Business

Preview the 2021 DARM Conference Sessions, Aug 17 -18, Charleston, SC

Amy Hinote

June 27, 2021

The 2021 Vacation Rental Data and Revenue Management Conference—presented by Key Data, PriceLabs, and VRM Intel—at the historic Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC is set for Aug 16 – 18, and we’re getting excited. This year’s conference has 50 sessions covering data, revenue management (foundational and advanced), distribution, and direct marketing, along with executive-level discussions.

While we are still working on developing some sessions to give VRMs up-to-date information, we wanted to give you a preview of the topics we’ll be covering.

We also wanted to let you know that we decided to offer a video package for those who can’t attend in person. This package will include recordings of all 50 sessions. For those attending in person, you’ll receive these videos as part of your registration.

Revenue management is about delivering the right product at the right time to the right consumer at the right price on the right channel. As you already know, revenue optimization spans across the entire company, so there is overlap in these sessions for which discipline they fall under. However, we categorized them below under broad topics to make it easier to see what’s being offered this year.

One more note: Hotel rooms are limited and going fast. If you know you’re coming to Charleston and want to stay at the Francis Marion Hotel, book your room(s) as soon as you can. The cutoff date is July 15—or when the hotel sells out.

General Sessions

Our 2021 emcees are Sarah Bradford and Tim Cafferty from the popular Sarah and T podcast. Sarah and Tim will be leading us through the conference with the following general/keynote sessions:

C19 Trends Aftermath: The World in 2022 with trend spotter Daniel Levine, founder, Avant-Guide Institute
Vacation Rental Performance: State of the Industry with Key Data’s Melanie Brown
The Interconnected Vacation Rental Industry with Shaun Stewart, CEO, Newlab (former Airbnb Global Head of Vacation Rentals and Chief Business Officer for Google’s Waymo)
The 2021 DARM Technology Battleground with our esteemed “judges”
The Future of Revenue Optimization (Panel Discussion)

Distribution and Revenue Management Sessions

Rate Strategy: Building revenue management strategy in the new travel landscape
Hotel Revenue Management Strategies: When to use, when to adapt, and when to toss
Optimizing Listings and Pricing on OTAs: Vrbo, Marriott, and Airbnb (Part 1)
Optimizing Listings and Pricing on OTAs: Vrbo, Marriott, and Airbnb (Part 2)
Channel Loyalty: Are all your eggs in too few baskets? Plus OTA demographics
Channel Management Profitability Checklist: Features that drive profitability
Revenue Strategy Levers: Pricing levers revenue managers pull to move the needle
Length of Stay (LOS) Strategies: Using LOS tactics to manage channel performance and optimize occupancy
API Connections: Implementing revenue management strategies on channels using channel managers, PMSs, and direct connections (Part 1)
Advanced Roundtables: Revenue managers sit down with channel managers, PMSs, and direct connections (Part 2)
Managing Rate Parity: Is rate parity important, factoring fees, and ensuring the best price is direct without cannibalizing channel agreements

Data and Foundational Revenue Management Sessions

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Which metrics matter and how are they calculated and compared across vacation rental systems?
PMS/Software Data: Finding business answers hidden in your PMS data
Data-Driven Property Managers: How to set up your benchmark metrics for success in your Key Data Dashboard
Rentals Recovery Roadmap: Which short-term rental industry trends will prevail?
Driving Results with People Data: Using data to identify job candidates and put your team members in the right seats
Analyzing Operations and Property Data: What’s changed (and hasn’t) in the last 18 months
Building Competitive Sets: Developing comp sets and tools available
Rental Inventory and Homeowner Metrics: A guide to measuring and improving what really matters for your inventory
Traveler Demand Data and Website Analytics: Why you need the data now
Measuring Real-time Channel Performance: Channel metrics, incremental and A/B testing, and what to do when API connections fail

Direct Marketing Sessions

Your “Limited Edition” Value Proposition: What is your unique selling proposition (USP) and why it matters
#BookDirect SEO: How search engine optimization (SEO) REALLY works for vacation rentals
#BookDirect SEM: Generate bookings with a comprehensive digital advertising strategy
#BookDirect Social Campaigns: Optimizing social channels the right way
#BookDirect Optimizing Brand.com: Merchandizing properties on your own website
#BookDirect and Your Call Center: The battle for direct bookings is hand-to-hand combat, not aerial strafing
#BookDirect Email Marketing: Targeted and automated email marketing strategies to fill inventory
Talking to Homeowners: Communicating revenue management and marketing initiatives with homeowners
Building Repeat Business: Converting guests into repeat customers

Executive Sessions

Long-term Value Building: For executives, building value in your business to accomplish long-term goals and exit strategy
2022 Forecasting: Forecasting when historical performance is limited or obsolete
Mitigating Risk: Looking at the “T” in your 2022 “SWOT” analysis
Tech in Buying and Selling: Pros and cons of a company’s “Tech Stack” during an acquisition
Margin Matters: Company margins matter when buying and selling―A look at line-item benchmarks in the VR industry
CEO Panel: Revenue Optimization, Channel Mix, Consolidation, Operations, and Challenges
Building a 2022 Revenue Optimization Team: What does the org chart look like for a high-performing team ( sales, marketing and revenue management)
Holding a RM Meeting: How to conduct a revenue strategy meeting
What is Your Pricing Floor? Cost per occupied room and cutoff date per property
The Future of Tech: How are technology companies approaching the future? A panel with tech leaders about future plans