Good morning & Happy Monday!
Well… our first STR Advocacy Summit is officially in the books!
And WOW.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive—from attendees, sponsors, speakers, panelists and exhibitors. The conversations were thoughtful, the speakers were fantastic, and maybe most importantly, people left feeling more informed, more connected and better equipped to advocate for themselves and our STR community.
And if you couldn’t attend in person, we’ve got good news: we recorded the Summit! We’ll be making the sessions available in our Member Portal so Poconos VRO members can watch—or rewatch—the program.
But here’s something funny that happened during the Summit.
More than once, during networking conversations, I heard some version of:
“Wait… I didn’t know Poconos VRO did that!”
Ouch. 
Kaisha and I have worked really hard over the past year to grow the value that comes with Poconos VRO membership. But apparently, creating great programs is only half the battle.
We also have to make sure you know they exist!
So rather than bury you in a giant list of member benefits this morning, I’m going to highlight just ONE that I think more of you should be using:
These are special offers and discounts from local tourism partners that you can share with your confirmed guests.
Think about that for a minute.
Most membership benefits help you. This one helps you provide something extra to the people staying in your property.
Current partners include Kalahari, Pocono Raceway, Camelback, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Pocono Slingshot Rentals and Pocono Living—and we’re continuing to add more.
Using the program is incredibly simple. Members can download our guest QR code and share it after a reservation is confirmed. Put it in your guest manual. Frame it inside your property. Include it in your pre-arrival communications.
And perhaps most importantly, tell prospective guests that you offer access to special local perks.
In a crowded STR market, little extras matter.
You aren't just offering someone a place to sleep. You're helping them experience the Poconos—and giving them another reason to choose your property over the one next door.
There’s also a bigger-picture benefit here.
Every time one of our guests visits a local attraction, books an experience or supports a local business, we're strengthening the connection between vacation rentals and the broader Pocono tourism economy.
That's good for our guests.
It's good for our local partners.
It's good for our members.
And it's good for the Poconos.
So my challenge for you this week: If you're a Poconos VRO member and you haven't started sharing our Local Community Partner Perks with your guests yet, go check them out and put that QR code to work!
Local Community Partner Experiences
And then tell us what you think. Are you using it? Are your guests using it? What other local businesses or attractions would you love to see us add?
Because apparently, Kaisha and I need to get a little louder about all this stuff. 
Have a great week!
Rebecca
P.S. If you were at the STR Advocacy Summit, THANK YOU. The energy in that room reminded me exactly why we created it in the first place. And if you missed it, keep an eye out—we'll let members know as soon as the recordings are available in the Member Portal.
P.P.S. And if you're reading this thinking, “Wait… I'm not a member, so I don't get these guest perks?” Well… you found this week's second lesson. [Click here to remedy that situation!]
