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Election season continues as the Minnesota Chauffeured Transportation Association (MCTA) conducted a live election of their 2021 Board officers via Zoom. During the association’s December 14 membership meeting, Gus Ortis of Executive Transportation was elected to a third term of MCTA president. Joining him are Todd Anderson of Carey Limousine, who was named vice president, and Chad Peterson of Renee's Limousines, who will continue as secretary/treasurer of the association. The membership also discussed plans to add new At-Large seats in an attempt to work more closely with independent operators and increase the visibility of the industry among regulators.
In addition to the Board election, MCTA Executive Director Leslie Rosedahl of Rosedahl Public Affairs provided an overview of recent legislation within the state. On December 13, a relief package was signed into effect that includes $1M grants for each county to designate to small businesses. Rosedahl encouraged the operators to research the package as free money may be available to their businesses.
At the time of the meeting, Governor Tim Walz’s plans gathering restrictions were unknown, and the members were very concerned about a potential lockdown. On December 16 (post-meeting), it was announced that Walz loosened the restrictions on bars, gyms, and school sports, undoubtedly assuaging the concerns of many of the MCTA members. Walz noted that the post-Thanksgiving bump decreased quicker than neighboring state, which has led to the loosened restrictions, but that he’s still vigilant about reducing the spread until the majority of the state’s residents can be vaccinated.
With COVID numbers still high in Minnesota, the MCTA decided to forego their traditional January holiday party in favor of a Zoom happy hour to likely take place on Sunday, January 17. Rosedahl promised something fun for the members. Before the call concluded, Ortis and Rosedahl took a minute to thank the association’s vendor partners, including Chauffeur Driven, for their continued support of the association and the industry.
Visit mnlimo.org for more information.
[12.23.20]
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Remember those Tonight Show segments where animal experts Jim Fowler and Joan Embry would bring their critters to the couch to mix it up with Johnny Carson? Well, during the New England Livery Association (NELA) Zoom event on December 14, host (and NELA Director) Brett Barenholtz of Above All Transportation/Boston Car Service successfully captured the spirit of those wild late night shows.
NELA’s Cocktails and Tales (Tails) Zoom gave operators from around the country the opportunity to check in with peers and witness the positive energy a pet can provide during stressful times. Representatives from eight different companies introduced the industry to their beloved animals, but if you were expecting it to feature all cute and cuddly house-dwellers, well, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Filling the proverbial talk show host role, Barenholtz—who was deftly assisted behind the scenes (or screen) by NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi of Lexian Management—kicked things off by introducing Ken Carter of Aadvanced Limousine and his cow Homer. Carter revealed that the one-year-old bovine has become a bit of an internet sensation as Homer has his own Facebook page.
Another operator who isn’t snuggling on the couch with a furry friend is Mike Basso from Leros Point to Point/Royal Coachman/AAA Worldwide. Basso is the owner of a thoroughbred racehorse, conveniently named Basso. The horse is a frequent winner at N.J.’s Monmouth Park, and is among the top 50 picks to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Szilagyi shared a video of the four-legged Basso winning a race by several lengths.
Of all the pets shared on the webinar, none was less cute and cuddly than the boa constrictor owned by Bob Moody of Acton Fleet Sales. While a giant rodent-devouring snake is certainly an unconventional pet, Moody’s is more so in that it doesn’t even have a name. Barenholtz fielded suggestions from the audience to find that perfect moniker.
Lest one think the traditional “fur babies” were given short shrift, dogs represented the majority of animal companions on the call. The Gulino family from Gem Limousine, Dawson Rutter and Tammy Saccoccio of Commonwealth Worldwide, Briana Candeub and Chelsea Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine, Sean Duval of Golden Limousine, and NELA Secretary Teale Smith of Maine Limousine each introduced their canine companions, which ranged in size from pocket- to pony-sized.
"This was a very different event from anything NELA has ever done,” said Barenholtz. “We know how difficult and crazy the last 10 months have been on everyone and thought that it would be nice to just have a little fun for a couple hours. We have such great people in our industry who are always trying to help and they stepped up once again in their support with time and money for NELA. It was a blast talking with everyone and their wonderful pets! The conversations were light, fun, and goofy to say the least. I just want to thank everyone again who participated and sponsored the event."
The night’s sponsors included Gold Level Above All Transportation, Pro Limo, Dolphin Transportation, Research Underwriters, and Lancer Insurance; Silver Level LMC Groups and Chosen Payments; and Bronze Level Transport The People.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
[12.17.20]
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In a few weeks we’ll turn the calendar to 2021, a milestone many of us are happy to reach, if only for the psychological boost we’ll get from closing the door on this challenging year. We’re all looking forward to when things return to a somewhat normal pace, but we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can get together as an industry. As the safety of our industry peers continues to be our top priority, Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association have canceled the Vegas show scheduled for February 2021.
“There wasn’t just one factor that drove the decision. It was a litany of reasons, the most important of which is the safety of our attendees. Events of our size and scale aren’t really possible in this current COVID environment, and with cases on the rise nationally in almost every state and even internationally, it was important to us to wait,” says CD President Chris Weiss. “Additionally, most industry vendors are not in a position to support the event—and it’s their support that allows us to do what we do. The vast majority of operators also aren’t looking to travel, spend money, and be away from their businesses in this critical time. And with international travel still virtually non-existent, it’s not realistic for our friends outside the U.S. to attend. But we’re optimistic about the second half of 2021.”
However, there is good news in the business travel world. This past weekend, the first batches of COVID vaccines were shipped all across the country, with initial doses being administered earlier this week—a much-needed shot in the arm (pun intended!) as we look optimistically toward the containment of this year-shattering virus. This has long been a benchmark of safety for corporate travel to resume on a grander scale, and it’s happening in earnest in countries across the globe right now.
Looking ahead, we couldn’t be more excited about next fall when the CD/NLA Show will land, for the first time ever, in the Lone Star State at the Gaylord Texan. This gorgeous Dallas property, conveniently located close to DFW and downtown, will be the ideal gathering place for the return of our industry’s events, with all of the education, networking, and fun that you expect. We’ll have more details about the 2021 CD/NLA Show in the spring as planning gets underway.
Also, due to the incredibly positive response we received to the inaugural CD/NLA Virtual this past November, we’re currently considering a similar event for spring 2021. It went better than we ever dreamed, so thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored, or helped plan it. We welcome any additional feedback you may have.
Our industry, economy, and nation have a lot of work to do to heal and recover in the coming months, and we’ll continue to be with you every step of the way. But it looks like there is finally (!) real hope on the horizon as we make a fresh start with a brand-new calendar year. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and virus-free New Year!
[12.16.20]