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Mary Elmahdi of Noble Transportation & Limousines baked a CD-themed spice cake for the occasion Orlando—The Signature Transportation Group office hosted the Central Florida Livery Association’s (CFLA’s) October 10 evening meeting, where CD’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela was on hand as a guest speaker.
After CFLA President Wendy Kleefisch called the meeting to order by observing a moment of silence for victims of the Las Vegas shootings, the tone shifted to a less somber one for member introductions and association business.
More than a dozen members, vendors, and supporters attended the October 10 CFLA meeting As Hurricane Irma and the storm’s aftermath were still fresh on everyone’s minds, the conversation inevitably led to how operators were coping and the logistics of recovery. It was addressed that insurance companies and banks have indicated that there will be no late fees incurred on claims and loans, respectively, as local companies claw their ways back to business as usual.
Meeting topics also included the construction at the Orlando airport’s Terminal C, its effect on dwell times and parking fees, and coping strategies to get chauffeurs and operators through to its expected completion by autumn 2018. Thanks to CFLA’s close working relationship with the airport’s Director of Operations Tom Draper, members have remained well aware of how the projects are progressing and how they can work around the necessary obstacles of improving MCO’s facilities.
CD’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela (right) with Gregg Moulton of Signature Transportation Group, who won a pass to the 2017 CD Show in Orlando In addition to Jagiela taking Q&As from those in attendance during his presentation, other speakers engaged the present members, too. Simon Aspery of TCreative shared his experiences gleaned from 15 years in the industry, including the vehicles he’s recently wrapped in observance of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
As the meeting closed out with plans for the association’s December 12 holiday party, Jagiela raffled off a pass to the 2017 Chauffeur Driven Show, which was won by CFLA board member Gregg Moulton of Signature Transportation Group. CFLA convenes every second Tuesday of the month, with its next member meeting November 14.
Visit cfla.org for more information. [CD1017]
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Orlando, Fla.,— With on-point education and speakers, a bustling show floor, electric nightlife, and an unforgettable charity event, we’ve put the wraps on the 2017 Chauffeur Driven Show, held October 22-25 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center. Many thanks to all of the attendees, exhibitors, speakers, moderators, mentors, committee members, and sponsors—including Title Sponsors Ford-Lincoln Livery Vehicles and Grech Motors—for making the show possible!
More than 1700 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. Once again, kudos to our Director of Events Jess Pavlow, who hit it out of the park!
As always, networking was the name of the game, as opportunities to share and learn among peers were in abundance. Dedicated events like our biggest-ever Affiliate Central Global Partner Forum, perennial favorite Operator Mentoring Program, and our returning Benchmark Breakouts were all met with raves from our attendees. With these events, and ample opportunity for some face-to-face time in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere provided by the Gaylord Palms, Chauffeur Driven Show veterans and rookies alike were sure to make some fresh connections.
“The Chauffeur Driven Show in Orlando was a great learning experience,” said Kate Cronk of About Town Limousines/Diamond Limousines. “I met some awesome operators from around the world and picked up a lot of knowledge to apply to our operation and make it the best it can be. I look forward to growing with all of our staff.”
A similar sentiment was shared by first-time attendee Braidor Jimenez from Moveo. “This was my first, but certainly not last, show. I was able to put a face to so many voices we’ve been doing business with for years, and we made a lot of new connections and learned so much about the industry. Thank you CD for this wonderful event.”
While the convenience provided by the all-under-one-roof Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center no doubt contributed to the traffic seen on this year’s enormous show floor, Monday and Tuesday’s lunches and happy hours certainly added to the fun. In addition, the Show Bucks promotion was an instant success, giving operators an extra bit of encouragement when it came to bringing home something new for the business.
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 outdoor courtyard for a Hawaiian Luau, complete with Polynesian dancers, fire throwers, and photo booth fun with real live exotic animals. The following night, things got a bit hair-raising as CD held a Halloween costume party. Not only did the ballroom host ghouls like a stilt-walking Grim Reaper and a zombie doll come to life, but the industry stepped up and donned some of the most creative, hilarious, and spectacular costumes we’ve seen to date. And will we ever forget the army of Elvises immortalized by some of the industry’s most notable operators?
But, without a doubt, a true highpoint of the show was Chauffeur Driven’s annual Charity Dinner and Auction. For the second year, we’ve given our support to WISH for OUR HEROES, a non-profit dedicated to assisting men and women of the United States military and their families. Thanks to the generosity of the auction’s donors, as well as those who bid on the offered items, we were able to top last year’s total and raise nearly $140,000 in one evening. Special thanks to Grech Motors and their donation of a shuttle bus to the auction, which secured $50,000 for the charity. With Saturday’s first annual Tom Mazza Charity Golf Tournament earning $17,000 towards ALS research, this year’s CD show will go down as one to remember.
“As a MoM (Mother of Marine), I can honestly say that the benefit for WISH for OUR HEROES made me so proud of everyone in this industry,” said Tami Jacobs from Creative Bus Sales. “I’d like to thank everyone that donated because it definitely goes to a great cause.”
We’re already jazzed about next year’s Executive Retreat to be held at San Diego’s Pendry Hotel on May 6-8, not to mention the 2018 show at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center just outside of Washington, D.C., on October 7-10. In the meantime, look for a full recap of the 2017 Chauffeur Driven Show—as well as loads of pictures—in the December issue of the magazine.
Visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com for more information. [CD1017]
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Orlando—After twenty years, these SUVs are still industry staples and better than ever! The all-new 2018 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator will be unveiled on Monday, October 23 at 4:30 p.m. at the Ford-Lincoln booth (#500) on the CD Show floor. These anticipated vehicles are packed with technology, are lighter yet stronger for top fuel efficiency, and provide all of the comfort and room that your passengers expect.
Join us on Monday at the Lincoln booth for some appetizers and champagne (courtesy of Ford-Lincoln Limousine & Livery Vehicles) before the big reveal. You can also check out the preview article published in October 2017 issue of Chauffeur Driven HERE that has all the details you need and want about these industry-setting SUVs.
For a sneak peek at the Navigator, check out the video below, courtesy of Towne Livery. You can David Bastian and his crew at booth #80 on the show floor. While you’re there, be sure to use your brand-new Show Bucks. These coupons can be used like cash to defray the cost of a product or service with a participating vendor. They are printed with your badge and expire at the close of the show floor on Wednesday, October 25, so don’t throw away free money!
Visit ford.com and lincoln.com for more information.
View the Towne Livery video HERE.