Change is good…

It’s been over 5 months since ARDA and things appear to be looking up in our industry. Congratulations are deserved…we have made it through the worst of economic times! Ahead of us are endless opportunities as collectively we look to grow our revenues and profits despite a climate where credit is scarce and Wall Street is skittish. Only through experimentation can growth be found.

Trooval has launched several new clients and released new products with just that goal in mind. Our latest clients are willing to look at the way they do business today with a new lens, one that allows for the use of innovative tools to affect positive change. We are delighted to be their partner on this journey.

We have spent a tremendous amount of time talking to industry executives and leaders to better understand their business pains and needs. What we learned is that developers want to maximize potential spend per owner, lower default rates and ensure efficient collections. Our latest products – Trooval Upside, Trooval At-Risk and Trooval Collections – aim at those needs. You can learn more about our Loyalty Scoring Suite within our website.

It’s gratifying to help a developer grow profits through unique marketing tools that enable better business decisions. Our joy flows from creating a plan to impact a business, executing flawlessly and reaping the benefits with the developer.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Jonathan Lowenhar, CEO

In 2009 I attended ARDA (American Resort Developers Association) in Orlando for the first time. I was terribly excited. Our company Trooval planned to introduce the various ways in which predictive analytics might bring value to timeshare developers. I arrived in Orlando enthusiastic, prepared to immerse myself in the energy and dynamism of the North American vacation ownership industry. I was disappointed.

The conference floor was like a cemetery… on a rainy day… without an umbrella.

The convention was half empty, every panel bemoaned the credit crunch and the speeches felt more like eulogies. An industry that had enjoyed nearly 20 years of uninterrupted success had been dealt a severe blow and the collective leadership was scrambling as to how to respond. The depression was palpable and as a newcomer I questioned the resilience my newly adopted comrades.

Just last week I found myself back in Orlando for ARDA 2011. How would the leaders respond and behave following a difficult two years of reduced growth and constrained liquidity? I’m not sure how I would respond to a second trip through the graveyard.

What a difference two years can make. Optimism abounds! The collective swagger is evident and the same leaders now claim that the challenges are no longer insurmountable. The leaders of the industry had quickly figured out the strategies necessary to cope with the rapidly changing environment.

New developers!
New technology!
New lenders!

Industries mature or die during times of crisis. It appears the farewells of 2008 might have been premature. Of course, I still would have appreciated an umbrella.

I look forward to what the next ARDA holds as the industry seems to have turned the curve and is on an exciting trajectory. See you all at the next ARDA or sooner!

Jonathan Lowenhar

Welcome to the Trooval blog!

I’m a geek who loves to use data to make predictions. For more than 15 years I have used data and sophisticated statistical techniques to create value across the casino, lodging and hi-tech industries. When I oversaw marketing for big companies, I was fortunate to have the hardware, software and people to integrate sophisticated predictive modeling into day-to-day marketing activities. We always knew in real time which customers were valuable and which ones were not.

We founded Trooval to bring simple predictive modeling tools to timeshare. Over the last several years our products have been used across nearly every major timeshare market in North America. We’ve learned a great deal along the way and this blog will be used to share stories about the people we meet, the trends we see, and the statistics we uncover.

Come back often to read about:

The state of the industry
Emerging trends in timeshare technology, sales and marketing
New ways to solve old problems
The perspectives of various timeshare leaders
How Trooval is trying to make a positive impact

I welcome feedback and discussion so please do me the favor of leaving a comment at the end of each posting. Tell me what you’d like to know. I’ll respond to any questions you leave in the comments section.

Jonathan Lowenhar
CEO, Trooval, Inc.