In today’s competitive on-line world, the key word (no pun intended) is visibility. During April 2009, The Society will begin the debut of a new marketing platform we will be offering to select partners. A few highlights to whet your appetite:

• Full on-line advertising/marketing/PR solution

• Global exposure to an affluent target market

• Affiliation with eight (8) other respected luxury market portals

• One Listing

• One Calendar

• One Annual Fee

• The Ultimate in Simplicity and Value

One of the hallmarks of The Society is the ability to provide our management partners and vendors leads from qualified clients who desire to travel and most important, book rental vacation residences. Through extensive market research we comprehend there are literally categories of travelers who use our service from the “one-offs” to the frequent traveler. Thus we have developed The Society Club Travel Membership Program.

Additional information will be provided in future communications, however, immediately we can advise the TMP will be offering three (3) levels of service to our clients ranging from a Basic Membership for the “Do-It-Yourself Travel Planner Extraordinaire” to the Personal Service Package for those who desire to have The Society “Show Me An Unforgettable Vacation” to the Preferred Membership for our members who desire for The Society to be “Looking Out For Your Vacations…All Year Round”

More details will be unveiled in April.

Most respected hoteliers will provide an upgrade if available. The rationale of offering an upgrade as part of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) plan is simple; 1) it makes the client feel special and 2) builds a lasting relationship i.e. repeat business.

Now, we understand a hotel is a “physical plant”, usually under one roof with services and amenities centralized. Yes, vacation home rentals are very opposite of this physical model. However, consider the following scenarios to allow upgrading to work to your advantage:

A client inquires about a 2-bedroom villa, one block from the beach. While it is available, you also have a similar unit on the beach. While the rack rate is higher, it is vacant. Why not consider offering to upgrade the client to the beachfront property? The client will feel their business is especially appreciated and you, the property manager will have a repeat client due to your generosity.

What if the properties are vastly different even though it is an upgrade? Location, design and amenities are easily quantifiable. It is a process of communication. Of course, if the client is set on a specific property based on their desires, no matter what you offer, it will be moot. However, if you can communicate to the client how your offer is an upgrade while the price remains the same; you may enjoy a life-long client.

Please note, communication is paramount and the goal is to build a lasting client relationship. Hoteliers are doing this around the globe i.e. discounting rates and providing an upgrade upon arrival. Even the travel agent consortium Virtuoso specifies in their hotel vendor contracts, “Virtuoso guests are to be offered an upgrade upon arrival if available.”

Our goal at The Society is to build a client base; an upgrade can go a long way towards this goal and insure revenues during flush times and when economic challenges arise. Your short-term generosity may lead to long-term benefits.

As mentioned in the 3/17 newsletters, for many summer vacation is sacrosanct. While spending patterns and destinations may be revised (Disney Companies laying off worker at resorts), our inquiry volume continues to increase as more vacationers embrace the value and convenience of a vacation home rental.

Now, we need your assistance as we enter the “busy” season from April to August.

• Update of Rates: It is paramount we have the most up-to-date rates on our site. Remember, the client’s first introduction and initial inquiry is via The Society. Concerning continuity, it is important we have rate parity across the board. Thus, please advise us of 1) updated rates and 2) any specials you may be offering (see below).

• Update of Profiles: Again, as The Society is the initial inquiry, it is important we have the most pertinent information concerning descriptions, rates, activities, local/regional information and so forth. From basic Internet Marketing 101, we desire to retain the inquiry on our website for as long as possible. Detailed information pertaining to vacation homes will enhance the opportunity for a booking versus the client “checking other sites/options”. Please, continue to log-in to your account on The Society and fill out your listings fully with relevant updates concerning your properties. If you have questions about your account or how to update your listings, please email mark@thesociety.com, and instructions will be sent over asap.

• Update Inventory: Many of our partners have increased their inventory from vacation homeowners who desire to receive income from their asset. Others are requesting rentals as their properties are presently listed for sale and this is an opportunity to “try before you buy”. Please, send us your most up-to-date inventory of properties you would like us to display and profile.

• Update Inventory II: Have you de-acquisitioned properties recently? If you no longer represent properties, which continue to be listed with The Society, please inform us immediately so we can remove those properties. When an inquiry requests a specific unit, we desire to provide immediate availability. If the property is not available due to prior booking, we will make every effort to provide “substitute” options based on the initial inquiry. When a listed vacation rental is not available, it is a disservice to all of us.  You may also remove properties at any time using your account.  Simply log in to The Society, click “View/Edit Vacation Rentals”, and then you can either edit the listings to add/revise information, or delete the listing entirely.

A highlight of the Spring Charity season is the Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) Foundation event in Midtown Manhattan. The annual event, a must attend on the New York Charity circuit will feature a vacation residence provided by VacationHomesforCharity.org. The home, a significant architectural tour de force is located in the prestigious vacation community of East Hampton, New York. The home, a private enclave is just minutes from the glorious beaches of the Hamptons and an easy bike ride to the finest gourmet dining and luxury shopping in the Village of East Hampton.

For charities hosting Spring and early Summer fund-raisers, vacation residences are a most welcome auction item as patrons begin to plan their summer getaways. It is not to late to 1) do good with your vacation residence and 2) charities, we are always able to provide support, even last minute to include a vacation home as a signature fund-raising opportunity.

It was quite refreshing during the depths of the stock market downturn, patrons coming out in force to continue to assist those in need. On a mild southern California Friday evening, luminaries from the entertainment and sports industries came together for Fight Night XI benefiting the Marconi Foundation for Kids and The Freedom Writers Foundation. The signature auction item was a vacation at The Villa dei Sogni (Villa of Dreams) a 4-bedroom villa with a private pool located on an enchanting hillside overlooking the Town of Bellagio and Lake Como in northern Italy raising over $10,000 during competitive bidding.

Barely 24 hours later, the annual Athletes First Classic raised money for the Orangewood Foundation, a program for abused and disadvantaged children. The highlight of the evening’s auctions was the opportunity to enjoy seven nights at the Casa De Golf, a spectacular 8-bedroom vacation residence located on the 18th hole of the Hacienda Pinilla Golf Club in beautiful Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The auction of Casa De Golf generated $30,000 in contributions for the Orangewood Foundation.

Do you desire additional exposure to qualified buyers?

In today’s competitive marketplace, many vacation homes are on the market. Whether your home is listed by a Realtor or is a FSBO, you desire to increase exposure to potential buyers.

Have you considered associating your home with VacationHomesForCharity.org?

• In addition to your home providing an opportunity for the charity or non-profit of your choice to benefit, you, as owner will benefit as well.
• As the homeowner, you will be provided cash to cover cleaning and other fees associated with the donation.
• Your home will be prominently featured as the “signature auction item” of the event. The exposure is invaluable.
• Having your vacation home associated with a “charity fund-raiser” provides respectability; knowing the owner has donated his/her home to assist in generating funds during this period of economic malaise.
• Participants at the charity event may be potential purchasers. Bidders can literally “try before they buy”, an opportunity usually not provided to prospective buyers.
• Your home will be prominently featured on multiple blogs.
• Opportunity to increase exposure via local and regional press/marketing opportunities.
• You set the expiration date, blackout dates, and other restrictions.

FYI: The Society offers multiple options to assist vacation homeowners to partner with charities to provide use of their home (on a space available basis) to benefit a charitable organization. Usually the use of the home is “auctioned off” to a bidder desiring a vacation opportunity while assisting their charitable cause. Owners of the home can pick a charity or we can assist them in partnering with various charities. Past charities include those associated with the fine arts, food allergies, cancer research, museums and assistance for the elderly.

For additional information, please review www.vacationhomesforcharity.org/give, which is the philanthropy of The Society.

Do good with your vacation home.  Check out some of the benefits of our charity projects.  And please spread the word.

This morning I was interviewed by Nancy & Lisa, the BigBlendMagazine.com Editors, on their Vacation Station Blog Radio segment. You should be able to listen to the interview on Blog Radio or below.

PRESS RELEASE

March 20, 2009

Just-announced news from the vacation rental category today is a breakthrough for our industry – one that’s remained a sleeping giant and ‘best kept secret’ in lodging for decades and is now stirring, able to begin showing the world what it’s truly made of.

Effective immediately, I’m pleased to share with you that the voice for our professionally managed vacation rental industry, the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA), launches a much-anticipated awareness campaign for the traveling public: Discover Vacation Homes.

The only collaborative effort of its kind within the industry, VRMA’s Discover Vacation Homes initiative will work to promote professionally managed vacation rentals as one of North America’s fastest-growing lodging categories through public relations – including earned publicity, social networking and emerging new media strategies.

Why, you ask? Today’s economic conditions and “togethering” travel trends indicate a huge need for value, space and privacy – needs which vacation rentals address better than any other lodging option. In short, there’s never been a better time to share our story than right now.

United toward this momentous goal, the VRMA with its DVH promotions arm will be able to more effectively elevate the perception of the entire category, enlightening those who are currently unaware of what we offer, as well as the many benefits associated with it. What’s more, with the strength of more than 600 members and approximately 150,000 trusted rental homes, condos and villas, the VRMA’s collective voices can be heard with authority – proudly shouted from the rooftops of vacation rentals worldwide!

In support of the new public relations initiative, the VRMA has retained renowned vacation rental industry supporter Rick Fisher as a Chief Strategist, and utilizes the services of top international advertising, marketing research, and public relations firm, Ypartnership, for dedicated representation in 2009 (www.ypartnership.com).

Companies will have the opportunity to learn more about the Discover Vacation Homes program, and meet the team behind the campaign, during VRMA’s three conferences this year (Eastern, Western and National).

For more information about VRMA and its new campaign, including member benefits and answers to frequently asked questions, check out the newly redesigned VRMA website at www.VRMA.com or the evolving www.DiscoverVacationHomes.com.