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Wednesday, 05/18/2016 11:05:01 AM

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 11:05:01 AM

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MissionIR Exclusive Audio Interview With Monaker Group, Inc. (MKGI) Chief Executive Officer

MissionIR today announces the online availability of its interview with Bill Kerby, chairman and CEO of Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI), a technology-driven travel company focusing on the growing alternative lodging market. The interview can be heard at http://MKGI.MissionIR.com/interview.html.

As is first discussed by Kerby, Monaker is taking advantage of a sizeable shift in the travel industry, in which consumers are gravitating toward renting vacation homes rather than booking hotels. This “alternative lodging” market is currently dominated by Airbnb and HomeAway, both of which have multi-billion dollar valuations and double-to-triple-digit growth.

Through strategic restructuring and key innovations, Kerby explains how Monaker aims to participate alongside these industry players.

“When we got the opportunity to go into this field, we thought that … if you’re going to be in the travel industry and use some of the experience you have, you might as well be in the fastest, hottest-area of it. And that was the acquisition that we did with AlwaysOnVacations, to squarely position us in the center of this universe of travel,” he tells interview host Stuart Smith. “We’re hoping that we can actually redefine the model a little bit so that we may be even considered somewhat better or at least more unique in terms of some of the offerings that we’re bringing to the table.”

Kerby next describes his decades of experience in the travel, media and financial industries before discussing the company’s core management team, which is comprised of a roster of highly qualified individuals with varied yet relevant industry experience. Also of note is the company’s recent partnership with Primero Systems, an enterprise platforms and solutions provider engaged to assist Monaker in the final integration of its flagship travel website, NextTrip.com.

Attracting this “significant talent” and securing key partnerships are just two examples of Monaker’s recent milestones, which have opened the door for increased inventory and potential growth.

“For example, we’ve got close to 1.2 million homes under contract that we’re integrating into the new system, which will make us probably just about the same size of inventory that HomeAway has. Having properties for distribution is absolutely key,” says Kerby.

Utilizing travel agents, which differs from the other players in the industry, supplements the afore-noted achievements and sets Monaker in a league of its own.

“We’ve done significant contracting with major players within the travel industry who want to access our inventory … we’ve done relationships with large groups that include people like travel agents that the other players do not involve in the marketplace. And travel agents still account for a very high percentage of travel vacation programs that take place … us having access into several travel agent groups to be able to distribute our product is key, so that when we have the inventory there we also start to do distribution and sales immediately as we link into these groups — and that’s not very far away,” Kerby explains.

Monaker has also partnered with Recruitergroup.com, which has a distribution base of approximately 3 million people, as well as a network of executives and corporations that Kerby says could provide additional growth pathways.

“It’s a key outlet for us to be able to sell more alternative lodging products through very high net worth and very affluent individuals and their companies,” he says.

Kerby wraps up the interview with a quick glance at Monaker’s goals for 2016, which include the complete integration of its properties, supplemented with real-time booking for airfare, car rental bookings, unused timeshare inventory, alternative lodging, activities and more.

“We want to be among the first, if not the first, to be able to provide complete bundled packages in a manner in which the consumer gets the best of alternative lodging, along with activities they want to do. It’s a big goal that we’re trying to accomplish, but we think we’re going to hit all that and have it up and working over the course over the next 90 to 180 days’ time,” he concludes.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com



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