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“Change is a constant,”
noted Mike Hampton, open-
ing speaker for the Shared Ownership Investment Conference in
October 2014. The dean of the Florida International University
Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management spoke about
change in hospitality education, change in global growth, change in
technology, and change in the way we do business.
That theme played out repeatedly over the two-day conference
at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida. From early-morning
boot camps for delegates new to the industry to networking recep-
tions at the end of the day, the more than 530 attendees explored
aspects of shared ownership in transition.
The 16th annual investment conference, hosted by Interval
International, gathered key industry experts and leaders to share
valuable insights with attendees, who ranged from veteran develop-
ers to new entrants. Also attending were students from FIU and the
University of Central Florida.
Keeping Current, Staying Relevant
“In its 16th year, the conference continues to grow the content in
both breadth and depth for the benefit of attendees,” says Bryan
Ten Broek, senior vice president of resort sales and marketing for
Interval. “While it is always our goal to provide basic information for
those new to the vacation ownership industry, we also strive to
keep attendees current on the industry’s most important issues and
trends.”
During the opening session, Matt Avril, retired president of the
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide hotel group, spoke of some
of those trends as he explored the lessons learned and challenges
that confront the industry today: trends such as pure-play
independents, stabilizing capital markets, and the continued
growth of capital-light deal structures.
Three experts addressed various aspects of the vacation own-
ership landscape and the state of the hospitality industry. Vail
Brown, vice president of global business development and market-
ing for STR, Inc., focused on trends in the hotel industry. Howard
Nusbaum, president and CEO of the American Resort Development
Association, shared positive stats that have converted him from
“cautious optimist” to just plain optimist. And Dave Pierzchala,
senior vice president of Ipsos, presented updates in international
markets, with a focus on the Caribbean and Latin America.
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