group, has revealed that its UK members travel extensively, find holiday ownership satisfying, own an average of 1.9 weeks of shared ownership time or its equivalent, and report average household incomes of approximately GBP 70,050 per year. And, more than one-quarter report ownership of a second home — apart from their holiday ownership.

These findings are from Interval International’s 2011 UK Membership Profile, which was developed from a sample of UK-resident vacation owners maintaining an active membership with Interval. The online study was undertaken to provide insights for use in the development of services and benefits to be offered to Interval members and may also be useful to resort developers and prospective industry entrants in designing their products and developing their marketing strategies.

Interval’s UK members spend approximately 28 nights away from home travelling solely for leisure purposes. Additionally, these study respondents indicate a penchant to travel across the European continent during the course of the next two years, boding well for future holiday ownership purchases. Further afield, they have a strong desire to visit the USA and Canada, the Caribbean, and Australia and New Zealand.

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RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE:WYN), is slated to host the Shared Ownership Conference on Jan. 10, 2012 at JW Marriott, Mumbai. The conference aims to help audiences discover the key to turning assets into opportunities as it delves into the shared ownership industry in detail.

The day-long conference will be an essential forum for hoteliers, resort owners, real estate developers, investors and hospitality consultants to understand and explore the benefits of shared ownership and the ways in which it can be successfully integrated into leisure real-estate developments to maximize the revenue potential of available assets.

“RCI was early to advance the case for timeshare development in India,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “And the tremendous success that RCI’s affiliates have experienced across the country over the past 20 years confirms the opportunity for all developers of real estate to explore the many benefits that shared ownership has to offer. Our operations, marketing and business development teams in our offices across India remain more committed than ever to helping our developers capitalize on the significant demand for their vacation offerings and services that is growing in India today.”

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Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), welcomes The Village Coconut Island, the latest Absolute World Group resort to join its global vacation exchange network. The private residence club is part of an exclusive mixed-use development on a private island off the east coast of the popular holiday island of Phuket, Thailand.

“The Village Coconut Island has been developed to create the ideal vacation residence for owners and Interval International members,” said Bryan Lunt, chairman of Absolute World Group. “With staggering views of Phang-Nga Bay, endless amenities, and a high level of service, it is the perfect paradise island escape. To find such a quality all-villa resort right on the beach is rare.”

In fact, the resort was recently named Best Shared Ownership Development in the inaugural South East Asia Property Awards created by Property Report South East Asia. The magazine received more than 1,500 nominations and recognised winners as “the crème de la crème of the industry.”

Absolute’s private residence club is part of the 192-unit Coconut Island resort community with 500 metres (1,640 feet) of unspoiled beachfront. Amenities include a spa and state-of-the-art fitness centre offering yoga classes and Thai boxing lessons, two lighted tennis courts, and a children’s club.

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Beach Republic The Residences was crowned a winner at the sixth annual 2011 Thanachart Bank Thailand Property Awards held during a Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, Thailand.

The most prestigious and sought after acknowledgement of excellence in Thailand’s property and real estate industry, the Thanachart Bank Thailand Property Awards are the benchmark for quality and showcase the best of the best.

This year the public submitted for consideration over 1,300 companies and developments across 31 categories. Of these, just 80 were shortlisted and subjected to a rigorous review process. Nominated in the category of Best Shared Ownership Development for its Koh Samui property on the northern tip of Lamai Beach, Beach Republic The Residences was named the winner for the second consecutive year.

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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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Shared ownership and timeshare industry analytics company hires Jenny Ochtera to run sales operations

Trooval Inc., a San Mateo, CA-based predictive analytics company, announced today that Jenny Ochtera has joined their team as the Executive Vice President of Sales.

“We are excited to have Jenny on our team”, stated Jonathan Lowenhar, Trooval CEO, “She brings extensive experience in the vacation ownership industry coupled with an ability to strategically position Trooval for growth.  She is a fantastic addition.”

Ochtera is a 20 year sales and marketing veteran.  Prior to joining Trooval, she held several senior leadership roles in the vacation ownership space including Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ePercipio, Project Director for the Ritz Carlton Club and Residences at Kapalua Bay and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for American Skiing Company.

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Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), will host the 13th annual Shared Ownership Investment Conference from October 17 through19 at The Peabody Orlando. This forum will offer a thorough overview of shared ownership to real estate and hospitality professionals that are considering entering the business or converting an existing asset.

On the conference agenda are sessions led by top industry experts that will explore the business models of traditional timesharing, fractional development, and private residence clubs. Featured speaker Jeffrey Ma, who co-founded Citizen Sports, a visionary sports media company, will explain how Web 2.0 is changing business and revolutionizing branding. Attendees will also hear from Peter C. Yesawich, Ph.D., the widely quoted marketing strategist and trend-spotter, who will present findings from his agency’s 2011 Portrait of American Travelers^tm.

Among the hundreds registered for next week’s investment gathering are representatives of several large national financial institutions that are involved in shared ownership or have recently entered the business, as well as financiers evaluating the industry.

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