ARDA Fall Conference Brings Together Industry Leaders for Three Days of Collaboration, Unique Insights & Networking

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) kicked off November by welcoming members to its Fall Conference, held this year at the Conrad conveniently located near City Center in Washington, D.C. Attendees were greeted by unseasonably warm weather in the capital city, which was greatly enjoyed by all who traveled in for the annual event.

The first day of the conference included a full slate of committee meetings, which provided a great opportunity to meet face to face and have collaborative discussions on the future of ARDA, the timeshare industry, and the issues and policies that impact it. Seeing so many of our committee members in person provided a great start to the conference and served as a good reminder of how important and impactful it is to spend time together and share ideas.

After a productive day of meetings, all attendees were invited to attend a welcome reception sponsored by Interval International. This was a wonderful event that gave attendees a chance to catch up with old friends and colleagues and to make new connections.

The first day of the conference ended with the Trustee Foundation Dinner, an elite, invitation-only event for ARDA trustee members and ARDA International Foundation board members. Members were welcomed to the dinner by ARDA Chairman Michael D. Brown, who is the president and CEO of Travel + Leisure Co. During the event, ARDA President and CEO Jason Gamel gave a gracious toast to Stephen Weisz, CEO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, in recognition of his upcoming retirement and to thank him for his many years to service to ARDA and the industry. Overall, dinner attendees dined on delicious food and engaged in lively chatter, enjoying their conversations late into the evening. 

The second day of the Fall Conference included a full schedule of continued council and committee meetings, including ARDA’s Board of Directors meeting, and insightful speakers during the general session.

During the Board of Directors meeting, ARDA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel Robert Clements provided an update on ARDA’s relationships with state attorneys general across the country and discussed the importance of the 2022 general election. ARDA Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy Sam DePoy provided a comprehensive update on federal affairs, political fundraising efforts and ARDA’s priorities for 2023. Congressional Institute President Mark Strand discussed the importance of taking a collaborative approach in politics and gave his predictions on the implications of the upcoming 2022 elections .

The ARDA-Resort Owners’ Coalition (ARDA-ROC) sponsored a Legislative Luncheon, where all attendees were invited to enjoy a delicious meal and hear from U.S. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who shared his insider perspective on politics, his thoughts on the upcoming election and the impacts on the economy and the timeshare industry. The ARDA team works hard to build and maintain relationships with federal and state leaders, which allows the association to provide attendees with access to speakers of Senator Blunt’s caliber at its events. Senator Blunt has served in Congress since 1997 and has held numerous leadership positions during that time, so this luncheon was a wonderful opportunity to hear his insights and perspective on many important issues. 

The afternoon’s general session began with a panel discussion on “Critical Issues and Public Policy Initiatives Shaping the Travel Industry” with global business leaders in travel, real estate and hospitality. Gamel moderated the panel, keeping the conversation engaging and asking poignant questions. Panelist Bill Shuster, former Pennsylvania congressman and chair of the U.S. House Transportation Committee, discussed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, mentioning one of its downsides is that it does not prepare itself for the next five years. Panelist Jeff DeBoer, President and CEO of the Real Estate Roundtable, noted how critical infrastructure is to the travel and real estate industries, as they would be negatively affected if people are not able to get where they want to go easily. He also emphasized that companies will need to invest in energy-efficient assets, not only to save costs but because owners now expect it. Timeshare has always been ahead of the curve on the amenities it provides owners and guests and ARDA recently highlighted how resorts are already investing in electric vehicle charging stations. Panelist Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, discussed the importance of getting people traveling for business again and the benefits it provides, noting that while personal travel is back, business travel is still lagging. Shuster added that there is no true substitute for meeting face to face at events.

The afternoon general session concluded with remarks from the Fall Conference’s keynote speaker, Doug Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office and economic and fiscal policy expert, who provided insights into the economics of the 2022 election. He noted that basic necessities for Americans, including food, energy and shelter, are currently at a 9.8% inflation rate and how this can have far-reaching impacts. However, he stated that travel tends to stay constant, so while people may be reluctant to purchase new goods, like cars or houses, they still have a desire to travel. Additionally, he remarked on recession indicators, advising attendees to look to business spending rather than household spending for signs of an economic downturn.

The second day of the Fall Conference concluded with a closing reception sponsored by RCI on the rooftop of the Conrad, where all attendees enjoyed gorgeous sunset views of the Capitol building, pleasant weather and great company. 

The third and final day of the conference featured the Chairman’s League Breakfast with guest speaker A.B. Stoddard, associate editor and columnist at RealClearPolitics. Stoddard provided her predictions for general election outcomes and gave attendees suggestions for acts of citizenship to consider in this election and in the future, including voting in primary elections, serving as a poll worker or volunteering to help register voters. She also encouraged the audience to research candidates before casting a ballot, fact check stories seen on social media, and focus more on the issues rather than the politicians when talking with family, friends or neighbors about politics.

All in all, ARDA’s 2022 Fall Conference was a fun, insightful event. We would like to thank all our sponsors who helped make this such a wonderful event, including Arrivia, First American Title Insurance Company, Hilton Grand Vacations, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Interval, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, RCI, ARDA-ROC, Travel + Leisure Co., Vacation Innovations, Ballard Spahr LLP, Digital Ignite, Disney Vacation Club, Fidelity National Timeshare, Flywire, Liberty Bank, Vacatia, Wellington Financial, Westgate Resorts, Lemonjuice Capital Solutions and MasterCorp.

Thank you to everyone who attended this annual event. We look forward to seeing you again soon at ARDA’s upcoming events, including the ARDA-WIN Winter 2023 event on February 1-2, 2023, at the J.W. Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando, the 2023 Spring Conference on April 16-19, 2023, at the Hilton Orlando, and the ARDAdventure VIP Retreat – 2023 Peak Pursuit on July 19-21, 2023 at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.