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It was a much-needed message of unity, camaraderie, and strength as hundreds of operators worldwide tuned in to the National Limousine Association’s Facebook page on May 12 for the mammoth No Operator Left Behind (NOLB) Virtual Summit. The nearly five-hour session featured a half-dozen speakers and was moderated by NLA President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide and Bill Faeth of Limo University. At times sobering, often optimistic, but always enlightening, the NOLB Summit probed many aspects of travel and entertainment as operators attempt to safely navigate the next phases of the economy’s reopening. The event culminated with a message of hope and overall well-being—physical as well as mental—from two doctors who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis every day.
The event was sponsored by Grech Motors, Chosen Payments, Jaco Limousine, Limo & Bus Compliance, and Limo Anywhere.
“The one thing I think everyone is lacking—because they’ve been in lockdown so long—is patience. We all want the business to be back tomorrow, and what tomorrow looks like is what we’re all trying to figure out,” said Alexander during the event. “A key takeaway? There’s optimism.” He also added that people are seeing an uptick in reservations, a positive sign that the public is feeling more confident to once again venture beyond their homes.
If there was one constant throughout the Summit, it’s that every corner of the economy has been touched by this pandemic, albeit it in varying degrees, and every business owner is grappling with how to protect their team and clients for the foreseeable future. The industry can learn from what vertical markets are doing to improve our own response to safety measures, especially from those businesses that didn’t have the unexpected “benefit” of a shutdown and had to put novel safety protocols in place on the fly.
Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association offered his snapshot of what’s happening to the vital travel sector at home. He prognosticated that our industry might actually have a leg up for a quicker recovery over other forms of transportation, including TNCs, because of the active and aggressive safety policies that operators are instituting. It was a sentiment that was echoed by Catherine Chaulet of Global DMC Partners and Angela Layton of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy spoke about what the workplace might look like moving forward as more businesses see the benefit of employees working from home, as well as what would reassure their clients as they balance travel with their tolerance for risk—with clear communication from their travel partners. Alexander noted that the NLA is working on an SOP as a foundation for members to establish their own protocols.
Large-scale events in every state have been among the hardest hit, including sports and concerts, due to the restrictions on congregations. Stuart Ross of Red Light Management addressed how music events have been sidelined and what efforts the industry is taking to ramp up to a modified opening, although they have had some success with virtual events.
Sara McCall of Stunning and Brilliant Events, said that weddings are still happening, although many have been scaled down, offer different types of services (for example, plated dinners over a buffet), often include a virtual aspect, and new trends have been popular—yes, scented sanitizer stations are a thing. She sees the shift as an important but ultimately temporary measure until we are more comfortable where society is with the pandemic.
On a positive note, Jay Karen of the National Golf Course Owners Association, reported that golf courses had to pivot quickly to manage the crisis because many are open—and quite busy as more people are working from home and need an outlet. They’ve addressed everything from limiting the sizes of groups to spreading out tee times and even instituting touchless procedures wherever possible.
The final hour of the event was perhaps the most significant as Dr. James Doub of the University of Maryland and Dr. Lucy McBride of Foxhall Internists tackled the most immediate issues we are all facing with the pandemic: the fear of the unknown. Both addressed the imperative issues of staying physically healthy and protecting others from the spread of the virus, but also the tolls that it’s taken on mental health. They expressed confidence in the industry’s steps to operate safely by installing partitions, having the chauffeur and passenger wearing N95 masks (although less so on the use of gloves), liberally using hand sanitizer, and, of course, quarantining ill staff. Widespread testing and the possibility of a vaccine would be best.
A full recording of the NOLB Summit, complete with robust participation and real-time comments and questions from viewers, can be found on the NLA’s Facebook page.
Individual recordings can be found here:
Travel Industry Session featuring Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association
Meetings and Events Session featuring Catherine Chaulet of Global DMC Partners and Angela Layton of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
Recreation and Weddings Session featuring Jay Karen of the National Golf Course Owners Association and Sara McCall of Stunning and Brilliant Events
Live Entertainment Session featuring Stuart Ross of Red Light Management
Medical Industry Session featuring Dr. James Doub of the University of Maryland and Dr. Lucy McBride of Foxhall Internists
Visit the NLA’s COVID-19 response page for more information.
[05.15.20]
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Getting back to business was the topic of the May 12 meeting of the Florida Limousine Association (FLA) as the state is beginning to open up after some lockdown orders were relaxed in early May. Many businesses, such as restaurants and lodging are limited in capacity, while others including movie theaters remain closed in the tourism-reliant state.
Representatives from the state’s airports were invited to give updates on what’s happening in air travel. Domestic travel is starting to slowly return as airports ramp up their cleaning and passenger screening protocols—although much of the latter is expected to be shouldered by the TSA and could potentially increase wait times as traffic increases. One notable exception is international travel, including from the U.K., as airports await the lifting of federal restrictions that were imposed on European travelers early in the national emergency. As such, airport officials don’t anticipate a robust June for international visitors. Most airports, including Orlando International Airport, are requiring chauffeurs and drivers to wear masks when on the property.
Operators participating in the online conference also discussed the ways they are cleaning and sanitizing vehicles, including installing partitions, wearing masks, and screening drivers. Additionally, deep cleaning options were shared, with Michael Miller of Cedillas offering some options. Among them were using microbial disinfectants dispersed through an atomizer to access hard-to-reach spots during evening deep cleaning and installing a UV light device directly in the roof of the vehicle, which would continuously sanitize the cabin while being safe for passengers’ eyes. The UV device, which is currently being tested for a larger market, is being used in President Trump’s limousines.
In an effort to standardize how Florida transportation companies protect their riding public, the FLA developed a list of protocols that it circulated to members:
- Vehicles go through a daily cleaning cycle, with a hospital-grade disinfectant.
- All common areas will be wiped down and disinfected between trips by drivers and chauffeurs.
- All drivers will be screened daily based on CDC and Department of Health recommendations.
- All drivers shall use PPE as required by local, state, and CDC recommendations.
- Glove wearing is promoted. Gloves to be worn while handling luggage.
- Safe passenger signs or placards depicting "this vehicle is deep cleaned daily in accordance with the CDC recommendations" should be positioned in vehicles reflecting driver's attention to safety.
- These protocols are mandatory, and masks are required to be worn by County Ordinance by both passengers and drivers. We have sanitizing equipment available at all our offices, drivers must make sure the car has been sanitized between each ride, and passengers are offered a sanitary package that includes a mask, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes.
While the state is not yet operating at 100 percent, FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service sees hope for luxury ground transportation in the top-down recovery.
“There could be a silver lining in this for our industry. People will be looking for transportation that they know and trust. Most of our vehicles are fleet-owned and go to our offices every day to be disinfected and sanitized,” Versace said to members. “Our passengers are first-class and business-class passengers that expect exceptional service. The airlines always cater to these passengers because they are the most profitable customers. These people are already starting to travel again and will be using us to drive them.”
Visit floridalimousine.com for more information.
[05.18.20]
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AJL International Owner & President Matthew Johnston has announced that the company has completed work on their new headquarters, located near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Irving, Texas. The 42,000-square-foot building sits upon 2.5 acres with plenty of parking for AJL’s extensive fleet.
Johnston revealed that the company moved into the facility at the start of the year, but construction was just completed this spring. He likens AJL’s new office space to a luxury hotel.
“We’re like the Four Seasons here,” laughs Johnston. “We’re practically set up to launch rockets.”
The 10,000-square-foot office space offers comfort and modern work environment for AJL’s staff of 30. The building also includes a massive warehouse space for servicing vehicles.
Johnston acknowledges that moving into a new headquarters is less than fortuitous during the current COVID crisis, but AJL is working hard to maintain a sense of normalcy.
“We’ve never shut down. A core staff still comes in the building each day and keeps steady hours. We huddle together better. It’s sort of like starting at square one.”
To view a video of AJL’s new facility, visit AJL's Facebook page or head to ajlinternational.com for more information.
[05.18.20]