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![Aventura](/images/industry/2019/cd082719_Aventura-kristen2.jpg)
“Following many years of attempting to bring Kristen on board, we are extremely excited to have her finally join the company. With the addition of my daughter to the Aventura Worldwide Transportation Service team, we exemplify a true family business,” says Founder and Managing Partner Neil Goodman.
Kristen, a graduate of Indiana University, also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2007. Most recently, she worked as a manager for Young Presidents' Organization, Palm Beach Chapter, and has over 15 years of sales experience in various industries.
Visit aventuraride.com for more information.
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Windy City Limousine & Bus CEO George Jacobs and President Kathy Kahne talk to the recent attendees of their company’s Learn & Share Workshop
Broadview, Ill. — When the Windy City Limousine & Bus team welcomed roughly a dozen industry peers to their office last month, it was the conclusion of an initiative the company introduced at last year’s CD Show.
Windy City has distributed scratch-off tickets in the 2018 show’s swag bags that offered an array of prizes, and some lucky winners were invited to spend two days as honored guests immersed in a hands-on educational Learn & Share Workshop—the focus of which was determined by the attendees themselves, who submitted lists of topics they most wanted to learn about from the Windy City team.
“We left the agenda and list of topics up to the attendees and structured the information to everything they were wanting to hear more about,” says Executive Vice President Tracy Raimer. “Our affiliate, dispatch, sales, chauffeur, and fleet departments all spoke to the group and encouraged interaction.” She adds that George Jacobs and Kathy Kahne shared the Windy City story with everyone, while representatives from Berkshire Coach/Midwest Equipmentand MCI were also on hand to impart advice from their perspectives.
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With random chance determining the roster of attendees, companies of all sizes and from a variety of markets were welcomed to the Chicago-area company—and left with a workshop’s worth of brand-new ideas to bring back home.
“I want to sincerely thank you for having us,” Kenway Hua of Soteria Transportation Group (which includes A Ambassador Limousine & Transportation, CityCar Services Worldwide, and Avanti Global Chauffeured Services) wrote to Raimer almost immediately after the event. “It means so much to me and to our team, who we have shared some of our experiences with since we have been back. Again, cannot thank you enough!”
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“I want to thank you for hosting us at Windy City,” adds Raj Dhillon of City Trans. “I cannot explain in words my gratitude for all of you guys. You have amazing team working with you. Everyone made us feel very welcomed and no doubt I learned a lot from all of your team. It was refreshing to see how your organization want to help other companies in the industry.”
Raimer also credits the teamwork between operators and vendors for adding something extra to the experience, both through suppliers’ own educational sessions and a vendor-sponsored dinner.
“We were fortunate to have the MCI team and Midwest Equipment team spend time educating operators on the importance of weighing the pros and cons when deciding to get into larger equipment,” she says.
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And she admits to benefiting from the experience, too.
“For all the years that I have known George, he has always said and lives by, ‘For every operator who improves their business and becomes successful, our entire industry benefits.’ The Windy City Learn & Share Workshop was exactly that,” she says. “We learned so much from the operators who joined us. And anything that they could learn and pick up from us while they spent time with so many of our managers is just an improvement and benefit to our entire industry. George and Kathy truly welcomed all of these operators with open arms and encouraged them to acquire as many takeaways as they could.”
Visit windycitylimos.com for more information.
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Marlton, N.J. —A s summer winds down, the excitement for the 2019 CD/NLA Show in Boston continues to heat up. Join us October 13-16 at the Westin Boston Waterfront for all the nonstop networking, fun, and, of course, can’t-miss education you’ve come to expect from our shows. Our early bird rate of $295 comes to a close this Friday, August 16, so now is the time to register to save some cash. To get you even more excited about the event, we’re thrilled to unveil the full docket of education in store for you at the industry event of the fall.
The schedule is jam-packed with more than 20 educational seminars, interactive sessions, and bite-size Fast Lane topics (more on that later) to cover just about every aspect of your business, whether you have two cars in your fleet or 200. Thanks to our hard-working Education Committee, not to mention returning education sponsor FASTTRAK.
HR/Staff Issues
Christina Davis of the LMC Group and author of the monthly column HR Coach in Chauffeur Driven dives deep into staff issues with Give Peace a Chance: Workplace Conflict Resolution, which addresses the issue of working with many different types of personalities from numerous backgrounds and how your leadership can affect how efficiently the team runs.
Want to learn ideas on how to assist your employees in building a career with your organization, not just punching a clock? Speakers Kristin Hundley of Limousine Connection, Mark Kini of Boston Chauffeur, and Scott Woodruff of Majestic Limo & Coach will show you how to accomplish this in Create Longevity With Your Team. Take-away ideas will include how to maintain long-term employees through engagement techniques, individual growth paths, financial security, recognition initiatives, work-life balance, and more.
Sales and Operations
In Framework for Building a Successful Limousine/Bus Business (Parts 1 and 2), Bill Faeth and his Limo University team ask: Are you happy with your company’s success today, or do you strive for more? If you want more, then you must invest in a structure that can scale as your business grows. The renowned speaker will lay the foundation needed to have a strong, successful, and thriving company that flexes with your growth, while part 2 will delve into the next steps to make this happen. Both sessions are geared toward smaller operators.
If improving sales techniques is on your mind, join Industry consultant and CD contributing writer Ken Lucci for Selling Value, Verticals, and Versatility. Do you know the best methods to create and provide value in your service so that prospects and customers alike are more interested in what you offer rather than seeking the lowest price? Lucci will explore that and more, including adapting pricing and fostering an effective company culture so that every touchpoint is an opportunity for added value.
What’s the Right Corporate Structure for You? will explore the many different options you have to financially protect and appropriately position your business for tax purposes. Presented by Drew Morris of Nachmias Morris & Alt, this session probes the types of business ownership, the pros and cons of each, and what is best for you. This is a vital session, especially if you have shareholders or concerns about how you can protect your personal assets from legal challenges.
Fleet
Representatives from Ford-Lincoln, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo will offer insights regarding their current lineup and its many features that can benefit chauffeured transportation in Ask the OEM Panel. If larger metal is more your speed, you won’t want to miss Ask the Bus/Motorcoach Manufacturer, a panel discussion that digs into the world of the bigger vehicles. Theses panels will help to demystify any lingering issues you have about purchasing and operating these vehicles, as well as a rundown on current and planned products, service plans and programs, and much more. Both are moderated by Sharenow.
Of course, all of those new vehicles are going to need protection, and we’ve got you covered with Understanding and Negotiating Your Insurance Policy. Speakers Alan Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine, Jen Fullan of Lancer Insurance, and Doug Schwartz of Executive Limousine will help to navigate the legalese of your policy, how to best position your company for the fairest rates, and even share ways you can stay insured if your company doesn’t renew your coverage. The panel will also address the different needs that smaller and larger operators have, as well as how to prepare for growth.
Technology
It can be challenging to sift through all that our industry technology providers have to offer, so hear it from company reps themselves with our Center Stage Tech Panel, featuring Sean Arena of Limo Anywhere, David Hirsch of Livery Coach, Eddie McCoy of FASTTRAK, Derek Skawinski of Hudson Software, and Apurva Patel of GroundWidgets, and moderated by Sharenow. Topics will include automation, apps, interconnectivity, data analytics, safety, apps, and so much more. Further, panelists will share what they anticipate will be the future of the transportation industry as it relates to technology.
Later, we dive deep into the social side of technology with Social Media Compass: Navigating Social Media for Your Business. Presented by Gillian Doucette of DriveProfit and Aleja Seabron of The LMC Group, this session will teach you how to create and manage a content calendar, create consistency with tone and voice regardless if multiple people are handling different accounts, what’s next in social media, and even protecting your brand online.
DOT Compliance
Acing Compliance With DOT Recordkeeping and ELDs, presented by Joe Guinn of Limo & Bus Compliance and Jay Bowers of AJL International, will drill down on the minutiae of navigating the DOT’s rules and regulations for larger vehicles, and will help walk you through some of the sticking points, as well as some of the new requirements coming down the pike. This session will then prepare you for our Live Mock DOT Audit, presented by Richard Bates of the FMCSA. This all-important demonstration will help you get organized and prep your company and employees should you face an audit—and trust us, you will!
International
Did you know that attendees from five different continents attend our show? To that end, we once again build a bridge around the world with our dedicated international session, featuring speakers from a handful of companies located outside of the U.S. led by Colin Devine of Devine’s Worldwide in Ireland. Our panel will share best practices for what global travel managers are looking for, how to position your company to win affiliate work, creating a standard for duty of care, doing your due diligence, and much more.
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Our education alone is worth the price of admission, but don’t forget to check out our entire show schedule available at chauffeurdrivenshow.com. While you’re there, claim your place at the most anticipated industry event by registering for the show. Don’t forget that our negotiated rate (without any additional markup or padding like other shows) at the Westin Boston Waterfront is only $239/night and is on a first-come first served basis—and it is close to full. And don’t forget, the Early Bird rate of $295 expires Friday, August 16. Register today to take advantage in both of our deals!
Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com for more information.
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