On Thursday, Nov. 10, representatives from over 25 Vacation Rental Companies throughout Maine came together at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine for an educational annual meeting.

The board of directors surprised Audrey Miller of Cottage Connection in Boothbay with its first ever “Dirigo Award.” Following along with the State’s Motto, Dirigo- latin for “I Lead” – the board created this award to recognize an individual or agency that has made a significant contribution to the industry. Miller is credited with uniting professional managers in Maine to create this non-profit organization and served as their first president. The board also recognized Cottage Connection's Melba Gunnison with a second Dirigo Award for her service and leadership as chair of the Government Relations committee.

Over 50 professionals attended this daylong event that covered topics of current trends, health and safety tools, property insurance, hosting service animals and legislative changes. Speakers included: Maureen Regan of Seaside Rentals. Maureen is the current president of the International Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA); Deb Hart of Hart Public Policy; Justin Ford of On The Water In Maine; and Amy Sneirson, director of the Maine Human Rights Commission. Representatives from AirBnB, Barefoot Technologies and Pratt Abbott were on hand to answer questions about their services. Roundtable discussions were lively and covered a variety of topics relevant to renting included housekeeping, marketing, permitting pets, etc.