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NELA Director Brett Barenholtz served as host
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.
The Gulino family pups: Mia, Jaxx, Lola, Soffe, and Sobe
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.
Sean Duval of Golden Limousine with Bo
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.
Briana and Chelsea Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine with Bailey and Lily
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.
Bob Moody of Acton Fleet Sales with his boa
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.
Dawson Rutter and Tami Saccoccio of Commonwealth Worldwide with Winston
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.
Ken "KJ" Carter of Aadvanced Limousine with Homer
"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.
CD President Chris Weiss
“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.”
CD/NLA Show 2021 Host Property Gaylord Texan
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]
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- Category: Industry News
The U.S. Travel Association announced that it will coordinate with trade show company Connect Travel to co-locate several events around the association’s IPW 2021 (September 18-22 in Las Vegas) in order to maximize value to attendees and provide travel marketers with cutting-edge tools and intelligence to promote their destinations and products in a post-COVID environment.
According to U.S. Travel Association, as travel businesses evolve their promotion strategies to emerge from the global pandemic, the adjusted format for 2021 will enable exhibitors to grow domestic visitation in addition to regaining their share of rebounding inbound travel—all from one booth.
While IPW will continue to focus on its core global audience, Connect Travel will bring its robust and targeted domestic event, Connect Tour, to the show floor at IPW. Exhibitors will have the option to purchase an appointment book allowing meetings with domestic operators, bus companies, domestic consortia and more, in addition to appointments with international buyers.
“IPW has always placed a heavy emphasis on evolving along with the needs of our delegates, and 2021 will be perhaps the most important year in our history to help jump-start the critical rebuild of the U.S. travel economy,” said IPW General Manager Malcolm Smith. “This collaboration is reflective of our strong desire to maximize the value of IPW for our exhibitors in the current unique marketing landscape.”
For travel and destination marketers, Connect Travel will also locate its Connect THRIVE LGBTQ Summit, (September 18-19) and eTourism Summit (September 20-22) at a property adjacent to IPW’s main location at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Connect Travel President Will Seccombe
ETourism Summit—an intimate, annual conference—is dedicated to all things in digital destination marketing. In 2021, IPW and eTourism Summit will combine their marketing and technology sponsors at the Las Vegas Convention Center, creating the Global Marketing and Technology Pavilion. Delegates of both events will have access to trailblazing technology, strategy, and marketing companies to accelerate the travel industry’s recovery and growth.
Connect THRIVE LGBTQ Summit is focused on community development through LGBTQ travel, sports, and entertainment. As an added value, THRIVE delegates will be invited to visit IPW/eTourism Summit’s Global Marketing and Technology Pavilion, and LGBTQ travel packagers and media will be invited to participate in business appointments on the IPW/Connect Tour show floor following the Summit.
“By co-locating our Connect Travel events alongside the most important travel event in the United States, we are creating exciting synergies for our partners to efficiently make connections across multiple industry sectors,” said Connect Travel President Will Seccombe. “Las Vegas will be the epicenter of the U.S. travel industry in September 2021, and together these events will be the catalyst for travel recovery in 2021 and beyond.”
Finally, IPW will undergo evolutionary updates to meet the post-pandemic needs of delegates. Most notably, U.S. Travel Association and premier sponsor Brand USA expect to deliver forward-looking education to IPW attendees, catering to specific verticals within the travel industry. While keeping appointments as the core of the show, IPW will add nearly eight hours of networking and education during the three days the show floor is open. Delegates will be able to tailor the added time to their specific efforts to increase visitors to their destinations and products.
Pricing and additional details will be available in January.
Visit ustravel.org for more information.
[12.15.20]