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tion, we had industry leaders from Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and

Asia share insights on their respective regions. In addition, it was really great

to see government officials participating and endorsing our conference.”

Several sessions touched upon the impact of timesharing in global

economies. During one of those panels, William Marlin, prime minister of

St. Maarten, and Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism, talked

about vacation ownership in their countries.

St. Maarten has embraced timesharing for 36 years, according to

Marlin, who proclaimed the country a leader in the region.

Jamaica, on the other hand, is “the new kid in the neighborhood,” as

described by Bartlett. He noted that Jamaica just this year passed legisla-

tion that should encourage the development and sales of vacation owner-

ship on the island. “I’m here today to begin the conversation,” Bartlett said.

Two sessions were dedicated to Latin America, one focused on Mexico,

and the other — conducted in Spanish — on markets in South America.

Halfway across the globe, the Asia/Pacific market is experiencing a

boom in timeshare as well, according to Paul Dean, principal of Dean and

Associates, who shared data on the region in the State of the Industry

session. “It’s home to four of the world’s leading economies. There’s dis-

posable income, a growing middle class, and affordability in travel.”

A Bright Future

Back in North America, “the outlook is at a high,” says Jenny Ochtera Davlin,

vice president of member experience and business development at the

American Resort Development Association (ARDA). “What you’ll find is a very

positive movement moving forward. We are on solid ground.”

Market-specific analysis and research aside, attendees heard from top

leaders through a series of panels, from the brands to the independents to

the C-suite, which featured the perspective of Craig M. Nash, chairman, pres-

ident, and CEO of ILG; Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA; Roy

Peires, founder and chairman of CLC World Resorts & Hotels; and Stephen

Weisz, president and CEO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.

Conference-goers were also treated to effective marketing strategies

from the president of Un-Marketing, Scott Stratten, and Facebook analytics

from the company’s regional director of Latin America, Adriana Grineberg.

Additional sessions covered topics ranging from geo-specific amenities to a

new-product showcase.

All in all, attendees walked away with an optimistic industry outlook.

“We’ve had very positive feedback,” notes Gilbert. “The fact that so many

have been returning for years and that our global participation continues to

grow are indications not only of the value of the event, but also the health of

the industry.”

The 19th annual International Shared Ownership Investment Conference

will take place again at the Eden Roc in Miami Beach, Florida, and is sched-

uled for October 23 to 25, 2017.

An industry perspective on

Mexico featured Gibran Chapur,

executive vice president, Palace

Resorts; Daniel Chavez, vice

president, Grupo Vidanta; Jeff

Healy, managing director, Club

Tesoro Resorts; and Michael

Buchalter, vice president, The

Villa Group. Conference activities

ran the gamut, including Interval

International’s 40-year anniversary

celebration; the Info-Exchange

Seminar, introduced by David

Gilbert, president of Interval

International; and guest speaker

Adriana Grineberg, Facebook’s

regional director of Latin America,

who shared mobile trends.