With Signature Sponsors committed for the 2012 ARDA World Convention, excitement for the event continues to grow. Already over 3,000 attendees from some 35 countries worldwide are scheduled to attend, including international development organizations from around the world.

This year’s Signature Sponsors include: Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Interval International, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Hilton Grand Vacations Company, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp., Capital One, HSI (Holiday Systems International), ICE, RCI, ResortCom International, TimeShareWare, and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO says, “We are grateful for the support we receive from our Signature Sponsors. These companies enable us to offer high-quality speakers and events, educational sessions, and networking opportunities at the largest timeshare event in the world.”

Scheduled for the Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, April 1-5, the 2012 ARDA World Convention and Exposition will bring a new, more globally focused outreach to the timeshare, fractional, and vacation ownership industry’s signature conference.

The schedule will feature several events that have become a tradition at the annual ARDA Conference, including:

• The RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, featuring the longest course in Nevada.
• Interval International’s annual “Party with a Cause” from which all ticket proceeds benefit the ARDA International Foundation, supporting and promoting the industry with research, education, and outreach.
• The ARDA Awards Gala, sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), with formal dinner, presentation of the annual ARDA Awards, and live entertainment by comedian Tom Papa.

Visit this link to learn more about the 2012 ARDA World Convention and Exposition.

With dazzling oceanfront views and Spanish hacienda inspired architecture, the Jardim Atlántico Beach Resort offers nine acres of tropical garden retreat on the edge of the historic city of Ilhéus, a community founded in 1534 as a Portuguese colonial outpost. Located in the Brazilian state of Bahia, the Jardim Atlántico Beach Resort offers both rooms facing the Atlantic Ocean and garden view suites. Now this charming resort is part of the Interval International timeshare exchange network.

Marcos Agostini, vice president of resort sales and service for Latin America for Interval International, says, “(Interval International) Members will appreciate the spectacular setting of Jardim Atlántico, as well as the wide-range of amenities and activities available on-site or nearby, everything from restaurants serving regional cuisine to wellness treatments and water sports.”

Timeshare Exchange Expands the Opportunity of Timeshare Owners

The opportunity to exchange timeshare means that as a timeshare owner you can choose from year to year whether you return to a favorite Breckenridge ski resort timeshare, plan a theme park vacation at an Orlando timeshare, or break out of your pattern and explore historic Brazil.

The Jardim Atlántico Beach Resort is a relaxing destination in itself, with its breezy courtyard surrounded by open air verandas, pools, and stucco buildings distinctive with their arched doorways and clay tile roofs. Yet it also offers ideal accommodations for exploring the historic Saint George of Ilhéus Church and its adjacent Sacred Art Museum, Una’s Ecopark, the Hope Woods Botanical Garden, and the town’s many artist markets and quaint shopping areas.

Onesina Martinez da Silva Ramos Machado, owner and developer, Jardim Atlántico Beach Resort explains, “Our property has a family-friendly ambiance where owners and guests can relax and discover Bahia, particularly the beaches in the area, which are very popular with vacationers. Interval members now have the opportunity to visit this beautiful destination and our owners can experience quality resorts around the world on par with Jardim Atlántico.”

Follow this link to learn more about the opportunities of timeshare exchange with Interval International, a part of Interval Leisure Group.

The Lubner Group, an internationally respected design firm responsible for the outstanding design, refurbishing, and décor at some of your favorite, timeshares, hotels, and resorts, recently completed work on a very unique project at The Coconut Beach Resort, a Key West, Florida timeshare. (See: The Lubner Group Completes Renovation on Key West Timeshare).

In addition to revitalizing an already beautiful resort, this project carried unique historic significance. The Coconut Beach Resort property was once owned by the late Senator John Spottswood and has been a landmark property in the community. Over the years, the property has been  further developed by the Spottswood family and The Sita Group, the marketing firm owned by John Sims and Fawni Spottswood. The Spottswood family has been a cornerstone of Key West real estate, politics, and society for more than 150 years. The Spottswood Companies, Inc. and its affiliates own all or partial interest in multiple hotels, timeshare, marina and other commercial properties in the Florida Keys and throughout the US.

The video below takes you through the renovation and refurbishment of  The Coconut Beach Resort. Fawni Spottswood, Vice President Spottswood Hotels, says, “We are totally delighted with the finished product. Nancy did a tremendous job representing the ambiance and character of our historical architecture and natural surroundings, while preserving our resort’s charm with a design theme that is all about guest comfort and relaxation. Throughout the entire renovation process, the Lubner Group maintained the highest possible levels of integrity, professionalism and dedication to completing our job on time and within our budget. The new units have been extremely well received by owners and guests and will play an important role in increasing rental revenues in the future.”

View the video to see the transformation at The Coconut Beach Resort, which has now been named as an Interval International Select Resort.

Vacationing can be an important part of your healthier new routine says VacationBetter.org and the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), and the timeshare industry is working hard to make it easier to do.

A media release yesterday by VacationBetter.org points out that your resolve to live a healthier lifestyle doesn’t have to dwindle as the New Year transitions into a daily routine. A yearlong—or better still, lifelong—commitment to live a healthier life includes both downtime away from your daily grind and pressures and the opportunity to enjoy more healthful experiences during that vacation time.

David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing Americas for timeshare exchange company, Interval International, says, “Many of our clients’ properties in the Americas and the Caribbean have fitness centers and full-service spas, and those with restaurants are presenting healthier menu options.  This increased consciousness of wellness is reflected in Interval’s most recent U.S. member profile.  Reporting on their preferred vacation activities, nearly half of those surveyed include working out and exercising while close to 40 percent cite spa services.”

As Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA, explains, “Health and wellness amenities are growing in popularity among timeshare owners and resorts are now using these programs to attract new timeshare consumers unfamiliar that such vacation products exist.”

Read: TIMESHARE INDUSTRY SAYS WELLNESS TREND IS HERE TO STAY IN 2012

SellMyTimeshareNOW LLC and Timeshare Broker Services, part of Vacation Hotdeal Companies, Inc. have been named as a sponsor of GNEX 2012, Perspective Magazine’s second annual industry networking and awards event. GNEX 2012 – The Global Meeting of Minds, is scheduled for January 31- February 2 at the Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

We are proud to be the Lunch Sponsor during Day Two of GNEX 2012 and to participate as shared ownership industry professionals come together to network and exchange ideas. With more than 35 industry representatives scheduled to speak, the event will generate new thoughts and lively debates of key industry issues.

A partial list of other sponsors of GNEX 2012 includes: Blue Strawberry Resorts,  Holiday Systems International, Sunset World Resorts, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Travel To Go, Interval International, Lloydshare, RCI, Customer Count, Emirates Vacation Club, First American Title Insurance Company, Merlin Software, The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), Women in the Industry (WIN), Christel House International as Charity of Choice, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.

For more information on GNEX 2012, visit: Perspective Magazine

Follow this link to read the complete Sell My Timeshare NOW media release.

Yesterday’s edition of The Timeshare Authority blog looked at Interval International, 35 Years of Serving Timeshare Owners Plus New Features All the Time, specifically at the program Club Interval Gold, launched last spring.

Today we explore Interval Platinum, the program Interval International considers is its most prestigious level of membership. If you missed yesterday’s post, you will probably want to read it too, to make it easier to compare these two elite levels of timeshare exchange that Interval International now offers.

Interval Platinum, More than Timeshare Exchange

Interval Platinum was developed for timeshare owners who want high-end travel experiences and very personalized attention. This membership level offers all of the benefits and services of Interval Gold membership plus many travel-related products, an expanded level of exchange and Getaway perks, and always, very personalized service.

While some Interval Platinum benefits may vary by geographic region, generally some of the most available and most popular include:

• Platinum Service, which affords members specially trained advisers to assist with their vacation planning.
• Complimentary Exchange and Getaway Guest Certificates making it easy to gift travel to friends or family.
• Getaway Discounts of an extra $50 off already reduced Getaway vacation rentals.
• Interval Options, making it easy to exchange timeshare intervals or points for golf, cruise and spa vacations.
• Special Rates on companion airline tickets when members book two round-trip tickets to participating cities.
• Membership in Hertz# 1 Club Gold.
• ShortStay Exchange for trading weeks or points for multiple stays of less than 7 nights.
• Priority Getaway Access, providing priority viewing and booking of Getaway vacation rentals.
• Platinum Escapes, which are deeply discounted vacation rentals offered via email invitations.
• Personal Concierge assistance for purchasing concert tickets, dinner reservations, tee times and more.
• Discounts on hotels, dining, and other leisure activities.
• Airport Lounge Membership in the Priority Pass program at more than 600 airports.

Many Interval International timeshare exchange members see Interval Platinum is pretty special. As David Mier, Interval’s vice president, products and services explained to Perspective Magazine: “Within the first three months, (since launching Interval Platinum) we exceeded our annual forecast … it’s been very strong in Latin America and extremely strong in particular markets in Europe; Italy for instance, upgrades at twice the forecasted rate.”

Interval International Timeshare Exchange, 35 Years Young

Recognizing that no one way to vacation and no single membership option is ever right for all its members, Interval International continues to refine its products and services to its members. Today, with some 2600 timeshare resort destinations in more than 75 countries, Interval International is a powerful and most importantly—flexible—timeshare and vacation services option, providing value-added benefits for it members.

Related timeshare news:

Interval International Timeshare Exchange Platinum

35 is a good age to be … wise from seeing the world and gaining experience yet enthusiastic with the vibrancy of youth.

Interval International turned 35 this year and there’s no doubt about this timeshare industry leader’s seasoned expertise or its vitality. Today Interval International has a timeshare exchange network that includes some 2600 timeshares resorts in more than 75 countries worldwide. Approximately 2 million families are part of Interval International through its membership programs.

As a leader in timeshare exchange, Interval International keeps changing and expanding, taking timeshare exchange to the next level with the Interval Platinum program and the Club Interval Gold program. In today’s post and again in tomorrow’s, The Timeshare Authority blog will look at each of these two timeshare exchange membership levels and what they can mean to your timeshare ownership.

Club Interval Gold Timeshare Points Program

Club Interval Gold was designed for timeshare owners who desire timeshare exchange and who own either fixed or floating week timeshare. This flexible program, launched this past spring,  gives Interval International members the choice to opt-in or opt-out on a year by year basis and combines the benefits of Interval International and Interval Gold while affording those who choose it, much flexibility in vacation ownership exchange.

But as much as Club Interval Gold benefits the owner/members themselves, it was actually designed with developers in mind. Currently, 16 resort developers, who represent 25 different timeshare resorts, are selling Club Interval Gold.

David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval explains, “In an evolving marketplace, clients are looking for cost-effective new products they can utilize to leverage their existing owner base and Club Interval Gold meets both of those criteria. It allows them to sell a flexible-use program without relinquishing control of their most valuable assets, their owner bases and inventory. … We designed and implemented Club Interval Gold so that our resort clients could offer their owners the best of both worlds. Members can still exchange in the traditional way for vacations of similar value, or convert to points and redeem them for a variety of alternatives.”

Benefits for Club Interval Gold Timeshare Members

Club Interval Gold members have the option to:

• Use their Interval member program points to exchange within Interval’s network of some 2600 resorts (not just resorts participating in Club Interval Gold)
• Combine deposits to increase the points balance and trade up to larger units or more in-demand seasons
• Search for and confirm as many stays and as many short stays as their points permit through ShortStay Exchange
• Select Interval Options to apply toward the purchase of a cruise, spa or golf holiday
• Take advantage of Getaway discounts; $25 off the price of all Getaway vacation rentals
• Enjoy VIP Concierge 24/7 personal assistance for purchasing concert tickets, making dinner reservations, tee times, etc
• Benefit from hotel, dining, and leisure discounts along with access to more than 90,000 premium discounts from Entertainment^® at IntervalWorld.com
• Enjoy complimentary membership in the Hertz #1 Club Gold, receiving expedited car rentals at more than 1000 locations in 23 countries
• Take advantage of Interval Travel^® for airline tickets and rates often unavailable to the public
• Receive member publications including the Interval International Resort Directory , Interval World^®magazine, and Go IntervalWorld.com newsletter

Be sure to check-in here on The Timeshare Authority blog tomorrow when we look at Interval Platinum from Interval International. You can also learn more by visiting http://www.intervalworld.com/web/my/home

Tucker Carlson, speaking at ARDA Fall Conference

The final day of the ARDA Fall timeshare conference is highlighted by the Chairman’s League Breakfast Keynote Speaker, Tucker Carlson.

Tucker Carlson is a contributor to FOX News, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Caller news site and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. Known internationally as a witty and acerbic commentator,  Carlson will take an irreverent but insightful  look at Washington, the divided Congress, President Barack Obama’s administration and the upcoming 2012 elections.

Fans of Carlson know him from hosting varying network news and news-talk shows including CNN’s Crossfire, and several shows on MSNBC and PBS.

As an excellent ARDA Fall Conference winds to a close today, Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services would like to thank the event sponsors and supporters,  including:

ARDA-ROC, RCI, Interval International, Trooval, Wells Fargo, Ballard Spahr LLP, Chicago Title, First American Title, CustomerCount, Kees Vacation Rentals, Preston Arza LLP, TimeShareWare, The Trades Publishing Company, Vacation Storebuilder, American Express, Diamond Resorts International, Equiant Financial Services, Hilton Grand Vacations, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, HSI (Holiday Systems International), ICE Enterprise, Interval International, RCI, ResortCom International, Starwood Vacation Ownership, TimeShareWare, and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Interval International timeshare exchange recently announced expanded and extended services for King’s Creek Plantation LLC. (Additional info here: Kings Creek Plantation Timeshare Owners Gain Customize Services with Interval International).

Kevin Jones, cofounder and president of King’s Creek Plantation LLC, says, “Maintaining our strong partnership with Interval supports our customer-first culture, while opening the door for new products with more options. We are excited about our continued relationship and the many opportunities it will bring in the near future.”

Along with news of the extended relations with King’s Creek Plantation, the announcement included important updates about the new King’s Creek points-based vacation club, known as Club Explore.

Interval International is providing reservation services and special opportunities for Club Explore members. Timeshare owner / members who enroll in Club Explore expand their vacation options by being able to convert their timeshare points into club currency. They can then utilize the currency for vacationing at King’s Creek properties or for timeshare exchange within the vast Interval International global network of resorts.

In addition to timeshare exchange, Club Explore Points mean:
·         Members can choose to upgrade timeshare locations, unit size or season
·         As part of Interval Gold®, members can use ShortStay ExchangeSM to take long weekends or mini-vacations
·         Members can opt to exchange for (or purchase) great deals on cruise, golf and spa vacations
·         Access to personal concierge service available 24/7 via phone and e-mail
·         And that members receive complimentary Hertz #1 Gold® membership, as well as special offers on hotels, retail shopping, and restaurants

The spacious timeshare units, cottages, condos, (King’s Creek Plantation cottages and townhomes) and estate homes (King’s Creek Plantation Estates) at King’s Creek Plantation, with their convenient location near the attractions of Williamsburg are great reasons to be a King’s Creek Plantation timeshare owner. Now Interval International has added even more!

Much that is positive, exciting, and invigorating for the timeshare industry has been discussed these last two days at the VOIC Shared Ownership Investment Conference in Orlando, Florida, which is hosted by Interval International. And frank talk has gone on about all the challenges of the industry, the economy, and the ways (both good and bad) that the industry has engaged with consumers in the past.

But some of the most interesting insights about timeshare and fractionals comes from a simple look at the numbers. Very often in business, the numbers speak louder than the words.

Here is a look at some recent research about Interval International member/owners:

• US resident members of II own approximately 1.9 weeks of shared ownership vacation time or its equivalent and travel an estimated 22 nights per year solely for leisure purposes.
• They report household income of approximately $121,175 per year.
• Twenty percent expect to buy additional vacation time in the future.
• Timeshare owners are attracted to warm-weather locations (Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, South Carolina timeshares and Caribbean timeshares) and family-style accommodations.
• Most are interested in, or have a preference for, two-bedroom timeshare units. Just under ten percent prefer three-bedroom timeshares.

And this may be the most industry-relevant factor of all: 83 percent of Interval International’s US members say they are satisfied with their timeshare ownership.

As David Gilbert, Interval International, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing, says, “Even in challenging economic times, it is very encouraging to see that the appeal of vacation ownership remains strong among our members.”