Dial An Exchange repeated this again a few years later in Orlando and again, timeshare owners appreciated the information provided by myself and the other guest speakers.
Flash forward to 2015 and Dial An Exchange is once again on the road with their VES. This time, they begin in San Diego on March 22nd. Although I was not invited to speak this time, I sat down with Susan Friedline, Business Development Manager with DAE to ask her some questions:
Q. Can you tell our readers a bit about the genesis of these sessions?
DAE has offered similar
education sessions several years ago. As
a consumer focused company, we feel strongly about offering on-going education
to Timeshare/Vacation owners. There have
been so many changes that have occurred since the early years when Timeshare
was first sold. We are confident that by
offering resources, information, and a forum to answer many of the questions,
we can help the industry, and ultimately owners
find the value and satisfaction in what they purchased, and own.
Q. What factors
were involved in deciding who in the timeshare community to involve as
co-sponsors and/or speakers?
The VES has been established to be a forum for owners
to learn, and ask questions. It was
important to DAE, that the co-sponsors and moderators also feel strongly about
the educational need for owners, as well as to offer a vast amount of
resources, rather than ‘selling’ their products.
Q. Who is your
target audience? Timeshare owners,
prospective owners, people who are just curious?
Our
target audience is focused on anyone who is a Timeshare/Vacation owner. We welcome a new owner, but find that most of
the questions are coming from owners with 5, 10, 15+ years of experience. The San Diego location was chosen based on
the large percentage of owners who reside within a 20 mile radius. We will be traveling to locations were
owners live, rather than where they own their vacation property
Q How will the
sessions be structured?
We are focusing on 5 key
Topics. The structure will be arranged in a ‘round table’ format. All attendees will get an opportunity to meet
with an industry ‘moderator’, covering each of the most urgent issues today.
Q Since there’s
no cost to the timeshare owner, what does DAE and the co-sponsors hope to gain
from the sessions?
We feel strongly that an educated owner will be more
satisfied with their ownership, educate their families/friends, stay engaged with their resort, and continue
to enjoy ‘what they own’. We hope to
offer resources to them for any on-going questions and/or needs they may in the
years to come.
Q Are the
sessions really “no-sell”…no one is going to try to sell anyone anything?
The Vacation Education Series has been created to
maintain a neutral environment for owners to learn, and ask questions. Each sponsor will have a table, and an
opportunity to explain what they do, the
knowledge they can offer, and answer any direct questions an owner may have;
whether it is concerning scams, title transfers, re-sales, how to understand
the resort financials, etc….. The information during the 3 ½ hour session is
based on current concerns, and providing resources and answers.
Q Will the
speakers change in each city?
This will depend a
lot on the moderators choice, and schedule.
We are excited to continue to bring more information, and more knowledge
based on feedback from each session. This
may mean trimming the sessions, or perhaps increasing the topic offerings.
Q Should
consumers come with specific questions?
Will they be able to get on-on-one time with speakers and co-sponsors?
We would expect owners to already have questions. At
DAE, we are frequently fielding questions from member/owners. Yes, owners will have a choice to visit with
co-sponsors following the event.
Q What do you
want the take-away for consumers, timeshare owners or not, to be?
We would love for owners to leave the event feeling
like they have answers and resources to call upon during the life of their
ownership. We want them to realize the
industry is thriving; but changing, and
that ownership continues to offer a great value and an opportunity to continue
enjoying vacations in condominium setting, creating life-long memories!
To register for the VES in San Diego, visit http://tiny.c/learn1 or contact Penny Fulcher toll-free 877.822.1242 or by email: penny.fulcher@daelive.com.
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