Last month international delegates flew to London to debate the future of fractional ownership at the Fractional Summit 2010. With consumer interest surging and media coverage now building, will fractionals become “the norm” in the next ten years?

This year's conference theme was “Changing Times, Changing Markets”. The sold-out Summit, hosted by Fractional Life founder Piers Brown www.fractionallife.com provided a lively forum for developers, agents and advisors to share their views on how the fractional industry is shaping up - and how companies must adapt to consumers' changing buying habits in the current economy. Guests from the UK, US, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Italy packed the room and leading San Francisco-based fractional property analyst Dr. Richard Ragatz was one of the main speakers. Fiona Klonarides went along . . .

Appealing to the business travel market as much as the vacation buyer, urban fractional ownership and membership have recently sprung onto the fractional scene, creating a buzz on both sides of the Atlantic.

In New York, Hilton Grand Vacations’ first foray into fractional is just about to launch on West 57th Street, offering 161 luxury studios, one-bedroom and penthouse suites over 28 storeys between the Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue. The property is due to open on July 3 this year, just in time for the US Independence Day celebrations the following day.

Fractional Life has announced the Fractional Summit 2010, the biggest business-to-business fractional property conference in Europe.It will run from February 18th to 19th at the Marriott London, Grosvenor Square. This year's event saw more than 210 delegates from 23 countries pay a visit and the 2010 summit will offer a chance to meet all the important players in the fractional property market.