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(L to R) Tom Quill of Royale and Amela and Brion Svenson of Four Star LimousinePeabody, Mass. — The New England Livery Association (NELA) took to the waterfront June 20 for its most recent quarterly membership meeting, which brought together 65 members and vendors at Spinelli’s overlooking Suntaug Lake.
Executive Director Rick Szilagyi kicked off the meeting, welcoming all in attendance and both introducing and thanking the evening’s sponsors, Chosen Payments, Create-A-Card, and Livery Coach.
Szilagyi and the meeting’s first speaker, Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach, both were among those representing the industry’s New England presence last month for the National Limousine Association’s (NLA’s) annual Day on the Hill. This year’s installment of the lobbying event put several NELA members in front of their elected representatives, including senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Solombrino, who is also a board member of the NLA, shared the details and successes of the boots-on-the-ground day in Washington, D.C., as well as how important it is to have those face-to-face conversations with the nation’s legislators so they have a direct line to the industry’s unique concerns and challenges.
Lyndy Burnham of The Hudson Group (left) with guest speaker Surface Transportation Security Inspector Salvatore Venturelli of the TSAThen it was time to hear from the meeting’s guest speaker, Surface Transportation Security Inspector Salvatore Venturelli, who was on hand to explain the TSA’s new First Observer Plus program. The plan aims to assist transportation professional in becoming proactive ambassadors of airport safety by teaching them how to identify suspicious activity, offering them guidance in assessing what they see, and providing a method for reporting those observations that may merit further investigation. Ultimately, according to Venturelli, First Observer Plus is a way to help transportation professionals become key players in the air travel industry’s ongoing efforts to thwart terrorist attacks.
Anyone interested in participating in the TSA’s First Observer Plus online training program can visit tsa.gov/for-industry/firstobserver to find out more.
An array of raffles capped off the evening meeting, which included a pass to the 2017 Chauffeur Driven Show in Orlando this October that was won by Brion Svenson of Four Star Limousine.
Up next for NELA is the 18th Annual George Colarullo Memorial Golf Tournament, scheduled for August 8 at the Marlborough Country Club. Its next quarterly meeting will be September 12.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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TLPA President Bill ScalziRockville, Md. — The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) recently announced a new membership dues structure aimed at giving fleet operators and nonprofit trade associations greater choice and allowing for greater savings. The new structure also provides flat-fee memberships for industry suppliers and public sector entities.
For fleets, the new structure departs from vehicle-based plans of the past and offers companies the option to choose among three different levels of membership service: Basic, Comprehensive and Leadership. Each level provides members with a range of benefits.
“This is the most significant dues structure change in over 40 years, which in the past was based on the number of vehicles in a member’s fleet and a single set of member benefits,” TLPA President Bill Scalzi said. “This modernized structure allows each fleet operator member and nonprofit trade association to evaluate their individual needs, and decide what is best for their business.”
The different levels of membership available to U.S. and International Fleet Operators and nonprofit trade associations provide varying levels of access to TLPA resources to best help members grow their businesses and stay abreast of industry trends. The three levels of membership are as follows:
• Basic membership allows a fleet or association to designate one representative to receive TLPA publications, such as the Ride-Hail News e-newsletter and Transportation Leader magazine. This level includes a membership directory and access to TLPA staff for questions and assistance. Organizations providing passenger service directly to the public are also listed in TLPA’s online Find a Ride tool.
• Comprehensive membership provides two additional team members with the benefits of basic membership, along with Legislative Alert and Special Report e-bulletins and access to the members-only Resource Center. Organizations at the comprehensive level are eligible to serve on the board of directors and most committees.
• Leadership membership builds on the basic and comprehensive benefits, expanding access to newsletters and publications to up to four people. At this level, fleets and associations can participate in exclusive legal, legislative and public relations briefings sponsored by TLPA. The leadership level also offers the ability to participate in leadership groups and potential profiles on the TLPA Fleet Forward Blog.
Additionally, TLPA is providing industry suppliers and public sector entities, such as state and local regulatory bodies, with a membership experience that provides greater insight into the for-hire transportation industry. These memberships have flat annual rates of $1,150 and $750, respectively.
The new dues structure and membership-service levels were effective July 15.
Visit tlpa.org/Join-TLPA for more information about membership, and tlpa.org to learn more about the transportation association, which is celebrating a century of operation this year.
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GBTA Director of Strategic Partnerships Heather Haley (left) and CD Editor Madeleine Maccar Boston — Nearly 7,000 members of the international business travel industry convened at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from June 15-19 for the 2017 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention. Among them was CD Editor Madeleine Maccar, and more than two dozen luxury transportation companies were represented both as exhibitors and attendees.
L to R: Art Miesemer of RMA Worldwide, Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car, Tami Saccoccio and Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide, Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide, Diane Forgy of Overland Chauffeured Services, and Lauren Nock of RMA Worldwide The theme of the GBTA’s 49th annual convention was “Convergence,” which was demonstrably on display with attendees flocking to the seaport city to learn, network, and evolve as a unified force benefiting the worldwide travel industry. Beyond that, the event’s agenda was crafted around supporting the theme by addressing the constant stream of new guidelines and trends that help airlines, lodging, technology companies, consumer products, media outlets, and scores of other business travel professionals provide the high-quality and safe services their customers depend on.
Education was a significant focus of the five-day event, with seminars, workshops, demos, multi-day sessions, certification programs, panels, and speakers all providing further insights into a range of topics. As the event encourages participation from all corners of the world, one of the prevailing educational topics was how to best navigate the geopolitical impact that global politics have on business travel and purchasing decisions alike.
L to R: Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car, Eddie McCoy of FASTTRAK Technologies, and Jeff Greene of Greene Worldwide TransportationThis year, the GBTA also released four reports coinciding with its convention, all of which comprise a series of new research the association has been conducting. The reports each fleshed out topics like the economic impact of business travel as it relates to microcosms such as job growth, global pricing forecasts, and travel spend projections and influencers for 2018.
L to R: Kelcy Peterson, Wayne Couturas, Alekzandra Guzman, and Daniel Aucar of Leros Point to Point CD will provide a detailed post-convention wrap-up and photo spread in its September 2017 issue.
The 2018 GBTA Convention will be August 11-15 in San Diego.
Visit gbta.org to learn more about the association, and gbta.org/convention for additional information about the annual event.
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