The Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals Annual Conference and VRM Intel Live! are joining together in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, November 6-8, to host a special vacation rental community event focused on the needs of professional vacation rental providers. With an educational lineup that includes industry leaders, management professionals, and property care and operations experts, this conference is set apart by its emphasis on the hands-on management and marketing of vacation rentals.
The two organizations chose Gatlinburg as their venue to show support for the area one year after the fires that decreased vacation rental inventory by over 15 percent. As the vacation rental industry knows all too well, perception is often the most challenging barrier to attracting tourism after a disastrous event, and VRHP and VRM Intel wanted to highlight that Gatlinburg is open for business and continues to be a premier destination for year-round mountain travel.
“We have worked hard to combine this year’s best education with truly special networking events to revive the idea of a conference created solely for vacation rental managers,” said Amy Hinote, founder of VRM Intel. “The content is laser focused on the needs of property managers without the overwhelming influence of OTAs we see at other conferences. Plus, we have planned unique social events designed to bring together attendees in a fun and lasting way. Gatlinburg is one of the largest vacation rental destinations in the United States, and our events are designed to spotlight its uniqueness.”
Registration is $399 and includes attendance to the reception on Monday, breakfast, lunch and all sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Bluegrass Hoedown Dinner on Tuesday Night at Ober Gatlinburg. Immediately following the sessions on Wednesday, attendees are gathering for the Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kickoff, just steps from the Convention Center, for a downtown celebration and the ceremonial lighting of more than 3 million lights throughout the city.
Schedule
- Monday, November 6, 6:00 pm, Welcome Reception, Gatlinburg Convention Center
- Tuesday, November 7, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, General and Breakout Sessions (Including Breakfast and Lunch), Gatlinburg Convention Center
- Tuesday, November 7, 6:00 am – 9:00 pm, VR Bluegrass Hoedown, Ober Gatlinburg
- Wednesday, November 8, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, General and Breakout Sessions (Including Breakfast and Lunch), Gatlinburg Convention Center
- Wednesday, November 8, 5:00, Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kickoff, Downtown
General Sessions
- Book of Excellence: True Growth—Simple insights on How to Live and Lead with Authenticity with best-selling author, Byrd Baggett
- The Rebuilding of a Destination with Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO, Mark Adams
- The Real Truth of Working with OTAs – Unfiltered and Updated with Steve Milo
- Best Practices in 2018 Housekeeping and Maintenance with Steve Craig
- Where the Vacation Rental Industry is Heading with CEOs, Tim Cafferty, Miller Hawkins, Steve Milo, Jodi Refosco, and Clark Twiddy
Management Sessions
- Keys to Leadership and Management with Byrd Baggett and Michelle Marquis
- Skipping Over the Pitfalls in Changing Property Management Software with Doug Macnaught
- Data 101: An Introduction to KPIs and Independent Reporting with STR Global
- Data 102: Business Intel for Vacation Rental Managers with Amy Hinote
- Stronger Together: Leveraging Your Sphere of Influence with C.J. Stam and Tina Upson
- Property Care Trends and Technology with Jeremy Gall
- Facing the 800 lb. Gorillas with Alex Nigg
- The Tech Enabled Vacation Rental Manager with Alan Hammond, Clark Twiddy, Steve Milo and Jason Sprenkle
- Credit Card Processing, Travel Insurance and Smart Home Updates, Panel
- Finding New Revenue Streams, Panel
Marketing Sessions
- Managing an In-house Marketing Department with Katrina Murray, Tybee Vacation Rentals
- Increasing Website Conversion Rates with Brandon Sauls, ICND
- Will History Repeat Itself with Michelle Marquis, NAVIS
- The Universe of Digital Property Display with Brianne Pope, TruPlace
- Lead Acquisition and Conversion with Matt Renner, TRACK
- Online Marketing Strategies with Joe Joyce, Bluetent
- Email Marketing Workshop with Heather Weiermann
- 2018 Marketing Strategies with Matt Bare, Q4 Launch
Housekeeping and Maintenance Sessions
- Round Table Discussions: Housekeeping, Maintenance and Operations
- Guest Service Training for Housekeeping Staff with Jodi Refosco
- Setting Up Piece Rates with Durk Johnson
- Creating and Managing Budgets and Financial Statements
- Linen Life Expectancy and Different Types of Linen (Show and Tell)
- The Cost of Disengaged Employees with Sue Jones
- Building an In-House Laundry Facility with Joe Refosco
- Generating Income for Your Housekeeping Department with Steve Craig
- Sustainable Products and Green Certifications with Durk Johnson
- Housekeepers: Guardian of the Brand with Tim Cafferty
- Q&A: What is on your mind?
- Second Annual Housekeeping Survey Results and Q&A with New Executive Housekeeper of the Year
Sponsors
- Breezeway
- Red Sky Travel Insurance
- LiveRez
- Xplorie
- aBundle
- American Associated
- Ascent Processing
- Beach House Logos
- Blizzard
- Bluetent
- Clean Connect
- CSA Travel Protection
- Dorma Kaba
- ICND
- Kemper
- Lexicon Travel Technologies
- Liberty Linen
- LSI
- My Booking Pal
- NAVIS
- Point Central
- Q4Launch
- RealTech Webmasters
- Real Voice
- Red Awning
- Silicon Travel
- SmokyMountainsByOwners.com
- Streamline
- Track with ResortsandLodges.com
- TruPlace
- Virtual Resort Manager
- Weatherby Consulting
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