Patricia Denny has been a property manager at Holiday Isle for 25 years, and bought the company last October just before the Gulf Oil Spill. �I am not going to wait for BP to write me a check,� says Denny. �Instead, we went to work to mitigate the damage ourselves.�
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Denny employed an arsenal of web-based tools to let potential guests know that the beaches in Destin, Florida remained clean and open. One tool that has successfully quelled the concerns and changed the perceptions of prospective vacationers is the daily videos she posts on the Holiday Isle website and the property�s Facebook page. The videos are posted every morning and contain live footage of the local beach to reassure vacationers the beaches are still pristine and dispel notions of oil and tar littering the beaches of Destin. Denny also regularly �tweets� on Twitter, to reach out to still more potential guests.

�We pride ourselves on the innovative approaches we take to bringing new customers to some of the most beautiful beaches and properties in Destin and Gulf Coast Florida, and social media tools are one of the best ways to offset all of the negative publicity surrounding the Gulf Spill,� said Denny.

Denny also employed a new high performance revenue management tool from LeisureLink, the Active Revenue Management (ARM) system, to drive the maximum revenue possible from the properties she manages. The ARM system uses airline style pricing techniques to keep a property�s rates competitive. Rates are calculated using real time market data and adjusted rates in response to consumer demand. �In spite of the spill, we were still able to test ARM and demonstrate that it could improve our performance, even in the worst summer market we�ve ever seen� said Denny.

�Pat is one of our most progressive clients, and that�s why we asked her to participate in the beta test of the ARM system,� said Steve Reich, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at LeisureLink. �When the spill occurred, we thought she�d surely want to suspend the test and turn all her attention to the rest of her business. To our surprise, she wanted to continue in spite of the spill. Pat and others in her market were so successful reaching out to consumers that the ARM system found a few opportunities to actually raise prices in the midst of the disaster,� Reich added. �I was very impressed that ARM could actually find opportunities to raise my rates in such a tough market,� said Denny.

�ARM was developed to give specialty lodging suppliers the same market advantage that major hotel and airline chains have,� said Reich. �Our technology and data are two key components of ARM but the customer�s pricing strategy and local knowledge truly drive the success of the product. We are especially pleased that ARM could play a small role in assisting Pat in her efforts.�

�We could only partially offset the impact of the spill,� said Denny, �but we had to keep working at it. We joined with other property managers in our market to let the maximum number of consumers know that our beaches are still open and beautiful, in spite of what they were seeing on the nightly news. After being here for 25 years and raising my children in this business, we couldn�t just give up.�

To learn more about ARM, go to Active Revenue Management. You can also visit our newsroom for more press resources.

About LeisureLink�
LeisureLink powers global distribution and demand for the specialty lodging industry. LeisureLink Major Market Access� enables property management companies to market and distribute their vacation lodging products across thousands of travel Web sites, travel agents and other distribution channels. Over 1500 vacation rentals properties, timeshare resorts, condos, hotels and boutique resorts throughout North America and Europe build their bookings through LeisureLink.

For more information visit www.LeisureLink.com and to view properties go to www.ABetterStay.com.
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For more information please contact:
Steve Reich
Senior Vice President, Sales
LeisureLink Inc.
626-696-4530
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About Holiday Isle Properties
Holiday Isle Properties was founded in 1985. We specialize in sales and vacation rentals. Our vacation rental properties include the areas of Holiday Isle in Destin and Fort Walton Beach. Whether you are interested in units directly on the Gulf of Mexico, or something that will accommodate your boat we have what you are looking for. One of our experienced rental agents will be happy to find the perfect property for you and your family.

The convenient location of our Florida golf resort also offers easy access to a wide variety of local attractions including shopping, dining, and nightlife. Port St. Lucie is also home to 21 miles of stunning white sand beaches.

For more information, visit HolidayIsle.net or contact Patricia Denny at patricia@holidayisle.net.
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