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Industry professionals from around the globe were in attendance, which not only gave us the opportunity to meet many new faces, but also let us reconnect and spend time with many of our long-standing industry friends and peers. The positive feedback has been off the charts—both during and after the show. This show also marked the return of Director of Events Jess Pavlow, who hit another one out of the park.
Thanks to our hard-working Education Committee—led by co-chairs Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide and Kristen Carroll of The LMC Group—this year’s show was loaded with timely and valuable sessions that proved to be beneficial to operators of all sizes and markets. Whether it was learning the basics of networking, getting the low-down on values-led leadership, or even discovering creative revenue streams to increase that bottom line, our attendees gained heaps of know-how that provided instant takeaway.
“As a small operator, I have to carefully pick and choose what shows I can attend. I need to get the most bang for the buck, so I researched and decided to attend CD this year for the first time,” said Renee Dorsey of Airport Limousine Service. “I was blown away by the Operator Mentoring Program and my Benchmark Breakout session. These two programs alone were worth the price of admission. It was fabulous to be with the two groups of operators, discussing issues and challenges—and to find out that I am not alone. Others have the same struggles as me, even the BIG operators. I am already taking steps here at base to use the knowledge I gained last week.”
Certainly, as with years past, networking was the name of the game, as opportunities to share and learn among peers were in abundance. Dedicated events like our perennial favorite Operator Mentoring Program, the jam-packed Affiliate Central Global Partner Forum, and laser-focused Benchmark Breakouts were all met with raves from our attendees. What’s more, Tuesday morning’s one-two punch of the revamped Women in the Industry Networking Breakfast and the International Meet & Greet received rave reviews from the flock of early birds who attended these sessions.
“The Chauffeur Driven team did a fantastic job bringing everyone together, especially the Mentoring and Benchmark sessions. I am always amazed at the amount of information we can take back to our company. It’s well worth the trip!” said Chris Peifer of Susquehanna Valley Limousine.
The networking and camaraderie continued into sundown as our always-popular nightlife events raised the roof. On Sunday evening, attendees were welcomed into the Gaylord’s Cherry Blossom ballroom and atrium, which was adorned with famous international landmarks for our first-ever Around the World party. The following night, guests dressed up and partied down as their favorite TV or movie characters at our Costume Party. Once again, the industry stepped up and donned some of the most creative, hilarious, and spectacular costumes we’ve seen to date. Who will ever forget the Beetlejuice army comprising some of the industry’s most notable figures?
But, without a doubt, a true highpoint of the show was our Annual Charity Dinner and Auction. For the third year, we’ve given our support to WISH for OUR HEROES, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting active and retired members of the United States military and their families with everything from crippling medical bills to buying groceries. Thanks to the generosity of the auction’s donors, as well as those who bid on the offered items, our industry raised a staggering $125,000 in a single evening—which founder Jeff Wells said will immediately be used to assist more than 25 families.
We’re already jazzed about next year’s Executive Retreat in Texas at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown on May 5-7, not to mention the 2019 show in Beantown at the Westin Boston Waterfront., on October 13-16. In the meantime, look for a full recap of the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Show—as well as loads of pictures—in the December issue of the magazine.
Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com for more information.
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President Charlie Murray of Total Transportation kicked off the meeting before giving his report and turning the mic over to Adam Kiran of meeting sponsor Midwest Transportation Equipment, which also had a bus on display outside the meeting venue.
The meeting included updates on a bill that would regulate TNCs statewide. While the bill didn’t move in the state legislature in 2018, it is expected to in 2019. Additionally, a number of Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) updates included: 2019’s 3.15-percent commercial fee increase that will see livery operators paying $3.36 and taxis paying $4.50; construction continuing in a new parking ramp (expected to be completed in 2020), which will be followed by the opening of a new transit center; and MCTA members strategizing ways for their services to receive signage comparable to that of TNCs.
Mike McKay of MNDOT was the meeting’s guest speaker. After thanking everyone again for their efforts to ensure that Super Bowl transportation went smoothly, McKay noted that his office is focusing on customer service now that its restructuring is complete. A “rulemaker” has been hired, and a group will be created to address the rules overseeing the state’s chauffeured transportation providers. He also noted that MNDOT is awaiting direction from the new administration, as it does not yet have any proposed state legislation for 2019.
Vice President Gus Ortis of executive transportation then led a discussion about the tips and tricks of the trade, including phone systems, warranties, maintenance (especially relating to repairs and tires), insurance companies, vehicle types, body work, reservation systems, and car models.
Members were entered into a raffle to win a pass to the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Show, which CD had donated to the association. MCTA Secretary/Treasurer Chad Peterson of Renee's Royal Valet was the lucky winner.
Visit mnlimo.org for more information.
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All Forest River commercial buses will now come standard with an unprecedented 5-year/100,000-mile warranty at no additional charge. Before now, this warranty was only available on Forest River’s luxury flagship bus brand, Berkshire Coach, and the length and coverage is unparalleled in the industry.
“Forest River customers deserve the absolute best coverage our industry has to offer,” said President of Forest River Bus Divisions David Wright. “The plan to offer a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty has been in development for more than a year. This warranty would never have been possible without the unparalleled partnership we have with our dealers and our suppliers. Forest River’s financial strength, outstanding supplier relationships, and commitment to the end user is what makes this type of warranty possible.”
In other news, Forest River Bus has become the first bus company in the country to equip its buses with a standard rear camera and driver-viewing monitor for safe reverse operations. In collaboration with Rosco Vision Systems, the builder will install an automatic camera system that will provide rear video images to the driver in order to help them make informed safety and operational decisions. It is designed to turn on and off automatically, providing outstanding visual images in both day and night conditions to aid the driver. The size and placement of the back-up camera system is non-distracting to the driver and unobtrusive in the cockpit while not in use. The system will be covered by Forest River’s unprecedented 5-year/100,000 mile warranty.
“Forest River Bus has always been committed to making safety a top priority,” said Wright. “We were the first to install seat belts as standard equipment in all our buses. Now we are taking safety one step further by installing a back-up camera system as standard equipment. From our perspective, safety should never be optional.”
Ben Englander, CEO of Rosco Vision Systems, states, “Our relationship with Forest River goes back many years, even beyond camera systems to more traditional vision safety products like mirrors. We knew the day would come where cameras would be standard by law or by choice, and we applaud Forest River Bus for choosing the path to safety ahead of mandatory requirements. We have all heard that buses are not permitted to back-up by procedure, but in actuality, we know they back-up all the time. By having an effective safety solution, we mitigate risk on every level and take the subjectivity out of safety.”
Visit forestriverinc.com for more information.
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