VRMA Annual Conference October 21 - 24, 2012 Phoenix, Arizona

Amy Africa
Eight by Eight | CEO
Amy Africa has been in the forefront of web usability studies, web design improvement, and successful e-commerce for over 15 years. Amy has been widely published in industry magazines and has been featured at conferences around the globe. Her depth of knowledge, backed by intensive field testing and web user studies, has earned her the reputation of a voice to be heard on Internet topics ranging from site improvement, traffic building and analytics to mobile and email marketing.
Session: Neuromarketing and Influence on Buying Behavior

Holly Austin
Hatteras Realty | Vice President/ Rental Manager
Holly has more than 10 years of experience with vacation rental management at Hatteras Realty on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Holly is the current vice president and rental manager of the three Hatteras Realty offices. Over the years her duties have ranged from front desk to supervising Club Hatteras programs to overseeing property management, reservations and owner relations. This experience includes interviewing and hiring dozens of staff for a variety of positions. Hatteras Realty manages almost 600 properties on Hatteras Island and employees more than 50 full time employees. Holly’s greatest passion with vacation rental management is owner/guest relations and customer service training.
Session: Ask An Expert: Weddings/Events/Groups; Hiring The Best

Brent Bellm
HomeAway | COO
Brent leads the daily operations of HomeAway’s online vacation rental marketplaces in the United States, Europe, south America, and Australia; Homeaway Software for Professionals; and BedandBreakfast.com. He joined HomeAway after a nine-year tenure as vice president of global product and experience at PayPal, where he was responsible for product strategy, product management and user experience design. Prior to that, he served as CEO of PayPal Europe where he helped triple European business revenue and maintained 40 percent annual growth rates in payment volume. Bellm joined eBay Inc. in 2001 as director of corporate strategy, where he had an active role in the acquisition of PayPal. Bellm holds a bachelor's degree in economics and international relations from Standford University and a MBA from Harvard University. He worked for McKinsey & Company, focusing on the retail, e-commerce and payment industries, and Goldman Sachs in New York.
Session: The Vacation Rental Industry: Present & Future

Trent Blizzard
Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. | President
Before founding the company, Trent earned a bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College, a master’s degree from Fordham University and worked as a high school history teacher for four years. Trent is a renowned speaker for the SEO industry and enjoys traveling to hospitality conferences.
Session: Online Marketing Toolbox: Essential Tools to Manage and Enhance Your Online Presence

Eric Bordier
RENTeGO Prague | CEO and Founder
Eric is the CEO and founder of VR-booster and of RenteGo. VR-booster builds custom multilingual websites and can work as a multilingual call center for vacation rentals. Rentego Prague is a vacation rental company representing apartments in Prague, Czech Republic. Eric is French and Czech and has previous experiences in marketing (as marketing manager for 15 Eastern European countries) and as a consultant with McKinsey & Company in many countries.
Session: Claim Your Share of the $121 Billion International Visitors Market

Linda Burchett
Key to the Rockies | Director of Sales & Marketing
Linda has worked in the ski industry of Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge ski resorts specializing within the hotel, property management and restaurant sectors. She started the international sales department of the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek in 1989 and started her own business, International Sales Consulting in 1990 selling the above ski resorts to top European ski markets and also consulted for various hotels soliciting association, corporate, recreational and travel industry accounts. She has been with Key To The Rockies since 1996 and has been in integral contact with domestic and international wholesalers for years.
Session: Tap Into The Vacation Services Revenue Stream

Kyle Buehner
NAVIS | President and CEO
Kyle Buehner is President and CEO of NAVIS. He is a board member of the Vacation Rental Managers Association and was one of the first supplier members of the VRMA. In 1988, Kyle began working with his father, Milton Buehner, founder of what was then Buehner-Fry. In 2006, Kyle purchased the company from the family and outside investors. Kyle previously served on the board of the Corporate Housing Providers Association and is an active member of Vistage, a worldwide network of CEOs.
Session: How and What Data Can Help You Project Your Revenue – BEFORE it’s Too Late to do Anything About It!; Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Nils Bunde
Brainforest, Inc. | President
Nils has over 20 years experience as a designer and communications strategist. As President and founder of Brainforest, Nils has built a multi-disciplinary firm dedicated to the development and implementation of strategic brand solutions. Nils continually leads the Brainforest team in delivering award-winning and strategic brand building, multi-media programs for a wide range of clients including Motorola, Integrys Energy Group, Ariba, City of Chicago, PR Newswire and WXRT Radio Chicago. Nils is also actively involved in the design community, through speaking engagements, judging opportunities and advisory boards. Nils’ vision of Brainforest continues to move the firm into new territories and opportunities.
Session:  Rebranding the VRMA: Managing the Future; Homing In On Your Brand

Sam Campise
Blue Tent Marketing | Director of Sales
Sam has been in a sales and account management position with Blue Tent since 2006. His strengths are found in creating long lasting partner relationships with clients and helping them set and achieve their online marketing goals. he is adept at utilizing internet technology to drive the escalation of company revenues through effective web marketing techniques.
Sessions: Responsive Web Design: The New Frontier for Vacation Rental Websites; Six Steps to Creating a Comprehensive Content Marketing Strategy; Tap Into the Vacation Services Revenue Stream

Pam Carder
NAVIS | Client Success Manager
Pam has been in the hospitality industry for over 16 years, holding positions from Reservations Manager, Front Office/Rooms Director, to eight years as a Director of Revenue Management and Reservations. At Classic Resorts, Pam led her team to NAVIS Certified Power User status through full system engagement and accountability. Pam was able to drive agent conversion, increase process efficiencies, as well make strategic decisions using Narrowcast’s reports to increase profit and drive market share.
Session: Ask An Expert: Staff Incentives

Julian Castelli
VacationRoost | CEO
Julian founded VacationRoost to bring online distribution to professionally managed vacation rentals. He is passionate about the industry and has built a team that shares his vision for being the leading online marketplace for vacation rentals. As a veteran media executive with more than 18 years of senior-level operating experience and a world-class institutional background, Julian is also the CEO of Castles Media Company. Before founding VacationRoost, Julian served as chief financial officer of Primedia, a $300 million Internet media company that owns and operates leading brands: Apartment Guide, New Home Guide, Auto Guide, and Rentals.com. While at Primedia, Julian also served as president of the Autoguide.com business, and was responsible for the launch and development of Rentals.com. Julian began his career as an investment banker with Goldman, Sachs and Co. in 1990, later serving as a strategy consultant with McKinsey and Company.
Session: Tap Into the Vacation Services Revenue Stream

Leigh Clarke
Railey Mountain Lake Vacations | General Manager
Leigh is general manager of Railey Mountain Lake Vacations, one the nation's most successful and progressive vacation rental management companies. She worked as an industry consultant and analyst with her dad, George Volsky. Leigh is a member of the VRMA Board of Directors and serves as co-chair of the conference planning committee. She has a masters in finance from the University of Virginia and an MBA from INSEAD. At Railey, Leigh manages 450 properties and a staff of more than 100.
Sessions: Big Picture Issues for Line Managers: Influencing Employee Behavior by Changing Perspectives; Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Jeff Corn
HDR Homes | CEO/CoFounder
As the co-founder and CEO of HDR Homes, Jeff heads one of the nation's leading real estate photography and imaging technology companies. HDR Homes includes a team of professionals who are dedicated to creating imaging solutions that are designed with one purpose - to market real estate. Under Jeff's leadership, the company created HDReal™, a game changing automated imaging system for real estate. HDReal™ has quickly become a leading standard in the vacation rental industry for creating images with unprecedented quality, consistency, and value. With extensive experience in all facets of real estate including marketing, development, brokerage and property management, Jeff brings a highly refined understanding of property marketing to the vacation rental industry. Prior to co-founding HDR Homes, Jeff worked in property acquisitions and development in Denver and was an economic development reporter for an ABC News affiliate in Missouri.
Session: Creating Competitive Advantage through Property Photography

Suzi Cusack
Mouse on House, Inc. | Vice President
Suzi helped co-found Mouse On House, Inc. in 2003 after purchasing a rental property and feeling frustrated by the lack of property showcasing options on the web.    Determined to provide a better way for prospective renters to learn more and book the home, Mouse On House Floor Plan Tours were created to deliver a state-of-the-art marketing service.  Today, as Vice President, she delivers solid financial business decisions to Mouse On House and develops new markets for the company.  Suzi is a CPA, graduated from the University of Kansas and began her career with Ernst & Whiney as an auditor in Kansas City.  Her experience and entrepreneurial drive placed her as a partner in Kane, Marshall and Cusack.
Session: Ask An Expert: Peer Web Critique; Minimize the "Churn”: Company Growth Starts with Your Existing Homeowners

Todd Davidson
U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board | Chair
Todd was appointed executive director of Travel Oregon in 1996 and named chief executive officer in 2004. In 2012, Secretary of Commerce John Bryson reappointed Todd to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, following his initial appointment in 2010, designating him as the board’s chair. Todd also serves on the board of the U.S. Travel Association, the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD), and the Western State Tourism Policy Council (WSTPC).
Session: Leverage Marketing with your Destination Marketing Organization; Unleashing the Power of Travel

Stephan de Bernede
HomeAway Software for Professionals | Senior Director of Marketing
With more than 20 years of developing sales and marketing strategies in the high-tech industry, including seven years serving the vacation rental industry, Stephan has a proven track record of taking small, high-growth start-up companies to IPO, including HomeAway, Motive and Garden.com. In his career at HomeAway, Inc., Stephan pioneered the development and marketing of a pay-per-lead business model allowing property managers to maximize revenue. He also lead VacationRentals.com through a successful company repositioning as a "deals oriented” vacation rental business and is now focused on helping property managers leverage software and listing sites to grow revenue.
Session: Hybrid Business Model Success Story

Regina Ebert
Ascent Processing, Inc. | President
Regina has worked in the payment processing industry, specializing in vacation rentals for more than 20 years. She is dedicated to educating our industry on managing the risks and costs of accepting credit cards for payment.
Session: The Changing Landscape of Payment Acceptance

Carrie Efird
Tybee Vacation Rentals | Co-Owner and Design Services Coordinator
Carrie co-founded Tybee Vacation Rentals (TVR) with her sister, Amy Gaster, in the fall of 2000 as a small, family business with a handful of properties and no employees. In the last 12 years TVR has grown to be one of the largest, most well-respected professional vacation rental companies on Tybee Island. Carrie's experience in residential construction and design led her to formulate TVR's interior design program in 2009.
Session: Interior Design for Vacation Rental Managers

Rebecca Elsen
Outer Beaches Realty | Database Administrator
Rebecca moved to Hatteras Island in 2010 for a lifestyle change. Currently she works as a database administrator at Outer Beaches Realty in Avon, North Carolina. She grew up in Virginia and after graduating from George Mason University she experienced all facets of human resources at various organizations in northern Virginia. When she is not at OBR, she runs her own company teaching yoga, pilates and aqua fitness.
Session: Targeted Selection Using Social Media and Behavioral Interviewing

David Fischbach
Beachfront Only Vacation Rentals | President
Beachfront Only is a premier vacation rental management firm on the beaches of southern California. As co-owner, David focuses on maximizing sales by giving his reservationists the right "people-training and tools,” and creating a culture of honest care for their guests and owners alike. The business is up 25-35 percent in 2012, and he attributes much of their success to their sales culture. David is also an anesthesiologist and owner of a general contracting firm, and considers managing a vacation rental business to be one of the hardest and best things he’s ever done.
Session: Bookings 501: Earn the Clients You Want, and Keep Them Coming Back Over and Over Again!

Justin Ford
On the Water in Maine Inc. | Owner/President
Justin served in the US Coast Guard, and is a licensed ship captain. After running yachts for a major corporation, he fell into the vacation rental business in 2006 and started On the Water in Maine Inc. with his wife Tiffany. Starting with just their own home, Justin and Tiffany quickly grew On the Water in Maine into one of the largest vacation rental companies in New England. They later started Maine Watercraft Rentals Inc., making their joint corporations the only know combination of waterfront vacation rentals and full service boat rentals of all kinds in the entire U.S. In 2008, after renting out vacation homes for weddings, they were selected to take over management of a private resort, the Ducktrap Retreat, which they exclusively market for weddings and events.
Session: Running a Cloud-Based Vacation Rental Company

Lee Foster
Vacation House Review | President
As an architect and interior designer, Lee has spent more than 25 years designing everything from the Verizon headquarters to D.C. metro cars. Lee’s firm, Foster-Crowder Design, produced award-winning design for hotels, corporate headquarters, historic renovations, exhibit design, condominiums, product design and furniture. Lee launched Vacation House Review, a website featuring well-designed, professionally manged vacation rental houses, in 2010. Lee will soon launch GreenVacationHouses.com, a website encouraging and supporting the "greening" of vacation rental houses.
Session: Getting Green - Including in Your Pocket

Jeremy Gall
FlipKey | Co-Founder, COO
With a passionate and obsessive attention to detail, Jeremy directs FlipKey’s marketing services and guest review tools for vacation rental managers on FlipKey and TripAdvisor.com. Leveraging the experience of over 2,000 rental managers and data from over 130,000 properties promoted on FlipKey, Jeremy has shared in-depth analysis of the vacation rental market on national travel shows and publications and is a regular presenter at VRMA conferences, MIT and Boston College. He has a JD from the University of Connecticut, practicing law for 10 years, is a member of the VRMA Government Issues Committee and avid vacation home renter.
Session: From First Impressions to Lifelong Customer: Defining Your Guest Experience

Carmela Gillenwater
HomeAway Software for Professionals | Product Marketing Manager
Carmela is the product marketing manager for HomeAway Software for Professionals. She has worked in the vacation rental industry for over 23 years, both as a supplier and an operator. Carmela held numerous positions with First Resort Software and ResortQuest and has performed general manager duties on a contract basis.
Session: Establishing Customer Relationship Management in Your Vacation Rental Business

Alan Gould
BrightPlanIT, Inc. | President & CEO / Enterprise Consultant
Alan has decades of experience in both IT and cost accounting.His clients have included VRMA members and large hospitality firms.
Session: Optimizing your Information Technology Investment as you Grow your Management Business

Christine Gouwens
Guest Research, Inc. | Account Manager
Christine is an Account Manager with Guest Research, Inc. Based in Jersey City, New Jersey, Christine supports many of the company’s eastern region research clients. Prior to joining Guest Research, Christine worked with National Ski Patrol Systems, Inc., Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa and the Denver Country Club.
Session: Using the Net Promoter System to Increase Positive Reviews

Robert Gray
Visual Data Systems | Vice President
Robert has been involved in the vacation rental and hospitality industry since 1994 when he became the owner relations manager for a small resort with 125 rental properties. Over the next 10 years, Robert worked a variety of positions in the vacation rental industry, culminating with being the general manager of a Myrtle Beach area firm with more than 1,000 vacation rental properties. Since that time, he has spent six years on the supplier side of the business with both Instant Software and Visual Data Systems. His unique perspective from both sides of the aisle make him especially qualified to speak to the needs of this industry.
Session: The Mobile Revolution: Options and Solutions To Keep Your Brand In Front Your Audience

Alan Hammond
Holiday Vacation Rentals, Inns and Resorts | Managing Partner
Holiday Vacation Rentals was among the first professional management companies in Michigan to rate properties and to offer any day check-in, travel and property damage insurance, and online bookings. HVR has also achieved the Michigan Green Lodging Certification designation. Alan is active in the hotel and resort industry providing advisory, acquisition, and disposition services and is the past managing director of the Coldwell Banker Commercial Hospitality Group. Alan serves on VRMA’s Board of Directors as treasurer.
Session: Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Scott Hannah
Guest Research, Inc. | President
Scott is president of Denver-based Guest Research, Inc., a division of Hannah Marketing Group. Guest Research, Inc. provides of variety of quantitative research services to the vacation rental industry, including homeowner and guest satisfaction, and loyalty research. Scott previously served for six years as president of AspenCrest Hospitality, a marketing and marketing research company and, prior to that, served as senior vice president of sales and marketing for AIRCAO Hospitality Services and chief operating officer of Sceptre Hospitality Resources.
Sessions: Increase Homeowner Retention and referral Business with a Net Promoter Feedback System; Using the Net Promoter System to Increase Positive Reviews

R. Michael Harrington
Resort Realty | CEO & Principal Broker
Mike manages nearly 500 properties and is charged with all phases of Resort Realty’s business growth and profitability. Since beginning his career in the real estate and vacation rental management industry, Mike has worked in just about every capacity from rental management, maintenance and housekeeping, to marketing. Since taking over as CEO at Resort Realty in 2007, the company has developed and implemented a variety of Outer Banks homeowner centric programs and offerings to maximize their investment potential. Mike is a two time graduate of East Carolina University, obtaining his MBA with a concentration in development and environmental planning.
Session: Ask An Expert: Property Services Team Structure; Minimize the "Churn”: Company Growth Starts with Your Existing Homeowners

Michael Heffley
BrightPlanIT, Inc. | Senior Vice President of Operations
Michael has twenty-four years of experience in technology services. He holds an MBA in finance and has experience with hospitality clients among various other verticals.
Session: Optimizing your Information Technology investment as you grow your Management Business

Toni Henry
Bald Head Island Limited Property Management | Broker-in-Charge
Toni serves as the North Carolina Vacation Rental Manager’s Association President and has such served on the North Carolina Travel & Tourism Coalition board. Her past designations include certified Rooms Division Executive and she has been employed in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years. As broker-in-charge for Bald Head Island’s developer, she has helped to streamline operations, improve owner satisfaction, implement a full-scale yield management system and maintains a high level of involvement with industry professional organizations. During her tenure with Bald Head Island she has led the charge along with her team of implementing systems and strategies that have substantially improved net operating profits.
Session: The Five Senses of Housekeeping – Tips from 2011’s Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professional of the Year

Linda Hess
HomeAway Software for Professionals | Sales Operations Manager
Linda is the business development manager for HomeAway Software for Professionals. She has worked on the software side of the industry for more than 6 years, previously working in a client relations role. Linda is currently based in Boulder, Colo. and was previously a vacation rental manager on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Linda, a past president of the NCVRMA and a former VRMA director, has been in the vacation rental industry for over 20 years.
Session: Establishing Customer Relationship Management in Your Vacation Rental Business

Alisa Holmes
Visual Data Systems | Sales Consultant
Alisa is a graduate of American University with a degree in mass communications. Her professional career began in 1997 with the position of web master for Broadcasting & Cable magazine, a national publication serving the media industry. Alisa then moved to the Radio Television News Directors Association serving as web master and marketing assistant. Since that time, Alisa has helped develop hundreds of websites for a variety of markets ranging from media publications, disaster relief organizations and vacation rental management and real estate firms. Alisa started with Visual Data Systems over six years ago as their lead support manager and project manager. Her current role as sales consultant allows her to use her background in web development and marketing to guide current and prospective clients through the entire web development process ensuring needs are not only met, but exceeded.
Session: From Conception to Launch: Important Tips for a Successful Website Build

Patricia Howarth
Bald Head Island Limited Property Management | Hospitality Sales & Marketing Director
Patricia has been employed with Bald Head Island Limited for 17 years and has worked in the hospitality industry for 25 years. She holds a master’s degree in business and her experience ranges from property management director to resort marketing. She is currently on the board of directors for the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce, the Brunswick Community College Foundation Board, and also serves on various civic committees. Her past experience includes teaching housekeeping at Coastal Carolina University for students in the accredited hospitality program.
Session: The Five Senses of Housekeeping – Tips from 2011’s Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professional of the Year

Lee Hughes
CSA Travel Protection | Vice President of Sales
With more than 30 years in the travel industry, Lee brings a significant and diverse travel background to travel insurance. He spent 10 years at United Airlines in sales and management positions. Entering the travel insurance industry in 1982, Lee focused his extensive experience on developing new and under-served markets. He personally developed CSA’s landmark series of travel insurance products for the resort, hospitality and incentive travel industries. Lee has direct responsibility for CSA’s business development within the property management, timeshare and retail divisions. He is a member of ASTA and SKAL. Lee serves on the VRMA Board of Directors.
Session: Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Alana Hughson
Central Oregon Visitors Association | President & CEO
Alana has been the president & CEO of the Central Oregon Visitors Association since 1993. She was appointed by Oregon's Governor to serve on the Oregon Tourism Commission to represent destination marketing organizations at the statewide level. The Oregon Tourism Commission oversees the marketing and policy for Travel Oregon, the state tourism division. Prior to her work in tourism, Alana was involved in legislative public policy in Washington, D.C.
Session: Leverage Marketing with your Destination Marketing Organization

Kelly Hurley
Visual Data Systems | President
Kelly leads the SEO/SEM, email marketing, consulting and production divisions at Visual Data Systems. She is a 17 year technology professional with more than 20 years of direct marketing and online marketing experience. Kelly is a certified email marketer, Certified Trainer for StandOut and a member of Marketing Sherpa.
Session: Ask An Expert: Loyalty Programs; Peaking During the Offseason: An Email Marketing Case Study That Will Give Your Reservation Numbers a Lift

Bruce D. Johnson
Wired to Grow | President
Bruce is an author, consultant, coach and professional speaker, as well as the president of Wired to Grow, a business growth strategy firm. He is an expert in business strategy, leadership, systems thinking and development and marketing to attract and retain more clients and customers. Previously, he was the founding pastor of a church he started with two families that grew to 2,000 people and $2.7M in revenue, which means that Bruce knows what it's like to take something small and build it into something great!
Session: Make it Remarkable: How to Turning Anything You’re Doing from Ordinary to Extraordinary; Highly Effective Leadership: How to Employ the 7 Key Practices Great Leaders use to Consistently Deliver Extraordinary Results through Ordinary People

Rob Johnson
Glad to Have You | Senior Sales Consultant
Rob Johnson has more than two decades of experience in the resort lodging industry – the majority of which had been devoted to NAVIS and now Glad To Have you. Initially hired by his uncle Milton Buehner in 1989, the founder of NAVIS (then Buehner-Fry), Rob was responsible for generating over $2.5 million of new annual recurring revenue during his first 5 years with the company. At Glad To Have You, Rob is responsible for sales along the majority of the east coast. Since launching in May of 2012, Rob has helped bring in over 70 new Glad To Have You clients and sees no end in sight.
Session: Quantity or Quality? Smart Ways to Grow Your Inventory

Glen Kaiser
Kaiser Realty, Inc. | Vice President
Glen Kaiser was a national account manager with UPS before joining his brother's business, Kaiser Realty, in 2002. Since then, he has been involved with the front desk and housekeeping operations along with owner and guest relations for more than 600 vacation rentals in the Gulf Shores area. Glen serves on the Boards of Directors for VRMA and the United Way of Baldwin County, Alabama.
Sessions: Revenue Sources; Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Tom Kenyon
Blue Tent Marketing | Creative Director
Tom recently joined Blue Tent Marketing as Creative Director. Tom brings over 10 years of experience in branding, graphic design and marketing strategy to his clients at Blue Tent.
Session: Responsive Web Design: The New Frontier for Vacation Rental Websites

Maile Keone
VacationRoost | Vice President, Marketing
Maile is the chief steward of VacationRoost's brand and is responsible for ensuring exceptional customer experiences. Her department includes the customer experience, marketing, and customer acquisition teams. Maile is an entrepreneur and seasoned executive with broad experience in sales and marketing. She gained valuable work experience at WordPerfect and Novell, where she was part of the rapid growth of both companies. She enjoys helping non-profit organizations and has served on boards of directors at the Work Activity Center and People Helping People in Salt Lake City. After returning to the technology industry, she served as vice president of marketing for Alianza in sales and marketing roles at Allegiance and WiLife (Logitech), and also co-founded Lava7, a social media marketing agency.
Session: Pinterest: What's All the Buzz?

Bob Kippola
Milestone Internet Marketing | Senior Director of Business Development
Bob is the senior director of business development at Milestone Internet Marketing. Milestone is a digital media company focused on lodging that drives $550 Million per year in revenue for more than 1,000 hotels and resorts, including several large vacation rental management companies. Prior to joining Milestone, Bob was the vice president of sales and marketing for Resort Data Processing, a property management system software provider for the lodging industry.
Session: Social Media in 30 Minutes a Day, 2012 Edition

Dan Kline
Magical Memories Management | Vice President
Dan is vice president of Magical Memories Management, Inc. Founded in 1995, Magical Memories has become one of Orlando, Florida's largest vacation rental companies. Dan has been in the vacation rental and hospitality industry for more than 20 years and credits many of his company's successes to ideas learned through the VRMA. Dan was one of the founders of Discover Vacation Homes, a VRMA initiative to bring much needed public awareness to the vacation rental industry. Dan regularly attends local association events from Orlando VRMA, FVRMA, HSAMI and SKAL promoting his business and the vacation rental industry.
Session: Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Jeremy Koch
Pertnear | Senior Account Executive
Jeremy has more than 10 years of experience in marketing in the home and villa rental industry. He has managed millions of dollars in advertising budgets for numerous clients. Pertnear is mainly focused on the home and villa rental industry, but also has clients in the music industry, corporate food and beverage, as well as corporate and outdoor retail.
Sessions: Drive Reservations with Facebook Data; Optimizing your Social Media to Build Loyalty and Increase Bookings

Betsy LaBarge
Mt Hood Vacation Rentals | Owner
Betsy started Mt Hood Vacation Rentals in a spare bedroom of her home in 1991. The business has since grown to be the premier vacation rental company at Mt Hood. Her top priority is to provide quality, clean and well-maintained vacation rental homes to guests. Betsy currently serves on the VRMA Board of Directors and on the Clackamas County Tourism Development Council.
Session: Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Joyce Lavalle
A veteran in the commercial interiors industry and advocate for environmental sustainability, Joyce retired recently from Interface as both senior vice president of customer and associate engagement and senior vice president of marketing. At Interface, she worked closely with both internal associates and the company’s key customers to engage others in Mission Zero™, the brand’s promise to eliminate any negative impact Interface has on the environment by 2020. A frequent speaker on stakeholder engagement, sustainability, design and people development, Joyce is passionate about sustainability education and maximizing people’s talents.
Session: Getting Green - Including in Your Pocket

Tom Leddy
Leddy Associates, Inc. | President
As president of Leddy Associates, Tom provides vacation rental companies consulting services aimed at improving profitability, achieving greater financial and market awareness, and taking advantage of industry best practices. Tom previously served as executive vice president at Instant Software where he initially managed the First Resort Software (FRS) division, but soon expanded into various other areas, including responsibility for the V12.net software and the RezFest conference. In 1998, Tom participated in a consolidation IPO that created ResortQuest International, the first public company in the vacation rental industry. Tom co-founded FRS in 1985, a leader in providing technology solutions to the vacation rental industry.
Sessions: 5 Steps to Upgrading Your Software; Trust Accounting Can Be Your Friend

Scott Leggat
Outer Beaches Realty | Vice President
As vice president of Outer Beaches Realty, Scott manages over 500 homes He is a past president of NCVRMA, and is very active in promoting tourism on the Outer Banks.
Session: Booking Windows: Massive Impact on Pricing, Forecasting and Acquisition

TJ Mahony

FlipKey | CEO & Co-Founder
Under TJ’s leadership, FlipKey emerged as top vacation rental service, featuring the largest collection of verified guest reviews in the industry and exclusively powering vacation rentals on TripAdvisor. FlipKey was recently named the "top vacation rental website” by Travel + Leisure and the New York Post. Prior to founding FlipKey, TJ lead the creation of Compete.com, a leading internet-based marketing service that was acquired by WPP, one of the world’s largest communication services companies. TJ has been featured on Fox News and quoted in the New York Times, Forbes, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch and Mass High Tech.
Session: The Conversion Experience: From Getting Your Foot in the Door to Getting Guests’ Through It

Larry Mallam
American Associated Companies, Inc. | President/CEO
Larry is an industry veteran with 35 years of experience. He acquired American Associated Company in 1991 and currently serves as president and CEO.
Session: The New Global Market and Its Impact on Linen Programs

Michelle Marquis
NAVIS | Vice President - Sales
Michelle is a seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry. Her professional roots began in Maui, Hawaii where she was director of sales for a destination management company. She then helped Sunriver Resort (a Destination Hotels & Resorts property) develop and execute a plan to expand their luxury resort product into the corporate group market. She then spent more than 12 years guiding Mount Bachelor Village Resort’s sales and marketing program. As a result of improved performance with increased demand and market share, she planned and led a major resort expansion. Her strategic partnership development, quality assurance programs and innovative leadership approach resulted in significant revenue and profit gains for the resort. In 2007, after being a strategic NAVIS user and development partner, she joined NAVIS as director of sales and was later promoted to vice president of sales.
Sessions: How and What Data Can Help You Project Your Revenue – BEFORE it’s Too Late to do Anything About It!;  Reservation Sales from A to Z – Create, Hire, Train, Coach and Motivate a SALES Team, Part 1; Reservation Sales from A to Z – Create, Hire, Train, Coach and Motivate a SALES Team, Part 2

Amber Mayer
Wyndham Vacation Rentals | Sr. Director of Web Design & Ecommerce
Amber has been a passionate member of the vacation rental community for over a decade. From hands on experience with vacation rental resort operations to owning and operating her own web company, she has a unique view of the challenges and opportunities faced by today's vacation rental managers.
Sessions: ZMOT - Understanding Google's Zero Moment of Truth; Pay Per Click & The Power of Attribution

Steve Milo
Vacation Rental Pros | Owner
Steve owns and operates Vacation Rental Pros. He started with his own vacation rental homes and expanded to over 700 rentals properties in a seven year period. He manages properties in St Augustine Beach, Venice Florida and Palm Coast Florida.
Sessions: Booking Windows: Massive Impact on Pricing, Forecasting and Acquisition; Hybrid Business Model Success Story; Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Colin Morrision
NAVIS | System Consultant
Colin brings more than 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry to his NAVIS clients. He has served in many capacities within the industry from a front-line employee to senior management positions. Since joining NAVIS in 2007, he has successfully coached many of his clients who weren't fully utilizing the NAVIS System to NAVIS Power User status. Users who are maximizing their investment in NAVIS as well as earning millions of dollars of additional rental revenue and marketing savings.
Sessions: Reservation Sales from A to Z – Create, Hire, Train, Coach and Motivate a SALES Team, Part 1; Reservation Sales from A to Z – Create, Hire, Train, Coach and Motivate a SALES Team, Part 2

Katrina Murray
Tybee Vacation Rentals | Marketing Manager
Katrina began her career in the hospitality marketing industry over 14 years ago as a website and graphic designer. She has served the Tybee Island Tourism Council both as a Board Member and as the Marketing Director, helping to create and manage destination marketing strategies to increase awareness and overnight visitation on Tybee Island. After many years of providing marketing services to Tybee Vacation Rentals on a project basis, she joined the company as marketing coordinator in 2007 and was later promoted to marketing director. Over the last five years she has helped the company more than double their annual sales. Her role at Tybee Vacation Rentals includes overseeing online and offline marketing initiatives, revenue and yield management, and strategic goal setting and tracking.
Session: Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Drive Revenue Growth

Jackie Myers
Village Realty Rentals | Vice President
Jackie moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in 1981 and began her career in property management.  She has worked at Village Realty for 16 years and is currently the Vice President of the rental division. Jackie also serves on the board of the North Carolina Vacation Rental Managers Association as well as Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals.  She is also active with the Outer Banks Association of Realtors and the local tourism board.
Session: Ask An Expert: Housekeeping Quality

Lee Nakamoto
Pertnear | eCommerce Specialist and Social Media Visionary
Lee Nakamoto is the latest addition to Pertnear's team of Social media and e-commerce experts.  He studied computer science at the University of California Los Angeles and California State University Los Angeles before pursuing a seven year Professional Football (soccer) career that took him around the globe.  He's focused on understanding the true driving forces behind online revenue streams, and facilitates explosive growth via proven strategies in the vacation rental space.
Sessions: Drive Reservations with Facebook Data; Optimizing your Social Media to Build Loyalty and Increase Bookings

Sherri Niemeyer
NAVIS | Client Success Manager
Sherri joined NAVIS in 2007 as a Client Advocate, working with clients such as Emerald Isle Realty, Resort Quest, Southern Vacation Rentals, Sterling Resorts, and more before transitioning to Client Success Manager in 2010 where she is responsible for retention, development and supervision. Having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hastings College, Sherri was the Director of Development with the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network – Portland General Agency prior to NAVIS and brings 15 years of experience to clients in the areas of development, sales, marketing and management.
Session: Ask An Expert: Staff Incentives

Rick O'Bill
Windsong Seminars | Founder
Until 2008, Rick was the education manager for NAVIS. In that capacity, he conducted trainings with property management companies around the country. For the last four years he has run his own consulting company, Windsong Seminars. Rick has worked closely with Bennington Properties in Sunriver, Oregon helping to develop and implement many of the techniques they use today to create that special bond with their guests. He has also developed and presented customer service training for their employees and has conducted personal development trainings nationwide.
Session: Hug Your Guests - Create a Special Environment Keeps 'Em Coming Back

Brian Olson
Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals | General Manager
Brian has brought substantial growth to Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals since he was brought on board five years ago. Brian has 20 years of experience in sales and marketing and recently completed the CVRM program. Brian serves on the 2012 VRMA Conference Planning Committee and is also the vice president of the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Session: Quantity or Quality? Smart Ways to Grow Your Inventory

Mark Randle
Visual Data Systems | Online Marketing Manager
Mark brings six years of experience with Visual Data Systems and more than eight years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has presented at VRMA events as well as the Outer Banks Association of Realtor's Annual Tech Fair. Prior to Visual Data Systems, Mark worked for Marriott International and MTV Network. Mark started with Visual Data Systems as an junior online marketing analyst working his way up to the senior analyst position in a little over two years. In addition, Mark played an instrumental role in re-packaging VDS’s SEO services, which directly enhanced profitability and growth of the online marketing division. The growth can also be attributed to Mark's work in forming partnerships with companies like Kampyle, Wordstream and Magnify.net.
Session: 10 Online Marketing Strategies For Marketing on a Budget

Maureen Regan
Seaside Vacation Rentals | Professional VRM's - We're Worth it!
Maureen is the author of a new book, "The Rental Game, Winning with a Professional Vacation Rental Team".She is president of Seaside Vacation Rentals, a well recognized and award winning business in southern Maine since 1983. She holds a dual masters degree from Vermont College and a bachelors from University of Maine. She worked for many years as a surgical sales specialist in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York City. Her career also includes sales and training consultancy with Fortune 500 companies including John Hancock, General Electric, The Red Cross, State Street Bank and many others. She has served as chairman of the board of the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce, on the boards of the Southern Maine Coast Tourism Association, the VRMA of Maine, and the executive committee of VRMA; she served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Maine Tourism Commission and traveled extensively promoting Maine tourism throughout the UK and Ireland.
Session: Professional VRM's - We're Worth It!

Claire Reiswerg
Sand 'N Sea Properties | Co-Owner
Claire, co-owner of Sand `N Sea Properties, Galveston, Texas, joined the family business in 2003 after a 25-year career in television production. Her first project at Sand `N Sea was integrating online booking with a new website created by Visual Data Systems (VDS.) VDS and Sand `N Sea collaborated on many projects, tools and initiatives over the years, including a complete website redesign in 2011. That same year - after three years of resisting - Sand `N Sea initiated its first email marketing campaign with VDS; these campaigns are now an integral part of the company's marketing strategy. Claire, Bert Feinman (mother) and Anne Reiswerg (sister) have maintained Sand `N Sea’s position as the number one vacation rental and real estate company on the island for over ten consecutive years; Sand `N Sea has been a VRMA member since the 1980's.
Sessions: Peaking During the Offseason: An Email Marketing Case Study That Will Give Your Reservation Numbers a Lift; Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals to Drive Revenue Growth

Willa Reynolds
Brainforest, Inc. | Director of Client Strategy
Willa’s 25-year career has included leading teams in the successful planning, management and implementation of brand building and sales driving campaigns. Willa's work for such clients as Sears Roebuck and Co. and Anheuser-Busch has given her the skills necessary to act as the primary liaison between client and agency in the development of superior branding and creative.
Session: Rebranding the VRMA: Managing the Future

Alex Risser
Outer Beaches Realty | President
Alex is president/owner of Outer Beaches Realty, which manages over 500 private vacation homes on Hatteras Island. Alex received his bachelors degree in Computer Science from Elizabethtown College (Penn.), where he currently serves as a trustee. He later graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with an MA in administrative science. Alex served as a board member and president of VRMA where he continues to receive high accolades for his many presentations at VRMA regional and national events. During his presidency, he led efforts to produce the nationally televised Getting Away Together featuring groups/families staying in vacation homes while exploring the destination, and initiated the Vacation Rental Switch, which enables consumers to book professionally managed vacation homes on the web. Alex is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and holds Graduate Realtor® Institute (GRI), Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) and Green designations from the National Association of Realtors.
Sessions: Getting Green - Including in Your Pocket; Targeted Selection Using The "New" Social Media and Behavioral Interviewing

Curt Rodriguez
VacationRoost | Director, Partner Relations
Curt joined VacationRoost in 2008 and is involved in developing valuable partnerships with companies throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. With his extensive sales management and customer service experience. Curt enjoys assisting partnership maximizing their potential within the travel industry. Curt is currently co-chair of the 2012 VRMA Conference Planning Committee.
Session: Quantity or Quality? Smart Ways to Grow Your Inventory

Robyn Scherrer
Blue Tent Marketing | Account Executive
Robyn has been one of Blue Tent's leading account executives since 2005. She brings extensive experience in managing comprehensive internet marketing strategies for leading companies in the vacation rental industry.
Session: Six Steps to Creating a Comprehensive Content Marketing Strategy

Joe Scurto
Scurto Marketing | Owner
Joe has worked solely in website development and online marketing for the vacation rental industry since 2001. His experience running an internet marketing agency, working closely with long-time vacation rental management clients and collaborating with the industry's largest software company, has given him a unique perspective on marketing challenges and solutions for vacation rental managers. Based in Destin, Florida, Joe runs Scurto Marketing a top-notch website development and online marketing firm that specializes in the vacation rental industry.
Session: Online Success Through Strong Branding

B.J. Shell
Glad to Have You, Inc. | Sales Consultant
B.J. has over 17 years of experience in hospitality management, print advertising, real estate, social media management, email marketing and his newest passion, custom mobile applications for the vacation rental management industry.  B.J. has a proven track record training companies on how to generate bookings, increase web traffic and revenue while working with a team to implement ideas and deliver results to the bottom line.
Session: Ask An Expert: Minimum Marketing that Must be Done

Kevin Strege
Catalina Island Vacation Rentals, Inc. | President/CEO
An executive in the oil industry for many years, Kevin and Angela purchased Catalina Island Vacation Rentals (CIVR) in 2001. Bringing his desire for technology to the new venture, CIVR was the initial site for V12. Kevin has progressively utilized VOIP and browser based software to set up remote offices in Arizona and New York.
Session: Ask An Expert: Remote Employees

John Suzuki
HomeAway Software for Professionals | Vice President of Sales
With nearly four decades of sales experience including eight years serving vacation rental managers, John is a respected friend in our industry. His highly rated sessions reflect his impressive experience and success in sales. He is passionate about the sales profession and working with clients to improve their results. John has held direct sales and management positions with companies including IBM and Sun Microsystems.
Session: Bookings 501: Earn the Clients You Want, and Keep Them Coming Back Over and Over Again!

Steve Trover
All Star Vacation Homes | CEO
Steve is Chief Executive Officer of ALL STAR Vacation Homes. An entrepreneur, Steve has successfully created and developed nine different businesses over the past 20 years. Under Steve's leadership, ALL STAR Vacation Homes has become an industry leader in luxury vacation property management and marketing services in Central Florida. Steve has overseen the development of a management and software platform for ALL STAR, which evolved LiveRez, of which he is a shareholder. Steve is a member of HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International), and Skal International. He frequently speaks on regional, national and international levels about the vacation home industry to both media and tourism and hospitality groups. Steve has previously served on the boards for the Central Florida VRMA (CFVRMA) and the Florida VRMA (FVRMA).
Session: Town Hall with the VRMA Board

Ed Ulmer
Barefoot | Vice President
Ed has been in the real estate, tourism and vacation industry for more than 15 years, initially as the director of tourism for two start up tourism agencies in New England. He also served as the marketing director of a large mall company where he focused on leasing. He has his real estate license in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and manged vacation rentals in Massachusetts. He currently sits on the board of directors for the multiple listing service in New Hampshire and Vermont and has his resort and second-home property specialist (RSPS) certification.
Session: Online Success Through Strong Branding; Owner Profiling-Vacation Rentals Hidden Power Over Other Lodging

Mark Vanderhoof
HD Supply | Customer Trainer
Mark has been a trainer for HD Supply since April 2007 and has received several rising star awards. He has worked in the maintenance industry for the past twenty nine years. For over twenty years, he worked in the apartment industry. While there he received numerous awards for his performance as a service manager from some of the largest management companies in the industry. Currently, Mark is an advisory board member for HVAC Excellence. He is a frequently requested instructor for the University of Southern California's campus housing maintenance program.
Session: Make Ready Maintenance; Build a Better Team; Pool Care and Maintenance 

George Volsky
HomeAway for Property Managers | Strategic Community Manager
George is one of the vacation rental industry's most experienced analysts and consultants, having worked closely during the past two decades with leading rental managers and industry vendors. A former rental manager and one of the few consultants specializing in vacation rentals, George has researched current industry trends and delivered hundreds of educational seminars to vacation rental managers. He has designed decision support software, projected the economic impact of vacation rentals on state and local economies and served as industry consultant for the 2008 PhoCusWright study that sized and valued the vacation rental industry. George also served as director of research for the nation’s leading reservation software companies, Instant Software and Escapia (acquired by HomeAway in October 2010), where he monitored industry statistics and produced trend reports.
Sessions: Big Picture Issues for Line Managers: Influencing Employee Behavior by Changing Perspectives; Booking Windows: Massive Impact on Pricing, Forecasting and Acquisition; Revenue Sources

Tristan Webb
Utah Vacation Homes | General Manager
Tristan is the general manager for Utah Vacation Homes in Salt Lake City and president of Future Focus. Tristan has been involved with VRMA for nearly a decade, serving on the public relations committee and as a panelist in the young leadership forum. He currently serves on the VRMA Board of Directors.
Sessions: Town Hall with the VRMA Board; Working With Government and Community; 

Heather Weiermann
Southern California Vacation Rentals | President
With more than 12 years of experience as a hospitality professional in vacation rental management and marketing, Heather currently manages 60+ homes in the coastal San Diego communities of LaJolla, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach. Heather is currently working with other VRMA members to build an alliance of vacation rental managers in California and also serves VRMA on the Board of Directors and the Switch Committee.
Sessions: Tap Into The Vacation Services Revenue Stream; Town Hall with the VRMA Board