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Michael Berry, the owner of Associated Transportation of Orlando, passed away on January 24, 2020.
Berry was a highly respected operator in Florida, and was one of the founding members of the Greater Orlando Limousine Association (GOLA).
“Mike was very well liked and Associated Transportation was recognized as a major company here in Orlando. He was one of the pillars of GOLA, and served as vice president and acted as a board member for many years,” said GOLA President Cliff Wright of Royal Coach and Limousine.
“He was very well known in the transportation industry,” said Michael’s son, Ryan Berry. “He believed in building successful relationships, but also living by the old-school mentality of always doing right by people. This was the way he upheld a great reputation and helped others along the way. He always believed putting the employees first! Even though he was businessman, he always loved his family dearly, and a lot of his employees were his family. He was always known everywhere he went on the Orlando International Airport property.”
A service will be held on Saturday, February 8, from 11 am to 2 pm at Fellowship Christian Academy, Genesis Church, 10560 Old Cheney Highway, Orlando, Florida.
The staff of Chauffeur Driven extends their condolences to the Berry family as well as Michael’s friends and family at Associated Transportation.
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L to R: CD Publisher Chris Weiss with Mary Lee-Stevenson, Ryan McTiernan, Michael Hegedus, Stephen Friedberg, and Jeffrey Schmidt of Lancer Insurance
Nashville, Tenn. — Nearly 2,000 members of the bus and motorcoach industry flocked to Nashville from January 19-23 for United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Motorcoach EXPO 2020, including CD Publisher Chris Weiss, Business Development Manager Jeff Rafkin, and tons of familiar faces from the luxury side of chauffeured ground transportation.
Bob Crescenzo of Lancer Insurance (left) and Charles Tenney of The Tenney Group
Dave Dickson, chair of UMA’s meetings committee for the past six years and owner of Elite Coach in Ephrata, Pa., considers the Nashville location a win in itself. The EXPO is an awkward fit for many cities, he said, because it requires a great deal of exhibition space to accommodate 40 full-size buses but also a comparatively smaller room block. Additionally, the UMA meetings committee always wants to choose a location that is fun for families and spouses to visit and that can offer a varied menu of dining and entertainment options, explained Dickson—which is why Nashville, with its incredible music and dining scenes, had been on his radar for years.
L to R: Hoss Oskouie of Atlantic Limousine & Transportation and AJ Thurber and Brian O’Neill of Grech Motors
Meanwhile, the EXPO itself focused on the big picture of business ownership, sustainability, and succession, which framed many of the education topics.
“We’re in a period in the industry that in its evolution, a lot of first-, second- and third-generation owners are deciding they have an asset to sell instead of expecting to hand the company to a new generation. Rollups and mergers and acquisitions are happening a lot now, and now company owners are wondering, ‘How do I build an asset to sell [to a competitor or investor] rather than build a job for myself?’” said UMA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner.
L to R: CD Publisher Chris Weiss with Arthur, Kathy, and Drew Messina of Create-A-Card
Tetschner added that steering by business longevity instead of short-term concerns changes attendees’ perspectives on every aspect of the show, from investing in technology to making the most of UMA’s new alliance with the LinkedIn learning platform for multidimensional training. When return on investment is measured in years, not miles, company owners adopt different priorities.
Treating staff right, particularly driving teams, is a perennial theme for the convention, which is why UMA staff brought in Eric Chester as the EXPO’s keynote speaker. Chester is a trainer, best-selling author, in-demand speaker, and an expert on employee engagement and workplace culture whose latest book, Fully Staffed, will likely hit the bullseye for operators looking for new ways to recruit, train, and keep drivers. And a new minicoach pavilion will roll out a new on-ramp for aspiring company owners, especially those introduced to the industry by driving for on-demand platforms.
L to R: Michael Denny of MCI, Paul Thompson of Santa Fe Valet, Diane Forgy of Overland Chauffeured Services, and Brent Maitland, Lynn Marzullo, and Tony Pederson of MCI
Education also came from a variety of individuals who are familiar to attendees of Chauffeur Driven Shows, including longtime presenters and frequent CD magazine contributors Andi Gray of Strategy Leaders and Bob Crescenzo of Lancer Insurance, as well as a newer addition to both the CD educational presenter and writer, Ken Lucci.
L to R: Ibro Torlo and Kevin Duff of Signature Transportation Group, David Uziel of UrbanBCN Worldwide, and Barry Gross of The Driver Provider
The EXPO is an annual opportunity to “celebrate people who are doing really well,” said Tetschner. “If we’re here to grow a bigger, better, smarter industry, this is where we come together on the issues everyone is invested in.”
Check out the March issue of CD for expanded post-show coverage and tons of photos from UMA Motorcoach EXPO 2020.
UMA Motorcoach EXPO 2021 will take place March 3-7 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Visit motorcoachexpo.com or uma.org for more information.
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NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation
Marlton, N.J.—The National Limousine Association (NLA), the voice of the chauffeured transportation industry worldwide, has announced its sponsohorip opportunities available for the upcoming year, all of which aim to strengthen the industry one member at a time.
The NLA would not be able to offer its variety of amazing educational content, discount programs, resources, and networking opportunities without sponsors’ generous support. Industry operators and vendors who sponsor the NLA directly support the NLA's initiatives while also providing their own companies great exposure to potential affiliates, partners, and clients.
“I am proud that my company has served as an NLA sponsor for several years, and it is always thrilling to see new companies support the NLA through sponsorship,” says NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation.
Available 2020 NLA Sponsorship Opportunities are as follows:
The NLA’s current roster of 2020 sponsors
- New Member Kits ($3,000): All new NLA members receive a welcome package that includes their 2019-2020 Directory of Members, NLA membership information, NLA pin, and 2020 membership certificate. Sponsorship includes recognition in welcome, email, letter, sponsor handout, and logo on welcome kit.
- Day on the Hill ($1,000 or $2,500): Support the NLA's most important annual event at Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C. Two levels of sponsorship, Premier Sponsor and Supporting Sponsor, are available for $2,500 and $1,000 respectively. This is the perfect opportunity to support the NLA's advocacy efforts and show your dedication to the industry.
- NLARide.com (starting at $1,200): Place your ad on the NLA's public search engine, NLARide.com. This site is available for potential clients and affiliates to search by city, state, airport code, and more to find services and request price quotes directly from you. Place a footer ad ($1,500) or sidebar ($1,200) ad that will click directly to your company's website.
- Vegas Show Scholarship Program ($2,500): Sponsor one of the NLA's most valuable programs for newer operators: the NLA Scholarship Program. This program allows 10 operators the opportunity to attend their first CD/NLA event by covering their show passes and hotel stays for three nights during the show. Join National Interstate Insurance as a sponsor to help bring these deserving operators to our show!
- Annual Supporting Sponsor ($1,000): Looking for an opportunity to support the NLA year-round, but have a smaller budget to work with? The Annual Supporting Sponsorship is available for the low price of $1,000 and your company will receive recognition at NLA meetings, in NLA publications and email blasts, and on NLA’s social media.
Those interested in supporting the NLA, its initiatives, and its members through these sponsorship opportunities can click here to become a 2020 sponsor.
There’s still some time to become a sponsor of the debut CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas from February 23-26, too. Click here to check out what sponsorship opportunities are still available for this first-ever event.
Visit limo.org for more information.
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