• General Sessions
  
• Monday: Ask An Expert
  
• Tuesday: Anne Sadovsky, Everything You Do Is Marketing
  
• Concurrent Sessions
• Administration
• Customer Service
  
• Human Resources
• Housekeeping
• Marketing
• Sales: Reservations
  
• Executive Sessions
• Workshops

Everything You Do Is Marketing
Tuesday, April 9, 3:30 p.m.
Anne Sadovsky

Anne Sadovsky is the owner of a Dallas based marketing, consulting and seminar firm – where she and her associates provide training, keynotes and counsel to a variety of industries, businesses and associations. Clients come from a variety of fields including housing, medical, technology, churches, hospitality, women’s groups, and education. Anne is a widely published author and a popular guest on radio and television talk shows nationally. Her success story has been written about in many newspapers and magazines including Money Magazine, Texas Business and Ladies Home Journal.

Back to Top

Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent sessions are 60 minutes in length and will be offered Monday and Tuesday of the Seminar.

Back to Top

Administration

Don’t Let a Courtroom be Your Classroom: How ADA and Fair Housing Affect the Vacation Rental Industry
It is sometimes tempting to bury our heads in the sand. It seems that the ability to delude oneself is part of the human condition. We convince ourselves that just because we want something to be false, that it is indeed not true. We are forced, however to see the downside of this practice when the impact of not facing some inconvenient truth stares us straight in the face. That often happens with housing and the law. Ignorance of Fair Housing Laws is no excuse! Staying on top of latest cases, changes and directive is critical; not doing so can create an expensive lesson. Fair Housing classes don’t have to be dull and boring...in fact you will be excited to hear what is changing and how it impacts you and your properties. You will get your questions answered and your answers questioned. You will learn the history of fair housing and a new view of fair housing laws, including additional protected classes in some states; hot topics for vacation rentals; the smoking issue…what rights do you have?; accessibility / service animals, and more.

Presenter: Anne Sadovsky

Download Session Materials

Customer Service

Back to Top

Human Resources

Breakthrough Coaching
Do you feel frustrated and burnt out when you don’t see the performance needle move with your agents, despite your best efforts? Are you spending the majority of your time on your lowest performers and neglecting your middle or high-level performers? Do you struggle to motivate your top performers throughout the year? If you can say yes to any of these, this session is for you!
Presenter: Sherri Niemeyer, NAVIS

 

Download Session Materials

Housekeeping

The Skill and Art of Housekeeping Inspections
Inspecting a property after a housekeeper has completed his or her work and before the guest arrives is the best opportunity to ensure the property is ready for the guest’s arrival. This crucial process is both skill and art. This session will cover: a) Follow the wall – a systematic way to inspect; b) Standard Unit Appearance – how the inspector leaves the property for the guest; c) Inspecting for guests and owners (is there a difference?); and d) What should be in an inspector’s tool kit.
Presenter: Durk Johnson, Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals

 

Download Session Materials

Bragging Rights and Traveler Behavior: The Re-Personalization of Travel and How to Make it Work for Your Vacation Rental
In an online industry that is increasingly price-driven, travelers rely on guest feedback for the personalized experience of bygone travel agencies: 72 percent of travelers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations and 60 million TripAdvisor users log-in through Facebook for recommendations from their network – illustrating that the industry benefits from "social media bragging.” This presentation shares findings of FlipKey’s research into what this phenomenon says about traveler behavior and how it impacts your business.

Presenter: Koryn Okey, FlipKey

 

Download Session Materials

Back to Top

Sales: Reservations

Back to Top

Executive Sessions
New! In addition to the focus of training employees of departments with the most front-line employees, the Regional Seminars will now have an executive level track for Owners, General Managers, and Executives. These sessions will focus on the needs for this particular type of vacation rental employee.

How the VRMA Can Work with Vacation Rental Managers Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals
This hands-on, interactive session will provide vacation rental executives tools they can use when faced with potential vacation rental restrictions, regulations and bans in their area. Some of the topics to be covered include how to organize a local coalition of vacation rental managers, how to work with elected officials and homeowners associations, how to write an economic impact report and how to write a vacation rental ordinance for your region. Open, constructive discussion is encouraged.
Presenters: Matt Curtis, HomeAway.com, Jeremiah Gall, FlipKey, Betsy LaBarge, Mt. Hood Vacation Rentals, Steve Milo, Vacation Rental Pros, Heather Weiermann, Southern California Vacation Rentals, Tristan Webb, Utah Vacation Homes

 

Download Session Materials

 

New Revenue, New Challenges Require Innovative Solutions
Many rental managers are under pressure to find new revenue. Commissions are difficult to increase, new inventory is hard to find, and new fees offer solutions in limited situations. This session will offer insight that help managers take a cue from airlines and hotels and work through the process of finding new revenue.
Presenter: George Volsky, HomeAway, Inc.

Download Session Materials

 

What Keeps You Up at Night?
As a vacation rental executive, there are many things that keep you up at night, from staffing to liability to marketing--and more. Bring your concerns and questions to this executive-only session to discuss these issues with peers who have faced or are facing the same challenges. This session is driven by what YOU want to talk about; don't miss your opportunity to walk away with the ideas, resources and solutions you need to start getting a better night's sleep.

Moderator: Kyle Buehner, NAVIS