MissionIR today
announces the online availability of its interview with Bill Kerby, chairman
and CEO of Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI), a technology-driven travel
company focusing on the growing alternative lodging market. The interview can
be heard at http://MKGI.MissionIR.com/interview.html.
As is first
discussed by Kerby, Monaker is taking advantage of a sizeable shift in the
travel industry, in which consumers are gravitating toward renting vacation
homes rather than booking hotels. This “alternative lodging” market is
currently dominated by Airbnb and HomeAway, both of which have multi-billion
dollar valuations and double-to-triple-digit growth.
Through strategic
restructuring and key innovations, Kerby explains how Monaker aims to
participate alongside these industry players.
“When we got the
opportunity to go into this field, we thought that … if you’re going to be in
the travel industry and use some of the experience you have, you might as well
be in the fastest, hottest-area of it. And that was the acquisition that we did
with AlwaysOnVacations, to squarely position us in the center of this universe
of travel,” he tells interview host Stuart Smith. “We’re hoping that we can
actually redefine the model a little bit so that we may be even considered
somewhat better or at least more unique in terms of some of the offerings that
we’re bringing to the table.”
Kerby next describes
his decades of experience in the travel, media and financial industries before
discussing the company’s core management team, which is comprised of a roster
of highly qualified individuals with varied yet relevant industry experience.
Also of note is the company’s recent partnership with Primero Systems, an
enterprise platforms and solutions provider engaged to assist Monaker in the
final integration of its flagship travel website, NextTrip.com.
Attracting this
“significant talent” and securing key partnerships are just two examples of
Monaker’s recent milestones, which have opened the door for increased inventory
and potential growth.
“For example, we’ve
got close to 1.2 million homes under contract that we’re integrating into the
new system, which will make us probably just about the same size of inventory
that HomeAway has. Having properties for distribution is absolutely key,” says
Kerby.
Utilizing travel
agents, which differs from the other players in the industry, supplements the
afore-noted achievements and sets Monaker in a league of its own.
“We’ve done
significant contracting with major players within the travel industry who want
to access our inventory … we’ve done relationships with large groups that
include people like travel agents that the other players do not involve in the
marketplace. And travel agents still account for a very high percentage of
travel vacation programs that take place … us having access into several travel
agent groups to be able to distribute our product is key, so that when we have
the inventory there we also start to do distribution and sales immediately as
we link into these groups — and that’s not very far away,” Kerby explains.
Monaker has also
partnered with Recruitergroup.com, which has a distribution base of
approximately 3 million people, as well as a network of executives and
corporations that Kerby says could provide additional growth pathways.
“It’s a key outlet
for us to be able to sell more alternative lodging products through very high
net worth and very affluent individuals and their companies,” he says.
Kerby wraps up the
interview with a quick glance at Monaker’s goals for 2016, which include the
complete integration of its properties, supplemented with real-time booking for
airfare, car rental bookings, unused timeshare inventory, alternative lodging,
activities and more.
“We want to be among
the first, if not the first, to be able to provide complete bundled packages in
a manner in which the consumer gets the best of alternative lodging, along with
activities they want to do. It’s a big goal that we’re trying to accomplish,
but we think we’re going to hit all that and have it up and working over the
course over the next 90 to 180 days’ time,” he concludes.
For more
information, visit www.monakergroup.com
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