Vote Now

We received hundreds of entries for the Save Our Summer Vacation Contest (Learn more about the entry process).  Now voters, it's time to do your part to help us determine which three lucky contestants are deserving of having their summer vacation saved by HomeAway. Here's how you can help:

• Browse through all of the Save Our Summer Vacation entries on this page:  View Entries.
• To vote for your favorite entry (or entries) click on the red "Vote for Me" button below the contestant’s name on the entry page and the counter will reflect your vote in the total
• Please note: You may vote for more than one entry, but you can only vote once for a particular entry.
• Voting is not restricted to residents of the United States or Canada; votes from around the world are welcome.

Votes will be tabulated from 12:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, July 2, 2009, until Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 11:59 a.m. CST.

The top-fifteen vote-getters, will advance to the final round of judging.  Then, the winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges including HomeAway CEO, Brian Sharples, Family Travel Expert, Eileen Ogintz, and Parenting Expert, Stacy DeBroff.  To learn more about the judges, check out their bios below.  The three winners of the HomeAway Save Our Summer Vacation contest will be selected on Tuesday, July 28, 2009.  HomeAway will post their names on SaveOurSummerVacation.com and notify the individuals via email or phone. 

Contestants, to better your chances of winning, follow these easy steps to share your entry with your friends and family:

1. Log-in to the site using your email and password to access your user account page

2. Click on "Refer your friend to vote for your entry"

3. Scroll to the bottom of your entry and click on "Get Votes Now to Win! Email your friends"

4. Finally, complete the form and hit send

JUDGES

Brian Sharples, Co-Founder and CEO of HomeAway

Sharples co-founded HomeAway (formerly WVR Group) with Carl Shepherd in February 2005. Since then, he has raised more than $405 million and acquired 11 leading vacation rental websites, creating the worldwide industry leader for vacation rentals on the Internet.

Sharples is the former president and chief executive officer of IntelliQuest Information Group, a supplier of marketing data and research to Fortune 500 technology companies. There he pioneered the development of subscription-based statistical research services and electronic survey systems. The company was the fastest-growing market research firm in the nation during his tenure. He also completed two successful public offerings and the subsequent sale of the company.

An expert in technology brand strategy, Sharples has provided counsel to several market-leading companies, including Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Dell. He conceived of and hosted IntelliQuest's annual Brand Tech Forum Conference (co-produced by The Wall Street Journal), which became the leading symposium in the industry.

Sharples was a consultant with Bain & Co earlier in his career, where he developed market and brand strategies for Fortune 500 companies. He is an angel investor through his company, Moose Pond, and has participated in the successful launch of numerous ventures. Sharples earned a bachelor's degree in math and economics from Colby College and a master's degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Eileen Ogintz, Family Travel Expert, TakingtheKids.com

Ogintz is considered a leading national expert on family travel and is often quoted in major publications such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and parenting and women’s magazines on family travel. She has appeared on such television programs as “48 Hours,” “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America” and “Oprah,” as well as dozens of local radio and television news programs. Ogintz is also often asked to speak to corporate groups about family travel.

Ogintz was a national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune then (1987), covering news stories around the country. Taking the Kids is a major and growing presence online, appearing on online news outlets such as www.msnbc.com, CNN.com, Smartertravel.com, and Frommers.com Taking the Kids also appears in newspapers around the country including the New York Daily News, Newsday, Miami Herald, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Dallas Morning News, among others.

From their home in Connecticut, Ogintz travels with her husband, their three children, Matt, Reggie and Melanie, and other young children in the extended family who serve—not always graciously—as Taking the Kids’ special team of experts.

She is already a believer in the value of vacation rentals and has mentioned HA.com and VR.com in previous stories.

Stacy DeBroff, Founder and CEO of MomCentral.com

Heralded as a “parenting guru” (Wall Street Journal), Stacy DeBroff is president and founder of Mom Central, Inc., a company devoted to providing pragmatic tips and savvy advice to strengthen busy families and enhance the home environment, and Mom Central Consulting, a marketing and consulting company giving corporations and start-ups an in to the Mom market.
www.momcentral.com