Last Wednesday night, at ARDA World, the American Resort Development Association celebrated it’s best, presenting its 2012 ARDA timeshare industry awards.

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners. With so many categories, we won’t look at them all today, but we do want to draw your attention to a few …

Category 12: Marketing Manager/Team
Winner: BGV Marketing Service, Breckenridge Grand Vacations

Category 31: Owner/Customer Relations Manager/Team
Winner: Grand Pacific Resorts-Owner Services Team, Grand Pacific Resort Management

Category 33: Communications/PR Professional
Winner: Brooke Doucha, Holiday Inn Club Vacations

Category 48: Green Sustainability Program within a Resort
Winner: Hilton Kings’ Land Phase , Group 70 International

Category 49: Green Sustainable Program within a Company
Winner: Wyndham Green Program, Wyndham Vacation Ownership

Category 61: New Owner/Member Package
Winner: Anantara Vacation Club, Anantara Vacation Club

Category 65: Website
Winner: Share Your Vacation by RCI

Category 66A: Social Media Campaign-Small Resort Developer (less than 5 properties)
Winner: Mark Gratta, Breckenridge Grand Vacations

Category 66B: Social Media Campaign-Large Resort Developer (more than 5 properties) or Hospitality Industry Partner
Winner: RCI’s Social Media Program

 For the complete list of Award finalists and winners, go to: ARDA Awards

Four (plus) amazing days of vacation ownership and timeshare industry networking, friendship, and relationship building at ARDA World 2012. The amount of learning and idea exchange that goes on at an American Resort Development Association event is incredible.

Next week, we are going to look at many of the sessions and share photos, slides, and new insights gained with all our readers here on The Timeshare Authority blog. Timeshare ownership, as well as the way timeshares are bought, sold, rented, and enjoyed is changing. Our company is proud to be part of that change.

But as we tell you about the fun we had, the new ideas we gained, and the new relationships we forged, we want to never overlook the two critical factors that drive our business:

1. Timeshare and vacation ownership serve individuals and families, helping them enjoy affordable vacations and easier vacation planning.
2. Timeshare and vacation ownership must also serve the needs of individuals and families who desire to sell or rent their timeshare intervals and vacation club memberships, providing them reliable options for timeshare resale.

And as many are celebrating Passover, Easter, and the joys of Spring, we wish you and your family a safe, happy weekend, with precious time shared together.

(Jason Tremblay and Jay Bade at ARDA World 2012)

Last night, at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, the timeshare industry honored and celebrated its successes–the best and brightest of the past year.

In a black tie affair, where everyone sparkled, we dined together and shared both the humor of entertainer Tom Papa, as well as  many laughs with “comedians” from the timeshare industry itself.  (Who knew we could be so  funny?)

The awards are numerous and we will be looking more closely at the award winners in upcoming days, but for now, let’s just say that  despite reporters who choose to write stories that mislead the public; despite an economy that challenged all (not just timeshares); and despite the fact that nearly every one of us has more to do in a single day than we can possibly accomplish, the men and women of timeshare still found time to:

• excel to excellence in service, communication, design and innovation
• share of their time, talents, and service with those less fortunate
• and dream new dreams and accomplish new realities.

What was day one of ARDA World 2012 like? Really fantastic …  a little hard on the feet … and worth every moment.

Old and new acquaintances from the timeshare industry, who had not arrived over the weekend, rolled in on Monday, ready to learn, exchange, and embrace new ideas and new business relationships.

It was great to spend time with our friends from GeoHoliday (Betty, we love the cookies); to attend many of the sessions; and to sit in on the Social Media Forum, where Jason Tremblay, our CEO was part of the panel, along with Wendy Poe of Bluegreen, Lou Ann Burney of ARDA, Keith Strickland of HolidayInn Club Vacations, and Moderator Phil Brojan, RCI.

Opening Speaker Fred Reichheld was outstanding as he showed how many major corporations have successfully pinned their growth on a business principle as simple as the Golden Rule.

And of course, the Grand Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall was excellent as everyone finally got to see all the booths and displays.

Later in the day, among the many other events going on, Baker Hostetler hosted many of their clients for dinner. Baker Hostetler’s Hospitality Industry Team  serves  the timeshare industry with guidance and expertise  in transactions, from financing, to acquisitions, development of mixed use projects, land use planning and permitting, construction, licensing, domestic and international tax planning, loan restructuring and workouts, and project disposition.

And while this sounds like a very full day, it only touches on some of the many activities and experiences that were happening at ARDA World 2012 …

Wait until we share what’s happening on Tuesday!

The sun is coming up over the mountains and Las Vegas is sparkling in the morning rays of lights even more beautifully than she does in the neon of the night.

It is going to be a great day at ARDA World 2012 and we at SellMy Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services– that is, VacationOwnership.com– are excited to be part of it. We will be blogging, tweeting and on our Facebook page live from ARDA, so look for us here on The Timeshare Authority; on Facebook as SellMyTimeshareNOW and on Twitter as @JasonTremblay_ and @VacationHotDeal using the hashtag #ARDAWorld.

And if you are here at ARDA, look for us at Booth 532, and at other convention events. We will be easy to spot. We are all wearing hot pink badges proclaiming, “Now you can call us VacationOwnership.com”. Come up and ask us to tell you more.

At SellMyTimeshareNOW.com and Timeshare Broker Services, we officially announced today that we are rebranding our timeshare resale and rental services, licensed timeshare brokerage, and resort services as VacationOwnership.com.

Now you can call us VacationOwnership.com

It’s a big move, and one we won’t be able to unroll overnight. But it’s a move that has us very excited. In an evolving industry and changing marketplace, we are changing to serve you better.

We are uniting our products and services under one strong, all-encompassing name.

VacationOwnership.com is a single brand that consolidates our messaging and will increase consumer understanding of our services. As part of VacationOwnership.com we will also be is launching a recently acquired domain that will be uniquely for our for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) timeshare resale and timeshare rental ads: TimeshareResales.com.

We are very excited that going forward we will be representing the timeshare industry, specifically the secondary marketplace as VacationOwnership.com, a name that is compelling, memorable and comprehensively speaks to all aspects of timeshare vacationing. The timeshare market spoke up; the industry spoke–and we responded.

We  sought to develop a brand that would be timeshare industry and developer friendly. Our current industry partnerships are numerous, strong, and growing; they are an important part of our business. We offer many customized owner services that resorts can depend on and we are constantly working to present our company and our services in ways that are embraced and accepted by the timeshare and vacation ownership industry.

Want to learn more? You don’t have to wait until May 15 when www.VacationOwnership.com is fully active … stop any of us at ARDA World 2012 next week ask us to tell you more. We’ll be easy to find– we’ll all be wearing the hot pink badges that say, “Now you can call us VacationOwnership.com”

In the past, attending the American Resort Development Conference (ARDA) meant lots of learning, networking, meeting and greeting. But times have changed, and now to go along with all that meeting of new industry friends and greeting of old ones, you need to add: tweeting.

Your twitter account is instantly accessible through your smart phone or other internet connected device. In less time than it takes you to read this blog post you can communicate to world what you are experiencing at that moment during ARDA World 2012. In 140 characters or less, you can share your thoughts, videos, or photos about what you are thinking and what is going on around you.

Why Twitter Matters to Timeshare

Twitter is real-time reporting to the world. But your tweets go far beyond your actual messages. Taking the time to twitter your thoughts, insights, responses or reactions provides immediate feedback to others in the industry. More importantly, in tweeting, you communicate to the world that timesharing as an industry is vital, in-touch, and cares about sharing its ideas and directions with consumers. And because twittering is a two-way street, it also says: WE ARE LISTENING.

Twittering is perhaps the simplest form of social media marketing in which you and your company can engage … but the wave of beneficial  change it initiates can be powerful.

SellMyTimeshareNOW.com and Timeshare Broker Services will be Tweeting live during all 4 days of events at ARDA World 2012. You’ll find us here: @JasonTremblay_ and here: @VacationHotdeal. Sign up to follow these Twitter accounts and watch for the event hashtag #ARDAWorld.

This is one conversation you really want to be in on.  

Among the distinguished speakers at this year’s ARDA World 2012 timeshare conference will be our CEO and founder, Jason Tremblay. This year’s ARDA conference expects and attendance of some 3000 timeshare, fractional and vacation ownership professionals.

Jason will be speaking at the conference on the following panels:

Monday, Opening Day. Jason will be part of a forum panel discussing, “Call to Action: The Pay Off for Reputation Building through Social Media.” He’ll talk about how companies use social media to spread their brand and how they measure and track ROI across social media platforms.

Tuesday. Jason will be part of an Educational Session on “Online Strategy for Rentals & Resales.” He will be  comparing timeshare sales and resales from a market driven strategy vs. a marketing driven strategy and look at who benefits from each approach.

Wednesday. Jason Tremblay will be part of a forum discussing: “Resales:  the White Elephant in the Room.” This forum will also include Leigh Anne Niemen of Disney Vacation Club, Jay C Finley of the Compass Resort Group and moderator Robert J Webb Esq., RRP of Baker & Hostetler LLP.

Thursday. Jason and other CEOs and thought leaders from the industry will take an in-depth look at “Resale–Making it Work for You.” This  session deals with one of the most important issues facing the industry today.

Be sure you look for Jason and others from our team at Timeshare Broker Services and Sell My Timeshare NOW. You find us present at Booth 532, as well as at the sessions, the receptions—and the parties!

SellMyTimeshareNOW.com and Timeshare Broker Services will be Tweeting live during all 4 days of events as @JasonTremblay_ and @VacationHotdeal. Sign up to follow these Twitter accounts and watch for the event hashtag #ARDAWorld

Read our most recent media release here: http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/index/content/release3-27-12-m-2/

There are two kinds of vacations. One involves returning to a familiar resort, year after year, where the memories of your family’s experiences at that timeshare resort are part of the vacation itself. You know what to pack, you know what to expect and you eliminate the decision making process, which for many people, allows their vacation to even be a holiday from travel planning.

But most of us also long to sometimes travel, explore, and experience new surroundings. That’s why timeshare exchange can make vacation ownership more fun and more rewarding. This week, the American Resort Development Association, ARDA, through its consumer vacation information website, VacationBetter.org, shared tips on how to effectively use timeshare exchange.

Combining both timeshare exchange best practices and tips that are specifically relevant to Interval International (II) and Resort Condominiums International (RCI), the world’s two largest timeshare exchange services, VacationBetter.org offers a list of 6 ways you can improve your experience with the timeshare exchange process.

Starting with, perhaps the two most critical pieces of advice for timeshare exchange, “Deposit Early” and “Be Flexible,” the list will help you discover how to benefit from your timeshare in ways many timeshare owners never imagine.

As Gordon Gurnik, President of RCI, explains, “… owners can expand their vacation options from one resort during the same period each year to thousands of properties throughout all four seasons.”

You’ll find the complete list under the News Room tab on the VacationBetter website: Make the Most of Your Timeshare Vacation with Vacation Exchange Programs. There you will also find many helpful insights for timeshare owners and vacationers.

We thought you could use a Wednesday morning laugh, with this video clip from comedian Tom Papa.

Tom Papa, brought to you by Presenting Sponsor Holiday Systems International (HSI), will be entertaining during the 2012 ARDA Awards Gala dinner. If you aren’t planning to attend the Awards Gala, rethink that plan.

This is your chance to be part of the awards ceremony, as the 2012 ARDA Award Winners are announced. With seven new categories, including a new ACE category, this year’s awards promise to be more exciting than ever.

The ARDA Awards Program recognizes nominees submitted in areas that include overall professional excellence in the timeshare and vacation ownership industry, outstanding sales accomplishments, product design, advertising and staff. The “ARDA Circle of Excellence” (ACE) awards—which require no entry fees—honor those in the timeshare industry who have attained the highest level of excellence in the resort industry, and whose accomplishments and dedication help spur the industry to new heights.

In addition to Holiday Systems International, the Awards Presenting Sponsor, the Platinum Sponsors for the evening include: Bluegreen Corporation; Holiday Inn Club Vacations; Interval International; Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp; RCI; The Berkley Group; Winter Park Construction; and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

For more information about the 2012 ARDA Awards  and ARDA World 2012 Annual Convention & Exposition, scheduled for April 1-5, 2012, at The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, go to: www.arda.org