Notes from "the road" - FVRMA Conference

The first full day at FVRMA was outstanding! Bravo to Beth Brinkley and her entire team for a truly wonderful program and events!

The Exhibit Hall opened early with Bookt and the other vendors able to connect with Vacation Rental Managers over coffee and continental breakfast. The coffee was especially well received following the Wine Tasting event the night before. :) Thank you!! The general session started with a welcome and some introductions from the always-steady Paul Hayes, FVRMA’s terrific President. Paul is the owner of www.rentkeywest.com and a very involved and dedicated person in our industry. Thank you Paul for all you do on behalf of Florida Vacation Rental Managers!

Doug Kennedy came next with an enthusiastic talk entitled "Contemporary Training Tips For Maximizing Reservations Sales and Hospitality/Guest Service Excellence in a Down Economy" – excellent presentation Doug!

I was never so proud of Bookt’s founder and president Robert Käll on his great and motivating speech on "The First Decade of the 21st Century: What Did We Learn and How Does it Relate to the Vacation Rental Industry". Way to go Rob! Informative and timely! There are many concrete things Vacation Rental Managers can do, especially if we think and act in concert.

After the first two presentations I moved back to the Exhibit Hall for a half-dozen or so deeper meetings with Vacation Rental Managers as well as several conversations with other vendors Bookt is or will be partnering with. While this is the way it should be perhaps, it is striking how supportive FVRMA is regarding the vendor community. The industry is young and there are a myriad of opportunities for Vendors and Managers to help each other move our industry forward. It is the most generous symbiotic relationship I have ever seen in all the fields I have worked in. Both sides join together and help the other grow along the lines of our common purpose and goals. In my humble opinion, this is definitely how it should be in all fields. FVRMA deserves the majority of credit for the hands-on approach to teamwork and team-building. Thank you Paul Hayes and FVRMA!

More to come… tomorrow from home in Naples.

Posted by Joel Fellman on 8/19/2009 0 Comments