- Details
- Category: Industry News
Keep yourself informed and connected to other members of the industry by attending these important meetings. You can also view meetings for the rest of the year on Chauffeur Driven’s Industry Events page.
Greater California Livery Association
Annual Meeting & Holiday Party (Los Angeles)
12/7 at 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. at The Proud Bird (registration required)
Maryland Motorcoach Association
Holiday Celebration Aboard the Hornblower (Baltimore)
12/9 at 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (registration required)
International Association of Transportation Regulators
“Regulatory Reboot” Conference (virtual)
12/13-12/17 (registration required)
Minority Limousine Operators of America
“Goal Setting for 2022” Meeting
12/15 at 2:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
New England Livery Association Quarterly Meeting
Quarterly Meeting
12/16 at 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. ET at Kowloon
Illinois Limousine & Bus Association
Coffee With ILLBA
12/21 at 10 a.m. CT via Zoom (registration required, email illinoislimousineassociation@gmail.com)
United Motorcoach Association
Weekly Town Hall
Every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET via Zoom (registration required)
Did we miss your association meeting? Let us know! Email susan@chauffeurdriven.com or rob@chauffeurdriven.com to be included in our calendar.
[11.23.21]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
On November 8 and 9, the Arizona Limousine Association (ALA) hosted its second Educational Summit at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. More than 25 members from across the state attended the event, which offered a variety networking and education opportunities to ALA members and guests. CD President Chris Weiss was in attendance, and provided a state of the industry update during the first day’s programming.
Originally launched in 2019 at the encouragement of a board member looking to develop a combination association meeting and seminar, the Summit returned this year after COVID forced the ALA to cancel the event last year.
Speakers (L to R): Jim Luff of Chosen Payments, Chris Weiss of Chauffeur Driven, and Ken Lucci of Driving Your Income
“Our first Summit was a huge success,” says ALA President Jeff Conly of Vitesse Worldwide. “We had another scheduled for 2020, but the pandemic hit. We were fortunate to come back with a great team of speakers.”
In addition to Weiss, the ALA welcomed Ken Lucci of Driving Your Income, who presented on M&A and financial matters; Jim Luff of Chosen Payments, who discussed business ethics; and Tiffany Hinton of Motev, who dazzled with a presentation on electric vehicles (EVs).
“Tiffany stole the show,” says Conly. “But all the speakers were positive and informative. It was a lot of information packed into a day and a half. Ken Lucci’s session on buying and selling a business was eye-opening for a lot of the members.”
The ALA Board
The positive vibes regarding the Summit’s content were not limited to the attendees. The speakers were similarly impressed with what the ALA had to offer.
“I was blown away by the quality of the presenters and how engaged attendees were,” says Lucci. “The material was fantastic, and on par with what you’d see in a national conference. Tiffany was the star of the show with her presentation on EVs, and Jim Luff’s talk on workplace ethics was appropriate for our times. An incredible job, all around.”
Conly also extended his thanks to lunch sponsors Chosen Payments and RIOT Hospitality, a restaurant management company affiliated with country music superstar Dierks Bentley.
CD President Chris Weiss (left) with Vegas Show pass winner Jesse Bunker of Phoenix Limousine Connection
In addition to offering a lineup of guest speakers and networking opportunities, the Summit afforded the association with the opportunity to announce the new board for 2022. After six years as association president, Conly is stepping away from his long-time position.
“My tenure was up four years ago,” he jokes. “We voted in a new board, who I know will do a great job.”
The 2022 ALA Board includes President Jesse Bunker of Phoenix Limousine Connection, Vice President Mark Pecak of Melmar Limousine, Secretary Hillary Louarti of Diamond Transportation, as well as members Jeffrey Goldin of Southwest Sedan Service, Sean Grady of TruView Insurance, JC Yancy of Blasian Companies, Chris Zak, Brandon Silverman, Luff, and Conly.
Bunker was also the winner of a pass to the 2022 CD/NLA Show in Vegas, which was raffled by Weiss during the event.
Visit azlimousineassociation.com for more information.
[11.17.21]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
On Monday, November 15, President Joe Biden signed the long-awaited Infrastructure and Investment Jobs into law, which many industry associations are saying represents a major win for transportation.
NLA President Robert Alexander
“The NLA applauds Congress for working in a bipartisan fashion to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will help address the most critical needs facing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and provide a boost to the travel industry’s recovery. This is the single largest investment in roads and bridges since the creation of the interstate highway system, and makes important investments in the future of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Crucially, it does so while avoiding the most harmful funding mechanisms for road users, including an increased gas tax and extensive federal tolling systems,” says NLA President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide.
Spending within the bill includes:
- $89.9B for new infrastructure and reauthorizations
- $66B for Amtrak maintenance and development
- $40B for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation
- $65B to create universal access to reliable high-speed internet
- $65B for clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades
- Funding is also allocated for developing an electric vehicle charging network across the country, with a focus on replacing Diesel-powered school buses with electric- and battery-powered ones
- Updating the nation’s airports, including gates and runways, aiming to reduce congestion and remain globally competitive
UMA President & CEO Scott Michael
The bill is also a win for the motorcoach industry, according to the United Motorcoach Association (UMA), as it reauthorizes the critical highway funding and safety programs and preserves the industry’s fuel tax exemption as well as the critically important charter service rule protecting private companies from unfair competition from government-subsidized public transit operators.
“The legislation is a sweeping victory for all motorcoach operators,” says UMA President and CEO Scott Michael. “The law includes a 5-year reauthorization of federal highway, transit, motor carrier, and vehicle safety programs. The IIJA contains common-sense safety and regulatory provisions, preserves the motorcoach fuel tax exemption, and includes a new provision to enforce better toll equity with public transit vehicles on toll facilities. Most importantly, the bill avoids expensive and unnecessary mandates on an industry still in recovery mode from the effects of the pandemic.”
UMA noted that the bill also preserves motorcoach companies’ right to operate without unfair competition from government-subsidized transit providers by leaving the Charter Service Rule unchanged. Prior legislation, the House INVEST in America Act, would have liberalized opportunities for local subsidized transit authorities to perform charter service, which could have severely harmed the industry.
You can read more about what the infrastructure bill includes here.
[11.16.21]