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Immediate Past GOLA President Cliff Wright of Royal Coach and Limousine Orlando, Fla. — The Greater Orlando Limousine Association (GOLA) held their membership meeting on May 16 at the Clarion Hotel International Airport. In addition to the 12 members and vendors present, those unable to make the meeting were able to view the meeting online thanks to Jeremy Levine of Sweetwater Limousine, who broadcast it on Facebook Live.
GOLA President Isaac Hernandez opened the meeting by introducing vendors. Next, CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela gave a presentation on the value of building and maintaining successful business relationships with vendors. His discussion also included tips for operators on establishing a consistent brand, adapting with changes, and the benefits of networking at trade shows and with fellow association members. Jagiela also stressed the importance of being active in both the industry and your local association.
Next, the always complicated situation at Orlando’s MCO international airport was broached. With Florida’s statewide regulations for TNCs taking effect on July 1, the association planned to take part in a meeting with airport officials on May 23. Matters to be debated are the new Port Canaveral procedures and how the airport plans to deal with TNCs under the new guidelines. Meanwhile, the City of Orlando is taking a “status quo” approach until July, and may still enforce using its own standards.
Amal Popat of Orlando Wedding Car Technology was the next topic of the evening, as the association talked about how a website is a value-added proposition for all members. Also, there was a discussion about FalconX, a new mobile app that offers many of the same benefits as the TNCs for the chauffeured ground transportation industry along with the offer of more compensation for companies that sign up for the platform.
Before the meeting was adjourned, a pass to the upcoming CD Trade Show & Conference was raffled off. The winner was Rene Garcia of Rencia Luxury Transportation. The evening ended with a live internet broadcast of “GOLA Vision,” which included interviews with Jagiela, vendor spotlights, and a vehicle showcase.
GOLA’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 20.
Visit getaroundorlando.com for more information.
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ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine and Bus (left) and Aleja Seabron of The LMC Group The Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) held its annual meeting May 10, which also coincided with the association’s 30th anniversary. More than 80 members and supporters attended the yearly in-person meeting.
ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine and Bus kicked off the event with a mid-year progress report and by announcing the 2017 board of directors, who include:
President: Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine and Bus
Secretary-Treasurer: Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks
Directors: Beth Cox of Cox Livery Service, Scott Delheimer of Class Act Limousine, Ron Hoye of Carey/Embarque Chicago, Sarah McKee of Chosen Payments (vendor), Art Rento of Pontarelli Companies, Brian Sheely of Epic Limo, Chris Weiss of Chauffeur Driven (vendor), and Brian Whitaker of Windy City Limousine and Bus
ILA Vendor Member Sarah McKee (left) and Lisa Powell of Chosen Payments The day hosted four speakers: Richard Fertig of Brilliant Transportation, Aleja Seabron of The LMC Group, and Commissioner Samantha Fields and Deputy Commissioner Rupal Bapat of City of Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP).
Fertig took to the podium first to discuss the importance of work/life balance. He offered advice on ways to scale and automate one’s business to grow profits while also managing to enjoy life beyond the office. After lunch, Seabron delivered her presentation on providing customer service online, delving into topics such as capitalizing on increasingly web-reliant and tech-savvy consumers and how to adjust to the changing customer-service landscapes such trends create. Fields and Bapat capped off the presentation portion of the day with their report on changes to the Charter Sightseeig Ordinance and taking a variety of questions from those in attendance.
More than 80 people were present for the ILA’s annual meeting Fourteen exhibitors had their products and services on display, with nine vehicles of all kinds available for an up-close preview. The day also included an array of industry-supplied raffles.
The next ILA meeting will be its July 12 board meeting, which is open to all current and potential members.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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Rockleigh, N.J. — The latest model of Volvo’s flagship sedan, with an array of luxury interiors, is now available with 40.5 inches of rear legroom and a special offer for livery providers.
The 2018 S90 combines connectivity, safety, and materials to create a “Scandinavian Sanctuary”—a feeling of refinement, peacefulness, and elegance. The livery package offers standard WiFi connectivity, a premium armrest, power rear side and back window sunshades with four-zone climate.
“Riding in a 2018 S90 will provide customers an experience unlike anything else available in livery services,“ says North Holbrook, manager of Commercial Sales for Volvo Car USA, “it’s a car that will have customers constantly coming back.”
Livery drivers will enjoy Pilot Assist, a semi-autonomous driver’s aid that can assist in acceleration and steering up to 80mph. Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System keeps an eye on cars hiding in blind spots and steer assist helps prevent merging into other cars on the highway. City Safety, featuring pedestrian, vehicle, cyclist, and large animal detection with automatic emergency braking is also standard.
“Volvo has been partnering with fleet organizations for 25 years and is fully committed to servicing the livery industry with a sound business infrastructure, focused on making Livery less complicated,” adds Holbrook.
The Volvo S90 Livery offer features the company’s highly efficient T5 engine, providing 250 horsepower with an option for all wheel drive. An expansive 13.5-cubic foot trunk is large enough to handle large suitcases and other items. The 2018 S90 Livery package comes with a 36-month,150,000 mile warranty with the first three factory scheduled maintenance services complimentary.
A pre-negotiated Livery price for the 2018 S90 FWD is $44,830 and AWD is $47,885. Livery operators can choose a vehicle from expected stock or custom order a car.
Visit volvocars.com/us for more information.
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