The great countdown continues until the CD/NLA Show plots a course to one of the Northeast’s most beloved cities: Boston! But you won’t need a catch a ride on the Mayflower to enjoy all of the networking, camaraderie, evening events, and—of course—the industry’s finest education this fall. (Yes, feel free to fly or drive.) This year’s show is made possible by our generous and supportive sponsors, including Title Sponsors Grech Motors and Ford-Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles.
Last month, we took a look at your favorite returning events and some new ones that are sure to become your must-attends this show and in years to come—and we’ll have plenty to share about our Hall of Fame and evening events in the next issue. Our Education Committee has been hard at work, so we’re stoked to share our brand-spanking-new education lineup (sponsored by FASTTRAK), which we know you’re going to love. The committee is led by Co-chairs Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide and Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus, and includes Matt Assolin of Nikko’s Worldwide, Alan Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine, Ken Carter of Aadvanced Limousine Services, Colin Devine of Devine’s Worldwide, Kim J. Dolniak of BEST Transportation, Sami Elotmani of Destination MCO, Robyn Goldenberg of Strategy Leaders, Andy Hernandez of CTA Worldwide, Doug Schwartz of Executive Limousine, Tony Simon of Reston Limousine, and Scott Woodruff of Majestic Limo & Coach.
We have more than 20 educational seminars, interactive sessions, and bite-size Fast Lane topics (held on our show floor) to cover just about every aspect of your business and provide you with the professional development you expect from us. We’ve even added more education geared toward our industry’s largest faction: smaller operators looking to grow. Interested? Read on!
Sunday
We don’t mess around or waste your time at the CD/NLA Show, so grab a cup of coffee (sponsored by Buffalo Limousine) as we jump right in on our opening day with six sessions to get you pumped. Christina Davis of the LMC Group and author of the monthly column HR Coach in Chauffeur Driven dives deep into staff issues with Give Peace a Chance: Workplace Conflict Resolution. Davis tackles the thorny issue of working with many different types of personalities from numerous backgrounds and how your leadership can affect how efficiently the team runs. Conflict will happen even to the best of teams, and Davis will show you how your company’s culture and your level of communication can hinder or help.
In one-two punch sessions, Framework for Building a Successful Limousine/Bus Business (Parts 1 and 2), Bill Faeth and his Limo University team ask: Are you happy with your company’s success today, or do you strive for more? If you want more, then you must invest in a structure that can scale as your business grows. The renowned speaker—who recently partnered with the NLA to offer exclusive content through their No Operator Left Behind initiative (focused on educating operators with 19 vehicles or fewer)—has proven this with his own business ventures time and time again with industry clients across the globe. Now, it’s your turn to obtain this winning framework. Faeth and company will lay the foundation needed to have a strong, successful, and thriving company that flexes with your growth, while part 2 will delve into the next steps to make this happen. Both sessions are geared toward smaller operators who are looking to take their operation to the next level.
"I come back because each year I meet great new people, make new business connections, and get quality information. Every show is different, and I never want to miss out. If you’re serious about growing your business, you have to be at the CD Show.” – Christell Ayres of A List Limousine & Bus
Let’s face it: Loyal employees are worth their weight in gold, and the hiring process is long and tedious. Keeping quality staff members who are equally committed to growth and consistent service excellence is paramount to your company’s success. Speakers Kristin Hundley of Limousine Connection, Mark Kini of Boston Chauffeur, and Scott Woodruff of Majestic Limo & Coach will show you how to accomplish this in Create Longevity With Your Team. Your toolkit will be overflowing with ideas on how to assist your employees in building a career with your organization, not just punching a clock. Take-away ideas will include how to maintain long-term employees through engagement techniques, individual growth paths, financial security, recognition initiatives, work-life balance, and more.
Industry consultant and CD contributing writer Ken Lucci spearheads one the last sessions of the day with Selling Value, Verticals, and Versatility. Are you concerned about pricing strategies or tight margins in an ultra-competitive climate, or do you struggle to find creative ways to close sales within vertical markets? Do you know the best methods to create and provide value in your service so that prospects and customers alike are more interested in what you offer rather than seeking the lowest price? Lucci will explore that and more, including adapting pricing and fostering an effective company culture so that every touchpoint is an opportunity for sales and added value.
Monday
Day two offers two panel discussions that will focus on one of your biggest investments: your vehicles. First up is Ask the OEM where representatives from Ford-Lincoln, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo in a panel moderated by Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide will offer insights regarding the current lineup and its many features that can benefit chauffeured transportation, as well as products that will be coming soon and where the sedan and SUV manufacturers see the future of the industry. Who knows, maybe they’ll even share some information about when they expect to see mainstream autonomous vehicles ...
If larger metal is more your speed, you won’t want to miss Ask the Bus/Motorcoach Manufacturer, a panel discussion again moderated by Sharenow, that digs into the world of the bigger vehicles you are adding to your fleet with more and more frequency. The panel will help to demystify any lingering issues you have about purchasing and operating buses and coaches, as well as a rundown on current and planned products, service plans and programs, and much more. Once you have your PhD in metal, you’ll be ready to shop like a pro for your next vehicle at the debut of our show floor later that day!
Of course, all of those new vehicles are going to need protection, and we’ve got you covered with Understanding and Negotiating Your Insurance Policy. Speakers Alan Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine, Jen Fullan of Lancer Insurance, and Doug Schwartz of Executive Limousine will help to navigate the legalese of your policy, how to best position your company for the fairest rates, and even share ways you can stay insured if your company doesn’t renew your coverage. The panel will also address the different needs that smaller and larger operators have, as well as how to prepare for growth.
Did you know that attendees from five different continents attend our show? It’s true; Plus, as a global community, our North American-based operators are working more and more with companies in far-flung locales. To that end, we once again build a bridge around the world with our dedicated international session, featuring speakers from a handful of companies located outside of the U.S. led by Colin Devine of Devine’s Worldwide in Ireland. Our panel will share best practices for what global travel managers are looking for, how to position your company to win affiliate work, creating a standard for duty of care, doing your due diligence, and much more.
Tuesday
We start off day three with a session that all operators who own vehicles regulated by the DOT will want to attend with Acing Compliance With DOT Recordkeeping and ELDs presented by Joe Guinn of Limo & Bus Compliance and Jay Bowers of AJL International. There’s plenty of minutiae to navigate with the DOT’s rules and regulations for larger vehicles, and Guinn and Bowers will help walk you through some of the sticking points, as well as some of the new requirements coming down the pike.
"The Chauffeur Driven Show offers amazing education, so my husband and I come back every year. There are always new people to learn from, and amazing seminars.” – Hilary Louarti of Diamond TransportationAs a business owner, you probably spend a fair amount of time contemplating the latest in technology, including software to make your own company more efficient and reduce errors. It can be challenging to sift through all that our industry technology providers have to offer, so hear it from company reps themselves with our Center Stage Tech Panel, featuring Sean Arena of Limo Anywhere, David Hirsch of Livery Coach, Eddie McCoy of FASTTRAK, Derek Skawinski of Hudson Software, and Apurva Patel of GroundWidgets, and moderated by Sharenow. Topics will include automation, apps, interconnectivity, data analytics, safety, apps, and so much more. Further, panelists will share what they anticipate will be the future of the transportation industry as it relates to technology. This is sure to be an eye-opening session.
Wednesday
It’s not over yet, and we’ve saved some of our best topics for the final day!
First, What’s the Right Corporate Structure for You? will explore the many different options you have to financially protect and appropriately position your business for tax purposes. Presented by Drew Morris of Nachmias Morris & Alt, this session probes the types of business ownership, the pros and cons of each, and what is best for you based on your number of employees and numerous other factors. This is a vital session, especially if you have shareholders or concerns about how you can protect your personal assets from legal challenges.
"The Chauffeur Driven team does a fantastic job of bringing everyone together. I am always amazed at the amount of information we can take back to our company. It’s well worth the trip!” – Chris Peifer of Susquehanna Valley Limousine
Our Tech Panel helped you dig into how you can more efficiently run your business; now we dive deep into the social side of technology with Social Media for 2020 and Beyond. Presented by two media savvy gurus, Gillian Doucette of DriveProfit and Aleja Seabron of The LMC Group, this session will teach you how to create and manage a content calendar, create consistency with tone and voice regardless if multiple people are handling different accounts, what’s next in social media, and even protecting your brand online. Your customers are looking throughout the web and trusting the reviews: Shouldn’t you have the best possible plan to keep them interested?
Yesterday’s Acing Compliance With DOT Recordkeeping and ELDs prepared you to keep meticulous records, especially regarding the newer ELDs. Today, we flip the script with our Live Mock DOT Audit, presented by Richard Bates of the FMCSA. This all-important session will help you get organized and prep your company and employees should you face an audit—and trust us, you will! Never be unprepared for a DOT audit again.
Bonus Education:
Fast Lane Sessions on the Show Floor
If that lineup wasn’t enough for you, we have plenty more in store for you on our show floor Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with our mini Fast Lane sessions. These quick, one-topic talks explore issues that are imperative to your operation but don’t require a full hour to cover. In fact, these sessions clock in around 30 minutes and include subjects such as protecting your company against chargebacks, securing grants and other avenues of free money, finding and applying for government contracts, new marijuana laws and safety, conflict resolution, setting up a rewards program, and managing while your company is shorthanded. Come grab some lunch, a comfy chair, and some knowledge on the show floor!
Bonus Education:
Limo U Mastermind Group (Limited Space)
If you’ve ever been curious what Limo University is all about and what Bill Faeth and his team can do for your business, consider this your test-drive. These two sessions are a value-based Mastermind Group experience similar to Faeth’s (invite-only) Inner Circle Group with 19 of your peers. Faeth is going to teach you to think about your business in ways you have never considered. Plus, you will have access to the Limo U team so you receive individualized attention and recommendations specific to your unique challenges. These two-hour sessions are only $175 and require pre-registration at limogrowth.lpages.co/cd-mastermind-2019.
Our education alone is worth the price of admission, but don’t forget to check out our entire show schedule available at chauffeurdrivenshow.com. While you’re there, claim your place at the most anticipated industry event by registering for the show. Don’t forget that our negotiated rate (without any additional markup or padding like other shows) at the Westin Boston Waterfront is only $239/night and is on a first-come first served basis. We can’t wait to see you there! [CD0819]