The Registry Collection program was launched in 2002 as the first ever luxury leisure real estate exchange company. Since that time, the program has grown to encompass more than 180 affiliated properties on six continents that are either accessible for exchange or under development, making it the largest luxury exchange program in the world. More than 33,000 members now belong to The Registry Collection program, which allows them to exchange for memorable vacations at beautiful properties year after year.

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“The Registry Collection program has grown and developed substantially since its creation a decade ago, and there are many reasons to celebrate this special milestone,” said Gregg Anderson, global vice president of The Registry Collection program. “Naturally, we wanted our loyal members to join in on the fun of our 10-year anniversary festivities, and this giveaway will send one lucky grand prize winner on a week-long luxury vacation to one of our beautiful affiliated resorts.”

Members in the U.S. and Canada (excluding Québec)* can enter the contest once daily at www.TRCcelebration.com until Feb. 28, 2012 for their chance to win the grand prize: a week-long vacation for two, including accommodations at an available affiliated property, airfare and an additional $1,000 gift card. The prizes for three other giveaways, one for each quarter of 2012, will be announced later this year.

“The fun will continue with events, giveaways and activities to celebrate the success The Registry Collection program has had in its first decade,” continued Anderson. “We’ll highlight original members and affiliated resorts, and make some exciting announcements about the future of the program that will benefit both our members and our developer partners.”

Throughout the 10-year celebration, there is also a call for photos and stories from members of The Registry Collection program. Members from all over the world are encouraged to submit their favorite photos and memories of their vacations through the program over the years for possible inclusion in newsletters and websites.

In addition, The Registry Collection program’s regional offices outside of the U.S. and Canada will be announcing special events for their resident members throughout the year.

For more information on The Registry Collection program, visit www.theregistrycollection.com, or visit www.TRCcelebration.com to check out the giveaway and 10-year anniversary information.

*Members must be active as of Jan. 6, 2012 to enter.

About The Registry Collection program
The Registry Collection program is the world’s largest luxury exchange program comprising over 33,000 members and more than 160 affiliates on six continents. More than 180 properties are available through The Registry Collection program and are either accessible for exchange or under development. From condo hotels and high-end fractional resorts to private residence clubs and fractional yachts, The Registry Collection program provides members with access to an elite network of the finest vacation properties at some of the world’s premier destinations, as well as personal concierge services that are available 24 hours a day. The Registry Collection program is offered by RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center or theregistrycollection.com. [.member]

According to a report in the Victoria Times-Colonist, Aviawest has also received an extension to March 26 of protection from the estimated 600 creditors to whom money is owed, including C$71 million owed to seven secured creditors, while a restructuring plan is put into place.

Aviawest CEO Jim Pearson said in a statement that the assets of current fractional owners are secure and not in doubt.

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This Charitable event will be held at the new Crelogix head office at 4445 Lougheed Highway Suite 900, Burnaby, British Columbia and will feature a silent auction with all proceeds to be donated to Boys and Girls Clubs South Coast British Columbia Chapter. The event will feature live music by the Doug Stephenson Trio and will include hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

Carolyn Tuckwell, President & Chief Executive Officer of Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast B.C. said, “At Boys and Girls Clubs, our goal is to provide children and youth with a safe, supervised place to be in their neighborhoods when they aren’t at school or at home.  We do that in a number of ways, but perhaps the most important is by building healthy, strong and lasting relationships with kids.  It’s clear that Crelogix takes that same approach in everything that they do.  That’s why we are thrilled and honored that Crelogix is turning the opening of their new “place” to work into an opportunity to invest in kids. In turn, vulnerable kids will have a “place” to do their work:  play, grow and learn.  Thanks Crelogix!”

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The 53 timeshare units will now become known as Panorama Vacation Retreat at Horsethief Lodge.  This will give PRIOA a distinct identity at Panorama.

According to GPRM Vice President – Operations Nigel Lobo, this management contract is Grand Pacific Resort Management’s entry into Canada.  “Our expertise is timeshare management.  There are numerous vacation opportunities in this region and we are thrilled to be included in the mix.”

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Mountain Resort at Panorama is nestled in the Canadian Rockies within the Panorama Mountain Village complex.  Panorama is an area rich with rugged natural beauty. Surrounded by creeks, lakes, forests, and mountains, the resort offers seasonal outdoor activities ranging from on-site downhill and cross country skiing in the winter to golf, tennis, hiking and rafting in the summer.

According to GPRM Vice President – Operations Nigel Lobo, this management contract is Grand Pacific Resort Management’s entry into Canada.  “When we welcomed Mountain Retreat to our family of resorts last fall, our owners and guests were excited to enjoy northern California’s foothills of the Sierra Mountains. Now, with Mountain Resort at Panorama, we are an international management company and all of our owners can now explore the rugged and spectacular terrain of the Canadian Rockies as well.”

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The new website provides users with a comprehensive overview of the destinations, including special offers, featured resorts, “go green and save” and last minute deals. Guests will experience a visually stimulating aesthetic with panoramic destination graphics in a new wide-screen format. Other new features include:

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Perspective Magazine, the timeshare and fractional industry’s global independent information leader, announces that the Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA) will be a GNEX 2012 Supporter for the Second Annual Global Networking Expo, GNEX 2012 – A Global Meeting of Minds.

“As a result of our participation and success with last year’s successful event, we’re very excited to support GNEX again this year. With CRDA currently expanding our base of members into the US, Mexico and the Caribbean, we believe that GNEX 2012 in Cancun will be the perfect medium and venue for us to connect with the industry’s premiere developers and decision makers within a friendly, open and positive environment,” said Ross Perlmutter, President and CEO, CRDA.

January 31^st – February 2^nd, 2012, will be the dates for GNEX 2012 and the Perspective Magazine Awards Gala, to be held at the marvelous Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

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Copper Point Resort is an award-winning luxury mountain resort that opened its doors in May 2011 in the Columbia Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Visitors will find this sleek modern alpine retreat amongst breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains and The Ridge at Copper Point golf course, one of nine championship golf courses in the area. This luxury resort property offers both year-round accommodations and whole and fractional ownership opportunities.

This four-season mountain resort’s amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, a multi-use sport court, a playground, a marked walking trail, fire pits, a fitness facility, a business center, an on-site market, 24/7 reception, high-end concierge service, conference facilities and Elements Grill. A full-service spa is also set to open in the winter of 2011-2012.

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TPIMC will deliver a full spectrum of services, including reservations handled through its call center; resort operations such as front-desk check-in, housekeeping, and unit maintenance; financial assistance in the areas of planning, budgeting, and forecasting in concert with association boards; and communications between the various associations and their members.

“We look forward to working with the owners’ associations at these high-quality properties and to expanding our footprint into the very desirable Whistler market,” said RJ Jackson, president of Trading Places International. “We’re confident that our decades of experience in resort management will complement the associations’ ongoing initiatives to enhance owner enjoyment at these resorts.”

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When Perspective Magazine made the original announcement for the Global Networking Expo (GNEX), many people in the timeshare and fractionals business shook their heads in disbelief. “Another conference?” was a common reaction. But it soon became apparent that GNEX was unlike anything else currently in existence in the shared-ownership industry.

Over 80 companies and industry associations from five continents participated in Perspective Magazine’s inaugural event, giving the get-together a truly international representation, as attendees from the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, the U.K., Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Australia examined creative new ways to grow their businesses.

Along with a healthy encouragement for attendees to get involved and share their own experiences and opinions, there was a chance for every single person there to be heard on each topic. And the vast majority of attendees were C-level executives and other true decision makers, meaning that these discussions could actually lead to implementation of new ideas in a shorter timeframe.

“I think a lot of people who are here are the right people,” Robert Webb, a partner at Baker Hostetler noted while at the conference, held May 11-12 at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. “I see a lot of company heads, people doing a lot of networking.”

“It’s been a very consolidated approach to a conference that has such a large audience,” agreed fellow attendee Ramy Filo, CEO of Classic Holiday Group. “What I found interesting is having a lot of senior people in one room is a great way of networking directly … rather than going to a large conference with thousands of delegates.”

In short, the inaugural Global Networking Expo exceeded expectations as industry professionals from around the world networked and openly discussed the state of the vacation ownership industry for two days. Participants shared best practices, discussed new development projects and engaged in frank discussions on topics such as the effect of rentals, travel clubs and resales on the industry.

“As it was our first conference there was naturally a ‘let’s wait and see mentality’ so our main priority was to ensure those that attended had a good time and got real value from the event,” says Paul Mattimoe, president and CEO of Perspective Magazine. “From the feedback we have received, we certainly succeeded and the demand for information on GNEX 2012 is tremendous. We are very much looking forward to continuing to mould GNEX into exactly what delegates want from a
modern event format.”

Minister of Tourism Leads Off
The morning of day one saw the Honorable Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Minister of Tourism and Aviation for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, open the conference with an impressive presentation about the current and future status of economic development projects in the Bahamas.

According to Senator Vanderpool-Wallace, if Nassau was a country in its own right it would be number three for per capita gross domestic product output in the Western Hemisphere and would also be number two in the Caribbean for total visitors. Nassau is undergoing a revitalization project with plans to include new downtown infrastructure, a new container port, new airport construction, new roads and a new sports stadium. This is in addition to the new Baha-Mar project slated for the Cable Beach area that is estimated to be the largest single phase development in the history of the Caribbean.

Ron Kurtz, president of the American Affluence Research Center (AARC), announced the results of his spring 2011 survey of affluent Americans, which he defines as the wealthiest 10% of U.S. households. The level of interest from affluent Americans in acquiring vacation home access is essentially back to 2007 levels, with increased interest in fractional ownership as compared to whole ownership. Interest in all levels of vacation ownership, whether it be timeshare, destination clubs or fractional/private resident clubs, has increased from the Spring 2009 survey conducted by the AARC.

“I was impressed by Ron Kurtz’s positive statistics,” says Richard Ragatz, president of Ragatz Associates. “If half of what he says gets implemented in the next year or two, we’re in for much improvement over the past couple of years.”

Orlando Arroyo, Chairman, Sunset World Resorts, discussed the progress of his developments in the Cancun/Riviera Maya region of Mexico. One of Cancun’s founding fathers in the 1970’s, Arroyo’s holdings have progressed from one beachfront resort to six hotels and 22 tourism companies and he discussed his philosophy for success centered on constant innovation based on client feedback. He is also a big believer in value-added amenities such as the establishment of a yacht club and equestrian center to compliment his resorts and is heavily involved in e-business, web-based e-commerce and social media outreach programs designed to maintain contact with customers.

GNEX attendee and sponsor Martyn Ravenhill, president and CEO of Lloydshare, notes that Arroyo “spoke very interestingly – and bluntly, in a way – about the real goings-on in the trenches and how it is, for example, for the all-inclusive environment.”

International Flavor
The international flavor of the first panel session was evident as industry representatives from the U.K. (Harry Taylor, executive chairman of TATOC), Canada (Ross Perlmutter, president of CRDA), Australia (Ramy Filo, CEO of Classic Holiday Group) and Thailand (Bryan Lunt, chairman and CEO of Absolute World Group) joined U.S. participants Jason Tremblay, founder and CEO of Sell My Timeshare NOW, and Rob Webb, partner, Baker Hostetler, for the 90 minute Q & A. The panel stirred passions as participants warned that the internet is poised to dominate timeshare sales and changes in business models are essential for companies to remain in business. “In five years, this product will be sold on the internet. If you’re not ready for that, you are out of business,” said Webb.

Jim Madrid, president, Entelechy Training & Development, detailed the process that has allowed him to help top companies from around the world such as Nordstrom, Lexus, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Paramount Studios, Trendwest Resorts, St. Regis Hotel and Resort, ICE International Cruise and Excursions, and Pueblo Bonito Resorts. In his keynote, titled “Snap out of It”, Madrid spoke about the need to equip people to deal with rapid, unpredictable change. “The times we are living in today are not challenging. It is a time of great change,” said Madrid, who went on to say that for “those who do not change … times like this become challenging.”

Madrid would later comment on the event as a whole: “As far as conferences go, and I have attended many, GNEX 2011 was superior to all of them! The content of the presentations and the innovative networking format was what made the GNEX 2011 Conference a big success for me and my associates.”

Fractionals Rebounding
The “What Makes a Successful Fractional Development?” panel – made up of Dr. Richard Ragatz; Stanley Goodman, president of Windermere House Resort, which offers fractional cottage vacation residences in Muskoka, Ontario; 20+ year industry veteran Tom Goetschius, president of fractional consulting company Tom Goetschius Associates; and Bryan Lunt, chairman and CEO of Absolute World, one of Asia’s leading lifestyle property developers, resorts and hotels operators, and vacation club and fractional ownership companies – brought a lot of insight to the forefront.

Goetschius said the factors necessary for fractional success include an A+ destination and location with a vibrant second-home market ($500 per square foot), 70+% of the target market living within three hours by car or plane, and a comparable-product nightly rental value exceeding $300. Goodman answered the question by providing a detailed look at his company’s successful Cottages at Windermere House, luxury fractional cottage vacation residences in Muskoka, Ontario, which released new fractionals into the market in 2010. And Lunt, drawing on the accomplishments of Absolute World Group – which has 27 offices and more than 1,300 staff – stressed that a key components of a successful development include a quality suite or villa, great management and usage options, lifestyle services, resale/exit programs and correct pricing.

A highlight of the session “What Makes a Successful Fractional Development?” was Dr. Richard Ragatz revealing the results of his report, “The Shared Ownership Resort Real Estate Industry In North America: 2011,” a study highlighting the status of the fractional and private residence club market. According to the report, there were 104 projects in active sales in 2010 – 68 fractionals and 36 PRCs – with 55% of the projects located in the U.S.

Not surprisingly, Ragatz said sales volume was down 38% to $530 million combined for both segments of the luxury shared ownership market (fractional sales were down 29% and PRC sales down 53%). The average sales volume per project was $3.4 million, with fractional projects averaging about one share sale per project per month. One alarming statistic was that private residence clubs reported no pre-sales activity in 2010, which is a problem considering that lenders are demanding the ability to demonstrate pre-sales as part of project financing negotiations.

Despite these numbers, Ragatz believes that there is significant pent-up demand for the product and the market will rebound: “My impression is that the consumer confidence for the product is still there, consumer interest for the product is still there and, once some of these extraneous factors that we can’t control settle down, I think we’re off again,” Ragatz said. He added that 71% of resorts reported sales were better or the same during the last half of 2010 compared with the
first half of the year, and 66% of resorts said 2011 will be positive compared with last year.

Ragatz moderated the next panel as well, which was “The Benefits of a Mixed Use Environment.” Because his company developed its luxury mixeduse residential business in the early 2000s, David Shaklee, vice president, residential development, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International was able to provide ample case-study material and detail the advantages and disadvantages of doing business in the sector. In addition, Jamie Klein, president, The Lore Institute, described the intriguing – and proven highly successful – one-day sales event model, which he said is a transferable and customizable concept. And Lisa Migani, business development director EMEA, First National Trustee Company, stressed the importance of a proper legal structure and explained its benefits to both developers and consumers.

Industry veterans Eugenio Macouzet, senior vice president and managing director, Caribbean, RCI; Bryan Ten Broek, senior vice president, resort sales and business development for the U.S., Canada and Caribbean, Interval International; and Francis Taylor, CEO, Dial an Exchange took part in a panel discussion of how the exchange business is evolving. Each one spoke about different areas of the process. Macouzet mentioned how the business has moved on beyond straight exchanges to become more like marketing and product development companies, partnering with resorts to provide lead-generation opportunities. Ten Broek discussed the importance of developing applications for mobile devices that will allow the exchange process to evolve with new technology and cited the more than 50,000 downloads from members using the Interval International mobile app.

Taylor talked about the phenomenon occurring where developer brands are being displaced by the exchange company brands in the minds of owners, the need for developers to take a more proactive role in their customer service strategies and a call for the process to become more transparent.

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“We’re proud to be among Princess Cruises’ elite partners and earn recognition for our cruise advisors’ outstanding sales performance,” said Raul Estrada, Interval’s senior vice president of global member services. “Our members enjoy cruising and we’re very pleased to offer them the high-quality travel experience for which Princess is renowned.”

“Princess Cruises is very pleased to acknowledge Interval Travel with this prestigious distinction and congratulate them for delivering such exceptional results,” said Mary Irene Jencen, Princess Cruises’ district sales manager, Miami to Fort Myers, Florida. “We look forward to continuing our long and mutually successful relationship.”

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“Each residence of Phase 3 of the Muskokan Resort Club is equipped with its own year- round private pool,” says The Muskokan Club’s developer Walter Prychidny. “We decided to add this luxury amenity to the villas in Phase 3 our Muskoka waterfront development so that our club owners could enjoy all the health benefits of swimming 365 days a year in their own private swim spa. We anticipate that the addition of private swim spas to our luxury lakefront villas will be a tremendous selling feature and believe that the private pools will be extremely popular with cottage buyers. No other fractional ownership resort in Ontario offers cottage buyers this extravagant amenity,” states Prychidny.

The swim spas at the Muskokan Club are generous in size, measuring 19 feet in length and 8 feet wide. These self cleaning aqua pools are a family pool, hot tub and aquatic gym all in one. They are equipped with a variable resistant swim current, allowing for a great work out, and have four full body massage hydrotherapy seats, offering complete relaxation. The swim spas are designed to be multifunctional and offer:

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Commented Tanya Bleuel, Director of Yield Management for DAE, “We have members that often have their hearts set on a certain vacation destination, but found that there were no timeshare resorts in that location or there was limited availability. We also learned that many of our members were purchasing additional accommodations to extend their annual vacation and often paid as much as $2,000 per week for their accommodations. We created daeOptions by forming alliances with non-timeshare resorts to allow our members to rent or exchange their timeshare week for a seven-night stay and ultimately enjoy a vacation in their dream destination.”

DAE members can rent daeOptions weeks at highly discounted prices or they can exchange into any daeOptions property by depositing their timeshare week and paying an exchange fee from $350 to $450.

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Chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP), Stephen J. Cloobeck, announced to more than 5,000 attendees at International Pow Wow 2011 in San Francisco that the U.S. marketing budget had reached a combined half billion dollars and that America was ready to compete for tourists with a global marketing strategy.

Stephen J. Cloobeck revealed that the CTP had a $200 million budget to promote the U.S., and when combined with the work of the individual convention and visitor bureaus, meant there was now a half billion dollars available to carry out strategic marketing initiatives for U.S. travel and tourism.

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Chairman of the Board of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP), Stephen J. Cloobeck, discussed the importance of travel promotion, marketing strategies and plans for efficient and effective expenditure of CTP resources during a live interview with Jane Wells on CNBC.

The CTP initiatives include implementing a world-class marketing and promotion program designed to attract more visitor spending to the U.S. in order to drive economic growth and create jobs. Intensive market research will allow for strategic international advertising placement and deliver a culturally sensitive message geared specifically for each region. The budget for CTP is comprised of funds from the private sector and fees from foreign tourism and will be allocated to appropriately represent all stakeholders, including all states and territories in the U.S.

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“We are changing the way people think of cottage life in Ontario, fractional ownership of a vacation property makes so much sense.” Stated, Jonathon Westeinde – Managing Partner of Windmill Developments. ”Maintenance free contemporary cottages, with a goal to be greenhouse gas neutral is turning heads with its savvy appeal and luxurious living.”

Interested families can enjoy the opportunity of investment in a recreational 4-season cottage on the beautiful Rocher-Fendu Lake with a gorgeous south facing sandy beach and a long list of amenities.

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“What an incredible privilege it has been for me, to bring our vision for Copper Point Resort to life,” boasts Michellene Kandert Rohit Communities Owner Representative. “To the homeowners who believed and invested in us at the fore front of the project, I want to say thank you and welcome home to one of the most spectacular places in the world.”

Copper Point Resort was bought out of receivership by Rohit Communities in December 2009 and since then the company has been committed to bringing it all together. “We are proud of the hard work and determination of all people who had a part in making this happen” said Rohit Gupta CFO of Rohit Group of Companies. “We are a family based company who has built a reputation in the home building industry dedicated to quality homes and service, based on our integrity. Copper Point Resort is our first condominium resort property which will host families and generations to come.”

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In a year fraught with uncertainty, economic strife and quiet sales, Club Intrawest, the private vacation club based in Vancouver, Canada, has surfaced as not only a survivor, but a strong player in the changing face of the shared ownership industry.

Club Intrawest is a unique vacation club made up of a small, tight-knit community of members. These members share ownership of vacation homes across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Club Intrawest’s finely crafted resorts are the heart of the club. Members share ownership of eight club locations each situated in an exclusive ski, beach or golf resort like Whistler, British Columbia; Zihuatanejo, Mexico; and Palm Desert, California. Each club location is uniquely styled to reflect the nature, culture and architecture of its region: outdoor fireplaces in Palm Desert, dip pools in Zihuatanejo or a boat house in Blue Mountain. While Club Intrawest prides itself on creating diversity between each of its locations, each resort has amenities and services common at each club  location, making members feel at home regardless of where they are staying.

Club Intrawest is a points-based, private vacation club. A membership with Club Intrawest lasts a lifetime. Members receive an annual allotment of resort points to purchase their vacations for the year. Every year members receive a new allotment of resort points and may use them at any of the spectacular Club Intrawest resorts. To accommodate  longer vacations, Club Intrawest allows members to borrow their resort points from the next year. The resort-point system gives members greater flexibility in their vacation planning, from choosing where to vacation, the duration of their stay and size of accommodations.

A Club Intrawest membership offers variety from year to year; members can vacation any time of year to hundreds of destinations. At each Club Intrawest location, vacation homes range from studios (which sleep two) to three-bedroom units (which sleep eight.) The number of resort points required to reserve a vacation home depends on the time of year and size of vacation home. The club is built on a dedicated team of seasoned, industry professionals who help members create the best vacations of their lives. At the helm is René Cardinal, the newly named president of Intrawest Resort Club Group (IRCG) – where he also wears the hat of chief financial officer.

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Diamond Resorts International thrives upon the service excellence platform set forth by Stephen J. Cloobeck. By responding to customer feedback and engaging in cost efficient and effective solutions, Mr. Cloobeck has successfully developed a hospitality product that is much more than vacation ownership, but guarantees a lifetime of memorable vacation experiences to all owners, members and guests. The Meaning of Yes ensures that every guest receives the vacation they deserve. Diamond team members are currently being trained worldwide to work collectively to improve the guest experience and commit to providing relaxation simplified.

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Club Intrawest, a private vacation club with locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico and exclusively managed by Intrawest Resort Club Group (IRCG), was established in 1994; since opening its first location in Whistler, B.C., people from 48 countries have joined.

“Whistler is still our most profitable lead and tour generating locale,” says Scott, who started in the Club’s call center in 2000 and has risen through the ranks to oversee all sales and marketing operations.

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Chris Thompson, Executive Director of Membership Club Intrawest

Club Intrawest’s ExtraOrdinary Escapes Popular with Members

Club Intrawest, a private vacation club with eight locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico has its community of Members raving about ExtraOrdinary Escapes. This private exchange collection allows Members to use their Membership to explore resorts, hotels, and lodging around the world in popular destinations like New York City, Hawaii, Paris, Tuscany, Hong Kong and beyond. All ExtraOrdinary Escapes properties are hand-picked by Intrawest’s industry professionals.

“We realize that Members might want to venture outside the Club Intrawest network for a vacation every now and then,” says Chris Thompson, Executive Director of Membership Programs who has been with Intrawest Resort Club Group (IRCG) for 14 years. “Whether it’s celebrating a special event or taking that once in a lifetime vacation we want our Members to be able to stay connected to the most unique vacation club in the world while they make the memories of a lifetime.”

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Nearly 2,000 votes have already been cast online for nominees in the Perspective Magazine Awards program. However, timeshare and fractional industry professionals who have not yet cast their ballots only have until the end of this week to participate in the selection process.[membe]

April 29^th is the deadline for online voters to help choose between nearly 150 entries submitted for the awards program, with winners to be announced the evening of May 12^th, 2011 during a Gala dinner at the conclusion of global networking expo GNEX 2011.

Online voting is being conducted through the Perspective Magazine website at http://perspectivemagazine.com/awards, with voters asked to go to the website and follow the links for instructions on how to vote for their favorite individual or company. Once online voting is concluded, the votes will be added to the decisions of a select panel of industry experts in a process to decide the award winners.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the response from the industry so far during the voting process,” said Paul Mattimoe, president and CEO, Perspective Magazine. “With nominations coming in from around the world, we set up the website to make it as easy as possible for the industry to vote and they have exceeded our expectations. We are the only shared ownership industry awards program that includes this level of public involvement and look forward to expanding upon its success year on year.”

GNEX 2011 and the Perspective Magazine Awards will be held May 11^th-12^th, 2011 at the spectacular Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and will take a comprehensive look at the industry from a global viewpoint. Industry associations from five continents have given their support to the event as attendees from the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Australia will be examining creative new ways to grow their businesses.

Workshops discussing international best practices and new strategies to gain and maintain customers will provide outstanding value for delegates. The expo will also incorporate an exhibitor hall, networking sessions, a welcome reception, open networking time and areas for individual business meetings in addition to the Perspective Magazine Awards Gala dinner.

For more information and to find out how you can attend GNEX 2011, please visit http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex

Sponsors and supporters of GNEX 2011 include:

The Absolute World Group, Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Yucatan Holidays, Citadel Trustees Limited, Connex, First American Title Insurance Company, ICE, Interval International, LeisureLink, Max Generation, RCI, First National Trustee Company, Lloydshare, Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP), Australian Timeshare & Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), La Asociación Mexicana de Desarrolladores Turísticos (AMDETUR), Ragatz Fractional Interest Conference, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), American Airlines, Avis Rent A Car and Christel House International as Charity of Choice.

About Perspective Magazine

Perspective Magazine publishes four regional brands: industry publications Perspective Magazine North America, Perspective Magazine Europe & Middle East, Perspective Magazine South Africa and Perspective Magazine Asia Pacific. Together, the industry magazines are the most read independent trade publications globally for the shared ownership industry and the company is a media sponsor of 30 major industry events around the world. The company’s consumer magazine, Owners Perspective Magazine, is the only independent consumer publication that specializes in promoting the benefits of buying shared ownership products to the general public.  Distribution is via a variety of high-profile consumer channels including, but not limited to, more than 150 first class airport lounges worldwide with over a dozen airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta as well as hundreds of luxury hotels, resorts, spas and golf clubs.

For more information, please visit http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex or email Steve Luba, Director of Public Relations, at steveluba(at)perspectivemagazine.com. For information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit http://perspectivemagazine.com/advertise. [/member]

ResorTime.com (www.ResorTime.com), among the largest providers of nightly timeshare condo rentals in the country, has boosted its office space over 25 percent since the beginning of 2011.

The company has more than two million nights of available rentals in their inventory in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, and Thailand. Steady growth in the company’s rental volume is driving the office expansion to accommodate the burgeoning sales-marketing team.

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Club Intrawest placed first out of hundreds of entries in the categories of Business to Business Brochure, Resort Architecture and Landmark Resort.

The Business to Business Brochure called Storybook shares the Club Intrawest vision of creating extraordinary vacation experiences for Members. Although the organization has beautiful resorts in popular locations there is more to Club Intrawest than bricks and mortar. As the Storybook says “There’s a feeling too. A sense of belonging, a genuine community of like-minded individuals connected by the Club experiences they will treasure forever.”

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Opportunity exists for the timeshare and fractional industry in the Canadian marketplace according to a consumer survey released at the Canadian Resort Development Association’s Resort Development Summit in Toronto, Canada.

Approximately 120 industry representatives gathered for the conference on Thursday, October 14th to hear the latest developments in the Canadian shared ownership industry. Attendees were given the results of a survey, commissioned by CRDA and conducted by the research firm Ipsos Reid, which discovered that 80% of Canadians know about  timeshare but 72% have not been exposed to offers for the product and 68% have never attended a timeshare presentation.

The perception of shared ownership has also remained relatively positive in Canada, as 89% of those surveyed said that their opinion of the product is either the same or better than it was 10 years ago.

Such statistics indicate that the Canadian marketplace is open to the good news of vacation ownership.

Of those Canadian consumers who have been offered the product, direct mail was cited as the most influential method of contact but outreach over the phone seemed to be a turnoff for Canadians. About 45% of those surveyed sought their information from the Internet and another 37% primarily from friends and family.

As expected, the economy was the primary topic of conversation and conference speakers acknowledged that the marketplace is slowly emerging from the effects of the recession. However, the impact has affected Canadians somewhat differently than their American counterparts according to CRDA president and CEO, Ross Perlmutter.

“The [housing] prices have dipped slightly, but nothing like we’ve seen in the states, so I don’t think people have had the same impact of ‘oh wow, my personal wealth dropped.’ But their personal wealth measured by investments definitely took a hit in a major way and I think that may have had a deeper psychological effect on people than the home values,” said Perlmutter. “The banks are strictly regulated up here, but they still invested in U.S. bonds and invested in U.S. financial products, so they definitely felt it.”

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Under the direction of Hanning, the company has posted the strongest gains among the Wyndham Worldwide business units, representing the largest contribution to its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).

Hanning joined one of the country’s largest land development entities, Fairfield Communities, Inc., in 1982 as a sales professional. He was later selected to join the company’s first exclusive timeshare resort,
Fairfield Williamsburg, and based on his outstanding sales results, was appointed sales manager for Fairfield Resorts in 1987. In 1992, after just 10 years with the company and having successfully served as sales manager, Hanning was appointed as sales vice president for Williamsburg and Myrtle Beach, Fairfield’s first destination resort. In 1996, his next promotion took him to Orlando where he servedas regional vice president of sales for that market. One year later, he assumed responsibility as vice president of sales for all of Fairfield’s 20 sales locations. Hanning continued to demonstrate effective leadership and from 1998 to 2001 served as chief operating officer for Fairfield Resorts. In 2001, culminating his nearly 20-year career with Fairfield, Hanning was named president and CEO of Fairfield Resorts upon its acquisition by Cendant Corporation.

In 2004, Hanning was named president & CEO of Wyndham Vacation Ownership (previously Cendant Timeshare Resort Group) and his role was extended to oversee the operations of Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific. In 2007, Hanning marked his 25th anniversary with the company he originally joined as a sales professional. Today, he leads a worldwide staff of more than 12,500 employees. He is based at the company’s headquarters in Orlando, where he took the time to speak with Perspective Magazine North America Editor Matt McDaniel in January 2011.

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According to CRDA’s President & CEO, Ross Perlmutter,: “We’re both ecstatic and grateful to have been supported by so many good corporate citizens in our industry this year, and I truly believe that this bodes extremely well for the future. Like most other industry events, our Conference sponsorship was down substantially last year, however; this year we’ve bounced back and shattered our previous, all-time record by at least 10%. In fact, we’re still receiving and processing several sponsorship and exhibit enquiries – it’s unreal.”

Perlmutter credits the increase in sponsorship to both an improvement in the overall health of the industry and a high level of interest in this year’s Conference. “While the level our event’s sponsorship commitments may (understandably) not mean that much to the average attendee, I definitely see it as ‘the canary in the coal mine’. It tells me that our industry’s premiere suppliers are once again active and engaged, and that they have a great deal of confidence in our industry’s potential for prosperity in both the short and long term. I strongly believe that it’s a very clear sign that we’ve turned the corner, and that we’re all poised for a robust growth spurt in the months ahead.”

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According to Sherri Weeks, “our company is capitalizing on the surge of timeshare rental popularity and is rapidly becoming the go-to source for spacious condominium rentals.  We started as a way to help out owners of our parent company, and have steadily grown.  What truly differentiates us in the timeshare rental market is our ability to offer rentals for just a night or two, while most of our competitors are locked into a longer stay model.    Vacation timeshare owners and members whose parent resorts are part of our Bonus Time Network™ can access incredible values at hundreds of resorts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.”

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Club Intrawest, the private vacation club which recently received five finalist placements in the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Annual Award Program has developed its own lexicon when it comes to talking about its community of Members and their shared ownership of beautifully crafted Vacation Homes across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The organization’s Storybook received ARDA honors in the Brochure (8+ pages) Category.  The Storybook was created to put forth the message that although the organization has top flight resorts (two of which also received architecture and design finalist placement), there is more to Club Intrawest than bricks and mortar.  As the Storybook says “There’s a feeling too.  A sense of belonging, a genuine community of like-minded individuals connected by the Club experiences they will treasure forever.”

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Club Intrawest’s achievements were selected as the “best of the best” from hundreds of entries.  Their accomplishments in the program were honored in the categories of Green Sustainable Programs Within a Company, Business to Business Brochure, Special Event, Resort Design and Landmark Resort. 

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According to Ross Perlmutter (CRDA’s President/CEO): “One of the best pieces of business advice I’ve ever received is something that my peewee hockey coach taught me when I was twelve: “You have to skate to where the puck is going; not where it’s already been.” That statement is certainly true for hockey, and it’s especially true in the context of our industry right now. If we are going to adapt to the ‘new normal’, it’s imperative that we focus on the future, and that we change the way that we develop and offer our products and services to consumers. Maintaining the status quo simply isn’t a viable option any longer.”

With such a strong emphasis on “change”, it seems only fitting that CRDA’s 2011 Conference is undergoing dramatic changes itself. “Without question, this is going to be a truly exciting year for our conference attendees. For example, we’ve expanded the educational programming portion of the conference to one and a half days, and we’ve increased the total number of breakout sessions by 25% this year”, said Perlmutter. “All of the sessions are designed to be extremely interactive, culminating in an ambitious “Industry Thinktank Workshop” involving all of the conference attendees. In order to better understand our consumer, we’ve added an “Ask the Owners” session, and we’ve worked hard to develop dynamic breakout sessions that cover all of the bases: marketing, finance, fractionals, management, public relations, legal issues, renovations & refurbishments and even body language!”  

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René Cardinal, President of Intrawest Resort Club Group (IRCG), a division of Intrawest, has addressed the current “State of the Club” in a recent announcement. Club Intrawest, a private vacation club with locations across Canada, the United States and Mexico and exclusively managed by IRCG, was established in 1994; since opening its first location in Whistler, B.C., people from 48 countries have joined.

René Cardinal

“We are pleased to kick off 2011 from a foundation of strength having successfully navigated through the unprecedented challenges facing our industry since 2008,” said Cardinal. “Judging from recent reports documented in the January 2011 issue of the American Resort Development Association’s publication Developments, our single digit cumulative default rate on our loans portfolio outperformed the shared ownership industry in general.”

Further evidence of Club Intrawest’s success is demonstrated by Member satisfaction ratings consistently reporting in the mid 90s, including the quality of Vacation Homes (93.2%) and the professionalism of Member Services 93.8%).

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DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL® (Diamond), a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industry, joins worldwide industry leaders as a Signature Sponsor for the 2011 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Annual Convention & Exposition on March 27-31 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL.

Attracting more than 3,000 participants from over 20 countries annually, the ARDA Annual Convention & Exposition offers companies prime exposure to elite vacation ownership industry professionals and provides quality networking opportunities, expert insight on the latest industry trends and access to the exhibit floor featuring hundreds of industry suppliers. The ARDA Annual Convention & Exposition is the leading annual resource for the resort development industry.

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The vacation ownership trade association for Canada endorses Perspective Magazine’s first annual networking and awards event.

Timeshare and fractional multi-media information provider Perspective Magazine announces that the Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA) will be participating as a GNEX 2011 Supporter during the First Annual Global Networking Expo.

“We’re delighted to lend our support to this event. Perspective Magazine has been an excellent friend of CRDA for several years now, and we see this as a terrific opportunity to leverage our excellent relationship with them to extend CRDA’s global reach,” said Ross Perlmutter, president and CEO, CRDA.

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Tempus Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of Diamond Resorts International® (Diamond) a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industries, has today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire a substantial portion of the assets of Tempus Resorts International, Ltd. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the U.S. bankruptcy court and certain other conditions. To effect the transaction, Tempus Resorts International, Ltd. and certain of its subsidiaries have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.

According to Stephen J. Cloobeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Resorts International®, “Dependent upon the outcomes of the court, we are pleased to be in a position to offer strategic guidance for Tempus assets and quality customer service for the 40,000 owners who look forward to utilizing their vacation holiday product.” 

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The overall theme of the 2010 Luxury Markets Symposium in Mexico City may have been “Building Solutions,” but presenters at the conference showed that those solutions are well underway. The fifth annual conference was held at the St. Regis Hotel on August 24-25, 2010, and was hosted by RCI Latin America. The feeling among the delegates was that the shared ownership industry is on an upward trajectory that will provide positive results in 2010.

Ricardo Montaudon, Latin America president and general manager, RCI, stated in his opening remarks that the industry is beyond the effect of the economic crisis and that signals are clear that the market is recovering. And while the crisis has modified the industry, Montaudon added that it has also provided the motivation for industry innovation. RCI released statistics at the conference showing that the Mexican market is still the number-one option for Americans looking to buy abroad and that 45% of people they surveyed said now is a good time to buy vacation property.

“The Mexican tourism industry is recovering and will very soon be at its usual level of visitors, hotel occupancy and income. And this is because Mexico continues to be a very attractive destination for foreign and local travelers not only because of its beach and sun destinations, but we also have great culture, historical background and many other natural wonders,” said Mario Ocampo, director of public relations, RCI Latin America. “What makes Mexico different from a lot of very interesting and active destinations is the quality of service with which the Mexican hosts receive our international visitors. And I don’t think this will ever change.”

Other Favorable Trends
Other trends surfacing are that Mexican developers are targeting Canadian buyers with more regularity due to Canada’s favorable exchange rate with the U.S. dollar and more Mexican developers are moving toward a fractional model due to decreased demand for whole-ownership vacation products. The key factor of the past year, according to conference speakers, has been the change in attitude of the consumer toward vacation products. Consumers are more cautious, looking for added value and are vacationing closer to home, with 51% of buyers purchasing property within 100 miles from home – up from 36%.

Vacationers also are booking closer than before to their trip dates. The average booking is now being made 35 days prior to the date, rather than the 60-80 day range as before, with 90% of travelers first searching on the internet to begin their process for the best deal available.

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DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL® (Diamond), a global leader in the vacation ownership industry, continues to position itself as a leader in the travel lodging market with its multi-destination resorts as travelers interested in discovering unique experiences during their vacation holidays can choose from more than 177 resorts in THE Club® at Diamond Resorts International®.

Discover More. Discover Diamond.(SM)
Travelers may choose to visit one country or plan a multi-destination vacation holiday. Diamond Resorts International® offers a portfolio of spectacular resorts throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Membership in THE Club® at Diamond Resorts International®, a points-based vacation holiday exchange program, provides much more than traditional vacation holiday ownership.

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Stephen J. Cloobeck, chairman and chief executive officer of Diamond Resorts International®, has more than 25 years of experience in development, construction, management, operations, marketing and sales of real estate properties, including vacation ownership resorts, hotels, retail shopping centers, and office and apartment buildings. In April 2007, he acquired the publicly traded Sunterra Corporation and transformed the company into a privately held operating entity. Cloobeck is widely recognized as one of the most innovative, successful and accomplished entrepreneurs in the global vacation ownership industry.

While he rarely grants interviews, Cloobeck recently agreed to speak with Perspective Magazine Editor Matt McDaniel.

Stephen, tell me how you got your start in the shared-ownership industry.
Well, my start was when I was 17 or 18 years old and I began selling timeshare for my father at the Jockey Club during the summers in the early ’80s.

How did Diamond Resorts come about?
In ’96 or ’97, I created Diamond Resorts from the spinout and acquisition of all the assets of Worldstar, which had been formed by the acquisition of the assets of Polo Resorts International Resort Group.

Tell me about the transition from working for your father’s company as a teenager to owning the company.
Well, out of college, I ended up going into the real estate business, learning the shopping center and development business, and ended up starting my own business at 23 or 24 and was building 7-11 convenience stores, Chief Auto Parts and promotional centers throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. And at the time my father was trying to transition from the Jockey Club to Polo Towers, he needed somebody to develop the property – so I built Polo Towers at 29 for my father, because my father, who was a great sales and marketing guy, had no development experience.

We built Polo Towers on time and on budget, the first high-rise purpose-built timeshare resort in the world, and the loan, approximately USD$23 million, was the largest loan for the industry put together at that time. That was the early ’90s and Tower 1 opened Christmas ’93. My father and I worked together, and then we sold the company in 1996 to Starwood Capital and the company was rebranded Worldstar.

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Approximately 120 industry representatives gathered for the conference on Thursday, October 14, to hear the latest developments in the Canadian shared ownership industry. Attendees were given the results of a survey, commissioned by CRDA and conducted by the research firm Ipsos Reid, which discovered that 80% of Canadians know about timeshare but 72% have not been exposed to offers for the product and 68% have never attended a timeshare presentation. Such statistics indicate that the Canadian marketplace is open to the good news of vacation ownership.  

Of those Canadian consumers who have been offered the product, direct mail was cited as the most influential method of contact. On the other hand, outreach over the phone seemed to be a turnoff for Canadians, with about 45% of them getting their vacation information from the Internet and another 37% primarily from friends and family.

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DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL® (Diamond), a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industries, today announced that David F. Palmer has assumed the position of President and Chief Financial Officer, Diamond Resorts Corporation with immediate effect. Palmer will assume the responsibilities of President and Chief Financial Officer for Diamond Resorts Corporation and its subsidiary and trade companies. 

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“Family travel is pinnacle to Shell Vacations Hospitality and this is obvious not only at our resorts with family-friendly activities like bingo games, cookie-making, movie and popcorn nights, but also on our website,” said Shallana Edwards, Online Marketing Manager for Shell Vacations Hospitality. “We are constantly adding new family-oriented specials to our site and introducing fun activities that kids can enjoy online, such as our Family Fun Drawing Contest and other sweepstakes. Winning the Spectrum Award in online marketing only urges us to keep striving toward delivering a family friendly website and vacations that families will enjoy.”

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AT&T will manage and operate Hilton Worldwide’s “Stay Connected” program, which provides guests with access to high-speed Internet services. Hilton Worldwide’s properties will receive fast AT&T Wi-Fi and wired connectivity over a common high-speed Internet access platform, making it more convenient for guests to get online in their hotel rooms, meeting spaces and public areas.

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“RCI Points is already the most flexible and rewarding vacation exchange program in the industry today. And with the RCI Points PlatinumSM membership, RCI families will now have the chance to upgrade their vacation from a studio to a one bedroom, a one bedroom to a two bedroom or even to a larger accommodation if available,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO of RCI. “We’ve built in unprecedented exchange, travel and lifestyle benefits such as up to half-off savings at thousands of dining establishments. In today’s economy, our members are looking more than ever for value, access and status from their membership and most importantly, they want to save money. We think we’ve developed a new product for them that does just that.”

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Bernard Freibaum

Bernard Freibaum, an accomplished financial executive with extensive real estate experience, has joined timeshare developer Shell Vacations LLC (www.ShellVacationsClub.com) as Chief Financial Officer. Freibaum will work closely with Shell Vacations Chairman and CEO Sheldon H. Ginsburg and President and COO Tracy L. Sherles in evaluating new growth opportunities and enhancing business operations within the company’s many divisions.

Added Ginsburg, “We are delighted to welcome a financial executive with Bernie’s impressive credentials and record of accomplishments. We are confident he will become a significant member of our team as we move forward into a new economy.”

Sherles agreed. “We believe our entire company will benefit greatly from Bernie’s expertise and considerable experience.”

During his more than three decades as a financial professional, Freibaum has worked for large public accounting firms as a real estate and tax consultant and for a host of real estate-oriented companies spanning all property types and disciplines. He has skills in development, management, acquisition, disposition, finance, tax and accounting.  Most recently, he was the Chief Financial Officer of General Growth Properties, Inc., which focused on regional shopping malls, where he was awarded “Best CFO” in the public Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) sector by Institutional Investor Magazine for three consecutive years, from 2004 to 2006.

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The latest Ragatz survey is out, and it’s perhaps more valuable to developers than ever given the events of the past two years. This is the 10th annual edition of the project, which is considered to be the most thorough and comprehensive survey conducted of the industry. Here we present the summary of the findings together with observations from Ragatz Associates Founder and President Richard L. “Dick” Ragatz, Ph.D.

So what’s the biggest news out of this year’s study? “The major one that pops out immediately is the decline in sales volume by about 43% due primarily to lack of consumer financing and the general economic conditions,” says Ragatz. “That’s obviously the negative, but there was one positive coming out of the sales performance: the fact that prices on a per-square-foot basis, per-week basis and per-share basis did not seem to drop nearly as much as other types of residential real estate, especially whole ownership resort real estate.”

These results aren’t what Ragatz had expected. “We actually thought it was going to be more of a drop off; we thought it was going to be over 50%,” he says. “One surprise was that all three components (moderately priced fractionals, the high-end PRCs and the destination clubs) dropped off almost exactly the same amount – they all dropped off 43-44%. We had anticipated that the fractionals were going to drop off a lot more than the PRCs.”

Ragatz says the drop off was most severe in the Caribbean and Mexico, the least severe in Canada, and somewhere in between in the U.S. “So the 43% was for North America as a whole; in the U.S., that was only about 35%,” he says.

One of the other interesting findings was that in order to decrease prices on a per-share basis without decreasing prices on a per-square-foot basis, there is a tendency to have smaller shares, fewer bedrooms and less square footage in the new-construction units. Following are further details of the summary results. For purposes of definition, fractional interest projects and private residence clubs are similar, in that both typically sell deeded ownership in shares of vacation homes, ranging from a 1/15 share with three weeks of annual use to a 1/4 share with three months of annual use. However, the two components vary in terms of price, quality of product and degree of services and amenities. Ragatz Associates simply assumes that product selling for less than $1,000 per square foot falls into the fractional interest category, and product selling for more than $1,000 per square foot falls into the private residence club category. A destination club typically sells 30-year memberships on a non-equity basis into a wide network of vacation homes in multiple locations. Some clubs are equity-based, however.

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There was a great deal of prideful celebrating going on in New Orleans as the Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (C.A.R.E.) reached a significant milestone in its 25-year history by welcoming members to its 50th semi-annual conference, held in late April. The Silver and Gold Conference celebrated not only C.A.R.E.’s quarter of a century as an organization, but also recognized special members who have helped their group succeed over the years.

Held at the landmark Hilton New Orleans St. Charles Avenue, the historical spring conference attracted over 160 member representatives in spite of the current economy. New Orleans was also the site of the first C.A.R.E. (www.care-online.org) conference 25 years ago. Former board members and award winners were recognized for their contributions in bringing the organization to its current respected status.

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Luba, who is based in Orlando, Florida, will directly contribute to the ongoing growth of the company throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Perspective International Ltd has seen rapid growth over the past few years, most notably through Perspective Magazine and Owners Perspective Magazine.

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The program was well received by participating homeowners from the Intrawest resorts, which include some of the most well-known resort destinations in North America, and in 2003, recognizing the scalability of the model Intrawest took the opportunity to expand Resort to Resort to include a portfolio of carefully selected partner resorts. What was once a small project for Intrawest has seen continued growth in membership and partnerships with further opportunities on R2R’s horizon.

Dean Kneider, director of Resort to Resort, has overseen the company’s expansion in both the number of R2R properties from 47 resorts to over 200, as well as more than 14,000 extended memberships. The program’s growth isn’t slowing down as over the past few months Kneider and his business development team have solidified partnerships with an additional eight properties including:

• Taheima Wellness Resort & Spa, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
• DayStar Properties, Jaco Beach, Costa Rica
• VIVO Resorts, Puerto Escondido, Mexico
• Palmetto Bay, Maya Beach, Belize
• Cape Codder Residences, Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA
• 901 Fernie, Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
• Mayne Island Resort, Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
• Rundle Cliffs at Spring Creek Mountain Village, Canmore, Alberta, Canada

“We are thrilled to have so many diverse and exclusive properties join our network,” says Kneider. “As resort real estate continues to grow and value-added partnerships like these are offered, resort home owners get an opportunity to expand their vacation possibilities.”

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Perspective Magazine (http://www.perspectivemagazine.com) has been in circulation since 2005 and has grown to become the most read independent monthly publication for the timeshare and fractional industry worldwide.

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