ATLANTA— Suburban Lodge Franchise Owners Conference, which recently finished, acknowledged the impact of the current downturn, but re-affirmed extended-stays ability to weather the current economic climate. During the confab franchisees were presented with multiple resources and strategies to grow occupancies and manage expenses. Among those tools Brand President Dan Berman touted were new marketing initiatives. Tools, such as Suburban Lodges new sales and marketing planner, which includes a graphics CD, are designed to help franchise operators develop and customize local marketing plans and promotional materials. It was also noted that the brands Internet marketing initiatives, which focused on increasing web presence and site traffic, have resulted in a 25% increase in web reservations in the past year. Also discussed were the success of recent e-marketing efforts, the development of a new online RFP website and the creation of a marketing evaluation tool to help franchisees with local marketing.