Skift Forum Video: HomeAway’s Chief Strategist on the Evolution of Alternative Stays

Carl Shepherd, the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy and Development Officer of HomeAway, spoke early in October at the Skift Global Forum.

Shepherd leads HomeAway’s corporate development and spots companies that are ripe for acquisition. He is also on the frontline of battles with competitors, whether that be New York City and legal challenges, or San Francisco and a certain company’s home-field advantage. He’s also instrumental in shifting HomeAway’s hosts from an old-school advertising model to a pay-to-book method.

“Over the next two years you’ll see all of our properties be bookable online,” Shepherd told the audience. “Meaning that we can safeguard the homeowner’s asset and still convince millennials that this is the right rental for them. We’ll also be giving homeowners more tools to tell them who’s staying in their homes. But the major thing that we’re doing is educating our homeowners every day that the world is changing, and that if they don’t change, they’ll miss out.”

Over the next three weeks, we will publish in full the presentations and interviews from the Forum. To follow along as they are added, bookmark this page.

Read More: 4 Top Quotes About the Rise of Alternative Accommodation From the Co-Founder of HomeAway