Western Seminar April 8-9, 2013 Westin Westminster Westminster, Colorado

Eastern Seminar April 22-23, 2013 Savannah Marriott Riverfront Savannah, Georgia

 

Regional Seminar Concurrent Session Presenters

 

Sarah Bradford
Winter Park Lodging Company | Owner
Sarah started Winter Park Lodging Company in 2004 when she was dissatisfied with the rental company managing her vacation rental in Winter Park, Colorado.  Living in Denver at the time working in a completely different industry, she didn't think she had just taken the first step to owning the fastest growing vacation rental company today in Winter Park.  Eventually, she took on more and more rentals on the side, and she and her husband relocated to Winter Park and opened their doors to their Winter Park office in 2007.  Since then, Winter Park Lodging Company has grown to 125 high-end vacation rentals and has 30 employees.  The company focuses on a level of customer service unmatched in their area, going above and beyond for every guest. 
Session: How Are You Going to Compensate Me?! - Guest Compensation and Consequences? (Western Seminar)

John Brost
All Star Vacation Homes | General Manager - Orlando
John Brost brings more than 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry to guide the All Star Vacation Homes operations teams and direct All Star’s local operations, policies and procedures. Brost is responsible for achieving optimal guest and home owner satisfaction, and leads All Star’s Orlando Guest Services, Owner Relations, Property Care and Quality Control Teams and plays a pivotal role in maintaining brand standards.
Session: How Are You Going to Compensate Me?! - Guest Compensation and Consequences? (Eastern Seminar)

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: What Keeps You Up Night (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Matt Curtis
HomeAway | Director, Government Relations
Matt currently serves as Director, Government Relations at HomeAway, where he works on best practice regulations for the vacation rental industry.  Between 1996 and 2002 he worked as a consultant on a number of political campaigns, as well as a publicist for 20th Century-Fox and a variety of independent film projects. In 2002, Matt became the Deputy Field Director of the Tony Sanchez for Governor campaign. In 2003 he became the Campaign Manager of the Brewster McCracken for City Council Place 5 campaign, and served as his Aide until 2004. From 2004 to 2006 Curtis served as Special Assistant to Mayor Will Wynn. He served as Assistant Director of Business and Community Development at Capital Metro where he worked at the forefront of the Central Texas transportation discussion. Matt then returned to City Hall to serve as Communications Director to Mayor Lee Leffingwell. He worked on the Mayors efforts on Economic Development and Creative Industry projects. He represented the Mayor during the City's efforts to recruit 15,000 new jobs including Facebook to Austin and is the point of contact for issues facing the Music, Film and Interactive industries.
Session: How the VRMA Can Work with VRM Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Jeremiah 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: How the VRMA Can Work with VRM Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Bryan Goodwin
FlipKey | Director of North American Sales and Operations
Bryan is the Director of North American Sales & Operations at FlipKey.com – a TripAdvisor subsidiary dedicated to helping travelers find the perfect vacation rental. Since joining FlipKey in 2007 as its first employee, Bryan has helped over 2,000 rental managers leverage the guest review and advertising services provided by FlipKey.com and TripAdvisor.com. Bryan directly manages over 400 accounts throughout the Atlantic Seaboard that represent more than 40,000 units and 250,000 reviews. Bryan holds a B.A. in Finance and an MBA from Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., and is an avid vacation home renter and aspiring vacation home owner.
Session: Bragging Rights and Traveler Behavior: The Re-Personalization of Travel and How to Make it Work for Your Vacation Rental (Eastern Seminar)

Kelly Hanig
Brindley Beach Vacation Rentals | Finance Director/HR Director
Kelly has been involved in the vacation rental business for 18 years, currently serving as finance director and human resources director for Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales, which is located on the Northern Outer Banks in the town of Corolla,  North Carolina and manages more than 500 rental properties.  Kelly is also a co-owner and finance director for The Pool Guy, a company that services and repairs pools and spas. Kelly is a Licensed title insurance underwriter and real estate broker. 
Session: How Are You Going to Compensate Me?! - Guest Compensation and Consequences? (Eastern Seminar)

Kent Hower
Killington Group | Rental Manger
Kent has spent his entire career in the service industry. He went to school for resort and hospitality management and is now in his fourth year in the vacation rental industry. He has also worked in the ski and retail management industries. Kent is passionate about going the extra mile in everything he does.

Session: Guest Service: Going The Extra Mile (Eastern Seminar)

Durk Johnson
Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals | Board Member
Durk is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Meyer Services in Foley, Alabama. Prior to this role, Durk served as Senior Guest Sales Manager for Meyer Vacation Rentals, where he was responsible for implementing a search tool to assist guest sales agents in finding the best vacation property for potential guests, and for raising the morale of the sales team. Durk also previously served as Director of Operations for Deer Valley Lodging in Park City Utah, where he oversaw housekeeping, maintenance, front desk, bell staff, and skier shuttle. He has also served as a consultant on housekeeping efficiency and cleaning standards. Durk is also currently serving on the board of directors for the Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals (VRHP) association.
Session: The Art and Skill of Housekeeping Inspections

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, Ore. 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: How the VRMA Can Work with VRM Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Frank Langston
PayByGroup | President/COO
Frank oversees all product development, security, and merchant implementations for PayByGroup. He spends his days (and many nights) finding ways to make it easier for guests to book vacation rental homes and for homeowners and property managers to increase bookings with less work. A Memphis, Tenn. native, Frank now lives in Mountain View, Calif., where PaybyGroup is based. He started his career with a logistics start-up before running a chain of full-service car washes. PayByGroup is the second company he has co-founded. When he's not at his computer or on the phone, Frank prefers to be carving through the trees at Lake Tahoe or Utah ski resorts. Frank also owns rental properties in Memphis, Tenn., and Destin, Fla. Frank holds a B.A. in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University where he received Academic All-Ivy honors as Captain of the Sprint Football team.

Session: Tear Down This Wall! Eliminate Booking Barriers (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Carole Lark, CMHS
HD Supply | Hospitality Specialist
Carole started her career in hospitality with Home Depot, USA, in February 1998, serving in almost every department until transferring in 2003 Home Depot’s wholesale division, now known as HD Supply Facilities Maintenance. Carole became one of the company’s first Hospitality Specialists in 2005, serving the Tampa Bay area, and currently focuses on mentoring new hires and customer training in the Gulf Beaches region of Florida. Carole has received two President Club Awards and a National Account Award from HD Supply. Additionally, she earned her CMHS (Certified Master Hotel Supplier) designation from AHLA in November 2012.
Session: Conservation Maintenance, Safety on Site (Eastern Seminar)

Troy Meyer
HD Supply | Field Account Representative
Troy is an expert in the multi-family side of property management, having served as a maintenance tech and supervisor at a 674 unit apartment complex for 13 years. Troy received his EPA Refrigerant Recovery and Transition Universal Certification in 1993, and is also a Certified Pool and Spa Operator. He specializes in HVAC, and has taught HVAC classes for the Apartment Association of Metro Denver at the annual Maintenance Olympics events.
Session: Conservation Maintenance, Safety on Site (Western Seminar)

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.
Session: How the VRMA Can Work with VRM Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Colin Morrison
NAVIS | Senior 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, or users who are maximizing their investment in NAVIS as well as earning millions of dollars of additional rental revenue and marketing savings.
Session: Reservation Sales Training: 3 Keys to Becoming a Reservations Superstar (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Sherri Niemeyer
NAVIS | Client Success Manager
Sherri joined NAVIS in 2007 as a Client Advocate, working with clients including Emerald Isle Realty, Resort Quest, Southern Vacation Rentals, Sterling Resorts and more before transitioning to Client Success Manager in 2010. Sherri 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: Breakthrough Coaching (Eastern and Western Seminar)

Koryn Okey
FlipKey | Director of International Accounts
Since joining the FlipKey team in 2008, Koryn has worked with more than 300 international rental managers and agencies, representing over 60,000 properties globally. Koryn is dedicated to creating long-lasting relationships with her clients and driving industry awareness. Prior to joining FlipKey, Koryn worked in publishing. She holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of Toledo in Ohio.
Session: Bragging Rights and Traveler Behavior: The Re-Personalization of Travel and How to Make it Work for Your Vacation Rental (Western Seminar)

Phil Trover
All Star Vacation Homes | COO
Phil has helped grow All Star Vacation Homes from two properties to the multiple faceted businesses it has become today, and specializes in problem solving the operational and human resource issues a rapidly growing business faces. With more than 15 years experience in the operation side of vacation home management, there are few guest experiences that Phil hasn’t seen and helped overcome. Phil currently serves on two HOA Boards in communities where All Star manages homes and also on the Board of the West Highway 192 Authority, which oversees the redevelopment of the important Walt Disney World entrance corridor. Phil therefore has the unique experience of seeing vacation home needs as a vacation home guest, vacation home owner, vacation home manager for others and from local HOA and County Government perspectives.
Session: How Are You Going to Compensate Me?! - Guest Compensation and Consequences? (Eastern Seminar)

Tristan Webb
Utah Vacation Homes | President
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.
Session: How Are You Going to Compensate Me?! - Guest Compensation and Consequences? (Eastern Seminar); How the VRMA Can Work with VRM Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals (Eastern and Western Seminar)

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.
Session: Guest Service: Going The Extra Mile (Western Seminar); How the VRMA Can Work with VRM Members when Challenged with Restrictions, Regulations and Bans of Vacation Rentals (Eastern and Western Seminar)

George Volsky
HomeAway, Inc. | Consulting Analyst
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.
Session: New Revenue, New Challenges Require Innovative Solutions (Eastern and Western Seminar)