EntErprising idEas for thE Vacation industry i fEBruary 2012

the new RCI® VentUReS app foR the ipad® p.14

LUXURY SPECIALISTS

AMResorts

online Monitoring locking down your brand’s reputation online Industry practitioners share insights about monitoring

a brand’s online life to protect and enhance its reputation

rCi PreSenterSM A touchscreen technology presentation

highlights the benefits of vacation

ownership and helps increase sales

P.4 P.12

Table of ConTenTs

Look for RCI at the aRDa World 2012 annual Convention & expositionThe Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada April 1–5, 2012

Secrets Marquis Los Cabos

P. 1 WELCOME LETTER RCI is renewing its commitment to help you succeed in 2012.

P. 2 RCI® AFFILIATED RESORT PROFILE The Unlimited Vacation Club, part of AMResorts, is one of the fastest-growing luxury leisure brands in the Caribbean and Mexico.

P. 4 INDUSTRY REPORT: ONLINE MONITORING Industry practitioners share insights about monitoring a brand’s online life to protect and enhance its reputation.

P. 8 AFFILIATE NEWS RCI® affiliated resorts around the world are making industry news.

P. 12 RCI NEWS: RCI PRESENTERSM Harness the power and impact of touchscreen technology to highlight the benefits of vacation ownership and help increase sales.

This Issue:

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from RCI. RCI Ventures publishes opinions of many knowledgeable individuals. These opinions are not a substitute for legal, accounting or other professional advice.

The views and conclusions expressed in RCI Ventures are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of RCI nor of its parent or affiliates.

The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the proprietors believe to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted for any errors.

©2012 RCI, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 9998 North Michigan Road, Carmel, IN 46032

PublisherBrian Bruno

associate PublisherEmily Sadlock

Contributing editorsSteve AlessandriniRanjana BiswasHelen Foster

advisory boardJeff ParkerMelinda EmmanoelidesKris JamtaasRobert StoltDanielle GaliotoAmy LipkaJeff NoonanDebbie WunderLucie GagneEsther Grisham

editor in ChiefChuck Wentzel

Managing editorGaetano Pollice

Contributing editorCatharine Fleury

Copy editorAmy Lynn Tonsits

Project Manager Andrew Gersten

Director, Marketing servicesEric Martucci

Creative DirectorRoe Intrieri

art DirectorsDan Durller & Ash Oat

associate Photo editorPamela Pasco

CO

VE

R P

HO

TO

& T

HIS

PA

GE

: AM

RE

SO

RT

S

ON THE COVER: RCI® Ventures magazine is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored or otherwise approved by Apple. Inc. iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

WelCoMe leTTeR

RCIAFFILIATES.COM febRUaRY 2012 I RCI VENTURES 1 n

Dear RCI® Affiliate:2012 is upon us, and it’s time to look forward to another year of shared opportunity and growth. It’s the perfect time to ask yourself how you will position your brand and better engage your current and potential owners this year to drive more business. As your partner, we continue to ensure your owners have unforgettable vacation experiences every time they exchange with RCI knowing, that today more than ever, their belief in the value of vacation ownership creates the prospects of tomorrow through referrals and word of mouth. To that end, we’re starting off 2012 with an even greater focus on online branding, technology in the sales center, and social media.

In this day, monitoring your brand online is essential to knowing what consumers truly think about your company, products, staff, and customer service. The Internet is a worldwide outlet for your owners and prospects to comment, blog, review and share their thoughts. It is important to have control of your online brand to better convince prospects to consider timeshare ownership and the lifetime of vacation memories it creates. In an article for this issue, we’ve spoken to three industry professionals about why online monitoring is an essential social media initiative for timeshare brands (page 4).

Consequently, if you’re not working with social media just yet, you should consider adding online monitoring and other social strategies to your goals for 2012. There is a lot of information out there concerning social media strategies, and it can be daunting at times. Whether you are just starting out or you’ve established a presence, as always, we’re here to help.

Finally, our commitment to technology has brought our subscribing members RCI® TV, the Resort Showcase and enhancements to RCI.com—all to make their research and booking experience better. We are now helping you spice up presentations at your sales centers with our distinctive new touchscreen sales tool. RCI PresenterSM was designed to engage guests with interactive modules that showcase the benefits of vacation ownership and exchange. It’s easily customized to your specific resort, and it’s a great addition to your current sales presentation (page 12).

Online branding, social media and technology all play a big role in defining the future of the industry and RCI is committed to staying ahead of the curve. Now is the time to think about the integration of these three concepts into your current plans (if you haven’t already), especially as sales continue to rebound over the next few years. As always, we are dedicated to serving your owners and helping you with your sales and marketing initiatives, and our continued leadership and innovation makes us ready and able to do so. There are great things in store for 2012 and we are excited to share these with you. Thank you for your business and best wishes for a successful year. Sincerely,

Gordon GurnikPresident, RCI

Geoff Ballotti Chief Executive Officer

Gordon Gurnik President

Ricardo Montaudon President, Mexico and Latin America

Charisse Cox Managing Director, Pacific

Adrian Lee Managing Director, Asia

Faye Tylee Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources

Sean Lowe Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, India and Africa

Gail Mandel Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Brad Dettmer Chief Information Officer

Radhika Shastry Managing Director, India

Paul Cash Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

If you’re not working with social media just yet, you should consider adding online monitoring and other social strategies to your goals for 2012.”

“

RCI® AFFILIATED RESORT PROFILE

The Unlimited Vacation Club, part of AMResorts, is one of the fastest-growing luxury resort sales, marketing and brand management service companies in the Caribbean and Mexico. Specializing

in the luxury leisure market, AMResorts offers a variety of vacations, including Endless Privileges, Unlimited-Luxury and Unlimited-Fun.

RCI ® Ventures spoke with Jorge Herrera, managing director of Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC), to learn more about the organization’s strategy and successes.

n 2 rci Ventures I FEbRuARy 2012

The Unlimited Vacation Club Concentrating on luxury

Secrets Resorts & Spas: romance and sensuality for adults in exquisite luxury settings

Secrets Marquis Los Cabos

Dreams Resorts & Spas: service and luxury, catering to couples

and couples with children

Dreams Cancún Resort & Spa

Sunscape Resorts & Spas: lively, exhilarating and affordable vacations for families, couples and singles

Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa

Now Resorts & Spas: a new and innovative vacation experience for singles, families and friends

Now Larimar Punta Cana

Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts: wellness, romance and environmentally friendly practices

Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya

PH

OTO

S: A

MR

ESO

RT

S(5

)

FEbRuARy 2012 I rci Ventures 3 n

In the Dominican Republic, we support Ebano Verde, a scien-tific reserve for protecting local species and endangered green ebony trees, which are found only in this part of the world.

Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita, Zoëtry Casa del Mar, Dreams Puerto Vallarta, Dreams Los Cabos, Dreams Tulum, Dreams Cancún and Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa are active in the Sea Turtle Conservation Program. During the season when turtles lay their eggs on beaches near these resorts, our guests work with staff to help preserve and protect these endangered hatchlings and release them into the sea.

In addition, the Rainforest Alliance works with many sectors, including the tourism industry, to help improve environmental, social and economic practices. Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita, Dreams Tulum and Dreams Cancún have passed a strict quali-fication and have received the Rainforest Alliance verification.

AMResorts’ unlimited Vacation Club (uVC) has ambitious plans for new resorts in 2012 and

beyond. What can you tell us?

Our strategy has always been to be regionally concentrated to maximize synergies. In 2011, we

launched UVC operations at resorts that include Now Larimar Punta Cana, Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana, Dreams Los Cabos and Zoëtry Casa del Mar Los Cabos. In November we opened Secrets Marquis Los Cabos and Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa. Secrets Huatulco opened in December.

In April 2012, we are scheduled to open Secrets Vallarta Bay and Now Amber, both in Puerto Vallarta, followed by Secrets The Vine Cancún in August. In 2013, we plan to open seven more resorts—four in Cap Cana and one each in Punta Cana, Los Cabos and Costa Rica. V

How would you define the AMResorts philosophy?

AMResorts was founded in 2001 with the desire to reinvent the vacation experience by delivering an

innovative, unique and high-end product. We’ve achieved that goal and become an industry leader by being people-centric and focusing on couples, couples with children, and single individuals and their friends.

How are the five AMResorts brands similar?

While each brand offers guests a unique vacation experience (see previous page), across all our brands

guests can expect a new and better way to have it all: no wristbands or reservations, gourmet à la carte dining, premi-um alcoholic beverages, mini-bars refreshed daily and profes-sional live entertainment. For all our brands except Sunscapes Resorts & Spas, guests also enjoy pool and beach wait ser-vice, 24-hour room service and 24-hour concierge service.

How has your affiliation with RCI helped fulfill your commitment to providing unique luxury vacations?

We have implemented RCI enhancements, like the RCI Platinum® membership tier and affiliation with

The Registry Collection®program, to further differentiate our membership levels. These enhancements will allow us to pro-vide higher quality services to our upper-tier members, who are more sophisticated and whose decisions are not driven by price.

What are some highlights of your corporate commitment to the environment?

Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa in Mexico has been working with a resident biologist, Mara Bravo

from Yucatán University, to incorporate pro-environment operating procedures to minimize the resort’s impact on the environment and educate guests about the surrounding ecology and community.

Dreams Cancún, Dreams Riviera Cancún and Dreams Tulum participate in Amigos de Sian Ka’an, an initiative dedicated to the sustainability and conservation of the Sian Ka’an biosphere in Tulum, Mexico, and throughout the region.

Jorge Herrera earned a business administration degree from Iberoamericana University and completed his master’s degree in finance at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. He pursued additional studies in finance at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) in Mexico City. His experience spans more than 25 years in tourism development, real estate sales, marketing and consulting in Latin America.

RCIAFFILIATES.COM

V

V

V

V

V

JH

JH

JH

JH

JH

Who’s managing your brand online?

Even if you’re not listening to and participating in online conversations,

your customers most certainly are.

INDUSTRY REPORT: ONLINE MONITORING

n 4 rci Ventures I FEbRUaRY 2012

Some brands flourish while others wither and die in the intense conditions online, where consumers blog, post and tweet about their daily experiences with products and service providers. These online conversations can be powerful, influencing others and helping shape perceptions of a brand. Brand stewards must actively monitor the online conversations about their brands to protect their brands’ reputations. By listening, responding appropriately and, most important, understanding how consumers expect brands to behave online, brand stewards can regain control of their online messages.

RCI ® Ventures asked three social-media practitioners, who represent different perspectives within the industry, to talk about getting started, best practices and pitfalls associated with online monitoring and how to make this an effective and integrated component of a comprehensive marketing strategy. Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of American Resort Development Association (ARDA); Stacey Sutherland, vice president of corporate communications and brand services for Orange Lake Resorts, home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations; and Phil Brojan, senior vice president of global marketing at RCI, recently shared their insights.

FEEDBACK REDEFINEDWhat is online monitoring? According to Brojan, it is monitoring social sites, as well as the rest of the web, for mentions of a brand. “Usually it entails using online listening technology to gather all online mentions of your brand— things like recommendations, reviews, comments and blog

posts—and then categorizing those mentions,” he says. “You can respond or further analyze the mentions to better understand your customers and their perceptions of your brand.” Sutherland says that analyzing the sum of these is crucial. “Tech-nically speaking, social listening is the aggregate of comments and sentiments being said about your brand on social channels, such as Trip Advisor, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook,” she says.

Word of mouth is not new. Consumers have always been able to share opinions with and make recommendations to family and friends. What’s new is the power of the technology—instant access as well as broader reach and search capabilities. “Social networks make it much easier for people to share and re-share opinions and recommendations quickly and from literally anywhere, giving you a ‘wildfire’ effect that has everybody’s attention, from the marketing department to the boardroom,” Brojan says. “Even more important is that much of this information is easily searchable online. With the right strategy, it’s much more of an opportunity than a threat.”

FEbRUaRY 2012 I rci Ventures 5 nRCIAFFILIATES.COm

ILLU

ST

RA

TIO

N, P

RE

VIO

US

PA

GE

: IS

TOc

k P

hO

TO

The Internet, bolstered by social media, has created a virtual hothouse environment for brands and their reputations.

INDUSTRY REPORT: ONLINE MONITORING

n 6 rci Ventures I FEbRUaRY 2012

From the brand’s point of view, Sutherland sees great potency in the ability to search. “It is the best way to take your brand’s temperature and compare yourself with your competitors.”

The timeshare industry has been dealing with social media and social listening longer than most industries. Online bulletin boards, populated with consumers’ praise and complaints about resorts and exchange companies, are well known within the industry. But now, Brojan says, “social media has the critical mass to make a much larger impact, especially with how visible mentions in social media are in search engines.” Sutherland and Nusbaum see a positive shift in the increased access to social media, however. To Sutherland, “the major platforms, such as Trip Advisor, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, are for everyone, consumer and timeshare industry folks alike, and provide a setting in which social etiquette is promoted.”

For Nusbaum, the expansion of social media is a game changer. “We have an 85 percent user satisfaction rate. In the old days, bulletin boards were used almost exclusively by the 15 percent who were dissatisfied. Now social media provides our happy owners with an online ‘megaphone’ to talk about why they love timeshare resort vacations.”

INTEGRATED STRATEGY In addition to online monitoring, Sutherland cautions that social media should not serve as the only platform for marketing and instead should complement existing strategies and be considered an additional tool for communicating campaigns and messages. “To put it simply, it is just one more way to coordinate and deploy campaigns,” she says. “We cross-promote through direct mail, email and social media releases so consum-ers can choose the way they like to interact with our brand.”

At RCI, the online monitoring strategy is more cross-functional than a traditional marketing strategy. “The strategies, initiatives and operational activity that emerge from online listening involve many departments, including marketing, sales, customer service and product development,” Brojan says. “my favorite way to integrate listening into our marketing and com-munication strategy is to highlight the great timeshare vacation experiences that consumers share online and in social media.”

Nusbaum sees the integration of social media in an overall marketing strategy as a challenge to traditional marketers, who want to be able to manipulate the consumer and the messages. While he acknowledges that every industry is going to have to address the good and the bad directly, he believes that the new freedom for balanced conversations online is healthy. Authentic brand messages and increased customer satisfaction will prevail “when marketers acknowledge that they can participate in, but not control, the online conversations.”

RESOURCES REQUIREDIn his experience at RCI, Brojan has learned that a good listening strategy can have significant upfront costs, be time consuming and require a combination of social media and industry expertise—and the latter is certainly not easy to find. “Niche social-media agencies that provide listening services are expensive; and they will tell you that social-media expertise is more important than industry expertise, but I disagree,” he says. “Only with industry expertise can one respond to consumers effectively and understand the urgency or opportunity of certain brand mentions.” He recommends outsourcing online listening to experts, at least initially.

The strategies, initiatives and operational activity that emerge from online listening involve many departments, including marketing, sales, customer service and product development.”

Phil Brojan, senior vice president of global marketing for RCI

“

Now, social media provides our happy owners with an online ‘megaphone’ to talk about why they love timeshare resort vacations.”

Howard C. Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA

“

ABOUT THE PANEL

FEbRUaRY 2012 I rci Ventures 7 nRCIAFFILIATES.COm

Stacey Sutherland is vice president of corporate communications and brand services for Orange Lake Resorts, which is home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations. She has created internal

employee communication initiatives and external public relations strategies, and developed the direction for many of the company’s marketing campaigns. She has more than 20 years of experience and is a member of ARDA’s Communications and Awards Committees.

Phil Brojan is senior vice president of global marketing for RCI. He is responsible for RCI’s subscribing-member marketing strategy, including the ability to activate and retain members. Before joining RCI, Phil held

various client- and agency-side executive marketing positions, developing marketing and promotional strategies for many of the world’s leading brands.

Howard C. Nusbaum has served as president and CEO of ARDA since September 2000. In the past 30 years, he has held executive hotel positions in the private sector as well as executive positions in nonprofit

association management. His role at ARDA includes serving as president of the ARDA board of directors, the AIF board of directors and the ROC executive committee.

Sutherland identifies some other challenges in getting started but says that finding a leader who will support the effort internally, emphasizing its value to the company and brand, is the first step. “Then you address the tactical elements: selecting the tool and determining the best method for sharing information with the right individuals,” she says.

Orange Lake also found it challenging to sustain social-media resources, so the company adopted a collaborative model that integrates existing resources to share the responsibilities. “We may enlist a customer-service associate at a resort-operations level to reply to inquiries that come through social channels, in addition to their regular job responsibilities,” Sutherland explains.

REWARDS REAPEDThe benefits of social listening are many. Sutherland sees positives for both consumers and resorts. “One of the greatest benefits is knowing what people are saying about our brand so we can take that feedback to the right teams and everyone is held accountable to evaluate and make any necessary adjustments,” she says. “We can demonstrate corporate responsibility, understand what spikes chatter and drive customer satisfaction by holding our internal teams accountable.”

Aside from using feedback to drive improvements, RCI has been able to “spot gaps in product knowledge and understanding, which we can help remedy through better education and clearer messaging. We’ve also watched many of our communications go viral,” Brojan says. “This gives us an idea of how to message to encourage that type of viral activity.” managing brand perception, owner satisfaction and loyalty is a key ingredient in increasing revenue and lowering marketing and sales costs. “I don’t think there is anything more important, from a marketing and sales perspective, than gaining more control over the online perception of our industry and the brands that participate in it,” he says.

To Nusbaum, the greatest benefit of social listening is a renewed commit-ment to the integrity of the industry. “Privacy is different in social media, and transparency is king,” he says in emphasizing the power in responding to consumers’ comments. “When done right, it takes a negative situation and turns it into a positive situation for the consumer, and the brand.” V

One of the greatest benefits is knowing what people are saying about our brand so we can take that feedback to the right teams.”

Stacey Sutherland, vice president of corporate communications and brand services for Orange Lake Resorts, home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations

“

AFFILIATE NEWS

industry updates

international

ASIA SOUTH AFRICA EUROPE LATIN AMERICA

n 8 rci Ventures I FEBRUARY 2012

ASIA

RCIAFFILIATES.COM

New affiliation agreements with Hon Tam Resort & Spa in Vietnam and Patong Bay Garden Resort in Thailand, along with

the Xing Yao Shui Xiang Resort and Huangshan Grandview Resorts Hotels—the latter two in China and added earlier this year—expand the number of RCI affiliated resorts in Asia to 158 properties.

“These four new affiliates not only show a growing interest in timeshare travel throughout Asia but also prove that we’re offering an innovative and appealing timeshare-exchange product,” says Adrian Lee, managing director of RCI Asia Pacific. “Adding new resorts in China, Thailand and Vietnam reaffirms our commitment to offering great vacations in highly desirable destinations in Asia and throughout the world. We’re happy to have them on board.”

Hon tam resort & spa

is located on Hon Tam, an

eco-green island in the middle of

Vietnam’s Nha Trang Bay. This luxury

resort features 49 cozy bungalows that

blend traditional and modern Vietnamese

architecture. Recreational facilities include

a golf driving range, mini golf, tennis

courts, a fitness center, a kids’ club, a spa,

scuba diving and fishing. A selection of

restaurants and bars serve international

seafood and Vietnamese cuisine.

Patong Bay Garden resort

is located on the popular Patong

Bay on Phuket, Thailand, and offers a full

range of facilities and activities as well

as Thai charm and hospitality. The

beachfront resort has 71 charming rooms

that meet the varied needs of modern

international travelers—families as well

as couples—and includes wireless

Internet access, varied food and beverage

options, a spa and beauty salon and a

retail outlet.

Xing Yao shui Xiang resort

is located in the Jia Lize wetland in

Kunming, China. This upscale integrated

tourism development offers more than

10,000 diverse vacation accommodations

including themed resorts, hotels, holiday

villas and town houses. The resort also

features an equestrian club with a

landscaped 20-kilometer riding boulevard,

an ecological wetland park, a country-style

fishing club, a golf academy and driving

range designed by Phil Mickelson,

extensive lavender and sunflower fields,

an organic fruit and vegetable garden,

meeting and conference facilities and

myriad retail and dining facilities.

Huangshan Grandview resorts Hotels, part of the Yuan Yi

Group, is a mixed-used development

strategically located just south of the

Xin An River and flanked by the Pei

Lang River to the east. It is surrounded

by renowned tourist sites, such as the

charming Old Antique Street, the awe-

inspiring Huangshan (Yellow Mountain),

wetlands and historic Anhui villages.

Hon Tam Resort & Spa

Patong Bay Garden Resort

Xing Yao Shui Xiang Resort

Huangshan Grandview Resorts Hotels

PH

OTO

S, P

RE

VIO

US

PA

GE

: TH

INK

STO

CK

; TH

IS P

AG

E: H

ON

TA

M R

ESO

RT

& S

PA; P

ATO

NG

BA

Y G

AR

DEN

RES

OR

T;

XIN

G Y

AO

SH

UI X

IAN

G R

ESO

RT;

HU

AN

GS

HA

N G

RA

ND

VIE

W R

ESO

RT

S H

OT

ELS

EUROPEAFFILIATE NEWS

LATIN AMERICA

Having recently teamed up with Palace Resorts, LLC to create Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, Hard Rock International has announced an agreement with that

company to transform Palace Resorts properties in Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Maya into Hard Rock Hotels. These will be “ultimate all-inclusive” properties that bring the acclaimed Hard Rock experience to these popular tourist destinations.

“Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya are perennially popular Mexican vacation spots and a natural draw for Hard Rock patrons,” says Michael Shindler, Hard Rock International executive vice president of hotels and casinos. “We are pleased to extend our relationship with Palace Resorts in light of their track record of creating some of the best resorts in the Americas for more than 25 years.”

Each Hard Rock Mexico location is a beachfront property that on its re-flagging will feature unmatched all-inclusive luxury accommodations that include in-room double Jacuzzis, fine dining, top-shelf drinks, 24-hour room service and live entertainment. All three will offer Hard Rock’s signature Rock Star Suites and will showcase an extensive collection of authentic memorabilia from international and local musicians while incorporating diverse music genres throughout. In keeping with the Hard Rock tradition, each property will host an ongoing schedule of live concerts, celebrity-driven events and other exciting on-site activities.

“Palace Resorts is honored to collaborate with Hard Rock International in further aligning two first-class hospitality brands,” says Roberto Chapur, president of Palace Resorts. “The opportunity to facilitate the entry of the iconic Hard Rock Hotel brand into Mexico, and to offer the Palace Resorts promise of an unmatched all-inclusive resort experience, is very exciting. We look forward to the continuation of this great relationship.”

CREATING OPPORTUNITY IN SHAREd HOLIdAY OWNERSHIP

RCI and The Registry Collection® program have launched a major guide to shared ownership that showcases the

many benefits of operating within the European sector to prospective developers and investors. Creating Opportunity in Shared Holiday Ownership is a 52-page handbook with information about the past, present and future of the industry. It also includes a rationale for why timeshare and fractional owners are a good fit for many resort developers and leisure real estate investors around the world, plus sales and marketing strategies for the shared-ownership sector in Europe. dimitris Manikis, vice president of business development for RCI in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says that this new publication demonstrates why shared ownership represents a significant opportunity for hotel operators, residential complexes and property investors: “This is an industry with an 87 percent satisfaction rate and an occupancy rate of 80 percent, according to recent research, which makes shared holiday ownership a compelling opportunity for new industry entrants from the hotel sector and beyond.”

The RCI Award for Developer

Achievement (RADA) program

has recognized the sales team at

Silverpoint Leisure with a number

of RADA Distinction awards. The

award program was launched by

RCI to reward sales and

innovation among its European

affiliates in the timeshare industry.

The program also recognizes

individual staff members who

have excelled in their roles. The

ceremony was hosted at the

Silverpoint sales office in Tenerife

in Spain’s Canary Islands, where

Ovidio Zapico, RCI’s regional

director for Spain and Italy,

presented RADA Distinction

awards for excellence to the

following employees:

• Barry Fox, sales manager

of the year

• susana thraves, marketing

manager of the year

• carol taylor, administration

manager of the year

• Vicky Bryant, employee

of the year

• rikard thorsell, salesperson

of the year

“I’m really proud of all the people

who have been singled out for

these awards,” says David Taylor,

Silverpoint sales director. “Our

whole team is highly motivated

and hardworking, but these

people are the shining stars of

our organization and fantastic

role models for everyone who

works for Silverpoint.”

RADA DISTINcTIoN AWARDS

RCI® Ventures magazine is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored or otherwise approved by Apple. Inc. iPad is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

EUROPE So

uth

Afr

icA

LATIN AMERICA

New insights about the next generation of vacation owners

reveal a demand for short-term ownership options (not unlike

golf-club membership) and a desire to make more-immediate decisions

about vacations. These discoveries have resulted in an exciting collaboration between

Peermont Hotels, Casinos & Resorts and RCI to launch a new leisure-lifestyle club.

The Peermont Coronet Club will give its members the opportunity to experience great hotels and resorts within Africa, and around the world, at affordable rates. “Following extensive research with hotel and gaming guests, we discovered that customers were looking for affordable local and international holiday destinations and more flexibility, greater value for money and a wider range of activities

to enjoy while on holiday,” says Mark Jakins, chief operating officer of online operations and group marketing for Peermont

Hotel Group. “With today’s hectic lifestyle, domestic as well as international guests want to be able to relax and enjoy their choice of destinations at prices they can afford. The Peermont Coronet Club, serviced by RCI, makes all this possible.”

The Peermont Coronet Club destination provides many exciting experiences, ranging from mountain adventures and bush and wildlife accommodations to family beach holidays and urban-chic weekend shopping sprees. The club offers a number of affordable membership plans and terms, including an entry-level Sapphire Plan and a Ruby Plan for larger family and group memberships. “The Peermont Coronet Club is innovative, will appeal to the younger consumers and is definitely a hotel product with a difference,” says dimitris Manikis, vice president of business development for RCI Europe, Middle East and Africa. V

RCIAFFILIATES.COM FEBRUARY 2012 I rci Ventures 11 n

PH

OTO

: TH

INK

STO

CK

RCI NEWS

RCI PresenterSM harnesses the power and sensory impact of

touchscreen technology to give your current and prospective owners an engaging, hands-on demonstration of vacation exchange. By interacting with educational and entertaining content, they learn about the value-added benefits of their vacation ownership.

In collaboration with Generator Systems, RCI brings this exciting tool into resort sales rooms to help enhance and energize the conversation about exchange. The system runs on a wall-based touchscreen and puts your clients in the driver’s seat for the experience. Navigation is so easy that salespeople can let guests take control for greater involvement and engagement during the presentation.

“Consumers are growing increasingly comfortable about using technology to search online for the information they want,” says Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI. “It only makes sense to extend that experience into the sales room, using the technology that consumers

Putting the power of persuasion at your fingertips

already know and trust to help educate them about vacation exchange.”

Emotive video clips, a vast database of resorts, compelling graphics and striking imagery help you inspire your guests to say “yes” more often, more readily and with more confidence.

RCI Presenter is designed to complement existing sales presentations and is another opportunity to integrate sophisticated technology that delivers motivational content to the sales process. “We love the interactive flat screens,” says Greg Penrod, chief operating officer of Highlands Resorts/Sedona Pines. “With the economic distractions, our sales centers need every advantage to keep the high net closing percentage we need to be profitable.” V

n 12 rci Ventures I FEBRUARY 2012

RCI Presenter enhances the sales experience with a uniquely powerful combination of technology, entertainment and information.

Contact your RCI account team to get RCI Presenter working for you!

PH

OT

O: T

HIN

KS

TO

CK

YOU’RE NOT INTHE BUSINESS OFKEEPING GUESTSWAITING.

We’re in the business of responding quickly. With technology that makes ordering easy, an inventory of over 22,000 maintenance and operating supplies, plus no minimum order required—we serve you efficiently and professionally.

FREE.Delivered by professionals. For professionals.

$25 OFF your first online order.*

hdsupplysolutions.com | 1-888-658-3623

* $250 minimum order. One-time use per customer. Cannot be combined with any other discount offer. Tax, freight, fabrication orders, renovation orders, and special orders are excluded. Offer valid on online orders placed through hdsupplysolutions.com only. Offer only valid on first online order placed through hdsupplysolutions.com. © 2011 HDS IP Holding, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

ADV-11-5705

Now you can enjoy RCI® Ventures magazine on your iPad®* when you download the new RCI® Ventures magazine app for the iPad® free at the iTunes® App Store.

Award Winning...Be sure to download the award-winning Endless Vacation® magazine app for the iPad, featured at Adobe Max as an ”industry example of tablet publishing.”

ARDA WoRlD 2012Look for RCI at the

ARDA WoRlD 2012 A N N u A l C o N v E N T I o N & E x P o S I T I o N

April 1–5, 2012 The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino

Las Vegas, Nevada

* RCI Ventures magazine and Endless Vacation magazine are independent publications and have not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. iPad and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

n 14 rci Ventures I FEBRUARY 2012