Over 90 companies from five continents participate in the timeshare and fractional industry?s Second Annual Global Networking Expo.
Very positive responses continue to flow in from delegates who attended Perspective Magazine?s Second Annual Global Networking Expo, GNEX 2012 ? The Global Meeting Of Minds, last week at the Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.The event attracted 177 timeshare and fractional industry professionals representing 91 companies who came together to share best practices, discuss new development projects and provide an open debate on topics such as the potential for Latin America, the need to adapt products to meet changing consumer behavior and the effect of regulation, resales and transfer companies on the vacation ownership industry.
?Every industry in order to survive and grow must promote innovation and entrepreneurialism with fresh blood and creative thinking. I and many others feel that GNEX is the platform to lead the way for our present and our future,? said Mel Grant, President and CEO, SFX Preferred Resorts.
?It was a trend setting gathering of some of the best minds in Timeshare. I was privileged to be one of the panelists,? added industry legal veteran Roger Burk of John Rogers Burk, A Law Corporation who was instrumental in the creation of the Private Residence Club concept in the 1990s in the United States.
The sessions began as Craig Morganson, CEO, Holiday Systems International provided an update on the U.S. Travel Warning for Mexico, announcing that funding has been secured for the Rand Corporation to conduct research to quantify the effect of the Warning on commerce, including tourism-related businesses. Morganson expects the results of the research to support his efforts to have the U.S. government downgrade the Travel Warning, which would lessen its impact and create more demand for travel to Mexico.
?We have over one million legal border crossings per day between the U.S. and Mexico, with the Tijuana border crossing being the busiest border crossing in the world. So we?re talking about a friendly nation with a lot more good happening than bad,? said Morganson.
Panelists on the Investment Potential For Latin America panel agreed that the combination of the economic downturn with the Warning has had a negative impact on U.S. leisure travel to Mexico, but there has been a lift from other areas as travelers from countries such as the U.K., Canada, Russia and Brazil visit Mexico. The Caribbean has also benefitted from travelers looking to the region and the consensus is that, with low costs and a favorable regulatory environment, now is the time to invest in Latin America.
David Gilbert, Executive Vice President for Interval International, provided an ?Insight Into The U.S. Consumer? with statistics showing that the Caribbean continues to be the region of choice for its members traveling internationally.
Keynote speaker John Spence, CEO, The Karma Royal Group gave an electric presentation discussing his move from booking agent for 1980s music bands such as Culture Club and Bananarama to resort entrepreneur, creating one of the most successful shared ownership resort companies in the world.
Additional panels touched on topics such as the effect of the European Union Timeshare Directive, the need for resorts to create viable take-back programs, competition for the exchange companies and the challenge from ?pay as you go? travel options to current vacation ownership products.
An update on the state of the fractional industry, the need to adjust products to the new demands of today?s consumer, changing sales tactics and the importance of analyzing online marketing data were also key aspects of the expo.
Overall, panelists in the Global Predictions For Shared Ownership session portrayed an optimistic view for the industry in 2012 with Asia, the Middle East and Latin America leading the way, followed by cautious optimism in North America and Australia while Europe continues to struggle.
Speed Networking shifted into high gear as delegates engaged under the thatched Palapas for high energy, one-on-one business introductions followed by a Beach Club Party where attendees continued their conversations under the stars.
GNEX 2012 also included the Perspective Magazine Awards Gala dinner, where 42 winners were announced from nearly 150 nominations in a wide variety of categories such as Best Timeshare Resort, Best Fractional Unit and Entrepreneur of the Year. A full list of award winners can be viewed at http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex/category/2012/#awards.
For those industry professionals who missed out this year, GNEX 2013 will be held at the world renowned Beverly Wilshire ? a Four Seasons Hotel - in Beverly Hills, California over February 4th ? 6th , 2013. More information will become available on the conference website at http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex.
Sponsors and supporters of GNEX 2012 include:
Blue Strawberry Resorts, Holiday Systems International, Sunset World Resorts, Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Travel To Go, Interval International, Lloydshare, RCI, BuyaTimeshare.com, Customer Count, Emirates Vacation Club, First American Title Insurance Company, Hop-On, Merlin Software, Sell My Timeshare NOW, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, Track Results Software, Travel Guard, YachtsE, Circle One BlueBay Resort, El Cid Vacation Club, Grand Velas, Mayakoba Residences, Royal Resorts, Unlimited Vacation Club, Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP), Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), The Pacific Institute, Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest Conference, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), Women in the Industry (WIN) and Christel House International as Charity of Choice.
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