ARDA Reflects on the ARDA-University of Florida Legal Symposium

This year, ARDA and the University of Florida partnered to host the inaugural ARDA- University of Florida Legal Symposium – a joint event focused on the legal trends and issues within the timeshare and hospitality industries.

The conference, attended by leading legal professionals across the timeshare industry, served as an opportunity for them to network with their peers in the timeshare industry along with attendees from academia and the broader leisure hospitality space. It also provided a chance to learn from peers and guest speakers on the topics most important to their business or practice area.

After a welcome from Jason Gamel, President & CEO of ARDA, the event began with a panel that looked back on the timeshare legal issues that shaped the industry into what it is today.

Dan Bachrach, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP and Amy Bellman, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP joined Jason Gamel on stage to discuss the origins of the timeshare industry, as well as the regulations and issues at both the state and federal levels that have shaped the industry into what it is today.

The group also discussed the legal topics that most impact in-house and law firm teams.

Next, moderator Jorge de la Osa, Former General Counsel, Bluegreen Vacations, was joined by Joyce Ackerbaum Cox, Partner, BakerHostetler LLP, Meredith Dante, Partner, Ballard Spahr, Sharonda Wolfe, Group VP, Legal, Travel+Leisure Co., and Denise Haeggberg, SVP,Global Talent Management, Marriott Vacations Worldwide to discuss the various employment challenges in today’s unprecedented work environment.

The panel touched on topics such as the continued impact of COVID-19, social justice, diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives, recent and anticipated changes to employment laws, and more.

Frank Connolly, VP Legal Operations, Hilton Management Services, Barbara Egolf, SVP & Associate General Counsel, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Marci Target-Smith, VP, Strategy & Business Continuity, Marriott Vacations Worldwide all joined Bill Guthrie on stage to share their insights on how to navigate a resort crisis, from hurricanes, to fires, to pandemics.

In this session, Charles Corbin, EVP, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, Hilton Grand Vacations, Jim Savina-EVP & General Counsel, Travel+Leisure Co., Rena Reiss, EVP & General Counsel, Marriott International and Robert Clements, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & General Counsel at ARDA, joined Jim Hunter to weigh-in on the most pressing legal issues and trends shaping the industry today, offering valuable insights to attorneys and legal professionals working in this dynamic sector.

During the lunch break, attendees were treated to a special appearance from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who discussed the growth of Florida’s most visited City and answered questions about the economic developments happening in Orlando, as well as a thoughtful analysis of the current state of U.S. politics and predictions for the upcoming presidential election from Congressman Bill Schuster.

After lunch, Kate Saft, Partner, Greenspoon Marder was joined by Bud Bennington, Partner, Shutts & Bowen, Ryan Morettini, Group Vice President, Travel + Leisure Co, and Mark Nagle, SVP & Associate General Counsel, Marriott Vacations Worldwide for the Litigation Hot Topics & Trends panel.

Panel participants focused on common industry litigation topics including unexpected litigation trends impacting developers and our courts, TCPA, Florida Telephone Sales Act, Military Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and timeshare exit.

Finally, the day of intriguing programming ended with an interactive panel discussion on FTC enforcement and marketing; specifically, how FTC rules impact social media and digital advertising efforts.

Amy Sinelli, SVP & General Counsel, Travel + Leisure Co. and Kelly Lodde, SVP & Assistant General Counsel, Hilton Grand Vacations, alongside moderator Shawn Burnett, VP, Legal Services at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, shared a presentation explaining how the FTC regulates marketing efforts in the timeshare industry. The panel conducted a real-time learning session with the audience, after which participants were invited to participate in “quizzes” about the material they learned.

Day one of the symposium concluded with a reception where attendees connected with presenters and other industry professionals.

The second day of the ARDA- University of Florida Legal Symposium kicked-off with insights from Speaker Steve Shale, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming presidential election and how pollsters use data to draw conclusions on voting habits.

Following Speaker Shale’s presentation, Samantha Ahuja, Co-Chair, Hospitality Practice, Greenberg Traurig, was joined on stage by Sabrina Lopez, Associate Dean, University of Florida Levin College of Law, and Katherine Lowry, Chief Information Officer, Baker & Hostetler LLP for a discussion on the implications, opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence (AI) presents in the hospitality sector, such as improving customer experiences, optimizing operations, and ensuring ethical and responsible AI usage.

The symposium concluded with Gregory Szewczyk, Partner & Practice Lead, Privacy & Data Security Group, Ballard Spahr LLP and Aaron Tantleff, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP joining Yameel Mercado Robles in a conversation on the evolving regulatory landscape and how companies are dealing with it.

Thank you to the University of Florida, our advisory members especially the Advisory Board Chair Jim Hunter, sponsors, and guest speakers who made this event possible! We look forward to seeing you at similar events in the future.