2025 Industry Outlook: ARDA Team Shares What’s Ahead for the Industry
Insights for this month’s article are provided by some of the ARDA staff.
Question: “What are the trends that will continue to impact our industry in 2025 and/or what are you most excited about as we head into the new year?”
Government Affairs
ARDA’s Government Affairs team shares what they’re most looking forward to in a post-election year:
Sam DePoy, Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy – Coming out of an election year, I am looking forward to meeting new Members of Congress and the new Administration to get issues of importance to our industry moving in a bi-partisan fashion. There is much to look forward to – a new year, a new Congress, a new Administration, and new beginnings with old friends on Capitol Hill.
Justin Vermuth, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and ARDA-ROC – Our industry is governed by a mosaic of laws at the federal, state and local levels. That means following election years, we will have many new elected officials at all levels of government to meet and educate about the importance of our industry to their jurisdiction. 2025 will be a busy year for our team, but we are excited for the challenge and well equipped with new AIF Research and another year of industry successes to talk about.
Robert Clements, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs – I am excited to meet the many new legislators, regulators and state attorneys general who will take office after the 2024 elections and to continue to strengthen our relationships with existing legislators and government officials. The ARDA government affairs team has always excelled at developing these relationships and we will continue our efforts in 2025. The new legislative sessions around the country in 2025 will keep us busy, but it is always an exciting time.
Chris Stewart, Vice President, State Government Affairs – The end of an election year will let us get back to work with legislators and focus on building new relationships in the 2025.
Kevin Riley, Director, Federal Legislation and ARDA-ROC – The coming year promises to be an exciting one. For one, being back in Orlando for our Spring Conference will allow for many of our members to more easily attend and come together for our biggest annual industry gathering. We will also welcome a new Administration to the White House, with a new Congress. Our federal outlook will be determined by new congressional leadership and what issues they will take up. I look forward to welcoming new legislators to Washington, DC and developing relationships with them to better educate them about our industry and the powerful economic impact our members have in states across the nation.
Hunter Clary, Manager, State Government Affairs – I’m excited for the upcoming state legislative sessions. 2025 will be a busy year for our team, with plenty of offensive initiatives and, of course, defensive action, as well. You never know what’s going to happen, but it is always certain to be engaging!
Meetings & Membership
The Meetings & Membership team is looking forward to hosting more ARDA members at our exclusive industry events in the new year, among other exciting association updates:
Catherine Lacey, Senior Vice President, Member Experience and Events – I am really excited for our Spring Conference. It’s always nice to be back in timeshare’s hometown of Orlando, where so many members are able to easily attend the meeting . We’re excited to bring more out of the industry speakers this year to give their perspectives and share their insight. We’ll also be featuring a new format for many of our general sessions, which will allow us to tackle a larger number of topics. We think this is a great way to share information and also keep attendee attention!
Katelyn Reitz, Director, Member Development – It’s always fun to see the industry come together in larger numbers for ARDA Spring Conference, I love seeing the new connections made and business relationships forged. I also am really looking forward to ARDAVenture for the experiential nature of the conference and opportunity to connect with industry partners outside in new ways, whether it be on the golf course, surfing, or at a winery.
Lalita Bhulipongsanon, Director, Business Operations – As we move into 2025, I’m excited to see our trade association adapting and evolving. ARDA’s recent rebranding, along with the implementation of new AMS software and a new website, are significant steps forward in better supporting our members. These changes will help us become more responsive to member needs, ensuring that everyone gets the most out of their membership.
Marketing & Communications
ARDA’s Marketing & Communications team is thrilled to work on our rebrand and is ready to unveil a new PR strategy in 2025:
Sarah Conroy, Vice President, Marketing and Communications – I am most looking forward to the new experience for our members and those from outside of the industry that are looking to learn more about us when we launch our new websites. We introduced our new brand during the 2024 Spring Conference, which modernizes the look of ARDA and aligns us more closely with the work of our members and the goals of the association. The new website and PR campaigns help us tell our industry story in new ways.
Lauren McCommon, Director, Public Relations & Communications – Over the last few months, we’ve been moving at full speed to establish a solid messaging foundation and media relations plan with our new PR agency, Weber Shandwick. I’m excited to see how all of our careful planning and strategic work comes to life in the new year, and how our team will continue working with the agency to tell the positive story of timesharing to media and consumers.
Amy Galloza, Social Media Manager – As we prepare for the rebranding of ARDA and Responsible Exit, I’m looking forward to transforming our social media and email campaign content with a brand-new look and feel, enhancing the way we share our story.
Research & Insights
The Research team is looking forward to continuing to produce industry-leading reports that help tell our industry’s story:
Lan Wang, Director, AIF Research – With the introduction of ARDA Research & Insights as the public facing brand of the AIF Research, we have rebranded all published AIF reports as well as the research interactive dashboard in 2024. I look forward to continuing the rebranding efforts with the upcoming 2025 reports. In addition, I am really excited to explore ways to utilize the monthly Vacation Ownership Sentiment Index to better align with more current topics to help with ARDA’s communication efforts.
Accounting
Finally, ARDA’s Accounting team is implementing a new AMS that will greatly improve the membership experience in 2025:
Meredith Richman, Controller – I am excited to continue to streamline how we engage members, vendors, and anyone interested in ARDA and the industry. These efforts include our continuous commitment to improve our internal processes and our transition to a new AMS. I am also excited to attend the Spring Conference in Orlando, a city so important to the industry and with so much to offer, and to see the unveiling of our new website.
Rich Doherty, Director, Accounting – I am excited to implement ARDA’s new Association Management System in 2025. Our new AMS will streamline membership management, personalize member experiences, and utilize data-based decision making to serve ARDA’s membership base.
Mina Kim, Director, Accounting & Benefits Administration – As we head into the new year, and as part of ARDA’s accounting team, I am most excited to be part of the AMS transition to better serve our members when it comes to managing their organization profiles and invoicing needs. As technology continues to advance, ARDA is proud to serve our members in new ways.
Justin Bassett, Junior Staff Accountant – As ARDA’s newest employee, I’m looking forward to attending our Spring and Fall Conferences for the first time! I’m excited to get the opportunity to build relationships within the company and serve as a good representative of our association. From what I’ve heard, the conferences are a great opportunity to learn more about the industry and dive deeper into ARDA’s goals for the future.
Follow ARDA on LinkedIn to stay updated on all of our 2025 activities. Happy New Year!