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here’s something com-
pelling about a timeline.
That was my thought as I
read with interest Howard
Nusbaum’s recent article
in
Developments
. As always, Howard’s perspectives
were a worthy read, but what caught my eye first was
a sidebar of landmark dates in our industry’s half-
century of history, beginning with the opening of the
first timeshare resort in Switzerland and finishing with
the return to growth mode in 2013.
The timeline is an element that reels us into the
story, bringing to life facts and dates. It helps us hang
on to the information. It paints a clearer picture of the
relationships and interconnectedness of the events.
And as Interval International looks forward to its
40th anniversary in 2016, our own timeline com-
mands my thoughts. Our company’s firsts and bests
are logged in and arranged on a continuum that gets
longer and longer with each passing year.
Many in our industry have developed timelines
and compiled historical accounts — some internally
focused and others industry-encompassing. And
gathered together, they ought to tell a comprehen-
sive story of timesharing.
Something’s Missing
Our collective chronologies do a good job of record-
ing many things: the establishment of organizations,
the launch of landmark regulations, the entry of
major brands and companies, the introduction of
new products, even the anniversaries of negative
events such as the market crash of 2008.
But as I reflect on my own long history with
vacation ownership — especially on the heels of
Interval’s Shared Ownership Investment Conference
in October when I had the opportunity to catch up
with so many old friends — it occurs to me that
there’s something missing in our cumulative
archives: the
human
equation. The stories of indus-
try giants and trailblazers. The recognition of those
individuals behind our most important mile markers.
How can we, for example, mention the forma-
tion of ARDA’s forerunner — the American Land
Development Association —without acknowledging
Bill Ingersoll and Gary Terry? How can we remember
the entry of Marriott, the first brand to embrace
timesharing, without understanding the roles that
J.W. Marriott, Ed McMullen, and Bob Miller played?
And how can we talk about the development of
the Model Timeshare Act in 1983 without bringing
the creators into the discussion? When I became
part of the industry more than 30 years ago, I cut my
teeth on helping to craft the seminal provisions that
served as the framework for constructive timeshar-
ing legislation in the U.S. And I was privileged to
work with groundbreakers such as Perry
Snyderman, Art Spalding, and others.
What Ever Happened to … ?
Upon our return from the investment conference this
fall, some of us at Interval found ourselves recalling
colleagues, clients, and partners of the past four
decades. Allen Ten Broek’s and Robert Taylor’s
names came up — their company, The Mariner
Group, was one of the early pioneers of purpose-built
themed resorts in Florida. We remembered how Tom
Bowes, who developed some of the first timeshare
resorts in New Orleans, helped us throw one of
Interval’s early parties when New Orleans hosted the
ARDA annual convention. We acknowledged the role
that Richard Sutton played in bringing timesharing to
the nascent resort community of Cancún in 1978.
Our “whatever-happened-to” session was a lot
of fun and raised more than a few laughs as we
recounted memories and updated each other on the
whereabouts of former employees, clients, and
industry acquaintances.
We also remembered those who’ve left us:
Mario Rodriguez and Tom Davis, of course, the
founders of Interval International; Ron Haylock, who
helped shape Europe’s timeshare trade organiza-
tions; Frank Eck, responsible for writing the Virginia
Timeshare Act and other industry-related timeshare
legislation in that state; and too many others.
Beyond Oral History
We have an obligation, however, to do more than
simply reminisce and swap stories. We have a
responsibility to record not just the what, where, and
when, but the
who
. To chronicle the human history,
as integral as the numbers, facts, and dates to
understanding who we are, where we’ve come from,
and — ultimately — where we’re going.
Often, when I think of timelines, I picture the
well-known chart of the evolution of man that con-
cludes with an upright Homo sapiens. And when I
imagine our chronology, I like to envision the images
of our industry’s founders and change agents strid-
ing alongside the dates and milestones. Where
visionaries such as Gary, Mario, Perry, and others
transform the timeline of timesharing to much more
than quantifiable firsts and bests — a salute to our
best and brightest.
6
VIEWPOINT
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
JANUARY – MARCH 2015
BY
Craig M. Nash
CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT, AND CEO
INTERVAL LEISURE GROUP
The Human
Equation
We have a
responsibility to
record not just the
what, where, and
when, but the
who
…
as integral as the
numbers, facts,
and dates to
understanding who
we are, where we’ve
come from, and —
ultimately —where
we’re going.