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UMA President & CEO Vic Parra is recognized by UMA's past chairmen during the Leadership Awards Ceremony St. Louis — From February 26 to March 2, nearly 2,000 motorcoach operators, vendors, and even their families flocked to The Gateway of the West for a few days of the education, networking, and show floor that the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Motorcoach Expo has become known for. Representing Chauffeur Driven at the annual event were Director of Events Jess Pavlow and Business Development Manager Rickie Roberts.
With many returning favorites punctuating the multi-day conference, the 2017 Expo kept its roster off offerings fresh with brand-new and back-by-popular-demand events. This debut International Driver Competition brought together 26 drivers from 16 operators—boasting a combined 150 years of crash-free driving—with Stephen Davis of AT&T Charters being named 2017 Grand Champion.
CD Business Development Manager Rickie Roberts and Chad Dickson of Irizar The yearly Solution Sessions, which provide answers to motorcoach operators’ real-life questions, saw the return of its popular Small Fleet Operator track, as well as the introduction of a Technology track that rounded out its Marketing, Finance, and Operation concentrations. And the sold-out Expo floor had 160,000 square feet of vehicles, services, and equipment to best serve the needs of the industry and the demands of its passengers.
Director of Events Jess Pavlow and Nick Corley of Alliance Bus Group The 2017 Motorcoach Expo was a particularly poignant one, as it marked the final conference under UMA President & CEO Vic Parra. After almost 20 years of heading the association, Parra will retire March 31. The longtime association leader was honored throughout the Expo—including with a life-size cardboard cutout with which attendees could pose for photo ops—with the Tuesday night UMA Leadership Awards Ceremony being the capstone celebration of Parra’s dedication to UMA, complete with a video, speeches, high emotions, and a thundering ovation.
“It take a special person to run an association of 900-plus members, all incredible people with a wide variety of personalities,” UMA Board Chairman Dale Krapf said. “Well done, my friend."
The 2018 UMA Motorcoach Expo will be January 6-10 in San Antonio.
For more information about the annual conference and the UMA itself, visit motorcoachexpo.com and uma.org, respectively.
Check out the April 2017 issue of Chauffeur Driven for expanded coverage and a gallery of photos.
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Rockville, Md. — The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) will host its Spring Conference & Expo in Palm Springs, Calif., from April 25-28. The event will coincide with the annual meeting of the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC), which is held in the same location.
TLPA CEO Alfred LaGasse
“We are thrilled to join forces at this conference with our colleagues from TPAC,” says Alfred LaGasse, TLPA CEO. “Our agendas align on so many pressing issues of our time, and this sort of ‘big tent’ gathering is extremely valuable as we move our fleets forward through all of the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
The Spring Conference is TLPA's first meeting of 2017—it’s 100th year in operation—and provides many innovative educational programs and networking opportunities. Its Expo will feature tabletop and floor exhibits from the industry's leading vendors, showcasing the newest products and services designed to help members grow their businesses. TLPA’s committees and board will also carry out the association’s agenda at meetings held during the conference.
To register for the event, visit tlpa.org/Spring-Conference.
Visit tlpa.org or tpac-ca.org for more information.
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L to R: Troy Snyder from Berkshire Coach, Mike Curtin and Kevin King from Don Brown Bus Sales, and chauffeur with a Berkshire 28-passenger coach Saugus, Mass. — The Kowloon restaurant was once again host to the New England Livery Association (NELA) general membership meeting on February 28. More than 70 members, vendors, and guests were in attendance for the evening event.
Meeting sponsor Don Brown Bus Sales was on hand at Kowloon with a 28-foot Berkshire coach. Dealer representatives Mike Curtin and Kevin King were joined by Berkshire’s Troy Snyder to demo the vehicle.
After a cocktail hour sponsored by Royale in Haverhill, Mass., the meeting was turned over to Emily Nelson and Andrew Eisenberger, two attorneys from the labor and employment firm of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete. Their presentation dealt with the recent marijuana legalization in Massachusetts, and how it may affect the chauffeured ground transportation industry. In addition to discussing pot’s potential impact on employer/employee relationship, the councilors also provided legal perspectives on clients who want to smoke in a vehicle.
Tom Quill (left) and Steve Edelmann from Royale Next, NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi of Lexian Management gave a brief update on some upcoming events, including impending legislation in Connecticut to establish regulations on the TNCs. Szilagyi and other NELA members testified in Hartford before the state Insurance and Real Estate Committee two days after the meeting. While word has trickled out that Governor Dannel Malloy is largely in favor of the TNCs, there were a number of representatives and senators on the panel who were sensitive to the safety and level-playing field issues that our industry is campaigning for.
L to R: John Lane from Dav El/Boston Coach, NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi, and Laurie Cantwell from MV-1 The evening concluded with raffles sponsored by Convenient MD of New Hampshire, which provides medical transportation and services around the state. Steve Edelmann of Royale donated five high-quality Patriots championship hats that were given away, and the evening’s 50/50 cash prize was won by Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments, who donated the money back to the association.
Upcoming events for NELA include its annual Chauffeur Appreciation Day on June 8 and next general membership meeting June 13.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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