Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Welcome Reception
Our 2009 Platinum and Gold Sponsors welcome you to The Westin Calgary for this valuable networking event. All registered delegates are invited to attend this business casual reception and meet the leaders in the Canadian resort investment community.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

MORNING PLENARY SESSION

Focus On The Consumer
Within one of the most profound economic meltdowns of the last six decades, what is (and will be) the consumer interest in recreational real estate and resort product over the short- to medium-term? Listen as these consumer behaviour experts apply their knowledge and thinking to Canadian resort product and set the stage for the balance of the day by quantifying demand and identifying industry trends.

Morning Networking Break with Exhibitors

A1: Distressed Real Estate: Foreclosure Or Forbearance?
The tremendous growth in recreational real estate over the past few years has already produced a number of causalities. More will follow. How do lenders make decisions to either wait or step in and take control? This panel discussion will provide practical advice on the thought process within the legal and lending communities and what owners can do to minimize losses and ease a transition.

A2: The Key to Success in the Resort Business: Marketing!
From initial branding through product development to the actual sale, marketing is the underlying key to success. But what does marketing mean? How much is enough? Where should the focus be? What's the balance between sales and marketing? This panel will explore a range of marketing issues addressing both real estate and commercial lodging.

Networking Lunch with Exhibitors

B1: Attracting Resort Developers And Keeping Them In Your Community
Landing a major resort development can be a boon to cementing the destination appeal and tourism attractiveness of a given community. But what attributes are resort developers looking for and what “after sale” support is required? How can the community take a lead role in marketing and how does marketing focus benefit the developer?

B2: Show Me The Money!
In a world of restricted credit and overextended borrowers, what’s the prognosis for financing new (or even completing partly developed) resort projects? Are the dollars available? From where? At what price? 

C1: Repositioning After The Economic Fallout
So…you’ve acquired a resort. Maybe even at fifty cents on the dollar from a receiver. Now what? How do you address repositioning on several fronts including product (perhaps even completing construction), repositioning the real estate sales focus (e.g., pricing, market), branding (maybe a major brand isn’t such a bad idea after all!), management and dealing with existing purchasers.

C2: Transaction Round Table: What's Selling? Who's Buying?
Conventional wisdom suggests that the current economic downturn has created a buyer's market, but is that the case? This session will explore what product is selling, who's buying and how purchasers are financing acquisitions of real estate whether whole, fractional or timeshare.

Afternoon Networking Break with Exhibitors

Bringing it all Together: The Closing Panel
A great many Canadians and Canadian companies have shown the world how to conceive, develop and operate multi-season, multi-focus integrated resort destinations. This panel brings together a range of skill sets for a lively discussion on lessons learned and the future of resorts.