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.

Today Sell My Timeshare NOW released its second announcement to the media regarding growth in timeshare sales through our timeshare brokerage division, Timeshare Broker Services.

As we noted, we saw a 109 percent increase in broker assisted timeshare sales for the month of July 2011 over July 2010. These numbers reflect the strong demand there is to buy timeshare on the resale market and the interest in both the large hospitality brand resorts, including Hyatt Vacation Club, Starwood timeshare, Disney Vacation Club, Hilton timeshare, and in independent timeshare brands, that offer quality resorts but may not be as well known.

While our by-owner timeshare sales remain solid, we’ve also focused a great deal of attention this past year on building our timeshare brokerage services, too. It comes down to offering more choices to consumers, and we think that is very important.

Why Offer 2 Different Types of Timeshare Sales?

Timeshare ownership comes in many formats. There are fixed week timeshares, floating timeshare, timeshares owned by deed, owned by right to use, and timeshare ownership through points or vacation clubs. The product a potential seller has may be as small as a studio unit may, or it may be a spacious multi-bedroom, multi-bathroom timeshare. Some timeshares are at high demand locations during popular weeks and others are at more off-the-beaten path destinations, or are during less-busy seasons of the year.

Just as timeshares come in all types, so do timeshare owners. Some people seek to sell timeshare because their family has changed or they simply don’t vacation in the same way they once did. Others are facing a life transition, such as marriage, divorce, relocation, retirement, illness, or any of a number of reasons that vacation patterns could change. And still other timeshare owners want to sell their timeshare so they can purchase different timeshares elsewhere.

One size rarely fits all and clearly one method of timeshare resales doesn’t either.

For owners who want to be hands-on in their timeshare resale transaction, by owner services may be the best option. These consumers pay to advertise their timeshare on the high visibility websites of Sell My Timeshare NOW. When the product sells, the money made is wholly their own; no commission is owed. If a by owner seller needs assistance along the way, we are there to assist them in connecting with the right professionals.

But, many timeshare owners want a turn-key approach to timeshare sales. They prefer to put their timeshare sale in the hands of a licensed real estate professional, and let that timeshare broker take it from there. For these owners, the process is simple and when the timeshare sells, a commission is paid to the broker for his or her services.
Timeshare resales at Sell My Timeshare NOW– it is one service with a choice of two approaches. Please read our full media release, Sell My Timeshare NOW Posts Dramatic Quarterly Gains Through Timeshare Brokerage, to learn more.

In today’s business economy, it is especially gratifying to post positive news. Today we just released news that Sell My Timeshare NOW has posted 27.5 percent increase in broker assisted timeshare sales, year-over-year, through the end of the second quarter of this year.

These numbers focus on our timeshare brokerage business, Timeshare Broker Services, though, which we offer full-service timeshare resale brokerage. And in the month of July alone, we saw a 109 percent increase in timeshare broker assisted sales month-over-month, as compared to July last year.

Why Are Timeshare Sales through Timeshare Broker Services So Strong?

We see several factors feeding into the strength of broker-assisted timeshare resales, and it is interesting to note that these strong sales are both in the branded hospitality providers such as Disney Vacation Club, Starwood timeshare, Hilton timeshare, Hyatt Vacation Club and others but just as much in independent timeshare brands –names you may or may not know as well.

First, demand for timeshare on the secondary market is strong. At Sell My Timeshare NOW, we have committed to offering clients the services they really want and value. That’s why we provide both by-owner timeshare resale advertising and a full-service timeshare brokerage.

With the leadership of Jerome Bocquet, vice president of our brokerage division, Timeshare Broker Services, we have focused on in-depth broker training and expanded services.

We’ve also launched a major redesign of our main website, www.sellmytimesharenow.com. We’ve made it easier and more intuitive for prospective buyers and renters to search for timeshare resales and rentals.

There’s a lot going on at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services and we’ll continue to share it with you here on The Timeshare Authority blog.

Follow this link to read our full media release, Sell My Timeshare NOW Posts Substantial Gains in Quarterly Sales through Timeshare Brokerage.

How timeshare is taxed by local agencies has been a hot topic over the past year. (See Timeshare Industry Leaders Speaking Out in Support of Timeshare Owners for more on timeshare property tax issues.)

And when the topic came up at the April 13 County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting in Maui, the subject was just as volatile and problematic as ever. Drawing a capacity crowd of over 200, the issue on the table was whether to raise the property tax millage rates from $14 to $19.60 per $1,000 in timeshare property value.

All the arguments against the 40 percent tax increase make great sense. Hawaii timeshare has been a huge boost to local economies, adding to the tax base, employment opportunities and secondary revenue streams as timeshare owners spend money on groceries, entertainment, restaurants, and other goods and services each time they vacation.

According to Budget Director Sandy Baz, however, the tax rate increase wasn’t proposed to garner more money, but merely to sustain tax roll revenues. Baz explains, “Proposed tax rates for 2012 were adjusted to compensate for the continued decline in property values for each classification except for the homeowner class, so that revenues remain fairly neutral. The administration is supportive of adjusting the final tax rate for all classifications, including the time-share classification, after the certification of real property values on April 19th.”

In other words, because property values have so declined in the current economic climate, a tax rate increase would merely keep tax revenues at a stable or “neutral growth” level, enabling local agencies to continue to budget a consistently as they provide police, fire, and other services that benefit both local residents and timeshare owners.

Will Hawaii Timeshare Owners Carry an Unfair Load?

The bite seems to really come in determining how to fairly distribute this property tax burden. Daniel Dinnell speaking on behalf of ARDA Hawaii, points out, “As ARDA Hawaii has previously testified, following a 69 percent increase to the real property tax in 2005, the timeshare industry is again being singled out with the largest single increase of $5.60.”

Among others speaking out against the proposed tax increase were Rob Welch of Marriott’s Maui Ocean Resort Club; Gregg Lundberg, The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas; University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management graduate, Michelle Rose Abad.

Part of the excitement of last week’s ARDA conference (American Resort Development Association) in Orlando was the 2011 Awards Gala. As Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA explains, “It’s about recognizing the ‘best of the best’ in the vacation ownership industry. We shine the spotlight on those individuals whose peers have nominated them for the impact and perseverance they have shown in their professional lives.”

The awards event, which was sponsored by Holiday Systems International (HSI), recognized outstanding accomplishments by companies, teams, resorts, and individuals. Here’s a rundown of the 2011 Circle of Excellence (ACE) winners:

The 2011 ACE Women on their Way Award Kimberly Johnston-Tramontana of Breckenridge Grand Vacations. This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of women who continue to excel and advance in the timeshare and vacation ownership industry.

The 2011 ACE Spirit of Hospitality Award (formerly known as the Employee Award) went to Janeth Olachea of Park Plaza Resort. This award recognizes an outstanding employee within the industry who demonstrates commitment, loyalty, superior performance and willingness to go above and beyond.

The 2011 ACE Community Service Award was made to Winter Park Construction (WPC) for their Home At Last Project, designed to provide combat-wounded US veterans of military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan with custom-built, mortgage-free homes.

The 2011 ACE Philanthropic Award recognizes the outstanding philanthropic effort for a humanitarian cause by an individual or company. This year’s award was a tie between Orange Lake Resorts/Holiday Inn Club Vacations (HCV) and Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI). Orange Lake Resorts’ flagship Orlando timeshare, for over 25 years, has worked to build and maintain lasting relationships with several worldwide organizations that serve others in need, as well as with local community partners. Marriott timeshare has raised more than $71 million dollars for Children’s Miracle Network over the last 25+ years.

The 2011 ACE Innovator Award went to RCI, for its Weeks Enhancement program, a plan designed for enhancing RCI’s Exchange membership programs and online customer experience. The ACE Innovator Award recognizes those within the timeshare business who have successfully implemented a groundbreaking product, service or concept.

The 2011 ACE Volunteer Award was presented this year to Tom Bell as a member of ARDA who consistently gives his/her time, energy, creativity, and talents to further ARDA’s goals and objectives. Tom has been actively involved in the timeshare industry for nearly 30 years as powerful advocate for strong and balanced timeshare legislation around the country and the world.

The 2011 ACE Employer of the Year Award went to timeshare exchange company, Interval International. The award honors an employer within the timeshare industry that demonstrates exceptional commitment to its employees. Interval International has shown 35 years of providing growth opportunities for its employees, encouraging employee involvement in activities that promote the growth of the shared ownership industry and playing active roles in timeshare related trade associations.

The Ace Project of Excellence is given to a successful project that represents months and years of cooperation between all parties involved and is considered a success not only by investors but by the owners and the local community. This year’s winner, Starwood Vacation Ownership, took home the prize for their successful timeshare project, The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, which symbolizes the first introduction of the Westin brand and a deluxe vacation ownership product to the North Shore of Kaua’i in Hawaii.

Finally we get to one of the most special awards, The 2011 ACE Lifetime Achievement Award. This year’s winner of the ACE Lifetime Achievement Award is Bill Ingersoll, one of the early organizers of the American Land Development Association (ALDA), which eventually became ARDA. Bill was also ARDA’s General Counsel and demonstrated leadership, professionalism, creativity, reliability and quality standards and ethics within an outstanding body of work.

Congratulations to all the winners. The timeshare and vacation ownership industry includes many talented people who commit their skills and their hearts to making timeshare a stronger more meaningful product. Thank you ARDA for honoring these recipients.

Besides the ACE Awards, ARDA awarded ARDY’s to finalists in sales and marketing; management and administration; advertising and promotion; and resort design categories. For a complete list of winners and finalists, go to www.ARDA.org/awards.

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The 2011 ARDA Annual Convention & Exposition will be held March 27-31 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida. This annual timeshare industry event attracts over 3,000 participants from more than 20 countries. The ARDA Exhibit Hall also provides the largest trade show that specifically targets the timeshare resort development industry.

Activities start with the RCI/AIF Golf Tournament on Sunday afternoon, (March 27). Over the next two day attendees can choose from the Luxury Forum; Principles of Timeshare: Parts 1 and 2; the Sales & Marketing Forum; committee meetings; Educational Sessions Wave 1, 2, & 3; along breakfasts, luncheons, an ICE Breaker party, networking events, the Awards Gala with reception and dinner, and much more.

Terry Jones, Founder and Former CEO of Travelocity, Chairman of Kayak.com will be the keynote speaker. Jones offers concise and actionable insights into how leadership is changing in this new technology-driven world.

Signature sponsors for this year’s ARDA Convention are American Express, International, Equiant, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Hilton Grand Vacations, Holiday Systems International, International Cruise and Excursions, Interval International, RCI, ResortCom International, Starwood Vacation Ownership Incs, and TimeShareWare.

Sell My Timeshare NOW is a proud member of ARDA and we’ll be at this conference learning, networking, sharing, and be a part of this very special event.

Who better to speak on the subject of space travel than Dr. Story Musgrave, the US astronaut with the most space missions and the longest service to the US space program? Musgrave, known for having flown every one the space shuttles and as the man who repaired and save the Hubble Space Telescope, will be the keynote speaker at the Trends & Innovation Travel Distribution & Investment Summit, scheduled for March 15-17, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel, Sofia Bulgaria.

Along with Story Musgrave, other distinguished speakers and panelists are: John Hazlewood, CEO TravelStoreMaker; Gerasimos Perdikaris, General Manager Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan with Starwood; representatives of Google and others from internet and travel companies worldwide.

Topics of the conference include:

• The future of space tourism
• Space tourism offerings available in the near future
• Sex in space
• Off-earth reproduction
• Sustainability and Biodiversity in travel
• Along with a host of down to earth topics like travel technology, trends in mobile online shopping, online booking, turning hotel websites into online travel booking portals, social media, using Facebook as a business platform and internet marketing.

The event focuses both on future trends in travel and on how the Internet challenges the travel and tourism industry. The conference also includes a juried selection of innovative and potentially revolutionary travel solutions competing to win the 2011 Travel Innovation Award.

While it may strike you at first as a bit too ‘out of this world,’ the bottom line is that space travel is an inevitability of our future and will need an infrastructure of travel, hotel, and timeshare solutions, in the same way we need them here on earth. Look for some very interesting ideas to come out of this conference.

If you missed using your timeshare last year, chose a staycation, or just couldn’t work it into your schedule, you may be in for a pleasant surprise on your next visit.

Although media perception has tried to convince the world that timeshare and timeshare resorts were in a total downward spiral, here’s an update from Florida-based, Winter Park Construction (WPC), that paints a very different picture.

Jeff Forrest, President of WPC, explains, “In spite of the economy, our firm stayed very busy throughout the entire year handling large and small renovation projects for the timeshare industry’s major developers. Our clients included Starwood Vacation Ownership, Hilton Grand Vacations Company, Orange Lake County Club, The Berkley Group and Wyndham Vacation Ownership. Their resorts were located in Orlando, Kissimmee and Plantation, Florida, as well as in Myrtle Beach, SC; Newport, RI; Lake Geneva, WI and Cancun, Mexico.”

This past year, Winter Park Construction has been busy remodeling timeshare sales buildings, and making hurricane damage repairs and interior refurbishments for over 740 timeshare units. According to Forrest, “Many of our clients know us for building new projects, but refurbishment and renovation work has been a core segment of our business for 37 years. We expect this to grow even more in the future.”
One of WPC’s most fun (or perhaps challenging) timeshare related projects was the construction of a $4 million Fantasy Surf attraction for the Vacation Villas at FantasyWorld Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. Creating the environment to house a surfing simulator, which is designed so that riders “pretend” to ride the Hawaii surf, called for unique construction considerations.

The simulator offers the look of surfing and wakeboarding in a safe and controlled environment. Fantasy Surf features a FlowRider™ Double, designed to allow approximately 30 surf rides per hour. With padded walls, floor and beach all covered by a 3-inch sheet of water, the cushioned surface is surfable but still kind to surfers if they have a ‘wipeout’. While not their usual project, Forrest acknowledges that Winter Park Construction takes such challenges in stride, adding that the Central Florida area is filled with highly imaginative people.

The company, founded in 1974, and known as one of Florida’s largest construction management and general contractors, does not limit its business to construction and renovation in the timeshare industry. WPC’s portfolio include multi-family housing, commercial real estate, military housing, senior living markets and other projects.

The Timeshare Authority blog has been tweeting, twittering, and blogging about the HOT 100 List of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals for nearly two months. We’ve worked our way up through the HOTTEST 10 timeshares on the list and now we are finally down to the timeshare resorts that ranked number one and number two on the HOT List.

Coming in as the number 2 timeshare of the 100 properties ranked is Harborside Resort At Atlantis on Paradise Island, in the Bahamas. This Caribbean timeshare resort is known as one of the most amazing properties anywhere in the world and it is no surprise that it makes the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT List year after year.

Harborside Resort At Atlantis Timeshare is part of the Starwood Vacation Network and is one of six properties that make up the Atlantis resort Paradise Island complex. When you vacation at Harborside Resort At Atlantis, you have complementary access to all of the facilities and attractions, including the six-story Mayan Temple water slide that drops you—where else—but seemingly into a pool of live sharks.

Whether you choose to swim with the dolphins, snorkel with the marine life, test your luck at the casinos, or indulge yourself at the spa, there is practically nothing you can imagine in a Caribbean timeshare vacation that isn’t available in grand scale at Harborside Resort At Atlantis.

The Number 1 Timeshare on Everyone’s List

Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club is located on the sparkly white sands of Palm Beach, Aruba, looking out at the beautiful Caribbean Sea. This popular Marriott timeshare affords timeshare owners and timeshare guests access to the on-site Stellaris Casino and the Aruba Marriott Resort, as well as the Mandara Spa, waterfall pool and Las Vegas-style entertainment.

With your choice of one, two, or three-bedroom timeshare units, all with separate living and dining areas, plus fully equipped kitchens, Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club is a fantasy destination for family vacations, honeymoons, or just that special escape you’ve been promising yourself. Best of all as a Marriott timeshare owner, the Aruba Surf Club doesn’t have to be a once in a lifetime event; instead you can choose to vacation here year after year, taking advantage of the quality and dependability that is recognized in Marriott timeshare.

When Sell My Timeshare NOW published its 2010 HOT List of the timeshare resales and timeshare rentals that receive the greatest number of offers to buy or rent, the HOTTEST 10 properties really attract a lot of attention.

And why not? These are great timeshare resorts you can buy with confidence, knowing that other consumers see them as “ideal” timeshare vacation destinations. If you missed the full report, published last month, you can download it by clicking 2010 HOT 100 List from Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North Timeshare – A Timeshare Vacation in Paradise

Today’s The Timeshare Authority Blog focuses on the Hawaii timeshare that came in as number 9 on the list: Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North. Located on a pristine area of Ka’anapali Beach in Maui, this Westin timeshare offers both ocean-view and island-view timeshare units, ranging from studio timeshares to one-bedroom, and two-bedroom lockoff units. All feature a full kitchen, luxurious master bath with whirlpool tub, and a private lanai or balcony.

Some of the popular details that make Westin timeshares such favorites include:

• Marble countertops in the kitchen.
• Dual sinks in the master bath.
• Plush bathrobes.
• LCD flat panel televisions.
• Blackout drapes for a peaceful night’s sleep.
• A 10,000 square foot Heavenly Spa.
• And of course, the signature “Westin Heavenly Beds” .

Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North have every reason to have made the list of the HOTTEST 10 timeshares, as measured by the number of consumer offers to buy or rent. And you have every reason to want to learn more about the exceptional deals available on Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.