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Marlton, N.J.— We could not be any more pumped up for the upcoming Chauffeur Driven show in Boston, held October 13-16 at the Westin Boston Waterfront. And based on what we’re hearing from those in the industry, we’re not alone in that fervor. There has been nothing but positive energy circulating from attendees and vendors about both the location and the show itself: Registration is significantly higher than our normal attendance numbers for this point in the summer, and our expansive show floor is more than 80 percent sold out.
Boston has always been one of our dream destinations for our annual show, but it was always a challenge for find a location and rate that would be ideal for our guests. We’re thrilled to be hosting this year’s event at the Westin Boston Waterfront, located in the city’s vibrant—and convenient—Seaport district. Whether you come to the show by road, train, or air, the host property is an easy commute. And once again, everything will be under one roof. All the sessions, the show floor, and even the nightlife you’ve come to love at CD Shows are a short walk from your hotel room.
And speaking of your accommodations, Chauffeur Driven has secured a room block at the Westin for the unbelievable rate of $239 per night. If you’re familiar with the Seaport area (or anywhere in the city, really), you know that this price is beyond reasonable. Just a quick search on popular internet booking sites shows comparable properties asking more than twice our room rate.
To make this rate a possibility, CD forfeited our concessions and standard commission, an almost unheard of practice in the event-planning world. While some event producers have been known to actually inflate the room block rate to profit from their attendees, exhibitors, and overall contingency, CD and NLA were so intent about coming to Boston that we were willing to make these allowances to make this show a reality (and affordable).
As you can imagine, with a rate this low, the hotel room block is filling up more quickly than previous years. Whatever you do, don’t wait until it’s too late: visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com today to register and secure your room.
We have a ton of information about Boston coming in the next few weeks, so look for updates in the pages of CD, our e-news, and online as we edge ever closer to October—it will be here before you know it. Many thanks to all of our incredibly generous and supportive sponsors, including Title Sponsors Grech Motors and Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles. We can’t wait to see you in Boston!
Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com or contact Director of Events Jess Pavlow at jess@chauffeurdriven.com for more information.
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L to R: Denis Alexander of Mercedes-Benz of San Diego, Shennen Marschner of Mercedes-Benz USA, and GCLA President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group with the new 2019 15-passenger Sprinter
San Diego — As of July 1, all members of the Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) will now benefit from the Mercedes-Benz Members Discount Program, regardless of fleet size.
For the cost of membership—$75 for in-state operators; $225 for affiliate members based outside California—there are thousands of dollars in savings on the table for the dealer’s executive vans throughout the remainder of 2019 and the entirety of 2020.
The discount breakdown for model-year 2019 vehicles is:
Metris Cargo Van: $2,8000
Metris Passenger Van: $4,200
Sprinter Cargo Van: $5,000
Sprinter Crew Van: $5,000
Sprinter Passenger Van: $5,500
Sprinter Cab Chassis: $3,000
For model-year 2020 vehicles, the discounts are:
Metris Cargo Van: $2,7000
Metris Passenger Van: $3,700
Sprinter Cargo Van (Gas): $1,750
Sprinter Cargo Van (Diesel): $4,000
Sprinter Passenger Van: $4,100
Sprinter Cab Chassis: $3,000
The news broke during the association’s San Diego meeting last month—and came as a pleasant surprise to everyone, according to Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide, who serves as both a GCLA Director and chairman of its Legislative Committee.
GCLA Director and Chairman of Legislative Committee Mark Stewart of CLI Worldwide
“When we had our San Diego meeting in June, Mercedes-Benz of San Diego stepped up to be the official meeting sponsor—and then, unbeknownst to us, Denis Alexander from Mercedes of San Diego had reached out to Shennen Marschner at Mercedes’ corporate office to somehow put this deal together in the eleventh hour right before the meeting, where they announced it,” Stewart explained. “It’s really a huge perk that’s normally only available to operators with 25 vehicles or more—and let’s face it, most of our members are smaller companies.”
Stewart added that the discount is only available to members within the United States, though it is not limited to a one-time purchase.
“It’s not a one-and-done deal: However many of these vehicles you purchase, you get the discount on all of them for the remainder of this year and into 2020,” Stewart said. Additionally, the rebate is applicable at any Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Commercial Van dealer in the U.S., so long as the purchaser is a GCLA member in good standing.
While Stewart said that the discount program is great for members, he went on to extoll the benefits it offers the association overall. “It’s a huge marketing tool for the GCLA: We help operators and vendors strengthen their relationships, we keep local members in the know and provide information to our affiliate members who need to know what goes on in LA, San Diego, San Francisco, and all the airports through our distribution lists—plus, for the price of membership, you can enjoy a discount with tremendous amount of savings, so why not join the GCLA?”
To the point of relationships, Stewart said that’s what this discount is ultimately all about.
“Mercedes-Benz of San Diego is a vendor member: You can go to any Mercedes dealer, but these guys are supporting the livery industry by listening to us and helping us out,” he explained. “We should support a dealership that supports us with something really big and a major benefit. When people who ask why they should renew their membership—well, a huge break from a member supplier is just another incredible benefit.”
The next GCLA meeting will be September 17 in Los Angeles.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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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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