In the picturesque coastal town of Opatija, nestled on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in the Kvarner region, the first-ever VRM Days (Vacation Rental Management Days) conference took place on September 19th and 20th at Hotel Ambasador. This event was tailored primarily for agencies and professionals engaged in facilitating private accommodation rentals.

VRM Days, Opatija 2023

VRM Days, also known as Vacation Rental Management Days, attracted diverse companies and experts from across Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The conference served as a platform to showcase the latest trends in the tourism industry and educate attendees on optimizing their potential and positioning their products effectively in the market. With dozens of companies present, participants had the unique opportunity to engage directly with these firms and explore their innovative solutions. Among them were industry leaders such as VRBO, Pricelabs, Beerent, Touchstay, and many more. Everything from booking portals, revenue management systems, channel managers, digital guides, data processing platforms to consulting firms was represented under one roof.

The distinguished role of the chief moderator for the entire conference was assumed by Simon Lehman, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in this field. Lehman emphasized the crucial importance of private accommodation in the tourism sector, particularly in a country like Croatia. He noted that comparing the private accommodation business from two decades ago to today reveals remarkable progress. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven an astonishing surge in demand for private accommodations, as guests increasingly favored vacation homes over hotels. In these circumstances, the industry witnessed a 40% increase in guests who had previously stayed in hotels, primarily because their expectations were met. Lehman stressed that the standards and expectations must also be met by the private accommodation sector; failing to do so might lead to losing these guests once again.

Numerous Experts and Prominent Figures

The conference featured numerous experts and prominent figures as speakers, including Gorana Rihelja, the founder of hrturizam.hr; Boris Pavlov, CEO of FlatAway; Sonia Chennoufi, Head of Business Development Europe at HomeToGo; Martine Lucić Čanak, owner of magic4club, and more. The director of Luxury Living Croatia magazine, Antoaneta Šimunović, also participated as a moderator on the "Power of Marketing" panel.

The topics addressed at VRM Days were practical in nature, offering tangible solutions for attendees. These discussions covered various subjects, such as enhancing the efficient positioning of accommodations, improving workflow, staying ahead of the competition, exploring strategies for extending the tourism season, the impact of new technologies on agency operations, and how technology can be leveraged to assist the industry.

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In addition to panel discussions in the conference hall, participants engaged in numerous parallel workshops, presentations, and B2B meetings throughout both days of the conference. This multi-faceted approach ensured attendees had a comprehensive and immersive experience at VRM Days, fostering learning, networking, and collaboration within the vacation rental management industry.