Here’s the next installment on our Outer Banks infographic bonanza – What to Pack for an OBX Vacation.
As I’ve mentioned, we’re mixing it up with groovy infographics we find hunting around online and even groovier original OBX inforgraphics created by our fantastic design team.
Seaside Vacations has spent the last 20 years bringing friends and families together to experience meaningful and relaxing vacations on the Outer Banks. We are currently seeking candidates for a position in Business Development who likes to work hard, meet great people, build relationships, and have some fun while doing it!
The Business Development Manager’s principle responsibility is to develop relationships with vacation rental home owners and bring quality homes into our vacation rental program through prospecting; to consult with owners on ways to increase their occupancy; and to develop and maintain referral relationships with REALTORS®, builders, vendors, and home owners.
Support duties include developing informational materials with the Marketing Department, managing our contact management system, developing an enrollment campaign, producing rental projections and lead generation sources.
Job Requirements The candidate should possess a previous track record in sales with an understanding of the vacation rental environment. A current North Carolina Real Estate broker’s license is a legal requirement of this position. Self-motivation, strong organizational, written, verbal and presentation skills are a must. The work schedule will be flexible, and will include evenings and weekends. A desire to develop and maintain professional relationships is key. Must pass a criminal background and drug test.
Responsibilities include, but will not be limited to, the following:
Develop knowledge base to generate rental projections for new prospects as well as the Sales Department.
Develop a referral network from outside sales agents, contractors, insurance agents, mortgage brokers, etc.
Meet with prospects in person and by phone.
Monitor and respond to building permits and sales transfers.
Develop a complete familiarity with Seaside Vacations’ contract documents, business practices, policies and procedures, and competitive environment.
Develop direct mail campaigns with detailed follow-up.
Develop sales presentation for one-on-one selling encounters.
Develop GoTo meeting presentation for remote selling encounter.
Network with sales agents to retain and recruit new homeowners involved in the sales process.
With the stress of the holidays, shopping, cooking, and all the other hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, we often lose sight of the real meaning behind Christmas. Here at Seaside Vacations we want to give the ultimate gift of hapiness for families that are less fortunate or unable to buy presents to put under their trees. Through the Angel Tree program we have adopted a family of 4 children and another family with one child to collect donations in hopes to make a Merry Christmas for them. For every donation Seaside will match all collections and hopefully together, we can fulfill each child’s wish list.
If you are interested in giving a donation to Seaside’s sponsored families, please make checks payable to Seaside Vacations and send them to:
4820 N. Croatan Hwy. P.O. Box 3339
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
Remember that we will match 100% of your contribution and no matter how much the donation, every little bit helps. Join Seaside Vacations in bringing a smile to these childrens faces on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas!
Outer Banks: 12.1.11 - Santa's Elf Arrives on the OBX!
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you some breaking news from the Outer Banks!
Reports are in that an Elf has landed at Seaside Vacations on the OBX. And this is no ordinary Elf. This is an Elf sent directly from Santa!
The Elf has been sent by Jolly ol’ Saint Nick to make sure we’re all behaving well and to help us count down the days until Christmas.
Stay tuned, the Elf (the reporters have not learned his name yet) will be appearing in new locations daily to help us count down, and he’ll be traveling back to the North Pole nightly to give a report to the Big Man.
Make sure you’re well behaved…I hear he has a list and is checking it twice.
The Outer Banks is full of an endless supply of magic. We like to refer to it as “Everyday Magic”…hence the theme for our 2012 Outer Banks Vacation Guide.
A dolphin leaping from the ocean, the first glimpse of the sun over the horizon or the last spark of light as the sun melts into the Sound, the most perfect piece of sea glass, a day full of great surf and you’re the only one in the water, hauling in your first catch at a pier, a wedding with toes in the sand, or family reunion. The OBX has no shortage of magic moments.
Since we have the awesome fortune of renting gorgeous vacation homes to our fabulous guests, we have the luxury of hearing a lot of great stories and living vicariously through some amazing magic moments…sometimes we even get to play a part in the magic, and we LOVE to be a part of magic moments!
Here is an AWESOME example as told by our Director of Guest Services…
In my position as the Director of Guest Services, I am afforded the opportunity to build relationships with all kinds of people. Some guests need special accommodations, some need extra towels, some want to have their concerns heard when they check in after a hurricane to find some sand in their pool. I am happy to hear them all. And sometimes, I get called upon to do something out of the box…magic even! Here is one of our OBX magic tales.
Bruce, and his girlfriend, Kristen, were our guests in August 2011. Bruce’s father, Fred, was a very successful lawyer, an unbelievably attentive father, and an avid pilot.
Father and son discussed aeronautics at every turn while he was a small child. As Bruce grew and went away to college, he and his father began writing letters, each one ending in, “See You in Kitty Hawk.”
Father and son planned to one day visit the Outer Banks to re-create the excitement of the first flight.
The passing of time allowed for plans to be made! Yes! A trip to Kitty Hawk to fly in a bi-plane, together!
Unfortunately, life has a tendency to throw curve balls, and Bruce’s father passed away before they could realize this dream.
Kristen urged him to continue on with the original plan, and the vacation was planned for the week of what would have been his father’s birthday.
Kristen stated in her Guest Review, “I started looking at properties through Seaside Vacations and stumbled upon Luckie Tides!! The house was beautiful….perfect…everything we could need for the week. It’s right on the beach and the sunrises are to die for!! We DID NOT miss one!! Dolphins swimming through the pink and orange hues of the sunrise…..it honestly couldn’t get any better!”
What Kristen didn’t know was that work was going on behind the scenes!
Tim, Bruce’s employer, decided that he wanted to do something special; to make this trip end in happiness rather than melancholy. He had a plan. And luckily, he included us in his magic planning.
I was asked to help get them reservations at a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations (Thank you, Owen’s Restaurant!), and plan to pop-in on their romantic dinner to present them with an anonymous gift.
If Tim called me twice, he called me fifty times! “Are you sure? Can you do it? If this is too much, I’ll figure something out.” Let me tell you – there was NO WAY I was going to miss being involved in this amazing act of kindness.
Then Hurricane Irene showed up! The massive storm forced a mandatory evacuation and threatened the presentation, but I was determined to follow this to fruition. Dinner was cancelled due to the evacuation, but I kept the Kitty Hawk office open late so our happy couple could stop by to check out. (By then, Kristen was in on the gesture, but not the details.)
Choking back my excitement (and maybe a few tears), I mumbled, “Thanks for stopping by. I’m sorry you missed out on your special dinner tonight. But before you leave, I have something for you.”
Imagine the look on his face!
I presented them with a VERY heavy box and watched with excitement. Once unwrapped, a painting was revealed – father and son, flying in a bi-plane over the beautiful Outer Banks.
Kristen, Bruce and Tim gave me a valuable gift that day. It reminded me that people come to the OBX for many reasons, and almost all of them are inspired by their version of everyday magic.
The OBX is not just for surfing and shell collecting. It is a place where 50th anniversaries are celebrated, people are remembered, vows are taken, along with many other milestones. Sometimes a vacation is “just a getaway.” But, sometimes, it is much more.
I thank each guest for choosing Seaside Vacations, and allowing us to be a part of their magic.
Seaside Vacations would love you to help us fight hunger on the Outer Banks.
Thousands of men, women and children struggle with hunger and rely on food banks-especially during the holiday season.
As part of our “Vacation with a Purpose” program, Seaside Vacations is running a “Stuff the Turkey” donation campaign for the Outer Banks Food Pantry. Be sure to bring in your nutritious, non-perishable food donation-because every bit helps!
where: You can drop off your goods at the Seaside Vacations’ Kitty Hawk office (4820 N. Croatan Hwy.).
deadline: November 20, 2011
most needed items*:
personal items
vegetable oil
sugar & flour
muffin mix
pancake syrup
canned tomatoes
canned meat & vegetables (no corn please)
gravy
coffee & tea
mayonnaise
dry milk & dry beans
crackers
*Non-perishable goods only please.
A few weeks ago we announced the winner of the 2011 Outer Banks T-Shirt Design Contest, but lost in the excitement of crowning the champ was an exceptional design and an even better story of the unsung hero of the contest, Ms. SuAnn.
During the Summer of 2011, Seaside Vacations challenged our guests to show off their creativity, and their love of an Outer Banks vacation, with a T-Shirt Design Contest! Our artists represented a diverse cross-section of guests; children and adults, experienced and beginners.
One such artist is SuAnn! SuAnn is a 13 years old from Pottsville, PA. She enjoys spending time with her 4 cats, and loves to dance, twirl the baton, and draw (obviously!). For the past 3 years, SuAnn has suffered from a permanent movement disorder called PNKD (Paraoxysmal Nonkinesigenic Dyskinesia). Despite this challenge, she is a happy and bright young lady!
Although SuAnn was not technically the highest vote-getter in our contest, she won the hearts of our Vacation Specialists with her vision of the OBX. Her thoughtful rendering of sand castles, lighthouses, and the First Flight captured what our team of Vacation Specialists loves the most about living and working here – it’s uniqueness!
We feel like there is no place on Earth like the Outer Banks, and we thank SuAnn for sharing her vacation with us! (We also thank her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Joe for bringing SuAnn, and her brother, Kenny, along on vacation each year!)
SuAnn & Kenny
Picture: SuAnn with her 9 year old brother, Kenny, taken at Pamlico Jack’s.
Thanks for being awesome SuAnn! Hope you enjoy your t-shirt!
We are soooo excited to share this gorgeous piece of Outer Banks art with you to help you plan your 2012 OBX getaway.
You can get a Personalized Vacation Guide that is tailored to your specific vacation needs, and we are happy to include the full 2012 Outer Banks Vacation Guide as well.
Or, if you’d like to do some vacation hunting on your own, you can search Outer Banks vacation rental homes at: www.OuterBanksVacations.com. You can also reach us at (877) 255-2641, and one of our Vacation Specialists will be happy to help with your search.
As the old OBX fishing saying goes, “the early fisherman gets the fish.” I just made that up. But the idea holds true with great OBX vacation homes. The best houses go early and quick. If you have a good idea of your plans for 2012, it’s always a great idea to start the hunting and booking process early. It’s great to know your vacation is set and avoid that “where are we staying” pressure.
2011 Seaside Vacations Client Appreciation Party - The "Seaside Soiree"
I need to start this post with a quick apology. I’m not sure how it is that time moves so quickly. I can recall looking at the clock in school and feeling like it was moving backwards, yet now I feel like I blink and a month goes by. This means I’m getting old, right? Dang!
I want to apologize for taking so long to get this highlight reel together. No excuses other than life is busy and time moves fast.
Seaside Vacations hosted a fantastic client appreciation party at the end of October. The weather was perfect, the food was the delicious, the company was exceptional, and the live music rounded out the event perfectly.
We had the privilege of hosting our homeowners for a late afternoon party – the “Seaside Soiree” – and everything went off without a hitch. It is always a pleasure to get the opportunity to talk with our owners casually, and our annual party is a the perfect chance to get to know each other even better.
Thanks to all of our homeowners for a great 2011, and here’s to an even better 2012!
Every little girl dreams of their wedding day, dressing up in a beautiful white gown, walking down the aisle to the perfect man, and basically just being a real princess for one day. Although this idea has never seemed to fade, the big to-do of a wedding has gone down, and the popularity of “destination weddings” is at an all time high. Today’s brides are cutting their guest list and combining vacations with the big event. In many cases, bride and groom will book one or more vacation homes for the wedding party and family during a week-long stay at the resort. Several event homes on the Outer Banks have been built for just that purpose.
The wedding season is longer and more businesses are offering services. About ten years ago, there were only about 40 vendors that catered to weddings on the Outer Banks, in both Dare and Currituck counties. Now there are more than 300 vendors in our area. The wedding industry is huge to the Outer Banks and is great for our local economy. Beach weddings can range from $15,000 to $100,000, depending on the bride and groom’s budget.
Hope Quade Anderson, who married on the beach last year, said she budgeted $25,000 for a “simple but elegant wedding.” The price included a week’s stay for the bridal party and family members at an 18-bedroom oceanfront home and a catered dinner by Ocean Boulevard in Kitty Hawk for 80 guests. She believes a little goes a long way in such a beautiful place.
The tourism department recently launched a new wedding website that lists 78 Currituck vendors for everything from photography to catering. The website offers tips for planning a wedding and allows a couple to create their own mini-website. With so many options and the perfect setting for a small but beautiful wedding, many couples from all around the country are saying “I-Do” to the OBX. For more information on Seaside Vacations event homes, or planning an Outer Banks wedding visit our website.
I am happy to hear them all. And sometimes, I get called upon to do something out of the box…magic even! Here is one of our OBX magic tales.
