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Once President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Limousine called the evening meeting to order, a slate of speakers representing various aspects of the industry provided their respective insights to the 25 people in attendance.
Bill Kerr of Camryn Limousine welcomed the group to his facility, where they were treated to a barbecue dinner. He spoke about how he balances his dual responsibilities of and passions for the chauffeured ground transportation industry as well as being a full-time firefighter for Charlottesville.
After the meeting host spoke, Jeffrey Ward took the mic on behalf of the meeting sponsor, Executive Coach Builders, which also had a bus on display. Ward, too, has answered the call to serve by being on active military duty until recently; his return to the industry was met with a warm welcome from the VLA audience.
Represented vendors also included MCI, Georgetown Insurance, and Sonny Merryman; the latter also had provided a vehicle for the meeting, and its motorcoach was open to all the meeting attendees for a closer look.
Keith Johnson of Reston Limousine was the meeting’s keynote speaker. Having developed an intense course that focuses on the safety procedures, core knowledge, and current regulations that operators and their driving teams need to understand and abide by, Johnson presented the audience with the ins and outs of the B.A.S.I.C.S. program that he and Reston’s RLS Management Services division offer to the industry—especially those companies that have motorcoaches in their fleets.
Barbara Arkwright, the special agent in charge of the Virginia DMV Enforcement Division, was also a featured speaker at the meeting. VLA members continue to benefit from a relationship with the local regulatory body’s enforcement arm, and Arkwright was ready to provide additional information to assist them. She reminded them that operators have a chance to make their collective voices heard through the DMV’s ongoing stakeholders study meeting, as the results of the meeting will be presented to the General Assembly this fall.
The meeting also included internal business, including the unanimous decision for the next association meeting to include both board nominations and the election. It also saw a request to offer additional opportunities for operator members to serve on VLA’s various committees.
VLA will hold its next general membership meeting in the Richmond area October 2.
Visit vla-limo.org for more information
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This year’s tournament also benefited from being scheduled a day before the annual Dav El/BostonCoach affiliate meeting, which helped attract golfers from as far south as Florida and as far west as California.
“We always appreciate Scott Solombrino tying his management and affiliate meetings to this event,” said NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi. “We picked up some out-of-town players as a result, which was great and bolstered our attendance.”
With more than 20 teams battling it out for big bragging rights and an even bigger trophy, NELA President Mike Callahan of Able Limousine led his foursome to victory. In addition to first-, second-, and third-place trophies, the winners of contests like Closest to the Pin, male and female Longest Drive, and the light-hearted Shortest Drive also took home awards of their own.
Though the day’s biggest winners were the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Chip’s House, each charity both having a special connection to association members and being among the recipients of the day’s accumulated donations. The latter is a long-term care facility for patients living with head injuries, where the son of the tournament’s namesake currently resides. The former is a newer beneficiary of the annual golf outing’s fundraising endeavors.
“Mike Callahan has a few friends who have cystic fibrosis running in their families, which is how that connection started,” Szilagyi said. “And then Dawson Rutter, who donated an addition $5,000 to the foundation last year, did the same this year.”
NELA certainly appreciate the camaraderie of the day, and Szilagyi is quick to thank the many sponsors and supporters who helped make the annual event a success. Chauffeur Driven sponsored the morning’s breakfast and donated a few items to help raise money for the two charities and the association itself.
“We could not do this without the support and sponsorship of so many people and companies,” said Szilagyi.
The next NELA event will be its quarterly membership meeting September 12.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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Registration to the event is now open, and we’re currently offering an exclusive early-bird rate of only $295 until September 15. Also, we’ve secured a block of rooms at the room rate of $219/night. Our room blocks always sell out, so be sure to book early to secure your room. Don’t miss out!
The Gaylord Palms offers all the amenities and comforts you’d expect from an upscale resort and convention center—in one convenient location. You don’t even have to leave the hotel for plenty of dining options including seafood, Mediterranean fare, a steakhouse, and a sports bar for some casual eats.
Not only does the Gaylord Palms offer unique accommodations, the convention center has an impressive 120,000-square-foot showroom that will let you see the latest that our vendors and dealers have to offer. What’s more, for the first time ever, we’re offering Show Bucks that can be used like cash with participating exhibitors throughout the show. These coupons are included with your registration, but the amount you receive depends on the date you register—so act now to get better deals! Show Bucks can be redeemed for business cards, new technology, or even your latest fleet addition, so if you thought our show-only deals couldn’t get any better, this should sweeten the pot.
If you’re looking for a reason to come to Orlando a little early (that doesn’t involve mouse ears or roller coasters), then look no further. On Saturday, October 21, we’re hosting our inaugural Tom Mazza Charity Golf Outing to raise money for a good cause and honor our late industry mentor.
Tom Mazza was a man who was important to so many and made such an indelible impression on our industry across the board—a close friend and confidant to countless operators of all shapes and sizes. He was also the guy who popularized the 20-group concept for our space, and some of the groups he helped create and facilitate are still active. Tommy passed away in 2012 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), but his influence is still very present today.
The Tom Mazza Charity Golf Outing is being held at Celebration Golf Club (9:00 am shotgun start), a terrific course just minutes from the Gaylord Palms, and is open to everyone. We are currently looking for golfers, helpers, and sponsors—so if Tommy made an impact on your life or business, please come out and support the event. Everything we raise is going directly to charity (primarily ALS research), so we hope you can make it to Orlando early in remembrance of Tommy and those struggling with the disease.
Check out chauffeurdrivenshow.com for the latest updates and to register.
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