The FORUM Fills a Void – And Much More
February 12, 2010 by Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional ReviewsAttendees from across Europe and around the world converge in London to attend the first FORUM Conference, which served as 2009’s main event for the European shared-ownership industry.
By Matt McDaniel, editor
2009 was bad enough. And in a year without a conference held by the Resort Development Organisation (RDO; formerly known as the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe or OTE), at least some shared-ownership professionals were neither pleased with how 2009 had gone so far nor entirely optimistic about 2010.
“We were all disappointed we were not going to have an event this year, but then we had this event,” said RCI Vice President of Development Dimitris Manikis. “Everybody was a bit negative in the beginning, but everybody’s leaving with a smile on their faces – we heard some great success stories, and I think we’re all ready for a challenge in 2010. We’re a great bunch of people, great companies, great people to work with, and I think we’re going to have a great year.”
So what turned people’s attitudes around? It was, in this case, participation in The FORUM Conference, held 9 and 10 December at the Sofitel London Heathrow Hotel. The FORUM was a not-for-profit event arranged and hosted by Generator Systems and Perspective Magazine to enable the European timeshare and fractional industry and international guests to reflect on the economic downturn of 2009 and discuss best practices and innovative ideas for 2010.
An Event Overview
Spanning all aspects of the shared ownership industry, The FORUM drew from the experience and knowledge of more than 30 industry experts from Europe, USA, Asia, South Africa and Mexico. A combination of seasoned veterans (and a few outstanding newcomers), inspiring speakers, panelists and moderators took a look at the difficulties of the past year and then looked forward to new opportunities.They discussed everything: legal and financial hurdles, the need to adapt and the desire for change, new sales and marketing techniques, regional and local challenges and more. But perhaps most importantly, topics actually were discussed by everyone.
Each person in attendance was given ample opportunity to pose questions, make comments, and even disagree with a presenter, which happened more than once. This combination of expert advice and instant vox populi feedback translated into real-world answers and oftentimes practical, workable solutions to challenges facing our industry. The FORUM provided an honest, open and frank environment to share views and encourage cooperation as we enter a new era.
What’s more, in various sessions participants broke down the issues by geography, evaluated and analyzed the latest industry statistics and facts, and talked directly with RDO leaders about legislative changes and other issues facing shared ownership. According to FORUM attendees, two of the main reasons for attending the event were networking and hearing the latest industry news. The FORUM powerfully met both these objectives: Shorter sessions and an intimate and relaxed setting for coffee breaks and lunches maximized networking opportunities, and knowledgeable speakers coupled with a truly interactive format meant that those there heard up-to-the-minute reports on what was going on in shared ownership worldwide.
Importantly, the conference content worked on two levels: Long-time industry players were able to glean knowledge from their peers, while new entrants to the industry could learn a great deal.
“There was practical information that we need. Especially for us, a development that’s just starting to go into the fractional industry, so this is exactly the kind of forum that we need to gain credible information and all the details we don’t know about,” said Regan Berger, sales and marketing director for Promotora Golf Fain S.L. “[The legal session] which essentially opened our eyes to a few things that we hadn’t thought about thus far.”
“It’s always good at least once a year to catch up with your fellow industry experts and to swap stories and to see how they’re getting on in this business,” said long-time industry player Peter Booth, managing director of Pestana Vacation Club. “And once again find out if you can learn a little bit, because you never stop learning in this business and there’s always something to pick up and take away and implement back home at your resorts. For me it’s been enlightening and a couple of things that I’ve penciled in to follow up when I get back to Madeira.”
Popular Sessions
Session highlights according to attendees were the sales and marketing and fractional sessions, as well as the open-agenda, open-mic Gloves Off! session.
In the session, Selling & Marketing to the new consumer: What Works for You?, panelists and participants shared what worked and what didn’t over the past 12 months; listened with interest as Philip Watson, managing director of Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, described a new TV advertising program that looks set to unleash a sustainable cost-effective route to market; and heard Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International, describe how his consumer publication, Owners Perspective Magazine – through aligning with major brands outside of the industry, such as British Airways – was proving that consumers have a greater appetite for timeshare and fractional products than some would think.
In another session, Is Fractional the Future of the Shared Ownership Industry?, panel speakers and members of the audience opened up about what actually was selling in 2009, providing actual sales totals at various properties worldwide. Attendees also discussed the various definitions of the word fractional and debated the differences between fractional and timeshare interests. It was clear that most fractional developers still wanted to disassociate themselves from the timeshare industry, despite hearing that the two products were in fact legally considered the same type of product.
The Gloves Off! session lived up to its name, as attendees fiercely continued their examination of fractionals and where again some fractional developers still battled with definition issues, even when comments came from other developers and even fractional exchange companies to the contrary. But most importantly, this session allowed for a much needed group discussion to take place that involved major players in the industry debating (and essentially shaping) the future of the shared ownership industry – something that in Europe, at least, is extremely rare. On a separate topic in this same session, delegates also got into a quite-spirited and controversial discussion of how to rid the industry of unscrupulous holidaypack scammers.
But the meeting was not all about heated debate on serious subjects. The FORUM scored a major coup in featuring two industry icons, each of whom had scarcely spoken at shared-ownership events during the past 10 years. John Spence, chairman and owner of Karma Royal Group, has over 25 years in the business, but he delighted the crowd with brilliantly funny anecdotes from his pre-resort music-industry days and his early days in our business. Roy Peires, chairman and founder of Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels, fascinatingly explained how his company came to be among the leading lights of timeshare in Europe and one that is, by its innovative and progressive approach, defining the standard and shaping the way in which its more than 50,000 members enjoy their holidays.
Summing It Up
“Without an RDO conference [in 2009], there were few opportunities for all interested parties within the industry – developers, exchange companies, finance companies – to actually get together in one place and at one time and not just socialize, but talk business,” said Michael Myers, Interval’s vice president of resort sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” And without it, we would have had to wait a whole year. If you don’t bring the industry together, it tends to go off in separate directions.”
Others agreed with Myers’ assessment. “It’s very easy to get down when you read doom and gloom in the papers all the time,” commented Leslie McCann, group marketing director for Seasons Holidays Plc, who effused about The FORUM and then mentioned an additional benefit to attending: “If you just come away from an event like this with one idea and make it your own, that’s what it’s all about, really.”
Overall, people seemed to really enjoy the event in addition to appreciating its business benefit. Further attendee feedback indicated they also believed the conference was a good value for the money and that it was well-organized, two reasons why those who took the time to comment rated the meeting as either good or excellent overall.
“It’s been fantastic, bringing everyone together,” saidRobin Mills, communications chairman for RDO. “I’m really grateful for what Generator and Perspective have done. It’s been the right mixture of networking, sessions, individual speakers and party.”
Possibly most significant, however, is that many attendees left the conference with a positive outlook for the future of the industry. “It’s been a great time for the industry to come together, and I think we’ve accomplished a lot,” says Interval International Managing Director David Clifton.
“It looks like people are optimistic that 2010 is going to be better than 2009.”
Generator Party Rocks The FORUM
Of course, there was a Generator party at The FORUM – and Generator-hosted bashes are renowned for their great music, freeflowing drinks and let-down-your-hair fun.
The evening began with an elegant dinner and good conversation. A supposed maître d’, chef and server turned out to be a trio of gifted operatic singers in an extremely entertaining comic routine that captivated the entire audience.
Later, as people moved from the dining to the dancing, an energetic and talented cover band got people moving and grooving right away. It also didn’t hurt to have the conference’s “Generator Girls,” who were dressed all in white and had been serving champagne at the entrance, move inside and invite attendees to join them on the dance floor.
It has been said that many times that our industry “knows how to party,” and perhaps it is best to borrow a phrase from Las Vegas: What happens at the Generator party stays at the Generator party.
“There were a few sore heads this morning,” noted Robin Mills on the day after the party, “including mine.”
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