If you're thinking about developing, operating or investing in a vacation ownership product — timeshare, fractionals or private residence clubs — you should attend next month's Vacation Ownership Investment Conference. The 9th annual event will be held Oct. 1-4 at The Peabody Hotel in Orlando.

The conference, which attracts vacation ownership developers and operators and those who would like to be, combines educational sessions, guest speakers, tours and social events to give attendees a clearer picture of the investment opportunities in this dynamic segment of the hospitality industry.

On Monday, Oct. 1, following a morning golf tournament, the conference starts with a 2-1/2-hour tutorial on the basics of the vacation ownership industry. Tuesday starts with back-to-back general sessions, one on trends in the hospitality industry and another on fundamentals of vacation ownership financing. On Wednesday, a panel of vacation ownership leaders — John Burlingame of Hyatt, Stephen Cloobeck of Diamond Resorts, Deb Linden of Island One Resorts and John Ueberroth of Preferred Hotel Group — will comment on the state of the industry and lessons they've learned at the top.

Other general sessions, as well as eight break-out discussions, will tackle topics such as sales and marketing, condo hotels, timeshare design, resort management, mixed-use development, fractionals and more.

On Thursday, three three-hour tours will give attendees first-hand looks at successful vacation ownership resorts in the Orlando area. Tours include Floridays Orlando Resort, Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa and Marriott's Grande Vista.