out with the old
IN WITH THE BOLD
2025 VRNationVacation Rental Conference
April 27-28, 2025
Austin, TX
JW Marriott Austin Downtown
Reserve your spot at the HostGPOpen
Schedule at a Glance
Saturday, April 26th
1:00 PM - 8:00 PM
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Vendor Move In
Let's hit the pickleball courts at VRNation in Austin, TX to play, network, and support STR advocacy. The winning team gets a first-round bye for October’s HostGPOpen. Sign up as a spectator, team, or solo player.
Sunday, April 27th
7:30 am
Registration Opens
8:00 am - 9:00am
In today’s competitive market, it is more important than ever to use your marketing dollars effectively. Understanding which KPIs (key performance indicators) should guide your investments and strategy is pivotal to your success.
Join RealTech’s Britt Benson-Greer for a platform-by-platform overview of the metrics that really matter for gauging success and which ones are smoke and mirrors. Using practical examples, he’ll walk attendees through how trends in performance data and audience user signals impacted strategic shifts in client marketing campaigns to generate traction and increase return on investment.
More details coming soon!
Join us at VRNation Breakfast Seminar for an essential session designed for revenue managers in the vacation rental industry. Master the art of revenue reporting with best practices for selecting, timing, and building key reports that drive data-driven decisions. Learn which reports to use daily, weekly, monthly, and annually, how to source accurate data, and effective strategies for presenting insights in your meetings. Gain actionable insights and practical tips to streamline your reporting processes and optimize revenue management with confidence.
In the modern era of business, scaling successfully hinges on two essential factors: embracing AI and embedding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) into every aspect of your operations. This talk will delve into how AI can optimize workflows, enhance efficiency, and improve decision-making. Additionally, learn how defining and implementing KPIs across your business can "turn on the lights," providing clarity, accountability, and measurable growth. Discover actionable strategies to align your team, streamline processes, and achieve sustainable success in a competitive landscape.
9:00 am - 9:20 am
Welcome to VRNation 2025 Conference!
Kick off VRNation 2025 with our dynamic duo of MCs, Julie George and Jason Gann, as they set the stage for two bold days of learning, networking, and industry transformation.
9:30 am - 10:45 am
More information soon.
10:45 am - 11:30 am
More information soon.
11:30 am - 12:15pm
Vendor Connection Break & VIP Book Signing
12:15pm - 1:00pm
Join us for an engaging conference workshop seminar, The Ultimate ChatGPT Session: Crafting Irresistible Property Listings. Discover the secrets to capturing guest attention and boosting your bookings through a powerful three-step process. You'll learn how to define your ideal guest avatar, leverage ChatGPT to create compelling property descriptions and refine your content to rank higher in search results. Walk away with actionable insights and practical tools to transform your listings into guest magnets!
By the end, attendees will have the knowledge to quickly create compelling property listings that stand out and help:
- Attract the right guests to their property
- Highlight the features that their ideal guest is looking for
- Help promote their property and be found in search results
- Lead to increased inquiries and bookings
Jennifer Spencer is the founder of The Host Approach, dedicated to empowering vacation rental owners and Airbnb hosts to take greater control, drive direct bookings, and boost profits.
With over a decade of experience—starting with her first property in the Canadian Rockies and later expanding to Maui—Jennifer has developed proven programs that streamline operations, enhance guest experiences, and encourage direct and repeat bookings for sustainable revenue growth.
Her mission is to help vacation rental owners, hosts, and property managers unlock the full potential of their businesses with confidence and clarity. Through tailored online programs, one-on-one guidance, and group coaching, Jennifer provides expert support in optimizing property listings, refining marketing and pricing strategies, and leveraging the right tech tools to make running a vacation rental business more efficient and profitable.
This session will help property managers develop a disaster preparedness program that includes workflows for guest communications, managing homeowner expectations, insurance fluency, and navigating employee well-being during and after natural disasters. Using the most recent hurricanes and wildfires, we will provide best practices for preparing properties, post-incident response timelines, and inspection reports, while remaining compliant with State and Federal agencies such as OSHA and DOL.
Explore how AI is revolutionizing search functionality to allow Digital Marketers to comb through more data and deliver seamless, tailored experiences that convert browsers into bookers. This session will focus on enhancing search ads, on-site search tools, and booking flows using data-driven insights, ensuring higher visibility, increased revenue, and guest satisfaction in 2025
This interactive workshop will equip attendees with a four-step roadmap to successfully launch and sustain a thriving STR alliance. Through engaging discussions, practical takeaways, and peer-to-peer collaboration, participants will leave with actionable strategies to strengthen their advocacy efforts.
More details coming soon!
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Lunch - 2nd Annual Vendor Gameshow, Featuring: Beyond, Fido, Grand Welcome and Safely
2:00pm - 2:45pm
More information coming soon!
Often there can be a divide between team members in the workforce with what hospitality really encompasses. These panelists will share what they have experienced with team members and how to build a cohesive team with hospitality mindsets.
- Attendees will learn how to create cohesiveness in teams.
- Attendees will understand how to hire based on values.
- Attendees will feel validated by the panel participants with different scenarios in organizations.
Ali Cammelletti of Spark Your Mindset brings over 30 years of experience in the Hospitality Industry focusing on leadership and sales. Ali helps leaders build resiliency and improve performance by bringing awareness to opportunity behaviors and sparking mindsets. She does this through culture assessments, team building, one on one leadership coaching as well as customer service and sales education.
Join VRNation’s President Matt Tesdall and Vice President Tera Lorimer as they share the story behind VRNation’s rise, unveil the bold strategies shaping 2026 and beyond, and rally the community to dream bigger, build bolder, and lead the future of the vacation rental industry.
This isn't a safety course or education on checklists - it's a fundamental presentation that every agency owner or GM should attend as it is designed to inspire and educate you on the critical importance of prioritizing safety in your operations. It will illustrate how leading with a safety-first mindset not only protects guests and properties but also fosters trust, boosts reputation, reduces liability, and drives business growth. Unless you as a leader embrace safety, your team won't. But how do you make that a priority? This session will show what the rewards are of doing that.
Justin Ford is a globally recognized expert in Short-Term Rental (STR) safety, credited with saving over 50 lives and preventing countless injuries. As Director of Safety & Certification Programs at Breezeway, he has led over 100,000 STR safety inspections and advanced safety standards through innovative property care software. With two decades of experience as a vacation rental agency owner, former U.S. Coast Guard member, and municipal firefighter, Justin brings unmatched expertise to the field. His insights have been featured on platforms like ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today Show.
More details coming soon!
2:45pm - 3:00pm
Break
3:00pm - 3:45pm
Event-based pricing in the short-term rental market is a dynamic blend of anticipation and reaction, from well-publicized global spectacles like the 2024 American Eclipse or upcoming Super Bowls to super niche local festivals. In this enlightening panel discussion, gain invaluable insights into the strategies employed by industry experts. Learn from property managers, a revenue specialist, and a dynamic pricing software expert on how to harness tools, data, and intuition to maximize returns irrespective of an event's scale or predictability.
Becca Madigan leads the US Solutions Consultant team at PriceLabs and has a background in vacation rental operations and revenue management, working in South Carolina's Barrier Island markets. She now works with vacation rental owners and managers across North America to help interpret data and fine tune their pricing & minimum stay strategies. She also sits on the RevProf board of directors, helping to bring opportunities for education and community to revenue managers in the vacation rental industry.
Transform your vacation rental business in just 15 weeks! With the proven 75 Hard method, adapted specifically for property owner acquisition, you'll learn disciplined, step-by-step strategies to grow your inventory and achieve remarkable results. Ready to build your rental empire, join the challenge!
Stacy Wesson is a seasoned expert in the vacation rental industry, with over a decade of hands-on experience managing and growing a successful family-owned vacation rental business. Catrina Wakefield is the Director of Global Business Development at Casago, bringing a wealth of experience and a passion for strategic growth to the industry.
It’s now been five years since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. While the travel industry has bounced back, rising costs, economic pressures, and shifting priorities have reshaped travelers’ behaviors. Today, many travelers place greater emphasis on overall value—not just price, but also quality, convenience, and transparency at every step.
Eric Goldreyer is the CEO and owner of Savvy, (formerly bnbfinder), where savvy travelers can easily find and book professionally run vacation rentals directly — while empowering property managers to earn more and maintain greater control over their listings. With over 30 years of experience in travel and hospitality, Eric is an established leader in the industry. He co-founded TurnKey Vacation Rentals, which grew to become North America's second-largest property management company before being acquired by Vacasa in 2021 and most recently by Casago. In 1995, Eric also founded Bedandbreakfast.com, which became the world’s largest online B&B directory and was acquired by HomeAway (now Vrbo) in 2010.
Steve Schwab, CEO and Founder, Casago
Former Army Ranger Steve Schwab is the CEO and founder of Casago, a leading vacation rental and property management company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 2001, Casago has grown to manage nearly 5,000 properties across 72 cities in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean. Recently, Schwab led the acquisition of Vacasa, North America’s leading vacation rental management platform with over 38,000 properties, strengthening Casago's position as a growing force in the industry. Steve’s leadership continues to redefine standards in hospitality and property management.
Mike Norde, Director of Partnerships, Streamline
Mike was first introduced to the vacation rental industry by Streamline in 2015 and was instantly drawn to the great energy surrounding it. After a couple of years of freelancing for Streamline, he joined the team full time in 2017 in the marketing department. Since 2019, Mike has been the 3rd Party Partnership Manager for Streamline and most recently joined the parent company, Inhabit, in a similar role. When Mike is not helping partners grow, he enjoys traveling with his wife and kids, staying fit, and watching sports.
"Vision without execution is hallucination."
Thomas Edison
All great ideas need a plan to bring that idea to life. Does your team have the vision but struggle to deliver the service 100% every time? There is a great deal of structured execution required to operate a vacation rental company successfully. With the unique component of serving two clients in every transaction, there lies a natural complexity to the degree of processes that should exist in every department on your team. Some may rely on a strong leadership team to execute the plan. This session will deliver the strategy behind employing an Integrator to carry out and execute the Vision for the company. An Integrator will typically hold the title of CEO, COO, GM, or Operations Manager depending on the scale of the company. This session will uncover how the visionary / integrator relationship is so powerful in bringing a great vision to life.
Steve Trover is a 28-year hospitality industry veteran, having founded and led a four-location vacation rental management company, designed, developed, and/or built hundreds of vacation homes, designed a proprietary property management software platform and emerged as a technology strategist within the industry. Today he is the founder and CEO or Better Talent, a talent acquisition and optimization company focused on help vacation rental managers hire, retain and optimize their teams
Sharon Keefe is the founder of VRM Advocate, bringing over 20 years of hospitality experience to the vacation rental industry. She has held leadership roles at leading PMS companies and managed a successful vacation rental portfolio. Sharon specializes in helping VRMs improve operational efficiency, enhance guest experiences, and achieve significant growth. She coaches businesses on the principles of the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®) to gain greater clarity in their business plan, define roles and responsibilities, and track key metrics relevant to the vacation rental industry. Sharon successfully changed the trajectory of a large, struggling vacation rental portfolio during her time as a hands-on vacation rental manager, providing invaluable real-world experience.
More details coming soon!
3:45pm - 4:30pm
4:30pm - 5:15pm
Vendor Connection Break & Churro Dessert Bar sponsored by RealTech
Struggling to break free from OTAs and increase your direct bookings? In this fast-paced, hands-on challenge, you and your randomly formed team will step into the role of a marketing strategist, solving real-world booking challenges for vacation rental businesses. Each team will receive a unique vacation rental case study with a specific problem to solve, whether it's filling mid-week gaps, attracting the right guests, or standing out on social media.
With just 20 minutes, your mission is to craft a high-impact direct booking strategy using a simple three-part marketing formula. But there’s a twist, you’ll need to present your strategy to the room to unlock the final key and “escape” the OTA trap.
This is not a lecture, it’s a high-energy, collaborative experience where you’ll get hands-on practice creating content, promotions, and irresistible booking incentives that you can apply to your own business immediately.
Event-based pricing in the short-term rental market is a dynamic blend of anticipation and reaction, from well-publicized global spectacles like the 2024 American Eclipse or upcoming Super Bowls to super niche local festivals. In this enlightening panel discussion, gain invaluable insights into the strategies employed by industry experts. Learn from property managers, a revenue specialist, and a dynamic pricing software expert on how to harness tools, data, and intuition to maximize returns irrespective of an event's scale or predictability.
David Stephens is the lead data scientist at TravelNet Solutions. He builds predictive models and specializes in revenue forecasting, dynamic pricing, classification modeling, clustering, and geospatial analysis.
David has experience deploying models into production and helping businesses extract meaningful insights from complex datasets. His work includes developing pricing strategies and implementing generative AI projects that are actively used by end-users.
Focused on practical applications, David delivers data-driven solutions to support business decisions and improve outcomes.
In this 45-minute session, vacation rental operational professionals will explore innovative cleaning processes, streamlined inventory control, and the latest tools and equipment to elevate property standards. Attendees will walk away with actionable insights to improve cleaning efficiency, reduce costs, and consistently earn those coveted 5-star guest reviews. Highlights include narrowing down inventory to essentials, adopting the industry's favorite cleaning tools, and learning methods to standardize procedures for operational success. This session is perfect for anyone looking to drive guest satisfaction and operational effectiveness.
Bold Beginnings, Bolder Future: A VRNation Vision
Join VRNation President Matt Tesdall and Vice President Tera Lorimer for a powerful look at how a grassroots movement became a national voice for the vacation rental industry.
From our founding story to what’s coming in 2026 and beyond, this session will ignite bold ideas, spotlight strategic growth, and rally us all toward a stronger, smarter future.
5:15pm - 6:30pm
Opening Reception - Sponsored by Inhabit
VIP Opportunity Chair
Fireside Book Club
Monday, April 28th
7:45 am
Registration Opens
8:00 am - 9:00am
You’re better than bad data. From outdated market data that leads to a poor understanding of market trends to competitive sets that can’t filter out noisy data, property managers have seen it all. Not all data is created equal and knowing the difference between good and bad data sources can make or break your revenue management strategy. In this session, we’ll learn from real data horror stories, exploring what went wrong and how to spot (and stop) bad data before it hurts your bottom line, as well as real-life examples of property managers who were able to grow their business significantly with good data practices.
In today's competitive hospitality industry, exceptional service is more than just a perk—it's the key to building lasting guest loyalty. This presentation explores how Marriott Bonvoy’s loyal members drive demand and how delivering five-star service enhances their experience, leading to increased satisfaction, repeat stays, and positive brand positioning.
Discover actionable strategies to personalize interactions, exceed expectations, and leverage the power of Marriott Bonvoy to strengthen guest relationships and maximize revenue.
Join the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy Team as they dive into the art of service excellence and unlock the true potential of guest loyalty.
Join Raincatcher’s CEO Jason Thomas and Senior M&A Advisor,Mark Halma, as they discuss key strategies for selling a vacation rental business. The session will cover various exit options, including selling outright and majority recapitalization, The session will also review how acquiring competitors or complementary businesses can enhance market position and increase valuation in a future exit. Learn about the different types of buyers—strategic acquirers, private equity firms, and owner-operators—and how to position your business for the best exit. The session will also dive into crucial value drivers beyond financials, deal structures, and deal terms.
More details to come!
9:00 am - 9:15 am
Welcome to Day 2 of the VRNation 2025 Conference
9:15 am - 10:15am
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Enhanced Personal and Professional Relationships: Decoding Faces can significantly contribute to building and maintaining positive relationships. Whether it's in friendships, romantic partnerships, family dynamics, or workplace interactions, being able to read faces helps you connect on a deeper level, resolve conflicts, and establish trust.
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Career Advancement and Success: In a professional context, understanding facial features and non-verbal communication can be a valuable asset. It can help you excel in various fields such as sales, negotiation, customer service, leadership, and management. By accurately assessing the features and needs of others, you can make informed decisions, tailor your approach, and achieve greater success in your career
10:15 am - 11:00am
Vendor Connection Break
11:00am - 11:45am
Learn how to create a linen program that enhances guest experiences through consistency, streamlines operations for your team, and adds transparency to owner relations. This session will guide you through every step, from understanding PAR levels and choosing inventory to having conversations with owners, setting up pricing models, and tracking inventory. Discover how this program can become a valuable tool for operational efficiency and a new revenue stream.
As important as it is for VR companies to embrace the latest technology solutions, it will never be possible
to “out-tech” the competition. In today’s depersonalized world of online bookings, prearrival drip
campaigns, and keyless entry, your people truly are your company’s superpower. There’s no doubt that the
evolution of automation has greatly reduced opportunities for human conversations between staff and
guests, so therefore each remaining “touch point” is that much more important. This “train-the-trainer”
format presentation will offer ideas for making the philosophy of hospitality foundational to your company
culture, for conducting training that encourages empathy for and an understanding of guest experiences,
along with ideas for personalizing guest interactions.
"
How can you tell if your marketing efforts are paying off? Whether you handle marketing for your vacation rental company, or outsource it, it is imperative that you make sure the dollars spent are generating bookings. We will dive into the top KPI’s for each area of vacation rental marketing and make sure you walk away with the knowledge needed to get the most from your marketing spend. Come prepared to ask questions and walk away with a true understanding of the metrics you can take action on.
Are you ready to transform your vacation rental management company into a multimillion-dollar enterprise? Join us for an in-depth session where industry experts Brooke Pfautz of Vintory, and Dylan Burgess of C2G Advisors, share their proven strategies for achieving a multimillion-dollar exit within five years.
Dylan, with his extensive experience in vacation rental management M&A, and Brooke, who has helped over 800 companies grow their inventory, will provide you with a detailed playbook to accelerate your company's growth and position you for a lucrative exit. This session will cover key tactics for scaling your inventory, optimizing your business for maximum valuation, and navigating the M&A landscape to enhance your company's appeal to potential buyers.
Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned veteran, this session offers actionable insights and practical steps tailored to your specific goals. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the best and set your business on a path to a $10 million exit.
11:45am - 12:45pm
Lunch
- 11:45am - 12:05pm: Fireside Chat with TRACK
- 12:05pm - 12:25pm: Fireside Chat with Scouted
- 12:30pm - 12:45pm: VRNation Board Of Directors - Announcements
12:45pm - 1:30pm
In this panel discussion, experts from throughout the industry will discuss the different ways VRMs can provide incredible guest experiences in the digital elements of their businesses. Topics of conversation will include enhancing communications pre and post stay as an extension of your in-destination experience, integrating brand and service standard elements that reinforce your commitment to your guest, and leveraging a combination of hospitable and efficient website components to provide an intuitive booking experience.
More details coming soon!
"As expectations continue to rise across hospitality, many property managers and hosts face increasing challenges in maintaining operational efficiency while delivering an exceptional guest experience. The key to success lies in optimizing every aspect: from property care to guest communication and beyond.
This session will focus on practical strategies and tools for optimizing operations. Breezeway’s Madison Romeli will share how to automate workflows, reduce manual work, and introduce how technology enhances both guest satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Attendees will hear actionable insights they can implement immediately to improve their own operations, increase profitability, and create a seamless experience for their guests."
Selling a business is never just a transaction—it’s a transformative journey. In this session, an M&A advisor and a seller of a vacation rental business share their firsthand experience navigating the process. From emotional challenges to the importance of accurate financials and preparation, they’ll uncover how partnering with the right advisor can make or break a deal. Learn how to manage expectations, handle surprises (like a full-blown identity crisis), and understand why every sale is unique in the vacation rental industry.
1:30pm - 1:45pm
Break
1:45pm - 2:30pm
In a world flooded with shiny new tech tools that can seemingly do everything, how do you determine what you truly need? Seth and Tori Bolt, founders of Bolt Farm Treehouse, have invested six figures into working with the nation’s best experts to vet and implement the best tech for their luxury vacation rental properties. They are sharing the secrets behind streamlining your tech stack for operational efficiency, cost savings, and scalability. This session will empower vacation rental owners and property managers to cut through the noise, adopt the right tools for their goals, and confidently say "no" to unnecessary extras. Featuring industry insights and lessons learned from building their own profitable vacation rental empire, you’ll walk away knowing exactly how to assemble your tech stack without overspending.
As a 21-year-old operator with 57 units, I’ve achieved what many dream of—scaling a vacation rental business that runs itself while maintaining a 5-star guest experience. The secret? A fully remote team of highly trained virtual assistants based in the Philippines who handle my daily operations, from guest communication to problem-solving, without missing a beat.
- Expand their market presence
- Strengthen customer engagement
- Stay ahead of industry shifts
Airbnb's new Experienced Co-Host Program is creating a new tranche of "property managers". This session explores one of the most pressing challenges for vacation rental property managers today—navigating this competitive co-hosting landscape while building lasting trust with property owners. Attendees will uncover strategies to effectively differentiate their services and inspire confidence in their management expertise, equipping them to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
2:30pm - 3:15pm
3:15pm - 4:00pm
Vendor Connection Break & Affogato Bar, sponsored by Well & Good
Without direct spend on business development, how to keep owners calling you for the long game through community engagement.
This session pulls back the curtain on the mindset, structure, and execution tactics that define the U.S. Navy’s TOPGUN program—and applies them to the everyday reality of running a vacation rental business in a high-pressure market.
We’ll cover what it means to lead with clarity, communicate without ego, and execute with precision—because there's no room for guesswork in both fighter squadrons and short-term rentals.
Expect real-world stories, high-performance frameworks, and actionable takeaways to sharpen your business instincts, align your team, and help you operate like the elite. Whether you’re a solo operator or leading a growing squadron, this isn’t just a flyby—it’s your briefing for the next level.
"Forget the buzzwords, growth hacks, and shortcuts. This session dives into the soul of branding—how to create a connection so genuine, it turns casual customers into loyal advocates. Through practical steps and creative insights, learn how to prioritize what your audience truly needs and craft a brand they’ll care about.
Expect candid advice, real-world examples, and actionable strategies for finding your “why,” showing up authentically, and amplifying the connections that drive long-term success. This session is perfect for property managers looking to transform their branding strategies into tools for connection and success."
In the high-speed, high-stakes world of vacation rentals, burnout is the hidden obstacle that can derail even the best teams. Using lessons from a monk's discipline, the sprinter's focus, and the coach's strategy, I will reveal practical, actionable ways to build resilience and maintain peak performance. Learn how to pace your efforts, recharge effectively, and create a culture where business and people thrive. It’s time to take your team from running on fumes to running on purpose.
4:00pm - 6:00pm
6:30pm - 9:30pm
*4:00pm - 7:30pm
