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Marlton, N.J. — Summer vacation may be in full-swing, but here at Chauffeur Driven, our sights are set on the fall—namely our CD/NLA Show. From October 13-16, we’re bringing our world-class industry event to Boston. For our stay in Beantown, we’ve chosen the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, which is not only conveniently located near the airport, but it’s also connected to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
Over the years, our Show has become recognized as the must-attend event of the fall, providing ample opportunities for networking on a global scale, an expansive show floor with all the industry’s preeminent vendors, and legendary nightlife. But the true heart of annual event is the timely and relevant education we provide to operators from around the world. Whether your fleet has two cars or 200, the CD/NLA seminars and workshops offer valuable takeaway that can be immediately applied to your business for an immediate ROI on your cost to attend.
This year, we’re thrilled to introduce one of the most talked about events from our 2018 San Diego Retreat to a larger scale, as we bring The Owner’s Game to our Boston Show on Sunday, October 13. Courtesy of our friends at Strategy Leaders, this interactive, role-playing activity is a gamified training tool to demonstrate your leadership skills as you compete against other teams who are steering a virtual company toward success—to see who can retire with the most money.
Groups of 8-10 will separate into teams, which includes a leader and a “bean counter” armed with a laptop—to create a simulated company to steer through all the challenges that operators face in the luxury ground transportation industry. Teams can be organized by attendees in advance or assigned at the event. You’ll work together to decide how to increase profits, invest your time as an owner, reach your goals, overcome obstacles, and plan a successful exit strategy—all without the real-life consequences of trial-and-error. Your business expertise and experience will get you so far in the game though, as your “company” will be dealt an array of challenges from a deck of cards that may put you on the road to bankruptcy.
Get ready to demonstrate your entrepreneurial passion, as The Owner’s Game will get hyper-competitive and intense. As the game progresses, and you emerge from business challenges victorious—or on the losing end—there will be plenty of hooting, hollering, and even attempted bribery! The team that retires with the most money will not only receive a prize, but also those invaluable bragging rights. In San Diego, we saw even the most skeptical participants hooting and hollering by the end of the game.
Space for this event is limited and will require pre-registration. Don’t miss out to see how will you stack up against your industry peers.
Also new to our 2019 show is a trio of moderated panels that will get you better acquainted with our vendors and the products and services they offer. In Boston, we’ll be introducing a Technology Panel that will allow our industry’s tech providers to share their innovations with their users and prospective clients, and answer any questions that operators may have regarding their services. What’s more, we’re hosting two panels focusing on the most important part of the luxury ground transportation industry: the vehicles. First off, we’re hosting an Ask the OEM panel, in which operators can share questions or concerns with representatives from leading sedan and SUV manufacturers that cater to our space. Also, you can look forward to an Ask the Manufacturer panel in which a range of builders will give you the low-down on the extensive array of products available in this quick-growing segment.
And speaking of bus builders, we’re thrilled to announce that Grech Motors, the industry’s leading bus manufacturer and ardent supporter, has exclusively signed on as a sponsor and exhibitor at National Limousine Association (NLA) and Chauffeur Driven (CD) events, starting with Boston this fall and continuing with the debut of the CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas next February.
Grech is the first sponsor and exhibitor to fully and exclusively commit to only the Boston and Las Vegas shows produced by the NLA and CD. Vendors and attendees alike have expressed their growing frustration with the increased number of industry events and groups, which have cost them time and money away from the office. By solely committing to these two shows, Grech is leading the charge toward industry harmony.
Grech Motors CEO Ed Grech
A longtime and generous supporter of the NLA, Grech chose to maintain its close working relationship with the NLA when the Association inked a new partnership with CD earlier this year. The manufacturer is a Diamond Sponsor of the NLA—its highest level—and has consistently given back to the Association with exclusive rebates for members who purchase Grech products. Additionally, Grech has been a consistent Title Sponsor of the Chauffeur Driven Show since 2013.
“Congratulations to Gary Buffo, Chris Weiss, the entire NLA Board of Directors, and the Chauffeur Driven team,” says Grech Motors CEO Ed Grech. “The new partnership between the NLA and Chauffeur Driven provides the industry with a foundation for guaranteed successes. This partnership will continue the momentum needed for industry progression, and we look forward to many more years of sustained growth with these amazing business partners. This partnership places NLA members in a position of strength never seen before in our industry."
Attending the CD/NLA Shows is an immediate ROI for NLA members as half of every dollar spent sponsoring, attending, and exhibiting at the shows goes directly back to the NLA and is used to continue its strong advocacy for the industry.
“On behalf of the NLA Board, I am so thankful to Ed Grech, AJ Thurber, and the entire Grech Motors team for this new exclusive partnership as the NLA and Chauffeur Driven head into an exciting new era. Grech Motors has been the NLA’s largest sponsor and contributor for several years, and we are thrilled to continue and grow this strong relationship. We look forward to working with Chauffeur Driven and Grech Motors to continue to support, educate, and advocate for the luxury ground transportation industry,” says NLA President Gary Buffo.
Be on the lookout for more news about our Boston show in upcoming e-news pieces and in the pages of Chauffeur Driven magazine. Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com for more information.
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L to R: Mary Thompson and Jeff Conly of Vitesse Worldwide, CD Publisher Chris Weiss, and Barry Gross and Aaron Trich of Driver Provider
Scottsdale, Ariz. — The Arizona Limousine Association (ALA) recently convened at the Talking Stick Resort & Casino for an innovative Summer Educational Summit on June 20-21. Approximately 45 members and guests attended the two-day meeting and educational retreat, including operators spanning the Copper State as well as speakers from across the country, including CD Publisher Chris Weiss. CD also served as A/V sponsor for the event.
“At our meeting in November, one of our Board members brought up the idea of doing a two-day combination seminar and seminar,” says ALA President Jeff Conly of Vitesse Worldwide. “Our business around here tends to drop in mid-June, so we had a perfect window to work in the event into our schedule.”
Day one of the summit began with a look at the state of the industry, followed by lunch courtesy of sponsor Amerifuel. Next came a presentation from Wells Fargo, which outlined the pros and cons of buying and leasing in the luxury ground transportation industry. ALA Board Member Jim Luff of Chosen Payments then offered attendees an overview of the costs and fees associated with credit card payments before a representative of Lancer Insurance spoke about the distracted driving and driver responsibility.
NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury
The day came to a close with a long-in-the-works visit from Matthew Contorelli, the director of government & legislative affairs in the Arizona governor’s office.
“We’ve been trying to get someone from the government’s office to talk to us for a long time, and they’ve managed to put us off for a few years,” says Conly. “It was huge that Mr. Contorelli came out, and he actually set us up with a meeting with the governor’s transportation coordinator in a few weeks.”
Controrelli’s appearance afforded the ALA members the opportunity to share their concerns regarding TNCs, specifically the IO model and the lack of an even playing field.
“We provided him with a number of stats showing how the TNCs have affected major companies that employ a lot of people in the state,” says Conly. “We also making a bigger push for fingerprinting and stronger background checks that don’t just rely on a driver’s name. We also want TNCs in Arizona to have commercial vehicles so police know they’re transporting people.”
The second day of the ALA Summer Summit began with a visit from NLA President Garry Buffo of Pure Luxury, who spoke about the Association’s history, the new partnership with CD, and their future plans. Next, Weiss provided an update on CD happenings with an emphasis on the coming Shows in Boston and Las Vegas. He then raffled a pass to October’s CD Show in Boston, which was won by Marcin Pecak from Melmar Limo.
ALA Board Members and attendees at their first Summer Educational Summit
Industry consultant and CD columnist Ken Lucci kicked off Friday’s educational program with a session entitled Growing Your Business.
“Ken was a referral from a few of our members who below to the Spinning Wheels peer group. His seminar was outstanding and well received by the attendees. We’re hoping to have him come back out to do a two-day sales training for chauffeurs,” raves Conly.
After a luncheon provided by sponsor Grech Motors and a short presentation by Grech’s Larry Olivarez, the ALA welcomed The LMC Group’s Kristen Carroll, who concluded the summit with The Profit Imperative, an engaging session that inspired the attendees to re-think their approach to their all-important bottom line.
“Jeff Conly and the ALA board did a wonderful job putting together meaningful and relevant content,” says Carroll. “I was honored to have the opportunity to speak with this great group of operators, and I think we’ll be seeing more and more great things from the ALA in the months and years to come.”
Conly was pleased with the attendance and the response he received from ALA members about the Summit. The association plans to make it an annual event.
“This was a well-received event. The feedback I’ve gotten from the members has all been positive. We’ll do it again next year for sure. Hopefully, we’ll be able to attract operators from out of state, and maybe make it more of a weekend getaway.”
In the meantime, the ALA’s next event is their annual casino night fundraising in November. The date has yet TBD.
Visit azlimousineassociation.com for more information.
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FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service addresses the attendees of the June 18 meeting
Miami — It was a packed house at the Florida Limousine Association’s (FLA’s) June 18 member meeting, which saw an afternoon of both local and industry-wide education.
FLA President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service is also an NLA board member, and spoke of not only the new partnership between the national association and Chauffeur Driven but also how “membership has its privileges.” Versace detailed how the “best operators belong to a local association to keep up to date with what is going on in their local markets, as well as the National Limousine Association to keep abreast of national and international industry issues and events.”
He elaborated on how belonging to an association that places a premium on safety and upholding high standards “is like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval,” signaling to passengers and peers alike that your priorities are aligned—and the perks available to members, particularly association-exclusive affiliate and farm-out work, educational opportunities, and discounts on services and goods ranging from vehicle repairs to flowers.
More locally, members of the FLA are privy to FLA-Job Trade, a free tool available through WhatsApp that helps with the likes of recovering from service failures and booking additional work. FLA members and their staff are encouraged to sign up so that a message sent to the group reaches the widest audience possible to help operators work together.
With Super Bowl 2020 coming to Miami Gardens, it’s never too late for operators to begin preparing for professional sports’ biggest event and coordinating their efforts. Applications will become available as the event gets closer; temporary license dates are yet to be determined. Applications will be open to both unlicensed and licensed Miami-Dade County limousine/PMC license holders. Licensed companies will pay $100 per vehicle and unlicensed companies will pay $100 application fee and $100 per vehicle being licensed.
Companies that are unlicensed within Miami-Dade County will need to provide proof of licensing from their regulatory division. All companies will need to provide a COI showing vehicles being licensed and a copy of chauffeurs' licenses if they do not have a Miami-Dade County chauffeur registration.
The next FLA meeting will be July 30.
Visit floridalimousine.com for more information.
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