C.A.R.E. – A Decade in Review

While most of the business world has experienced similar ups and downs of a fickle economy over the last ten (10) years; it is probably a safe assumption that things are on the upswing and the future looks bright for most.  This holds true for C.A.R.E. (The Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers).  Established in 1985, C.A.R.E. has plenty of familiarity in the arena of change with more than 30 years of existence.  The organization has seen its fair share of exponential growth and similar decline in their membership base over the years.  The flux of members, comes hand in hand with ever-changing conference attendance that the association has had to deal with.  But as a not-for-profit trade association, in a relatively tough industry – through hard-hitting economic times, C.A.R.E. claims excellent resilience and proves staying the course pays its dividends.

At its peak in 2009 C.A.R.E. touted nearly 190 members and has maintained a respectable average of 175 in the last ten (10) years.  Whereas most businesses possibly saw their biggest economic downturn in 2010 and the immediate years to follow, C.A.R.E. held strong during that lustrum period dropping to its lowest member roster only recently in 2015 with 120 members on record.  Taking into consideration the old adage of “quality over quantity” the association was able to maintain the viability of the organization through its recession with the support of many long-time valuable members/sponsors, and having its board of directors successfully uphold their fiduciary roles by making the appropriate budgetary cuts to carve a path back to the reign of growth success they have experienced in 2016.  C.A.R.E. has proudly added twenty (20) new members to its membership this year and have projected and feel they are poised to maintain very similar growth in 2017.  This success could not be possible without the valued partnerships in place with all the major trade associations (AMDETUR, ARDA, ARDA WIN Advantage, CRDA, & TATOC) and our Preferred Media Sponsor Perspective Group and media sponsor Resort Trades.

C.A.R.E. has also experienced its portion of fluctuating conference attendance throughout these ups and downs and twist and turns of last ten (10) years.  There are certainly varied reasons for the fluidity in attendance, which has averaged 90 attendees per conference.  On a positive note to that regard, C.A.R.E. garnered a 15-20% increase in attendance in 2016 and looking to 2017 with conferences in Virginia Beach and Anaheim on the calendar, hopes are high for another record year to trend upward.  C.A.R.E. believes in addition to the apparent economic factors that their attendance was additionally effected by the emergence of up and coming new trade show platforms in the industry, in addition to increased costs to host conferences specifically in the western regions, but one of the biggest factors very well may dwell solely in its own house.  Though C.A.R.E. has, for the most part, successfully hosted semi-annual conferences every year since its inception, having recorded its 63^rd conference this past October, the majority of members have been very vocal over the last ten (10) years in that they would prefer C.A.R.E. change to an annual platform for its conferences.  Initiating a change such as this would require a change to the organizational bylaws of C.A.R.E. and despite the majority vocalization of the desire to enact change, the votes never carried a majority required to change the bylaws.  It wasn’t a successful effort until this past spring conference in Asheville, NC it was suggested by a C.A.R.E. member to not seek a change to the bylaws specifically from two conferences a year down to one, but to simply seek a change to the bylaws that would leave the decision fully in the hands of their elected board of directors.  This (more generalized) vote was placed on a ballot this past fall in Lake Tahoe, NV and passed with a majority vote.  So now it is upon the board of directors, at its annual first quarter winter board meeting, to fully review all the factors regarding a change to the frequency of conferences. Factors being considered are when to hold conferences, where to hold conferences, what the financial impact would be on the organization and therefore on its members in membership and conference registration fees.  Prior to the board being given full control of this decision the organization had already contracted for conferences through the spring of 2018; therefore any change to the platform wouldn’t take effect until 2018 at the earliest.

C.A.R.E. is currently planning its 64^th semi-annual conference to be held May 6-9, 2017 at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront in Virginia Beach, VA.  C.A.R.E. has engaged Randall Dean, MBA (The Email Sanity Expert®), to present an educational and informative workshop with relevant subject matter lending to practical measures in “Finding an Extra Hour Every Day: Key Strategies for Time, E-Mail, Clutter and Distraction Management”.  Save the date now…C.A.R.E.’s Spring Conference registration will open in February!

So with 2016 in the rear view and 2017 on the bright horizon, remember…change is good, so stay the course and ride the waves!  C.A.R.E. would like to extend thanks to all its members for their continued support and to all their fellow industry colleagues a wish of warmth for the holiday season and a much deserved new year (and hopefully another decade) of prosperity!

About C.A.R.E.

C.A.R.E. (www.care-online.org), the Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers, established more than 30 years ago in 1985, continues to gain respectable growth as one of the most valuable trade associations in the industry.  Its internationally diverse member base includes Resort Developers, Management and Exchange Companies, HOA’s, Travel Clubs and Wholesalers as well as many respected industry suppliers bringing (value-added) revenue enhancement opportunities.  Members that possess rentable inventory or seek inventory for fulfillment of rental requests set the foundation of C.A.R.E. with a multitude of scenarios for securing client vacations, increased inventory utilization and heightened yield management.  C.A.R.E. members have the ability to share inventory via week-to-week exchanges, weekly wholesale rentals, guaranteed and free-sale blocks as well as year round and seasonal leases all over the world.

C.A.R.E. members must comply with a strict Code of Standards and Ethics and will undoubtedly gain professional and personal development when participating in C.A.R.E.’s semi-annual conferences.  With nominal annual membership fees and some of the industry’s lowest conference registration rates, C.A.R.E. can prove an undeniable value rather quickly.

While most of the business world has experienced similar ups and downs of a fickle economy over the last ten (10) years; it is probably a safe assumption that things are on the upswing and the future looks bright for most.  This holds true for C.A.R.E. (The Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers).  Established in 1985, C.A.R.E. has plenty of familiarity in the arena of change with more than 30 years of existence.  The organization has seen its fair share of exponential growth and similar decline in their membership base over the years.  The flux of members, comes hand in hand with ever-changing conference attendance that the association has had to deal with.  But as a not-for-profit trade association, in a relatively tough industry – through hard-hitting economic times, C.A.R.E. claims excellent resilience and proves staying the course pays its dividends.

At its peak in 2009 C.A.R.E. touted nearly 190 members and has maintained a respectable average of 175 in the last ten (10) years.  Whereas most businesses possibly saw their biggest economic downturn in 2010 and the immediate years to follow, C.A.R.E. held strong during that lustrum period dropping to its lowest member roster only recently in 2015 with 120 members on record.  Taking into consideration the old adage of “quality over quantity” the association was able to maintain the viability of the organization through its recession with the support of many long-time valuable members/sponsors, and having its board of directors successfully uphold their fiduciary roles by making the appropriate budgetary cuts to carve a path back to the reign of growth success they have experienced in 2016.  C.A.R.E. has proudly added twenty (20) new members to its membership this year and have projected and feel they are poised to maintain very similar growth in 2017.  This success could not be possible without the valued partnerships in place with all the major trade associations (AMDETUR, ARDA, ARDA WIN Advantage, CRDA, & TATOC) and our Preferred Media Sponsor Perspective Group and media sponsor Resort Trades.

C.A.R.E. has also experienced its portion of fluctuating conference attendance throughout these ups and downs and twist and turns of last ten (10) years.  There are certainly varied reasons for the fluidity in attendance, which has averaged 90 attendees per conference.  On a positive note to that regard, C.A.R.E. garnered a 15-20% increase in attendance in 2016 and looking to 2017 with conferences in Virginia Beach and Anaheim on the calendar, hopes are high for another record year to trend upward.  C.A.R.E. believes in addition to the apparent economic factors that their attendance was additionally effected by the emergence of up and coming new trade show platforms in the industry, in addition to increased costs to host conferences specifically in the western regions, but one of the biggest factors very well may dwell solely in its own house.  Though C.A.R.E. has, for the most part, successfully hosted semi-annual conferences every year since its inception, having recorded its 63^rd conference this past October, the majority of members have been very vocal over the last ten (10) years in that they would prefer C.A.R.E. change to an annual platform for its conferences.  Initiating a change such as this would require a change to the organizational bylaws of C.A.R.E. and despite the majority vocalization of the desire to enact change, the votes never carried a majority required to change the bylaws.  It wasn’t a successful effort until this past spring conference in Asheville, NC it was suggested by a C.A.R.E. member to not seek a change to the bylaws specifically from two conferences a year down to one, but to simply seek a change to the bylaws that would leave the decision fully in the hands of their elected board of directors.  This (more generalized) vote was placed on a ballot this past fall in Lake Tahoe, NV and passed with a majority vote.  So now it is upon the board of directors, at its annual first quarter winter board meeting, to fully review all the factors regarding a change to the frequency of conferences. Factors being considered are when to hold conferences, where to hold conferences, what the financial impact would be on the organization and therefore on its members in membership and conference registration fees.  Prior to the board being given full control of this decision the organization had already contracted for conferences through the spring of 2018; therefore any change to the platform wouldn’t take effect until 2018 at the earliest.

C.A.R.E. is currently planning its 64^th semi-annual conference to be held May 6-9, 2017 at the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront in Virginia Beach, VA.  C.A.R.E. has engaged Randall Dean, MBA (The Email Sanity Expert®), to present an educational and informative workshop with relevant subject matter lending to practical measures in “Finding an Extra Hour Every Day: Key Strategies for Time, E-Mail, Clutter and Distraction Management”.  Save the date now…C.A.R.E.’s Spring Conference registration will open in February!

So with 2016 in the rear view and 2017 on the bright horizon, remember…change is good, so stay the course and ride the waves!  C.A.R.E. would like to extend thanks to all its members for their continued support and to all their fellow industry colleagues a wish of warmth for the holiday season and a much deserved new year (and hopefully another decade) of prosperity!

About C.A.R.E.

C.A.R.E. (www.care-online.org), the Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers, established more than 30 years ago in 1985, continues to gain respectable growth as one of the most valuable trade associations in the industry.  Its internationally diverse member base includes Resort Developers, Management and Exchange Companies, HOA’s, Travel Clubs and Wholesalers as well as many respected industry suppliers bringing (value-added) revenue enhancement opportunities.  Members that possess rentable inventory or seek inventory for fulfillment of rental requests set the foundation of C.A.R.E. with a multitude of scenarios for securing client vacations, increased inventory utilization and heightened yield management.  C.A.R.E. members have the ability to share inventory via week-to-week exchanges, weekly wholesale rentals, guaranteed and free-sale blocks as well as year round and seasonal leases all over the world.

C.A.R.E. members must comply with a strict Code of Standards and Ethics and will undoubtedly gain professional and personal development when participating in C.A.R.E.’s semi-annual conferences.  With nominal annual membership fees and some of the industry’s lowest conference registration rates, C.A.R.E. can prove an undeniable value rather quickly.