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Uber, regulatory agencies, and other frequent topics on the LILA agenda were far from their minds as attendees relaxed during the business-free evening. Over 120 people attended the festivities, which began with a buffet dinner and music from a live DJ. The association, according to 2nd Vice President Matt Silver of Ultimate Class Limousines, is made up of many smaller companies that normally wouldn’t be able to host a party at the venue, so the event was designed so that those companies could sponsor a table and bring their whole staff to enjoy the holiday party.
“We really encourage the companies to make it their own so that their staff can celebrate the holidays, plus they get to mingle with other like-minded [operators] in the area. It’s a great chance for everyone to network while still having a good time. We had a really great turnout this year,” he says.
In addition to dancing and a photo booth, the evening featured two comedians where no topics were off-limits, including marriage, religion, the holidays, and even some good natured ribbing of the limousine industry. The association even recognized two birthday girls in attendance, including our own Susan Rose, by singing Happy Birthday.
Toward the end of the evening, Silver took the microphone and added his own comic relief while calling out the winning tickets of the chance auction, which included everything from gourmet teas and decadent chocolate to tool kits and special car accessories. Chauffeur Driven donated a pass to 2015 show to be held in Miami Beach this October 11-14, which was won by Benjamin Rakhmanov of Big Ben Transportation in Rego Park, N.Y.
It’s back to business in January when LILA will hold its next meeting on January 27.
Visit nslali.com for more information.
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Houston —
Chauffeur Driven editor Madeleine Maccar attended the festive event, which included plenty of time for local operators to enjoy each other’s company as well as a buffet dinner, an auction and raffle, entertainment offered by a fan dancer and a magician, and a handful of casino games for those who wanted to try their luck.
Outgoing HALCA President Erich Reindl of Avanti Transportation assumed the roles of both emcee and auctioneer, first introducing the night’s speakers and expressing his own gratitude to the association and its many supporters, and later raffling off the numerous donated items available to be won, which included four show passes to the Chauffeur Driven 2015 Show in Miami, two of which were accompanied by round-trip airline tickets.
Reindl introduced HALCA’s three new board members, who will be assuming their roles in January: Lauren Barrash of The Wave; Kevin Claypool of Atlas Limousines; and Rony Dieudonne of Global Transportation. Reindl, along with Richard Mishriky of CTI Transportation and Mary Vaught of Vaught Insurance, will be stepping down from the board. Current board member Wes Hart of American Corporate Transportation will be HALCA’s president in 2015.
“It was time to let a smaller operator run the show,” said Reindl, who has served as HALCA’s president for three years. “We don’t want to foster the feeling that it’s the operators of bigger companies who always get to have a say about everything.”
HALCA’s next membership meeting will be January 21.
Visit houstonlimos.info for more information.
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GOLA members took to Orlando’s City Hall first on December 8 and again on December 15 in their efforts to encourage the city to regulate illegally operating TNCs. Uber and Lyft representatives were present at the first meeting but only Lyft was in attendance at the second one.
A ruling issued after the second meeting mandated that rideshare companies have until February 1, 2015, to acquire appropriate insurance, conduct adequate driver background checks, and ensure that their drivers are operating properly inspected vehicles, according to GOLA President Cliff Wright of Royal Transportation Group.
“It’s everything we’ve been asking for since Day One,” he said. “Public safety has been our big push, with the billboards and everything.”
The association has seen a great deal of success with the inaugural billboard campaign it launched at the end of the September, which had directed the public’s attention to TNCs’ safety issues. Its newest billboard focuses on promoting legally operating transportation companies and will run through the first week in January.
“We were really happy with the first billboards but decided to change the message to keep Uber and Lyft out of it this time,” Wright said. “I’m sick of hearing about Uber and Lyft, and everybody else felt the same way. We didn’t want to give them any more press.”
GOLA closed out its year with a well-attended holiday party at Westgate Lake Resort, which offers a view of Disney World’s fireworks display. The nearly 100 people in attendance were also treated to dinner, music, and entertainment, courtesy of an association member’s dance company.
The first GOLA meeting of 2015 will be held January 13.
Visit getaroundorlando.com for more information.
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