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Key findings from a new survey from the US Travel Association (USTA) reveal that 84 percent of business travelers expect to take at least one trip to attend conferences, conventions, or trade shows in the next six months. It also found that while fewer than one in 10 US business travelers are uncertain if they would travel in the next six months, citing the lack of in-person conferences. Corporate policies restricting business travel was the second-highest reason for uncertainty.
Business travelers also expect to resume traveling at a slightly slower pace compared to pre-pandemic levels, averaging about 1.6 trips per month (compared to 1.7 monthly trips pre-pandemic).
“The return of in-person meetings and events—and business travel in general—is a welcome sight after more than two years of pandemic-related uncertainty,” said USTA President & CEO Roger Dow. “There is simply no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, which is proven to lead to more fruitful business opportunities and can help power an economic and jobs recovery in communities across America.”
U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Roger Dow
While USTA forecasts that business travel spending was still down 60 percent from pre-pandemic levels in 2021, the Quarterly Business Travel Tracker’s latest data shows a clear shift in American business travelers’ desire to return to in-person meetings.
Another component of the Quarterly Business Travel Tracker shows that while business travel activity slowed somewhat in Q1 2022, business conditions for travel such as GDP and business investment are quite favorable, reaching an index of 105 for Q2 2022 (2019=100).
Meanwhile, Meeting Professionals International (MPI)’s Winter Meetings Outlook —released earlier in the year when Omicron was still impacting the meetings industry—may shed some additional light from the meeting planner’s perspective. Because conventions are often planned many months ahead of time, the lag may not match the growing optimism and positive signs in the business community that is overwhelmingly ready to return to in-person meetings and events.
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The “great resignation” also had an impact on the meeting and event industry, with 60 percent of respondents indicating difficulty finding suitable staff—which is more than double the percentage of respondents who said the same last summer.
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82 percent of respondents project favorable business conditions over the next year, back up to the level seen in the spring 2021 survey.
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The percentage of respondents anticipating favorable live attendance over the next 12 months is at 75 percent, almost matching the all-time high seen in the summer 2021 survey.
Visit ustravel.org and mpi.org for more information.
[04.11.22]
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Stand up and give yourself a round of applause: You—our attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors—made the 2022 CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas a runaway success. From our jam-packed educational sessions to the bustling show floor, there was an unprecedented energy on full display at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. It was crystal clear that the industry was more than ready to get back together after two years away, and we can’t thank you enough for your enthusiasm for the event. And a special thank you goes to our Title Sponsors Ford-Lincoln Livery Vehicles and Volvo for their continued support and their part in putting together the event of the season (you can see the entire list of our generous sponsors at cdnlavegas.com).
From our standing-room-only Sunday morning opening session, The Secret to Recruiting and Retaining Top Performers, it was evident that our attendees were hungry for timely solutions to current challenges. With that very goal in mind, the CD/NLA Education Committee, spearheaded by co-chairs Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide (who also moderated several of the sessions) and Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine & Bus, knocked it out of the park with their programming. Whether it was seminars about preparing to buy or sell a company, sales strategies, retail work, fleet options, cannabis policies, or remote employees, our attendees showed up ready to learn. Equally popular were panel discussions like the Small Operator Roundtable and Corporate Travel and Client Panel, which garnered rave reviews from those in attendance. Once again, Education Sponsor FASTTRAK Cloud (along with Coffee Sponsor Buffalo Limousine) stepped up and played an important role in bringing pertinent knowledge to operators of all sizes and markets.
There are certain events at CD/NLA Shows that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers: The always-popular Affiliate Central Global Partner Forum (sponsored by Volvo) featured wall-to-wall networking among operators looking to gain new partners and expand their business network, while our International Meet & Greet and Women in the Industry Event (sponsored by Ford-Lincoln, Carolina Limousine & Coach, and Urban Worldwide) attracted operators from around the globe and offered ample opportunities for handshakes and business cards to be swapped. And there was no shortage of new faces at the show, which made our First-Timers’ Event an elbow-to-elbow introduction to the CD/NLA experience. And, speaking of packed houses, our State of the Industry, moderated by CD President Chris Weiss and sponsored by Grech Motors, was another SRO event as perspectives from six whip-smart operators of varied sizes and years in the business were shared to a rapt crowd.
Networking abounded at every corner of the show, not just the events dedicated to mingling. Operators were making new friends and exchanging information at our morning breakfasts and afternoon lunches on the show floor, running into each other in elevators or on the way to dinner, or while grabbing a drink at the property’s bars or during our show floor Happy Hours. It’s clear that our attendees meant business!
That electricity, however, extended way past our session rooms; there was a visible climate of commerce on our show floor as operators were actively buying vehicles, technology, and services as they got a taste of the latest products from the more than 75 vendors who were present. As operators are actively looking to replenish their fleet, the show floor presented the perfect opportunity with bus, motorcoach, and OEM exhibitors on hand to supply the newest models geared for our industry. It was clear that, for many attendees, being on an active show floor for the first time in two years sparked the urge to shake hands and close deals—especially as vehicles are in high demand.
And of course, our nighttime networking events kept the energy high long after the lights were turned off in our classrooms. This year, we brought a bit of the carnival midway experience to our show floor for our Opening Night Show Floor Soiree on Sunday night. Live entertainers regaled our attendees with their feats of gravity-defying ball and stilt walking, while magicians mystified with their sleight of hand, and tarot card readers reveled the secrets of the future. What’s more, Marilyn and Elvis strolled alongside the sleek cars, buses, and motorcoaches on display, while caricature artists and photo booths provided show-goers with a light-hearted souvenir. On Monday, we revved the time-travelin’ DeLorean to 88 mph as we channeled the days of beepers and neon with our Totally Awesome ’80s Party, which allowed attendees to relive the decade of decadence. Whether it was crimped and gravity-defying hair or dressing like Marty McFly, our industry got caught up in ‘80s fever and jumped into things full swing. And the DJ’ed music and quick bites—not to mention our endless drinks—transported us all to a time when things were radder and “zoom” wasn’t the dreaded virtual meeting platform.
Once again, we thank our sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and attendees for making this yet another event for the books. With the 2022 CD/NLA Show in the rear-view mirror, we look forward to seeing our friends and colleagues at the future Chauffeur Driven and NLA events we have planned for 2022. First is the Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat, scheduled for June 12-14 in Miami Beach. Limited to 200 operators, our Retreats offer a blend of high-level educational content, local food and flavor, tours, and team-building events, with, a bit of quality time by the pool or on the sand to create an amazing, relaxing, and revitalizing experience from beginning to end. Then, November 13-16, we return to the Gaylord National, just outside of Washington, D.C., for our fall CD/NLA Show. With our industry fully in comeback mode, we anticipate a year of memorable events and high profits for luxury ground transportation.
We’ll have plenty of photos and reminiscence of the 2022 CD/NLA Show in our next issue of Chauffeur Driven, which will be available in your inbox or at chauffeurdriven.com later this month.
[04.05.22]
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- Category: Industry News
Drvn, the global technology and chauffeur service company based in Coral Gables, Fla., recently announced it has ceased operations in Russia in support of, and in solidarity with, Ukraine. Hundreds of companies worldwide have either severely limited or withdrawn entirely from working with Russia, including GM, Expedia, and Apple, due to the ongoing invasion.
“We have been operating in Russia for nine years, focusing on corporate, executive, and leisure travel in St. Petersburg and Moscow,” said drvn CEO Mario Medina. “We are appalled by the attacks on Ukraine and deeply concerned about the safety of our chauffeurs, our clientele, and their families in the affected areas. As such, we stopped operations in Russia on February 25.”
As an added act of solidarity, drvn is donating a penny per mile for all drvn trips worldwide to a Ukrainian relief effort spearheaded by the National Bank of Ukraine. The relief effort provides funding to the country’s Armed Forces and the Ministry of Social Policy. To date, hundreds of millions have been raised to provide food and shelter for refugees and citizens, including clothing, shoes, medicine, staple goods for the population, financial aid, and more.
For more information or to make a donation, visit https://bank.gov.ua/en/news/all/natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-rahunok-dlya-gumanitarnoyi-dopomogi-ukrayintsyam-postrajdalim-vid-rosiyskoyi-agresiyi. (Editor's note: While this link has been verified, always do your due diligence before donating for your safety.)
Visit drvn.com for more information.
[04.05.22]