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Trevose, Pa.—The Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (PRLA) hosted its monthly meeting at Twining Hall in Trevose, Pa. The event was sponsored by M.A. Brightbill Body Works of Lebanon, Pa.
PRLA President Jim Salinger of Unique Limousine took the podium to announce that Terminal F at the Philadelphia international Airport (PHL) will be closed for some time due to construction. Passengers should be informed/directed to use Terminal E instead. Salinger then announced that PRLA attorney, Michael Henry informed him that the Pa. Supreme Court has refused to hear the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s (PPA) appeal, which means that PRLA, barring a few loose ends to tie up, has won its fight against the PPA in regard to several long-standing issues that the organizations were squabbling over.
From there, the discussion evolved into an ardent, free-form debate about Uber and the other rogue apps. Many of the operators in attendance expressed great surprise at Uber’s bold and aggressive business maneuvers (legal or otherwise) within the city. Mike Barreto of Flyte Tyme Worldwide Transportation, Rich Ackerman of the P.A. Post Agency, and Jim Moseley of TripTracker lead this examination with several other operators chiming in with their thoughts on, and overall experiences with, Uber and the other apps of that ilk. It was ultimately decided that a PRLA “discovery” committee would be formed, with Barreto heading up this committee. It was also mentioned that alliances with the Limousine Associations of New Jersey (LANJ) and NLA should be considered to present a more unified front against the money and political influence that Uber, in particular, possesses.
The next PRLA meeting will be held on April 16 again at Twining Hall. Visit prlainc.org for more information.
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Los Angeles, Calif.—The United Motorcoach Association’s (UMA) Motorcoach Expo at Travel Exchange took place in Los Angeles in mid-February. This was the 30th anniversary for this grandiose event. Chauffer Driven’s President and Publisher Chris Weiss was on hand to experience the conference’s many events as well as meet with old and new friends in the motorcoach and chauffeured ground transportation industries.
A variety of products and services were on display in the City of Angels, including full-size coaches, vans, shuttle buses, pre-owned coaches, transit buses, tires, safety products, brakes, parts and components, mobile electronics, seats and upholstery, insurance, and more. Not only did the Expo floor feature 189 suppliers, 50 of those companies were not on the floor in 2013 and 39 of those companies were exhibiting for the first time—a fabulous sign that the economy is coming back strong.
Sponsors for the event included TEMSA & CH Bus Sales, the Los Angeles Tourism Board, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Sardo Bus & Coach Upholstery, and Amador Stage Lines and Certified Transportation Services.
“Exhibit space was virtually sold out and that's a testament to the fact that Expo delivers the kind of quality buyers that suppliers have come to expect from us,” says Victor Parra, UMA president and CEO. “In Los Angeles, operators were able to see all of the established vendors they already do business with and at the same time, meet new vendors and see new products and services too.”
Parra continued: “Many operations are finding that it's necessary to diversify their fleets and offerings to meet consumer demand; at EXPO we helped them meet those needs. Along with the full-size coaches attendees traditionally come to see, we've had a variety of other equipment on the floor this year, like transit buses, midsize coaches, shuttle buses, and vans.
Next year’s UMA Motorcoach EXPO will be held in New Orleans, La., from January 18 to 22.
Visit uma.org or motorcoachexpo.com for more information.
3/14
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Miami Beach, Fla.—VIP Global recently announced its move to a new office located at 1680 Michigan Avenue, Suite 700, Miami Beach. VIP Global’s new headquarters is ideally located to be minutes away from all of the major hotels in the South Beach and downtown areas.
“My team and I are excited to announce the recent move into our new South Beach location,” says Evan Blanchette, CEO of VIP Global. “As a rapidly growing company, we pride ourselves in making each of our affiliates feel like part of the family. Our new state-of-the-art offices will allow us to push the envelope even further, and provide our clients and affiliates with quality service and communication.”
Visit vipglobal.us for more information.
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