Phuket to host ‘Alternative Ownership’ conference

PHUKET: Some 150 delegates are expected to descend on Phuket next month for the second Alternative Ownership Conference for Resorts and Hotels – Asia Pacific (AOCAP) at the Millennium Resort in Patong.

“Following the success of the inaugural AOCAP conference in 2009, we are excited to announce AOCAP 2010 will take place 10-12 October in Phuket,” said Bryan Lunt, Chairman and CEO of Absolute World Group, founding sponsor of AOCAP, in a press release.

“Our goal is to introduce more delegates to the benefits of Alternative Ownership,” he added.

Leading hospitality consultant C9 Hotelworks recently reported that the first half of 2009 saw vacation ownership sales volume of 722 million baht and fractional property revenue of 112 million baht on Phuket.

The report also found that 22,410 vacation ownership units and 70 fractional real estate were units sold in Phuket from 2007 to 2009.

“Alternative ownership is still relatively new to the Asia-Pacific region, which has been slow to adopt new revenue models.

“However, the past couple of years have seen exponential interest and alternative ownership models offer new revenue streams for hotel owners, operators and developers,” explained Mr Lunt.

Speakers at the conference will include professionals from all fields of the resort industry, including Perspective International, The Registry Collection, RCI, Interval International, and the Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council.

Workshops are planned in both English and Thai language, allowing more detailed discussion in smaller groups and encouraging more in-depth evaluation of the benefits and implementation of Alternative Ownership revenue models, as well as providing a forum to answer any questions delegates may have, said the press release.

Networking opportunities are scheduled in the evenings, giving delegates the chance to share experiences with other like-minded individuals in a more informal atmosphere, it added.

Delegates for the AOCAP Conference 2010 can book online at www.aocap.org. The cost is 8,000 baht per delegate, or 6,400 baht for bookings before September 24.