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- Category: Industry News
Forty members and guests took part in the Illinois Limousine Association’s (ILLBA) first Coffee With ILLBA Zoom session of the year on January 17, which shed some light on O’Hare 21, the expansion initiative designed to bring the airport into the 21st century. Guest speaker Tom Stastny, general manager of landside operations of the Chicago Department of Aviation, shared a PowerPoint presentation that provided updates on the airport’s ongoing construction and how it will affect the industry.
During the presentation, Stastny said that the goal of O’Hare 21 is to make the airport—one of the busiest hubs in the country—an “international gateway.” The expansion of Terminal 5 is almost complete, with 10 additional gates added to the complex. Furthermore, the terminal will have a new parking structure opening in 2024, and an enlargement of curbside and roadways near the terminal.
Also discussed was the upcoming replacement of Terminal 2, which is designed to “increase the efficiency” of the structure. This construction, however, isn’t expected to be completed until 2031.
During a Q&A with Stastny, ILLBA President Art Rento of Pontarelli Companies asked if the expansion and construction will have a negative impact on passenger pickup/drop-off. Stastny confirmed that there will likely be delays in traffic during the construction. Another operator asked if there will be separate parking for the livery industry once complete. According to Stastny, this ultimately won’t be considered until completion of the project.
Following the session with Stastny, ILLBA Executive Director Paula DeBiasi of Chicago Coachworks took advantage of the fact that many new faces took part in the webinar, and provided a brief overview of ILLBA’s 36-year history, including the advocacy, accomplishments, and goals for the future. Several prospective members inquired about joining the association.
As always, the Coffee With ILLBA session was recorded and will be posted on the organization’s YouTube channel. The next free webinar, dealing with building and maintaining affiliate relationships, is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22, and is open to all operators.
Visit illba.org for more information.
[01.23.23]
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- Category: Industry News
As hard as it is to believe, we’re just under two months away from the CD/NLA Show at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand from March 5-8. With the 2023 show expected to be our biggest ever, we have an incredible slate of sessions, seminars, and roundtables designed to bring instant ROI to operations of all sizes. But education isn’t just what happens in the classroom.
For the first time since 2020, we’re thrilled to bring a Keynote Speaker to the CD/NLA Show. In the past we’ve presented experts from travel, sales, and finance, but fresh for 2023, we’re thrilled to present renowned customer service expert John DiJulius as our esteemed Keynote.
DiJulius didn’t read the books on customer service, he wrote them: Secret Service, Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service, What’s The Secret? To Being a World Class Customer Service Organization, The Customer Service Revolution, The Best Customer Service Quotes Ever Said, and The Relationship Economy. One of the most captivating and charismatic speakers today, DiJulius’s keynotes and workshops are used by service companies across the country to provide unforgettable and top-notch customer service every day and offer real-life practical ideas for your daily business.
“John DiJulius is the master at making price irrelevant. Let him take your customer service to next level,” says Scott Woodruff of Majestic Limousine & Coach.
DiJulius isn’t just telling others how to do it. He not only has the experience of working with extremely large companies—including The Ritz-Carlton, Starbucks, Marriott, and Nordstrom, to name a few—but knows how to translate those processes to fit small business models as well. He’s also an entrepreneur just like you: DiJulius is the owner, president, and chief revolution officer of The DiJulius Group as well as the founder, president, and owner of John Robert’s Spa, which was named one of the Top 20 Salons in America with multiple locations (and over 150 employees) and where he tests and improves his philosophies every day. You can expect a high-energy presentation as he discusses his 10 commandments of customer service and explains how to improve the service aptitude of employees at all levels. Make sure this is on your itinerary this show!
“DiJulius is the expert in making price irrelevant by creating a great customer experience or CX. He was very engaging, funny, relevant, and what is needed right now in this economy. He teaches you not only about creating an experience, but training your employees in CX. DiJulius gives you an action plan to take your business to the next level,” raves Thomas Halsnik of Walsh Chauffeured Transportation.
In the meantime, have you registered for the show and booked your stay? Our early-bird registration rate of $495 is in full effect. But wait! NLA members save another $100 off that price. What’s more, we have an absolutely incredible room block available for only $135/night (Sun-Wed). That’s cheaper than the discount travel sites! Take advantage now to save some massive coin.
Visit.cdnlavegas.com for more information.
[01.18.23]
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- Category: Industry News
It’s looking good for meetings in 2023, at least according to the latest (December 2022) poll conducted by Northstar Meetings Group and Cvent. Overall, the semi-monthly survey, which included more than 400 meeting planners nationwide, found that optimism for the coming year is increasing as more in-person events are expected. COVID concerns are ticking downward and budgets are expected to at least match or exceed cost increases. In fact, 41 percent of those surveyed mentioned that they are booking new events for the upcoming months, and 67 percent expect to produce more meetings (up from 59 percent in the previous poll in September/October 2022).
Hybrid and Zoom Meetings?
Another positive note is that the hybrid/virtual meetings trend seems to have peaked, with 47 percent saying they will produce none in 2023, while 39 percent say it will only represent about 50 percent or fewer of their events. Just 3 percent say they will only host hybrid or online meetings.
Hotel Staffing
The question about concern over the lack of hotel staffing had been on the rise since January 2022, but ticked down slightly for the first time in the December poll.
Inflation and Spending
It seems that most planners have made peace with the skyrocketing costs of everything, and while they cite cost-cutting as an important concern, most planners (61 percent) indicate that they are increasing or matching their budgets in 2023.
Attendance Is Still an Issue
The one area that is still dogging event planners is attendance. Fewer than one-third of respondents expect to have more attendance at their events in 2023 compared to last year. Based on a previous 2022 survey, only 10 percent indicated that annual attendance was 90 percent or greater than pre-pandemic levels.
Results from the full poll are available for download here.
If you are a meeting planner or work with one who would be interested in participating, Northstar and Cvent are collecting data for its next survey now.
[01.17.23]