NELA President Brett Barenholtz of Above All/Maine Limousine (left) with CD/NLA Show pass winner Pat Exing of Pat’s Car Service
On Tuesday, March 31, members of the New England Livery Association (NELA) connected in the Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel for their quarterly membership meeting. More than 90 industry professionals and guests attended the function, which put the spotlight on marketing. NELA President Brett Barenholtz of Above All/Maine Limousine said that the dinner event was “packed with insight, connection, and momentum.” Special thanks were extended to Platinum Sponsor Grech Motors for their support of the meeting and industry.
NELA welcomed speakers from the marketing world to provide tips and insight into company branding and social media. Janika LeMaitre of The Better Professional, and the author of The Polished Persona, was on hand to share the importance of presenting yourself in a professional capacity. Also speaking to NELA members were Felicia Legare-Poirier and Meghan Boulanger of Vibrant Visions Marketing, who offered their perspectives on coordinating your branding across different platforms. Also available at the meeting were complimentary headshots from Madi Lynn, an area professional photographer. Barenholtz said that she “captured each individual as the true professional they are.”
More than 90 members and guests attended the NELA quarterly meeting
In his quarterly address to the membership Barenholtz shared three brief videos, the first two amusing depictions of what it is like to be an entrepreneur working to get through the day, and the final one a clip from actor Glen Powell’s graduation speech at the University of Texas at Austin's Moody College of Communication.
Barenholtz also thanked the NELA Board and highlighted several upcoming association events: Chauffeur Appreciation Day on June 2, the next quarterly meeting on June 23, the annual golf tournament on August 31, a networking event in September at Topgolf, and the December holiday meeting. He also talked about construction at Terminal E at Logan Airport, opportunities presented by the upcoming FIFA World Cup, TSA operations in Boston, and the National Limousine Association (NLA) upcoming Day on the Hill on April 14-15.
L to R: Janika LeMaitre of The Better Professional with NELA Directors Katya Portnaya of Boston Carriage and Alicia Hayes of American Classic Limousine
NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi of Lexian Management also addressed the membership, sharing that long-time associate Mike Hadley of Logan Airport has retired, and a replacement has not yet been named. Szilagyi also highlighted the NELA’s upcoming board election, and a potential $17,500 grant towards the purchase of EVs for livery companies in Mass. He also extended his thanks to the NELA Events Committee for their continuing hard work.
Several sponsors of the event were also present, some traveling across the country to attend, including Diamond Vendor Member Jim Luff of Aurora Payments. Also speaking were Platinum Vendor Member Mark Schelfhaudt of Acton Fleet Sales, Silver Sponsor Mark Kenny of Dolphin Transportation Specialists, NELA Board Member and Gold Meeting Sponsor Keith Ali of Dav El/BostonCoach, and Ned Johnson from Grech Motors.
Ed Feliciano of Feliciano Limousine (left) with Brett Barenholtz
Special thanks were extended to The West End House Camp Executive Director Jessica Paquette for joining NELA as a new sponsor and for introducing the members to the impactful overnight camp she leads in Parsonsfield, Maine, for boys ages 7-15.
It wouldn’t be a NELA meeting without a prize raffle, and this time prizes ranged from a basket of cheer, gift cards, 50/50, and lottery tickets. CD and the NLA generously donated a show pass to their fall show, to be held in National Harbor on October 25-27. The pass was won by NELA Director Pat Enxing of Pat’s Car Service, who also served as a Bronze and AV Sponsor for the event.
The next NELA event is their annual Chauffeur Appreciation Day, held June 2 in the Logan International Airport Limo Pool.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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