Prepping for the ARDA Spring Conference, March 23-26, 2025

You might think there’s not much going on at early registration for the conference on Sunday, March 23, but you might be missing an opportunity to do some highly focused networking. Official registration hours are 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, but this is your chance to march up to strangers and introduce yourself, particularly if this is your first ARDA. What have you got to lose? We’re all feeling shy that first day.

Stock up on your vitamins and electrolytes because networking in the ARDA All Attendee and ARDA VIP lounges is available from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm on Monday to rest between the “101 sessions.” These seminars are intended to familiarize newer entrants to the timeshare industry, as well as ‘old-timers,’ with general information about the industry, and are invaluable resources to learn about the latest trends. We imagine there will be a lot of talk about how resort companies are using AI in their businesses. So, plan on attending all three of them:

9:15 am – 9:55 am | Timeshare 101: AIF Market Research Revealed

10:00 am – 10:45 am | Timeshare 101: The Business of Timeshare: Part 1 |Legal, Finance, Design (We’re looking forward Sarah Crawford, CFO, Hospitality Resources & Design

11:00 am – 12:00 pm | Timeshare 101: The Business of Timeshare: Part 2 | Resort Operations, Sales and Marketing, Rental, Exchange

Lunch is scheduled from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm for those attending the “Leading and Learning with WIN Luncheon” with Speaker Magie Cook, CEO & Founder of Maggie’s Salsa or in the All Attendee Lounge. This inspirational woman will talk about her rise from a childhood where she was reared in a Mexican orphanage to become a successful entrepreneur. Today, Dr. Magie 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. And if this isn’t a time of change? But, I digress!

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm is the Kick Off General Session with Keynote Speaker, Kat Cole, CEO, AG1. 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.”

The RCI Party (thank you, RCI!) is scheduled from 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm. We just learned that our friend, David Callaghan (linkedin.com/in/davidcallaghan33157), has joined the RCI team as President of Business Development. (Go, David!)

Tuesday is a session-packed day, so you’ll need extra vitamins. We begin with the 8:30 am – 10:00 am Leadership Line Up Breakfast General Session, moderated by ARDA President and CEO Jason Gamel. Speakers include Caroline Shin, Co-Founder & CEO, Vacatia, Lori Gustafson, EVP Chief Membership & Commercial Services Officer, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Derek DeSalvia, EVP & Chief Customer Officer, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Amandine Robin -Caplan, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Travel + Leisure Co. This is an important session for learning about trends in the marketplace, what the brands are planning and hearing ARDA’s initiatives to keep us moving forward. (Bravi, ARDA team!)

We’re in for a busy day as Jason moderates a 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm General Session: “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. They will be joined by three highly knowledgeable and well-connected gentlemen: Justin Lumadue, Principal, Bockorny Group; Brian Goodrich, Partner, Holland & Knight; and Jerry Kilgore, Partner, Cozen & O’Conner.

The fun never stops! On Wednesday, we begin at 9:15 am – 10:00 am with “Evolving in a Mature Industry.” From 10:00 am – 11:00 am there’s an important Skift Research Update: “How AI and Digital Innovation are Redefining Travel.” Resort Trades published an overview of ARDA’s report in January of this year: Shaping the Timeshare Narrative for a New Generation.

From11:15 am – 12:00 pm we’ll learn about “Leveraging on all Opportunities towards Globalization.”

You’ll want to attend these sessions to get a bead on the future of our business as told to us by the top echelon of industry leaders.

A special luncheon event is planned from 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm with Anthony Robles, Inspiring NCAA Wrestling Champion, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee and Inspiration for the movie, Unstoppable. His is an amazing story of a wrestler who won the 2011 NCAA individual wrestling national championship in the 125-pound weight class, despite being born with only one leg. He is the author of the book Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated. (Ladies, bring a few tissues if you’re an emotional sort like me.)

Afterwards, there are additional events including the Resort Operations Forum from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm and from 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm a Power Session “Evolution of Timeshare F&B & Activities.”

After that you’ll have few hours to finish dotting the “I’s” on your new deals that you forged during the previous days. Afterwards, you can dive back in for the 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Awards Finalist Reception (open to Awards Finalists, Beacon Member, Leadership Teams and Awards Sponsor Leadership Teams). The 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm will be followed by the Awards Ceremony from 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

Don’t worry about putting on makeup the next day as we all drag ourselves out of there! Hopefully, you’ll have the rest of the week (and into the weekend) to gear up for your follow-up activity the next week/month!

Good luck and above all, enjoy yourself!

Are you signed up for our monthly print edition of Resort Trades magazine? If not, contact  Marla@TheTrades.com or give her a call at 931-484-8819.