Heading off to ARDA

At first it feels like I’m going to a reunion of some nature. And actually it is. With 3,000 of our closest friends we are bound to know lots of folks.  What’s cool is there is always someone new to meet, a new idea to encounter, a new technology to be amazed at, and a new company with a great platform.

What’s got my attention this year are a few things. First of all WIN (Women in the Industry.org) is having our third ARDA networking function.  This time at the Double Helix in the Palazzo shops. We’re a bit nervous because we didn’t know we’d have so many enthusiastic members and supporters who want to attend Tuesday night.  An embarrassment of riches, so to speak. But, this being Vegas, we figure that people will come and go and we all won’t be there at once.  (Keep your fingers crossed!)

Secondly, CustomerCount© is powering a survey on Green Initiatives at the Triton Timeshare Software booth and at various Wi-Fi locations throughout the convention. The preliminary information was interesting and the complete data will be of great help to ARDA’s Sustainability/Green Design Group committee to help establish the future direction of the committee’s focus. In order to encourage vital responses all timeshare professionals responding to this survey will have a tree planted in their honor by Arbor Day Foundations as part of its “Replanting Our Forests” campaign.  CustomerCount has just launched a new web site at www.customercount.info so check it out!

Grand Pacific Resort Management will be actively pursuing management contracts. They’ve been managing their own resorts for nearly two decades and have decided not to keep their expertise hidden from resorts that can use their help.  Since I’ve known these people since my start in the industry, it is a lot of fun watching them evolve from a derivation of Winners Circle Resorts to their own full fledged company with 14 resorts, 45,000 owners and 800 employees.

Another old friend is ResortCom International.  They’ve refocused their strategies and now are clearly defining the two divisions and their services.  Since I used to work in-house full time with Jeff Healy and his strong group of executives and hard working managers it’s particularly wonderful to be back sharing their professional growth and plans for the future.

An exciting component of ARDA this year will be seeing ResorTime.com signing up resorts to broaden their already robust portfolio of 300 resorts.  I’ve already referred lots of my friends who are not “in the biz” to take advantage of ResorTime.Com’s great rates and they’ve come back with rave reviews. As an A+ member of the Better Business Bureau, it’s hard to believe they’ve been around for 10 years.

I’ll be at the The Trades booth interviewing a bunch of people on Tuesday for AskMando TV, so if you’re around stop by and say hello. It’s always good to see new and old friends!