Before the 2027 Plan: Start With the Member Experience

 

For resort developers and vacation club owners, Q4 is often when the focus turns to budgets, targets, forecasts, and plans for the year ahead.

And, of course, those numbers matter. But before deciding what 2027 should look like, there is another question worth asking:

What did the member experience actually look like this year?

A year-end review is an opportunity to look beyond financial performance and understand how members interacted with the program, from the moment they received a communication to the moment they explored, redeemed, booked, or simply returned to see what was available.

We believe those interactions can reveal some of the fastest opportunities for improvement.

Look Beyond the Numbers

Redemption rates and engagement metrics tell an important story, but they are only part of it.

A low redemption rate, for example, does not necessarily mean members are uninterested in the benefit. It could indicate that the value is difficult to discover, the available options are not relevant, the booking process creates friction, or communications are not reaching the right members at the right time.

Similarly, strong engagement with a particular destination, offer, or type of content can reveal demand that may not be visible in traditional reporting.

Looking at the complete journey helps turn data into insight: where are members engaging? Where are they dropping off? What are they repeatedly looking for? And where could the experience be easier, clearer, or more relevant?

Review Every Touchpoint

Before the year closes, it is worth stepping through the member journey as a real user would, and consider the key touchpoints:

How clearly are benefits communicated?

How easy is it to discover available travel opportunities?

Are members reminded of benefits they have not yet used?

Is communication consistent across the member journey?

What happens after a member engages, books, or returns?

Small improvements at these points can have a meaningful cumulative impact, and none necessarily requires a complete transformation of the program.

Turn 2026 Insights Into 2027 Action

The most useful outcome of a year-end review is not a long list of problems, but a clear set of priorities.

The data collected throughout the year can help identify where 2027 investment will have the greatest impact. Perhaps certain member segments need more personalized communication. Perhaps high-interest destinations deserve greater visibility. Or perhaps unused benefits need to be communicated differently.

This is where engagement data becomes particularly valuable. Instead of planning based only on assumptions about what members want, brands can use actual behavior to inform what comes next.

Start 2027 With the Member, Not the Spreadsheet

Budgets and targets will always be part of Q4 planning. But the strongest plans are grounded in an understanding of the people behind those numbers.

For resort developers and vacation club owners, the end of the year provides a valuable opportunity to step back, review the member experience, and identify the changes that can make the biggest difference in the year ahead.

So the best place to begin the 2027 plan is not with the budget.

It is with the member experience.