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ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine and Bus kicked off the event with a mid-year progress report and by announcing the 2017 board of directors, who include:
President: Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine and Bus
Secretary-Treasurer: Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks
Directors: Beth Cox of Cox Livery Service, Scott Delheimer of Class Act Limousine, Ron Hoye of Carey/Embarque Chicago, Sarah McKee of Chosen Payments (vendor), Art Rento of Pontarelli Companies, Brian Sheely of Epic Limo, Chris Weiss of Chauffeur Driven (vendor), and Brian Whitaker of Windy City Limousine and Bus
The day hosted four speakers: Richard Fertig of Brilliant Transportation, Aleja Seabron of The LMC Group, and Commissioner Samantha Fields and Deputy Commissioner Rupal Bapat of City of Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP).
Fertig took to the podium first to discuss the importance of work/life balance. He offered advice on ways to scale and automate one’s business to grow profits while also managing to enjoy life beyond the office. After lunch, Seabron delivered her presentation on providing customer service online, delving into topics such as capitalizing on increasingly web-reliant and tech-savvy consumers and how to adjust to the changing customer-service landscapes such trends create. Fields and Bapat capped off the presentation portion of the day with their report on changes to the Charter Sightseeig Ordinance and taking a variety of questions from those in attendance.
Fourteen exhibitors had their products and services on display, with nine vehicles of all kinds available for an up-close preview. The day also included an array of industry-supplied raffles.
The next ILA meeting will be its July 12 board meeting, which is open to all current and potential members.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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The 2018 S90 combines connectivity, safety, and materials to create a “Scandinavian Sanctuary”—a feeling of refinement, peacefulness, and elegance. The livery package offers standard WiFi connectivity, a premium armrest, power rear side and back window sunshades with four-zone climate.
“Riding in a 2018 S90 will provide customers an experience unlike anything else available in livery services,“ says North Holbrook, manager of Commercial Sales for Volvo Car USA, “it’s a car that will have customers constantly coming back.”
Livery drivers will enjoy Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous driver’s aid that can assist in acceleration and steering up to 80mph. Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System keeps an eye on cars hiding in blind spots and steer assist helps prevent merging into other cars on the highway. City Safety, featuring pedestrian, vehicle, cyclist, and large animal detection with automatic emergency braking is also standard.
“Volvo has been partnering with fleet organizations for 25 years and is fully committed to servicing the livery industry with a sound business infrastructure, focused on making Livery less complicated,” adds Holbrook.
The Volvo S90 Livery offer features the company’s highly efficient T5 engine, providing 250 horsepower with an option for all wheel drive. An expansive 13.5-cubic foot trunk is large enough to handle large suitcases and other items. The 2018 S90 Livery package comes with a 36-month,150,000 mile warranty with the first three factory scheduled maintenance services complimentary.
A pre-negotiated Livery price for the 2018 S90 FWD is $44,830 and AWD is $47,885. Livery operators can choose a vehicle from expected stock or custom order a car.
Visit volvocars.com/us for more information.
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According to Destination MCO CEO Nour Elotmani, the new additions are in line with the company’s strategy of further building internal infrastructure to expand capacity and extend sales efforts into new market segments. This June, the company will celebrate its “Sweet 16” anniversary.
“We are excited to bring the new staff on board. Bill and Ciara will help strengthen our operational foundations and further streamline internal processes while Tiffany and Jennifer will add new expertise to our existing sales efforts. These additions have been in the works for months and we are happy to have found the right fit for our growing company,” says Elotmani.
Bill Gompel brings a wealth of knowledge from his 30+ years of accounting/finance experience across a broad range of industries in both service as well as manufacturing environments. While a stellar resume helped Gompel secure the interview, Elotmani says that it was his personality and focus on integrity that made him a great fit to lead Destination MCO’s finance department as the company embarks upon the next step in its growth trajectory.
Ciara Oquendo joins Destination MCO after spending 12+ years in the tour operator industry as an accounts manager. VP of Operations and Director of Affiliate Relations Sami Elotmani says that Oquendo’s hospitality sales experience and service-driven personality make her the perfect fit to execute the company’s goal of shifting the reservations department into a metric-driven sales function.
“As our company continues along its growth path, one of our crucial goals is to become a more data-driven company; especially when it comes to department goal-setting and tracking activities. Ciara’s skill set and experience allows us to continue along that path and creates an added layer of accountability at a crucial department,” he says.
Visit destinationmco.com for more information.
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