Experienced vacation ownership industry marketing executives partner on innovative new firm, offering executive consulting, business development, and digital marketing services to clients of all sizes.

Marketing consulting firm Resort Insiders, recently launched by longtime industry professionals Dennis Brisson and Chris Hornbeck, offers an extensive suite of executive consulting, digital marketing, business development, and marketing operations consulting services to developers, resorts, travel clubs and marketing companies in the worldwide vacation ownership industry.

Brisson, an industry-veteran marketing executive with extensive experience in site-level management, call center development, and vendor relationship management, has held senior executive positions at Wyndham/Fairfield, Club Navigo/Island One, and KGI Resorts, and Hornbeck, a digital marketing and technology expert, has an extensive background in tour and lead generation, data analysis, and marketing operations, having spent a number of years as both an independent e-commerce consultant and Director of Internet Marketing at Festiva Resorts.

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

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.

Trading Places International (TPI) today announced that the 4 Seasons at Desert Breezes Resort has been awarded the prestigious RCI Gold Crown Resort property designation by RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange.

A select number of RCI affiliated resorts meet RCI’s requirements for recognition and have earned the RCI Gold Crown Resort award. These resorts have attained high levels of excellence in resort accommodations, hospitality and member experience as measured by RCI.

“4 Seasons at Desert Breezes Resort is honored to have achieved this prestigious RCI designation,” said Tom Newman, director of Resort Operations at TPI. “The association’s board of directors, through diligent planning and oversight and working with its managing agent, Trading Places International, plan to maintain this Gold Crown status by providing owners and guests the quality accommodations and services we are known for.”

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

The Lubner Group, internationally respected for its hospitality and commercial design work, has recently completed the total renovation and installation of new furnishings for five “Old Conch” styled buildings with a storied past at the Coconut Beach Resort in Key West, Florida, positioning the resort to enter a new phase in its legendary history.

Located at 1500 Alberta Street on the Atlantic side of Key West, the vacation ownership resort is set against lush gardens and quiet walkways with white verandahs and French doors opening to the sea. The Lubner Group’s design challenge was to blend existing Victorian gingerbread architecture – rich with living history – with a fresh lifestyle in an updated tropical design that invited guests to relax in serene tranquility. Amenities include a pool, Jacuzzi, and private beach. The resort has been named an Interval International Select Resort.

The Lubner Group (www.LubnerGroup.com) completed the six-month total interior renovation project in three phases. Work included the selection of all furniture, fixtures and equipment for the 32 one- and two-bedroom/two bath units plus the resort’s lobby. The Lubner Group also provided design direction for the kitchen and bath cabinetry and flooring.

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

Lodging demand trends continue on a solid recovery trajectory, despite heightened global macroeconomic risk stemming from European sovereign debt concerns and a slowdown in China, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings.

Fitch’s report, ’2012 Lodging & Timeshare Outlook: The Penthouse View,’ provides a cross-sector perspective of the industry. Positive operating fundamentals support a stable outlook across four subsectors, including lodging C-Corps, lodging real estate investment trusts (REITs), CMBS with high hotel exposures, and timeshare asset-backed securities (ABS).

Hotel property-level operating performance should continue its solid improvement in 2012-2013 as a result of a favorable supply/demand outlook.

U.S. RevPAR remains roughly 5% below the 2007 peak. Fitch’ 2012 base case currently reflects 4%-5% industrywide RevPAR growth in the U.S., followed by mid-single-digit growth in 2013.

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

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.

Vacation ownership software leader SPI Software recently announced a new client, Worldgate Timeshare, located in Kissimmee, Florida, has chosen SPI Orange Software as its enterprise IT solution. Worldgate Timeshare is a mixed-use property with 429 guest rooms and an array of amenities, catering to both the vacationing family and the business traveler.

“Worldgate’s IT requirements were a little more varied than what a cookie-cutter system could offer,” comments SPI VP of Sales Matt Brosious. “Thanks to SPI’s use of table-driven technology, our system will be flexible enough to encompass their needs. We anticipate that they will enjoy using our suite of software products to help them handle their business operations much more efficiently than ever before.”

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

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.

MarineMax Vacations is pleased to announce the addition of power catamarans to its charter fleet. Initially, 10 new and well-equipped power catamarans will be available for charter beginning on June 1, 2012, at the MarineMax Vacations charter base in the British Virgins Islands, operating from the beautiful Hodges Creek Marina. The MarineMax 382 is a customized Aquila 38 Power Cat, designed by the internationally famous naval architect team of Morelli and Melvin based out of Los Angeles and built by Sino Eagle Yachts based out of Fuyang City, China.

“We are extremely pleased to offer our customers a modern power catamaran with particular emphasis on improving comfort on board,” said Raul Bermudez, VP of Sales and Marketing at MarineMax Vacations. “With a forward walk-through from the huge fly-bridge, electric stove, water maker, electric barbeque grill, wireless connectivity, genset, air conditioning and water maker, we are confident that these two-cabin, two-head power cats will deliver the comfort standards that MarineMax Vacations demands for our customers.”

Power Catamarans are the “Cats Whiskers” for Cruising the Tropics

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.

With construction scheduled to begin no later than June, Morritt Properties plans to invest some $58 million during the next five to 10 years in order to expand its East End resort development on Grand Cayman island.

According to a report in cayCompass.com, Morritt Properties has set a goal of doubling time-share ownership to more than 30,000 members.

“I’m so excited about the future,” owner David Morritt said in a news release. “We’ve had a brilliant year, and it’s only going to get better.”

The rest of this article is for registered users only.
Login now or Register Free Here for full access to all articles, groups and forums.