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Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association are excited to return to Nashville on June 4-7 for our Executive Retreat. This event—capped at just 200 operators—attracts many of the best and brightest owners in our industry for three days of education, networking, and fun with a distinctive local spin. And with Nashville recognized as Music City, you can bet that our nightlife will capitalize on the guitars and stars you’d expect from this incredible destination.
For example, our opening night dinner party is going to be held at the one-and-only Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk, Nashville’s biggest and baddest new honky-tonk! With five floors, four stages, and six bars—and a larger-than-life personality that matches its famed proprietor—this gorgeous honk-tonk is where many of the town’s shooting stars perform daily. Our private event will take over the sky-high fifth-story rooftop, which boasts the most stunning views of downtown Nashville. With a live band and unlimited Southern BBQ and drinks, you’ll mingle and network with your peers in true rock-and-roll style. And with the CMA’s being held in town just days away from our event, you’ll never know if a surprise guest will hop on one of the venue’s stages!
Then, after a day of intensive and enriching education on Monday, what better way to unwind than returning to the legendary Broadway district for an evening at a true Nashville country music institution and world-famous honky-tonk, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Operating across the alley from live music venue Ryman Auditorium almost continuously since 1960, Tootsie’s has served such famous customers as Kris Kristofferson, Faron Young, and Willie Nelson when they were still up-and-coming artists. On your way up to the exclusive private rooftop where you’ll dine on Nashville-inspired cuisine (i.e., famous Nashville chicken, smoked wings, brisket sliders, and much more), be sure to check out the photo and memorabilia–decked walls that offer a history of this decades-old, purple-faced establishment. Once again, we’ll have a live band playing just for us, so be prepared for some old school boot scoopin’ boogie.
If you’re feeling sassy, there’s plenty to see at these two venues after our private meals, or keep the fire lit at other honky-tonks along Broadway. Best of all, you’re just steps away from our host property, Hilton Downtown.
As always, thanks to our generous sponsors—including Platinum Sponsors EmpireCLS Worldwide and Lancer Insurance—for helping to make this incredible event possible.
Have you registered for the CD/NLA Executive Retreat yet? With just over a week left before our Early Bird Rate expires on April 21, now’s the time to sign up and save $100. And, don’t forget, the majority of your meals, including the two open-bar dinner parties on Sunday and Monday, are included in the price of admission. Simply click this link to register today.
Visit cdnlaexecutiveretreat.com for more information.
[04.12.23]
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- Category: Industry News
March Jobs and Inflation: The dance between the economy with the Federal Reserve that is tasked with bringing down the persistent inflation might be finally seeing some signs of life, if the latest jobs number is any indication. Despite the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and numerous layoffs in the tech sector, businesses added a healthy 236,000 jobs in March, falling 3,000 shy of expectations. This could indicate that the economy has cooled just enough to avoid a serious recession while reining in escalating prices of goods and services. Construction and manufacturing were the losers last month, shedding about 14,000 jobs, while leisure and hospitality added the most with 72,000. However, this was the fewest jobs added to the sector that was hit worst in the past three years, and associations like the US Travel Association are cautiously sounding the alarm as the summer is heating up to be a robust travel period—one that hospitality might not be able to accommodate without being fully staffed. Airlines are still grappling with crew and pilot shortages, causing cancellations and delays ahead of the busy months ahead. As for inflation, the Fed hasn’t announced any new rate hikes, but business publication Bloomberg says that one more might be necessary to tamp things down.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Insider, Bloomberg
April Is Distracted Driving Month:Throughout April, The National Safety Council (NSC) is marking its Distracted Driving Awareness Month and calling attention to the known and sometimes overlooked ways that a person can lose their focus while behind the wheel. The NSC has put together a packet to help educate drivers on how they can avoid the common pitfalls of distractions—whether it’s coming from passengers or electronics in the vehicle or pedestrians or cyclists in blind zones. Download the information materials here.
Source: National Safety Council
And the Locations of the Political Conventions Are…: It’s going to be a hot summer for Chicagoland as both parties have named Midwest cities for their upcoming 2024 conventions. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced this week that it has chosen Chicago as its home base in 2024, beating out ATL and the Big Apple. The festivities will take place between The United Center (home of the Chicago Bulls) and McCormick Place August 19-22, 2024. The Republican National Committee (RNC) was first to name Milwaukee as its host city late last summer—just 100 miles north of Chicago—ending its fierce contest with Nashville. Last December, the RNC confirmed its dates for July 15-18. The events are expected to take place at the Fiserv Forum (home of the Milwaukee Bucks), which is great news for the city. The arena was originally selected to be the home of the 2020 Democratic National Convention until it was postponed a month and largely downsized due to COVID, with most events taking place virtually from the smaller Wisconsin Center. Charlotte, N.C., also lost the chance to host the RNC due to COVID.
Sources: DNC, RNC
[04.11.23]
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- Category: Industry News
Northstar Meetings Group and Cvent have released their latest poll on what meeting planners expect in the coming months in the event space. The survey was conducted between March 21 and April 5.
According to the report, event bookings—especially those new for 2023—continue to contribute to confidence among planners (although slightly down from previous polls conducted this year), but there are some areas where they are raising some flags. Planners (30 percent) also report that they are still working through a backlog of events that were postponed during the pandemic, which is compounded with difficulties finding facilities, available dates, and rates as well as quicker turnaround times from planning to event. Attendance was also considered, with 52 percent saying that they expect an average number of attendees at 90 percent or better compared to 2022.
Some other key findings:
Planners are busier: Nearly two-thirds of planners expect more events in 2023 over the previous year., so they likely value relationships that make their jobs easier.
Average planning time is under a year: 53 percent of planners said they are booking events less than a year from the scheduled date.
International events are coming back: For US-based planners, Europe is dominating the scene with 68 percent of events expected on the continent.
Dollars aren’t going as far: Airline pricing rose as a top concern this survey, followed by meeting budgets and travel budgets. Hotel staffing and emergency response planning were also other concerns that ticked higher for planners. Among issues specific to the venue, food and beverage costs on the rise topped the list, as did overall rates and AV fees. Also, the lack of quick response from suppliers was another frustration of note.
COVID: Surprisingly, one in five planners say that COVID is still impacting their job for any reason, which could include the backlog of rescheduled events to the lack of staff in the hospitality industry to managing risks of an outbreak of illness.
The full report is available for download here.
[04.11.23]