ILA to Host Annual, Inaugural Events This Spring

ILA President Tracy Hodge-Raimer Carol Stream, Ill. — The Illinois Limousine Association (ILA) is looking ahead to a busy spring as it prepares for its yearly membership meeting, as well as its first-ever Day on the Hill.

The association’s inaugural legislative day will take to the state capital of Springfield on April 21 in an effort to increase elected officials’ awareness of the chauffeured transportation industry and how its operators feel in regard to unregulated TNCs. ILA President Tracy Hodge-Raimer of Your Private Limousine said that “it’s amazing how many of them don’t know of us or don’t know where we stand.”

“It’s become so apparent to us that our senators and congresspeople need to know who the ILA is and who the livery operators are,” she said. “Talking to them serves as an introduction of who we are and what we do, and it gives us a chance to explain what our position is about the TNCs, which mostly comes down to public safety and operating on a level playing field.”

Hodge-Raimer said that while ILA Vice President and Legislative Affairs Chair Greg Eggan of O’Hare-Midway Limousine Service has been spearheading the committee behind Day on the Hill, it is truly a group effort among the association’s board of directors. And while this is the first time ILA is undertaking its own event of this sort, communication with other regional associations has proven to be quite beneficial.

“We’ve definitely been following some of the other associations and what they’ve been doing,” Hodge-Raimer said. “The social media updates just within our industry have been extremely helpful. Of course, just talking to different associations about what they’ve accomplished and the angles that they went in with, that definitely helps, as well.”

Through bolstering awareness of both their organization and the industry it serves, ILA aims to foster a relationship between the association and Illinois legislatures.

“Our hope is that representatives will realize that the livery industry exists and they’ll provide us with updates so that when things are happening in Springfield, we’re not the last to find out as new issues come up,” Hodge-Raimer said.

A month later, on May 20, ILA’s annual spring meeting will kick off at Comfort Suites O’Hare Airport, which is a new location that will put the event about 10 minutes from the airport. Speakers, sponsors, and a full agenda are currently in the works.

Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.

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