The 2010 VRMA seminar (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) by all accounts was a hit – jam packed with many new and old participants. For those of you who are not familiar with VRMA it stands for “Vacation Rental Managers’ Association” established in 1985 and is a professional trade association for the vacation rental management industry. There are two major shows per year with the next show scheduled for May 5-6, 2010 in Reno, Nevada. This will be VRMA’s West coast show and will be held at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa.

Many vendors in the vacation rental industry come together for these two seminars to learn about the latest news, marketing tips, products, software and trends in this rapidly changing marketplace.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Myrtle Beach seminar last week and introduced myself to many friendly vendors, partners and new entrepreneurs. Email, chat and online has changed the way most businesses are run today and taking the opportunity to meet a handful of partners face to face that I have only worked with via email and phone was the highlight of this year’s VRMA seminar for me.

Aside from the conferences at the seminar that were loaded with exciting and relevant vacation rental information,  there were a few vibrant exhibitor showcases that really stood out and are on their way to carving out a niche in this space. A few of the exhibitors that caught my eye were:

1.) IdentifyYourself – www.identifyyourself.biz. A new company that provides promotional products such as magnets and mousepads for managers of vacation rentals. What’s nice about this concept is that property managers can have their logo, brand, and specials printed on a wide selection of promotional products. The magnet was super-easy, as it’s glued to a postcard which can then simply be mailed to your past renters.

2.) MDM Group – www.mdmgroup.net. An insurance company that provides coverage for vacation rentals in the event there is theft or accidental damage to a rental. The plan they offer is very competitive. A renter pays a small flat fee in lieu of a large security deposit. This program is a benefit to both the renter who does not have to come up with a lot of money and the vacation home owner who is covered up to $3,000 in damages.

3.) InterCoastalNetDesigns – www.icoastalnet.com. A website design firm for the vacation rental industry which also integrates booking engines into these designs. They have the ability to drive visitors to your website, capture leads and record revenue from unique visitors.

4.) OurFriendsPlace.com. A facebook platform that allows owners of vacation rentals to rent their vacation homes out to other friends. The beauty about this concept is that once a home is listed on the site it is easy to share the rental information including photos with other friends in your network.

Other well-known participants present at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel were Vacation Rent Payment, Barefoot Technologies, HomeAway, Instant Software, Escapia and Navis. There were between forty and fifty vendors displaying at the show. Each booth had knowledgeable and nice staff to answer any questions about their services, software or products.

The Reno, Nevada VRMA show coming up in the next few days is sure to be another great opportunity to attend if you missed the Eastern seminar. Many of the same vendors will be present along with some new exhibitors promoting their vacation rental concepts, ideas and software. If you are a property manager of vacation rentals I suggest you check out the VRMA show and seminars in Reno, Nevada. Expect to leave with your name entered in one of the many contests, great new marketing ideas and a new partner or two that can help you grow your vacation rentals business.

For more information on VRMA and/or the West Coast seminar and show you can find their official site here http://www.vrma.com/

Admission to both the VRMA Eastern and Western show is not cheap but may will be worth every penny especially if you run into  a new partner or product that will generate more bookings.