May 15, 2026
Travel + Leisure Co turns Margaritaville and Sports Illustrated into something owners feel after the trip ends: access, events, and reasons to come back.
At the ARDA Spring Conference, I talked with Louis Acosta, SVP Sports, Entertainment, Event Marketing and Sales at Travel + Leisure Co, about how the company uses brand DNA to build demand—and why that matters when budgets tighten.
🏝️ Margaritaville Vacation Club
leans hard into the experience at Rio Mar, then points to Orlando
as the next move
🏟️ Sports Illustrated Resorts uses sports + culinary events to keep
the brand “alive,” not just visible
🎟️ The strategy centers on access you can’t buy off the shelf, then
turns that into loyalty
🚗 Prepaid ownership keeps travel plans intact, especially for
drive-to trips
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