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- Category: Industry News
L to R: Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss with Shawn Abaspor and Mary Thompson of Vitesse Worldwide San Diego — The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) held its 50th annual convention in San Diego from August 11-15. GBTA celebrated its 50-year history while looking ahead, as innovation and the future of business travel management were the predominant themes throughout the five-day industry gathering that brought together nearly 7,000 travel professionals and industry leaders, including Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss.
GBTA held its first-ever Awareness 5K Run & Walk to raise awareness and funding to stop human trafficking on Sunday morning of Convention with more than 200 registered participants. GBTA continued to raise money throughout Convention, presenting a $20,000 check on Wednesday to benefit ECPAT-USA and its efforts to end child exploitation and trafficking.
L to R: Mike Cheney, Rebecca Sahlin, Tami Saccoccio, and Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide GBTA made two key announcements during Convention including the merger of WINiT for Women into GBTA. The merger will allow GBTA to take WINiT’s mission worldwide. Members of GBTA and WINiT will benefit through access to both organization’s programs, services, and an expanded network of approximately 12,000 industry professionals. Additionally, leadership from GBTA and the Institute of Travel Management (ITM), the leading managed business travel association in the UK and Ireland, announced a joint venture that is part of a deeper, collaborative partnership between both associations kicking off with a London-based event for the managed travel and meetings sector on January 31, 2019.
GBTA Convention 2018 featured top industry leaders on Center Stage focused on business travel’s most pressing issues. As only the third person in 90 years to head the largest hotel company in the world, Marriott International President & CEO Arne Sorenson shared his outlook on the business travel industry, the shakeup over group commissions and the company’s home-sharing strategy in a one-on-one interview with GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick.
Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Best Western Hotels, led a session of top female business travel executives sharing their insights on the unique challenges they faced as women arriving in leadership positions within their companies. Although their personal leadership journeys differed, their advice for women in the business travel industry coalesced around a few core themes: taking risks, thriving through failure and talking the talk.
Transportation Security Administrator (TSA) David Pekoske and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan took the stage together for the first-time in an interview with McCormick where the two highlighted technology’s potential to dramatically increase security and passenger facilitation. On the horizon, the two agencies are also planning to better integrate the PreCheck and Global Entry programs.
Kurt Ekert, CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, led a panel of experienced travel buyers in a shift from typical GBTA Convention Center Stage sessions, which often put a supplier on the hot seat. The discussion focused on the growing responsibilities for travel buyers and technology’s increasing role in travel management as buyers work to ensure duty of care responsibilities and cost-savings measures are in place, while also balancing individual traveler preferences and convenience.
L to R: Mike Pagano, Art Miesemer, Lauren Nock, and Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide Center Stage wrapped up with Guy Langford, Deloitte’s Vice Chairman, U.S. Transportation, Hospitality, & Services Leader, asking a panel of executives covering various sectors of the business travel industry if bigger really is better, prompting a discussion of advantages and disadvantages of industry consolidation. Being bigger can help companies learn, negotiate better and innovate, the panelists said, as bigger companies often have advantages in boosting investments in marketing and new technology to meet consumers’ evolving expectations. Being larger can also create disadvantages, especially when growing through acquisition as you must understand how to assimilate and integrate diverse cultures and systems.
The keynote stage at Convention Arena featured sports icon, social justice pioneer, and entrepreneur Billie Jean King; investor on ABC’s Shark Tank, chairman of O’Shares ETF Investments Financial Group, and bestselling author Kevin O’Leary; and John Walsh, victims' rights advocate and host of Discovery ID's In Pursuit with John Walsh.
L to R: Maria Mella and Liz Carisone of GroundLink and Mark Tourgeman of Royal Knights Limousine More than 170 education sessions gave travel professionals of all levels more opportunities than ever to help them advance their careers and improve their travel programs. Topics covered top travel industry issues including duty of care, technology and innovation, procurement, and sustainability. Attendees can access all of these sessions and more with GBTA Convention 2018 On Demand.
The sold-out Expo Floor featuring more than 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest and greatest in business travel products and services. Nearly 30 companies participated in GBTA’s fourth annual media day and shared their breaking news announcements.
GBTA concluded the event with 6,755 attendees—including more than 1,350 buyers—making this the largest GBTA Convention in history and one of the largest gatherings of travel professionals in the world.
The 2019 convention will be in Chicago from August 3-7.
Visit gbta.org for more information.
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- Category: Industry News
Marlton, N.J. — We’re just weeks from the biggest industry event of the fall, the Chauffeur Driven Show. Not only are we thrilled to bring the show back to the Northeast from October 6-10, and but we couldn’t be more excited to be on the banks on the Potomac at the beautiful Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center. Conveniently located just outside of D.C., our all-under-one-roof host property is right in the heart of one of the country’s newest and hottest destinations, National Harbor.
Once again, we’re giving attendees the opportunity to take part in our Show Bucks promotion. If you’ve forgotten or are unaware of this CD-exclusive offer, you’ll receive Show Bucks upon registering that you can use exclusively on the show floor. Participating exhibitors will be accepting this CD currency like cash, and how much you have in hand depends on when you register. Each Show Bucks coupon will be in denominations of $50, $75, $100, or $150, allowing you to save cash on the latest services, products, or even vehicles. Note: Show Bucks cannot be used by or transferred to attendees other than the individual whose name is on each slip.
Speaking of our show floor, this year’s exhibit hall clocks in at nearly 110,000 square feet, virtually guaranteeing there will be something for everyone there. The show floor is where you can find the latest, most in-demand services, products, technology, and vehicles available to the industry. We’re nearly sold out, so vendors should reserve their spaces now to get in on the action.
The show floor activity kicks off with Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:15 p.m., which will be followed immediately by a Champagne Toast at the Ford-Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles booth. The floor will be open until 7:15 p.m. on its first day, which will include a Happy Hour beginning at 6:15 p.m. Come back Tuesday from 2:15 to 6:15 p.m., and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The show floor: What a great lineup of vehicles and products! We even bought two Mercedes-Benz Sprinters from McSweeney Designs to add to our fleet,” says Barbara White of VIP Transportation Group in Orlando, Fla.
While you’re making your way through our expansive exhibit hall, be sure to check out the food and drink options included in the price of admission. A Titus Leasing-sponsored lunch will begin Tuesday’s show floor hours starting at 2:15 p.m., while a happy hour from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. will close out the day. And our final day will include a continental breakfast and brunch at 11 a.m. so you can head home well-fed.
But wait—there’s even more! Our shows are non-stop opportunities for education, and this one is no exception: Be sure to catch our two bonus show-floor sessions, starting with Getting Up to Speed With Bus Compliance at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Creative Revenue Streams Right Under Your Nose with Alan Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine and Daniel Perez of DPV Transportation at noon on Wednesday.
If you haven’t registered yet, there is still time. Head over to chauffeurdrivenshow.com and enroll. While you’re there, be sure to pre-register for our popular Benchmark Breakouts. Scheduled for Monday, October 8, at 11:45 a.m., this event lets you brainstorm with a small group of your fellow operators who share a revenue bracket, company role, or niche along with a true understanding of your unique issues and successes. This is your opportunity to discuss ideas and explore solutions with like-minded individuals. Led by an industry moderator, Benchmark Breakouts lets you learn from your peers in the following groups:
- Less than $2M in Gross Annual Revenue
- $2-5M in Gross Annual Revenue
- Over $5M in Gross Annual Revenue
- Affiliate Managers
- Operations Managers
- International Operators
- Motorcoach Operators
Space is limited in each of the Benchmark Breakouts groups, and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t miss out.
Also, bear in mind that space at the Gaylord National is filing up fast! Make sure you mention that you’re with the Chauffeur Driven Show to get our awesomely discounted room rate of $229/night, which is good from October 3 through the end of our show in case you wanted a working vacation before getting down to business.
Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com for more information.
[CD0818]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Api Dogan of Infinity Transportation 
Ibro Torlo of Signature Transportation Group 
Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine Chicago — In response to an ordinance that has added layers of difficulty and confusion to group ground transportation in Chicago, the region’s operations have been fighting a two-pronged effort to help city officials understand the difficulties that the new laws present.
The ordinance mandates that if a bus group stops at a restaurant or venue (concert, sports game, festival, etc.) where there is an opportunity to consume alcohol (regardless of whether the passengers actually do), the bus must have a licensed security guard present and a security camera in use. Additionally, upon entering the city of Chicago, the bus company is responsible for presenting the ordinance to each passenger to inform them of the prohibited act. Finally, duties are applied to company, driver, and security guard to report any passenger violations to authorities. Fines for noncompliance with city regulations can range from $100 to $10,000. Earlier this year, Chicago touted over $80,000 in fines had been issued to noncompliant charter bus operators. (You can read previous CD coverage of this issue here.)
This is a moderate improvement from the ordinance’s original parameters. But, as livery professionals are pointing out, the current rules still apply to instances like a field trip to the museum for schoolchildren or a night at the theater for groups of senior citizens, as either destination serves alcohol.
The Chicago Bus Coalition (CBC)—spearheaded by Api Dogan of Infinity Transportation, Carl Ekberg of Chicago Classic Coach, and Ibro Torlo of Signature Transportation Group—has been established to address this issue and present one unified front for ground transportation outfits with buses accounting for significant segments of their fleets, services, or membership. Members of the coalition have been meeting with the likes of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Rosa Escareno, her staff, representatives from Choose Chicago, and other city officials to discuss how an ordinance originally designed to halt criminal activity resulting from illicit party buses has created endless headaches from transportation operators who simply want to go about their business without dodging red tape and navigating inconsistent applications of an ordinance that “isn’t doing what it intended to do.”
“We’re all opposed to these party buses and illegal operations,” Dogan said. “But it’s hard to operate when we’re being told that school trips are ‘kind of’ expect from this ordinance. We’ve been working with the Chicago police, having meetings with the BACP, and trying to get meetings with the aldermen to educate them on this issue. We’ve been distributing fact sheets to everyone we meet with.”
CBC has united with numerous trade organizations, such as American Bus Association, United Motorcoach Association, Midwest Bus & Motorcoach Association, and even the similarly affected Greater Chicago Restaurant Association to amplify both its voice and its reach, and has been holding organizational meetings to further discuss its plan for the future. It’s also benefited from the support of industry vendors, such as Grech Motors and Executive Coach—both of which have donated $10,000 to the cause. Those donations have helped the CBC hire a lobbyist to aid in its efforts.
According to both Dogan and Ekberg, there is “some degree of optimism,” as they feel progress is being made these past few months.
But there is concern that “this piece of legislation could have national implications.” Operators are not only letting their affiliates know that the ordinance’s requirement of on-board security officers will be an additional line item to absorb, but also looking to see where similar rules are being—or have been—drawn up. Washington state is presently tackling the issue of alcohol by making each group apply for its own license, a solution that the CBC says is preferable to what Chicago-area operators are currently dealing with.
The Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) has also been tapping into its own resources and membership base to fight on behalf of the industry in its own ongoing meetings with city officials and appeals to tourism outfits like Choose Chicago, and President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine says that it, too, has seen its shares of successes during this long road.
“The ILA did get to change some things: The passenger limit was raised from groups of nine to 15, passenger signatures are no longer needed, and frisking them as they board the bus is no longer necessary,” she said. “We’re staying true to our mission to work with the city and get an amendment in the interest of Chicago’s transportation operators.”
Raimer added that, while it’s possible to eschew the ordinance, ILA members are encouraged to both familiarize themselves with and follow its rules—especially since there have been reports of undercover police stings about once a quarter, with the most recent one happening late this spring.
“It was because of the last sting that bus operators have really started panicking,” Raimer reports.
Indeed, many operators worry that such a restrictive ordinance will cast the Midwestern metropolis in a bad light that causes potential travelers, affiliates, and groups to shy away from doing business in Chicago. Raimer says that she’s already seeing the adverse effects. And with the north end of town being officials’ key focus for enforcement, any group visiting the iconic Wrigley Field is suddenly subject to scrutiny that isn’t always proportional to the security checks they may find themselves undergoing.
Arthur Rento of Pontarelli Companies and ILA vice president said that the ordinance was the result of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's attempt to decrease shootings on unlicensed party buses, but that it, as well as its enforcement, have become so overwrought that it's doing more harm than good—and that the ILA is working to further prove how the ordinance is going after the wrong operators.
"We've been contacting aldermen, meeting with the city, and fighting it through the proper channels," he said. "Any time there's any change, the city calls members of the ILA, who will sit down with them and go over it. We've been hammering them, bringing them to our meetings twice a year, having them speak at the meeting, and walking them through the consequences of it. The problem is that they're trying to hire all these policemen to enforce this, and maybe they don't know who the legally operating companies really are."
Rento added that the ordinance isn't the only issue that Chicago operators are working on. Recently, City Council has begun considering a new ordinance that would, among other things, force employers to post employees' schedules two weeks in advance or face a $500 penalty for each individual affected—a mandate that is all but impossible for the ground transportation industry's nature of last-minute bookings and always-changing travel plans to comply with.
These are developing issues that Chauffeur Driven will continue reporting on.
Visit the City of Chicago’s website at bit.ly/2C0RzAl for more information on the bus ordinance.
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