VRWS 2022 Agenda

Sept 15th, 2022

9:00-10:00 AM

Registration & Networking at the Booths

10:00-10:15 AM

VRWS Opening

A brief intro on this year’s edition, to do’s, format, side events and a few practicalities to make the most of your next two days.

Introduced by

ANTONIO BORTOLOTTI

Host - Vacation Rental World Summit

10:15-10:45 AM

Why Didn’t I Think of That?
Harnessing the Power of Data to Unleash your Profitability

Session description:

Short-term rental demand has come back roaring from pre-pandemic levels, but are we all winners? In her opening session, AirDNA’s Senior Sales Director Sarah DuPre will unveil the industry’s best-kept secrets and attributes of thriving vacation rental businesses that make them stand out from the crowd.

What are the latest global data trends in the short-term rental world that you should be paying attention to?

What can data teach us about the market outlook?

What’s driving success for the most profitable players in the industry?

A must-attend session for you to play your cards right and understand where you’re really missing out to set your business up for success.

Presented by

SARAH DU PRE

Senior Director Data Solutions - AirDNA

10:45-11:45 AM

Round Table #1
The Ice-Breaking Session

Session description:

The first Roundtable on Thursday will be an icebreaking session, where the aim is to get to know your table peers using a format that’s going be quite surprising and pleasant.

With the aid of a trained Facilitator, you’ll be guided into a series of questions that will help you get acquainted with your table peers.

Be prepared to share the struggles you have related to your business and seek advice, as the roundtables work as your special peer group of colleagues who’ve been there and have done that, or who’re on the same boat and tried some solutions they can share with you.

11:45-12:15

Preparing for the Unexpected
The Unpopular Opinions of the Short Term Rentals and Business Insights Uncensored with Simon’s Realtalk

Session description:

On a friendly, open and candid fireside chat with Simon Lehmann, Karolina Saviova will ask Simon about:

I) Current trends: changing travel behavior & length of stay, convergence of assets

Future outlook: M+A; impact on valuations (Sonder, Vacasa, upcoming IPOs)

II) Preparing for the unexpected: optimising revenue management & distribution strategy in light of a possible economic downturn

Direct bookings, new target audience

Operational challenges, labour shortage, impacts on quality control, strategies to acquire new assets, changing business models

III) The next thing: ESG & impact on STRs

Sustainability, diversity, professionalisation of STR & corporate governance

Be prepared to take notes and elaborate on Simon’s picks with him and your peers during the rest of the Summit!

Presented by

KAROLINA SAVIOVA

COO & Co-Founder - Altovita

Interviewing

SIMON LEHMANN

Co-Founder & CEO - AJL Atelier

12:15-1:15 PM

1st Speed Dating Session
Pick your first 5 Companies to ask your #1 question

Session description:

SPEED-DATING are 2 ’60 minute’ Sessions (one per day), divided into 5 slots of 10 minutes each, where:

you pick a company representative seated at a specific ROUNDTABLE, hear the solution they offer in 60″,

then you ask your question, and so do your peers seated at the table.

This way you interact with everyone for 9 further minutes and get a lot more information that will give you a clear idea of whether that’s a good fit for you and what to do next.

Each Table has up to 10 attendees for 10 minutes.

At minute 10 we ring a bell, you pick another table – another Company, sit with up to other 9 attendees and the process repeats.

This is done 5 times in 60 Minutes, so you have the opportunity to really find out what most companies exhibiting have to offer and how can they help you out; then if you wish, you can continue the conversation at the booth during VRWS.

See more about SPEED-DATING SESSIONS and the Companies available HERE.

1:15-3:00 PM

LUNCH
Optional Seated Buffet Lunch

A Seated Buffet Lunch will be a further opportunity to keep networking with your peers in another fantastic room at VRWS Venue.

Check the Menu (with also Vegan options available) HERE.

If you haven’t added the optional Lunch package upon registration, don’t miss out on this opportunity and ADD Your Lunch Package HERE.

3:00 – 3:30 PM

How to scale your business from 0 to 4000+ properties

Session description:

In this session, Alex will share his first-hand experience of building and scaling GuestReady from 0 to over 4000 properties in less than 6 years.
The session will contain actionable insights on the key success factors that are relevant to unlocking the next phase of growth in your business. Some of the questions that will be addressed are:
What do you have to keep in mind when building your team?
How do you structure and optimise your processes?
Which technology solutions can bring leverage to your business?
How do you grow your business via M&A and what do you have to keep in mind if you’re looking to sell your business?

Presented by

ALEXANDER LIMPERT

CEO - GuestReady

3:30 – 4:30 PM

Round Table #2
What Do You Need Most Help With?

Session description:

The 2nd Roundtable on Thursday will be focused on helping you out with what you struggle most or with what you need most help with.

With the aid of a trained Facilitator, you’ll be guided into a series of questions that will help you share your struggles and seek advice, support and solutions from your peers.

Be prepared to share the struggles you have related to your business and seek advice, as the roundtables work as your special peer group of colleagues who’ve been there and have done that, or who’re on the same boat and tried some solutions they can share with you.

4:30 – 5:15 PM

A Look Ahead
Forging the Path to Sustainability in the Short-Term Rental Industry

Session description:

Sustainability means different things to different people. It also represents a core challenge and opportunity for businesses around the world – including the short-term rental industry. Join this panel discussion, hosted by Vrbo, a part of Expedia Group, to learn more about what travelers are looking for when it comes to sustainable travel and what you need to do in order to meet those expectations.

Presented by

PAOLA LAZZARETTI

Senior Manager, B2B Partner Success - South of Europe at Vrbo, part of Expedia Group

Interviewing

BOB GARNER

Owner @ Casal Dei Fichi & Founder - Green VR Events

DANA LUBNER

Head of Leadership Development at Rent Responsibly

ALEX PENADES

CMO @ Avantio

Vanessa De Souza Lage

Founder - Sustonica

5:15 – 6:15 PM

Coffe Break in the Exhibitors Area, Networking & Time With Exhibitors

6:15 PM

After Summit Networking

VRWS continues with the After Summit gatherings. Pick one of the activities and Fringe Events to keep networking and have fun with your peers: cocktails, happy hour, dinner and late night parties for you to enjoy.

Sept 16th, 2022

9:00-9:45 AM

Networking at the Booths

9:45-10:15 AM

How reporting can revolutionise your short-term rental operations

Session description:

On this very practical and hands-on condensed session, Pierre will guide you on:

Why reporting matters

Which data to report on?

Internal data

External data

How can reporting supercharge your business? 6 concrete best in class reports:

Weekly company report: drive your team’s motivation

Operations: unlock efficiencies and improvements

Owner reporting: retain your owners by meeting their expectations.

Prospect reporting: give confidence to new owners.

Revenue management: optimise.

Performance tracking: master your strategy

Our macro reports:

Point on inflation & interest rates

Potential impact on property stock & demand

Demand outlook

Outlook/Give your business the edge with data reporting

Get ready to take notes and improve your operations with tangible takeaways.

Presented by

PIERRE BECERRIL

CEO - Transparent

10:15-10:45 AM

Fireside Chat with Eric Bergaglia – Senior Director – Global Head of Accommodations Segments at Booking.com

Session description:

On a relaxed and candid fireside chat with Eric, learn about:

the 2022+ travel industry

post-Covid travel trends

partnering with OTAs

partner-focused product updates

and more

Presented by

Vanessa De Souza Lage

Founder - Sustonica

Interviewing

ERIC BERGAGLIA

Senior Director - Global Head of Accommodations Segments at Booking.com

10:45 -11:45 AM

Round Table #3
What Do You Need Most Help With?

Session description:

The 3rd Roundtable – 1st on Friday will be focused on helping you out with what you struggle most or with what you need most help with.

With the aid of a trained Facilitator, you’ll be guided into a series of questions that will help you share your struggles and seek advice, support and solutions from your peers.

Be prepared to share the struggles you have related to your business and seek advice, as the roundtables work as your special peer group of colleagues who’ve been there and have done that, or who’re on the same boat and tried some solutions they can share with you.

11:45-12:15

Survival Kit for Vacation Rentals
How to Steer Your Vacation Rental Business under Uncertainty

Session description:

War, global pandemic, climate change – the handling of today’s challenges will determine tomorrow’s success of our businesses. Enrique Planas, Head of Business Development for Southern European markets at Holidu, will share a practical guide on how to navigate your vacation rental business through these uncertain times and pave your way (back) to success.

Presented by

ENRIQUE PLANAS

Head of Business Development Southern Europe at Holidu

12:15-1:15 PM

2nd Speed Dating Session
Pick your second 5 Companies (or more) to ask your #1 question

Session description:

SPEED-DATING are 2 ’60 minute’ Sessions (one per day), divided into 5 slots of 10 minutes each, where:

you pick a company representative seated at a specific ROUNDTABLE, hear the solution they offer in 60″,

then you ask your question, and so do your peers seated at the table.

This way you interact with everyone for 9 further minutes and get a lot more information that will give you a clear idea of whether that’s a good fit for you and what to do next.

Each Table has up to 10 attendees for 10 minutes.

At minute 10 we ring a bell, you pick another table – another Company, sit with up to other 9 attendees and the process repeats.

This is done 5 times in 60 Minutes, so you have the opportunity to really find out what most companies exhibiting have to offer and how can they help you out; then if you wish, you can continue the conversation at the booth during VRWS.

See more about SPEED-DATING SESSIONS and the Companies available HERE.

1:15-3:00 PM

LUNCH
Optional Seated Buffet Lunch

A Seated Buffet Lunch will be a further opportunity to keep networking with your peers in another fantastic room at VRWS Venue.

Check the Menu (with also Vegan options available) HERE.

If you haven’t added the optional Lunch package upon registration, don’t miss out on this opportunity and ADD Your Lunch Package HERE.

3:00-3:30

A Rising Tide Does Not Lift All Ships
Truths To Guide Us Through An Industry On Fire

Session description:

The vacation rental industry is on fire. Entering our most dramatic phase of disruption, many of the world’s most seasoned owners and managers are encountering challenges threatening to end it all. With the demands required to operate profitably mounting, human capital in limited supply, and hobbyist competition making headlines for all the wrong reasons — Matt Landau disputes the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships. In this keynote address, Matt will reveal the common denominators of the companies that are rising (not sinking) in this historic change of tide.

Presented by

MATT LANDAU

Founder - VRMB

3:30 – 4:30 PM

Round Table #4
Wrapping Up Your Key Takeaways

Session description:

The 4th and last Roundtable on Friday will be focused on wrapping up your Key Takeaways from these 2 days and will require you to write them down together with an implementation strategy, following the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal-setting framework that you’ve been sent via email prior to VRWS and that you can also find inside the VRWS App.

With the aid of a trained Facilitator, you’ll be guided into the process and will do the exercise laid out in the “Goal Setting Framework”.

4:30 – 5:00 PM

Scaling vacation rentals
a masterclass for Pros

Session description:

In this conclusive panel, Properly’s Founder Alex Nigg will delve into the importance of key factors in every VR business: from PMS to channel management and distribution, to regional champions and specific markets. We’ll look at revenue paradigms and minimising risks to then focus on the perennial question that has at time fired debates: who is the more important customer – the guest or the owner, and what’s changing in that assessment this year?