2025 ARDA Packs A Ton of Value Into Four Days

Here are a few highlights of the ARDA Conference held in Orlando, March 23-26, 2025, as curated by Resort Trades Publisher Sharon Scott Wilson. (Our apologies for the many highlights we’ve omitted; and many more apologies for errors made in our captions or descriptions.)

In my March Resort Trades article, “Prepping for the ARDA Spring Conference,” I urged attendees to “march up to strangers and introduce yourself, particularly if this is your first ARDA.” I can’t take credit for it, but I was delighted to observe a very open networking vibe throughout the conference.

Each year, ARDA devotes the first day of the conference—Monday—to “101 sessions” designed to familiarize newcomers to the timeshare industry, as well as to update seasoned professionals, with the latest trends and expert insights from industry veterans.

ARDA kicked off the day with a look at the very important AIF Marketing Research that was recently completed. The ARDA International Foundation (AIF) is the definitive source of research and reports for the vacation ownership and timeshare industries. This is a wonderful benefit to being an ARDA member. You can access free reports on the industry, as well as owner demographics and behaviors, such as the 2024 U.S. Shared Vacation Ownership Owners Report and the Economic Impact of the Timeshare Industry on the U.S. Economy, 2024. (You can go online to https://www.arda.org/research-library to learn more.)

The day was filled with 101 panels discussing topics which focused on the legal, finance, design, resort operations, sales and marketing, rentals, and exchange functions involved in the timeshare industry.

The “Leading and Learning with WIN Luncheon” featured Maggie Cook, CEO & Founder of Maggie’s Salsa who spoke of her rise from a childhood where she was reared in a Mexican orphanage to become a successful entrepreneur. These days, Dr. Maggie shares her story with corporate audiences and teaches them the research-backed strategies she uses to stay mindful and build resilience during times of change.

Later in the day, the Kick-Off General Session featured Kat Cole, CEO, AG1. Cole’s story began when she left an unsettled home at age 17. At 19, she launched her first business, and from then on, growing businesses became her passion. She talked of events that shaped her life, including a blunder as president of Cinnabon that became a pivotal learning experience. Her LinkedIn profile begins with, “Seasoned executive and leader with deep expertise building global brands, consumer businesses, and high-performing teams. Board member, investor, and advisor with broad experience in leading consumer brands, food, retail, and scaling franchise organizations through various stages of growth. Growth leader who has built businesses at the intersection of Main Street and Wall Street, connecting big brands and businesses with small and mid-sized independent business owners.”

RCI generously sponsored a party at the end of the day. There we met with a number of old friends, including our friend, David Callaghan (linkedin.com/in/davidcallaghan33157), who has recently joined the RCI team as President of Business Development. It was a pleasant opportunity to not only rekindle relationships, but to meet new people as well.

Up and ‘at-em’ at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday

Tuesday began with a “Leadership Line-up Breakfast” with ARDA President & CEO Jason Gamel moderating a panel including Amandine Robin-Caplan, chief brand & communications officer for Travel + Leisure Company; Derek De Salvia, EVP and chief customer officer of Hilton Grand Vacations; Lori Gustafson, EVP, chief membership & commercial services officer for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation; and Caroline Shin, CEO & founder of Vacatia. It was an important session revealing trends in the marketplace, what the brands are planning and learning about ARDA’s initiatives to keep us moving forward.

The day was packed with seminars, intriguingly classified as “Power Sessions,” “Timeshare 2.0,” and “General Sessions.” A particularly interesting topic was “Navigating Political Change: The Impact of a New Administration on Our Industry.” Sandra DePoy, SVP, Global Public Policy, will speak about ARDA initiatives, as will Robert Clements, VP, ARDA Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel, and Justin Vermuth, SVP, State Government Affairs and ARDA-ROC, joined by Justin Lumadue, Principal, Bockorny Group; Brian Goodrich, Partner, Holland & Knight; and Jerry Kilgore, Partner, Cozen & O’Conner.

A Leadership Luncheon featured Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine detained in Moscow in 2018 and sentenced to 16-year jail sentence in a high-security labor camp, accused of spying. He revealed he was routinely awakened at two-hour intervals by prison guards who would rip off his blanket and take his photograph. The Michigan native had been left out of two previous prisoner swaps, including the one that freed US women’s basketball star Brittney Griner.

Power Sessions were scattered throughout each day of the conference. Topics included “Unlocking Untapped Revenue: Maximizing Profitability in the Modern Timeshare Landscape,” moderated by Gordon McClendon, CEO of SPI Software and including Alex Glover, VP of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships for Shopr Rewards, LLC, each of whom are interviewees of Resort Trades Publisher Sharon Scott Wilson. (Resort Trades honored McClendon for Black History Month in 2025: https://youtu.be/eMvP8i6wSv4?si=i-ayv3hhZm4O5phZ and will be interviewing Glover at the time of this publication.)

Tuesday’s final general session focused on “The Impact of a New Administration on Our Industry.” Sandra “Sam” DePoy, ARDA SVP, Global Public Policy, Robert Clements, VP, ARDA Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel, and Justin Vermuth, SVP, State Government Affairs and ARDA-ROC were joined by Justin Lumadue, Principal, Bockorny Group; and Jerry Kilgore, Partner, Cozen & O’Conner, addressed the latest issues.

ARDA, where the fun never stops!

During the ARDA conference, WIN hosted a “Leadership Luncheon.” In the mid-90s, Cathy Backus, founder of Send Me On Vacation (SMOV), originated the idea of starting a networking group for women in the timeshare industry. She called it “WIN,” short for “Women in the Industry.” Later the idea was adopted by ARDA, under whose direction, WIN became a burgeoning resource for women and any other interested party.

The group’s purpose is to help new entrants into the timeshare world to meet and form meaningful relationships with peers and mentors, learn about interesting industry trends and developments, and benefit from programming that inspires career growth.

Since its inception 20 years ago, when ARDA member Lani Kane-Hanan came to the organization with the idea to start a group for women in the industry, ARDA-WIN has grown from a 30-person meeting into a vast network of hundreds of women.

Other “Power Session” topics included: “Management Companies: What are the Challenges and Opportunities of Working in the Independent Resort Space,” “A View From Wall Street,” “Legal Update: Impacts of the New Administration on Tax, Labor, and Immigration,” and “Evolution of Timeshare F&B & Activities.”

Panel members included Darren Frei, Sr. Branded Content Editor, Skift; JP Hurtado, CIO, Holiday Inn Vacations; Brian Lomonico, VP, Digital Marketing and Growth, Travel + Leisure; Raman Bukkapatnam, EVP & CIO, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation; and Onkar Birk, EVP & CTO, Hilton Grand Vacations.

ARDA has a whitepaper of the report available for download: https://www.arda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/arda-navigating-the-future-of-timeshare-whitepaper.pdf

Resort Trades published an overview of ARDA’s report in January of this year: Shaping the Timeshare Narrative for a New Generation.

Wednesday’s general session speaker, Anthony Robles, inspired listeners when he spoke of how he became a NCAA Wrestling Champion, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee and the subject for the movie, Unstoppable. Anthony Robles turned one of sports’ most remarkable journeys into a powerful legacy of perseverance and triumph. Born with only one leg, he defied the odds to win the NCAA wrestling championship in the 125-pound weight class during the 2010-11 season. Today, Robles is a sought-after motivational speaker and the author of Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated.

His early wrestling days were far from easy—Robles posted a 5-8 record his first year at Mesa High School. But through determination and self-awareness, he discovered how to leverage his unique strengths and went on to become a national champion with an impressive high school record of 129-15. Despite his success, top college programs overlooked him. Undeterred, he committed to Arizona State University, where he proved himself once again by becoming a three-time Pac-10 champion, three-time All-American, and finishing his collegiate career with a 122-23 record. Notably, Robles decided at age three not to use a prosthetic leg, embracing his difference as part of his identity and competitive edge.

Westgate Resorts Founder and Executive Chairman, David Siegel, was awarded the prestigious ACE Lifetime Achievement Award for his remarkable vision, leadership, and contributions to the hospitality and vacation ownership industries. Shown above, his son Richard received the award on his father’s behalf. David passed away just weeks later, on April 5, 2025.

You may read more about him and about the award at https://resorttrades.com/westgate-resorts-founder-david-siegel-honored-with-ace-lifetime-achievement-award.

David always treated Resort Trades and this author kindly and with respect. We regret his passing.

(Regrettably, a few days later David’s widow, Jaqueline, posted this on social media: “my world was shattered again yesterday by the unexpected loss of my beautiful sister, Jessica Mallery, 43, to a scourge we as a family sadly know too well – accidental drug overdose.”

The post added: “In lieu of flowers, our family requests that those who wish to honor Jessica’s memory do so by donating to the Victoria’s Voice Foundation.” For more information or to donate click the link: victoriasvoice.foundation/donate