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A still from the NLA’s new PSA, “Digital Hitchhiking: Think Before You App” With its Day on the Hill less than a month away, the NLA has recently released a new PSA, the 60-second video titled “Digital Hitchhiking: Think Before You App” that is an extension of its ongoing Ride Responsibly initiative.
Announced earlier this month, the PSA quickly garnered not only a receptive audience but also a positive response from the chauffeured ground transportation industry, according to NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation.
“Within about an hour of its release, we already had more than 300 views, which was absolutely astronomical,” he said. “We have had nothing but kudos from the majority of people on our board and certainly a large number of the NLA membership.”
The “Think Before You App” video, which can be viewed here, echoes many of the safety issues that have been concerning traditional livery operators, especially in regard to the riding public’s safety. Statistics gleaned from NLA surveys—such how 91 percent of Americans feel that there should be mandatory rules and regulations in place for TNC drivers, and 83 percent believe that the drivers of ride-hailing companies should undergo a criminal background check—are also included in the minute-long PSA.
The video comes as an effort to reach the Millennials who comprise much of the TNC user base, as well as elected officials.
“We’re very hopeful that someone from the Millennial generation will help it go viral,” Buffo said. “We have already started the process, through not only our membership but also our friends, families, and everybody else associated with us, of trying to get it hand-delivered or emailed to our local politicians around the country—and around the globe, for that matter. If our elected politicians can view it, they may just be able to really understand what they’re allowing to happen—not just on a federal level but on a regional level.”
The TNC discussion will continue with the NLA’s annual Day on the Hill, which will formally take place June 10 but will have events also occurring June 9 and 11, too.
“We are truly focused on really having the best Day on the Hill we’ve ever had in the history of the NLA,” Buffo said. “We’ve got a lot of key talking points that we’re going to be bringing up there. We’re also going to be doing a Day After Day on the Hill, where we’ll do a PR/lobby session just to make sure everybody is on the same page. We really need to focus on delivering a single message on a daily basis for our lobbying efforts through a PR stance.
Visit limo.org for more information about Day on the Hill, and rideresponsibly.org for more information about Ride Responsibly.
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Marlton, N.J. — Chauffeur Driven is proud to announce that Turtle Top, the New Paris, Ind.-based manufacturer of small and midsize buses as well as specialty vehicles like Van Terras, has joined Tenney Group as Platinum Sponsors of our first-ever Executive Retreat in Nashville. Attendees will have an opportunity to check out some of Turtle Top’s vehicles, which will be on display at select times during the retreat. The event—which takes place at the Omni Nashville Hotel June 22-24—is just six short weeks away, and a limited number of passes are still available.
“We’re just over a month away and our roster of registered operators reads like a veritable who’s who in the industry,” says President & Publisher Chris Weiss. “This is the perfect chance to get to know many of the major players in the industry on a personal level because of the casual and intimate setting of the event.”
Our Executive Retreat was designed for exclusivity with space for only 200 operators and with a focus on high-end education, networking, and a lot of locally inspired Music City flavor. Our education program includes sessions presented by The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center—considered the gold standard in customer service excellence training—called “Leadership & Employee Engagement” and “Memorable Customer Service.” Other seminars include “Creating Demand for Top Talent,” presented by industry veterans Kristen Carroll of The LMC Group and Brett Tyson of A&A Metro Transportation, and "Maintaining Your Financial Edge in the Chauffeur Driven Industry," presented by President of Global Business Strategies Frank A. Rosenbaum and moderated by Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Chauffeured Services Worldwide.
We’ve built in some healthy downtime as well, such as a tour of the iconic Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum (connected to the host hotel) and a BBQ dinner. The evening also includes a private concert from singer/songwriter Phil Vassar in the acoustically dynamic Ford Theater. After a city bus tour of all of Nashville’s hottest sights during the day, get ready to head to Broadway for an authentic honky-tonk crawl. We wrap up on Wednesday afternoon with a trip to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.
If you’re interested in attending, put some giddy-up in your git along, partner, because there are just 35 passes remaining. For more information, visit chauffeurdrivenshow.com/Nashville or call 856.334.1988.
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Regional Sales Manager of McSweeney Designs, Kevin R. Kropf
Birmingham, Ala. — McSweeney Designs announced that it has added Kevin R. Kropf to its elite business development team to serve as regional sales manager for all U.S. sales territories east of the Mississippi River. Kropf will represent the full line of McSweeney Designs’ Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based, upscale livery vehicles with a special emphasis on enhancing brand representation and gaining market share among top-tier regional and national bus dealership groups.
Kropf, a widely known and well-respected industry veteran, has 25 years of direct experience and successful engagement in multiple aspects of the luxury bus and upscale executive transportation market. Throughout his career he has developed a stellar reputation for excellence in establishing and maintaining strong dealer relationships while generating year-over-year sales growth. Kropf has also held key production management and sales management positions with such noted industry players as Supreme Corporation & Startrans Bus, as well as Meridian Specialty Vehicles.
“Kevin’s integrity and work ethic is a great complement to the culture here at McSweeney Designs. We are very fortunate to have Kevin on our team, as he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to help us further extend our reach in the high end shuttle bus segment of the market,” said Vern Kauffman, COO for all divisions of McSweeney Designs.
“I am truly excited to start this new challenge within McSweeney Designs and look forward to expanding on my knowledge and experience in the bus industry,” said Kropf. “I am eager to begin working with the team to further develop their already extensive product line, and am fortunate to be joining such a well-respected company that prides itself on top-quality products.”
McSweeney Designs is a definitive world leader in the lifestyle enhanced luxury design and custom automotive manufacturing business. For over 35 years now their world class design and engineering team has been dreaming up and bringing to life some of the most innovative and highly sought after vehicles on the planet. Having honed their skills by hand tailoring private commission vehicles for exclusive clients ranging from heads of state to titans of industry as well as high-profile custom automotive enthusiasts, McSweeney Designs has now extended their current range of vehicle portfolio offerings to include: up-armored dignitary transportation, upscale luxury shuttle coaches, and executive lounges vehicles all based primarily on the Cadillac Escalade and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter platforms.
Visit mcsweeneydesigns.com for more information.
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