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ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine (left) with winner of a 2018 CD Show pass Rebecca Schuck of Going Green Limousine Schiller Park, Ill. — More than 100 attendees—102, to be exact—came out to support this year’s annual meeting of the Illinois Limousine Association (ILA), which was held May 16 at Comfort Suites O’Hare Airport.
Open to members and non-members alike, the meeting welcomed industry operators and vendors from not only all across Illinois but also those who hail from Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Georgia. Many of those out-of-state guests also joined the ILA for the networking event held the evening of May 15 at the nearby McCormick and Schmick’s.
Jackie Dodd of Chicago Trans Limousine won a pass to the 2018 CD Show at the May 16 ILA annual meeting And, in addition to boasting a three-figure, far-flung attendance, the ILA’s annual meeting also showcased an array of firsts, many of which are indicative of how the industry is getting more and more intermingled with the bus and motorcoach side of ground transportation.
“We were fortunate to have Susan Rhode of American Bus Association share the focus and initiatives of the ABA,” ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine wrote in her letter to attendees. “This is the first time ever that the bus industry has participated in a local livery association meeting. The ABA…see(s) the value of the livery companies that are adding buses to their fleets. Times are changing and we are evolving!”
L to R: Kathy Kahne and George Jacobs of Windy City Limousine, Bill Faeth of Limo University, Todd Roberts of JACO Limousine & Transportation, ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine, and Nick Lopez of JACO Limousine & Transportation Among the record-breaking 15 vehicles on display at the event, MCI displayed one of its motorcoaches, while ECB had four of its fleet vehicles on display—a Freightliner Super Coach, F550 Shuttle, Mercedes Sprinter, and a stretched MK—and Volvo also showcased one of its sedans. All three companies were first-time sponsors of an ILA meeting.
“We had the largest vehicle show in ILA history and one of the largest displays of any state or regional association,” Raimer raved.
The yearly meeting also included 16 vendor booths, and array of free services (like the opportunity to get new headshots taken and website SEO evaluations) and a full day of updates, information, education, panelists, and speakers representing all facets of the ground transportation industry.
Sarah McKee of Chosen Payments and Rene Martinez of Grech Motors The roster of speakers covered a wide array of topics. Raimer provided local and association updates while Rohde, the ABA’s Vice President of Government & Affairs Policy, discussed the national transportation scene. The LMC Group’s Aleja Seabron discussed “Developing and Maintaining a Business Presence on LinkedIn” before hosting a panel discussion on effectively marketing on a budget and helping those in attendance update their LinkedIn profile for a bolstered professional image. And keynote speaker Bill Faeth if Limo University emphasized how imperative working together as an industry is in these rapidly shifting times.
"It is time to push the friction aside between operators, simplify the process of working together, understand what working together means, and be more than just a transportation provider, no matter how many vehicles you dispatch.,” he advised. “Relationships with clients—including affiliates—are the key to doing business."
Some of the record-breaking 15 vehicles that were on display at the meeting The meeting ended with several drawings, which included two passes to the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Show at the Gaylord National from October 7-10. Jackie Dodd of Chicago Trans Limousine and Rebecca Schuck of Going Green Limousine were the lucky winners.
The next ILA event will be its open board meeting June 6.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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San Diego — The fourth-annual Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat was our second in California, first with our new Director of Events Carly Sokoloff, and one incredible success! Held from May 6-8 (though many of our attendees arrived early and stayed late) at the beautifully appointed and perfectly situated Pendry Hotel, the retreat had everyone falling in love with San Diego from the shoreline to the skyline as our events helped nearly 190 attendees discover why it’s rightfully called America’s Finest City. We are so grateful to all of our generous sponsors—especially Platinum Sponsors Grech Motors and Ford-Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles—for making this another can’t-miss retreat.
“CD’s San Diego retreat was a grand-slam home run, from the unexpected pre-show pool party to the great networking sessions and educational content,” raves Edison Kahakauwila of L.A. Limousines & Transportation Services in Victoria, British Columbia. “The depth of the speakers and their collective information gave life to what we all do in this industry. I am definitely looking forward to see my new colleagues and friends in Austin 2019!”
We kicked off our first official night in town with an Opening Dinner & Reception at Coasterra, where the stunning waterside views of the city were made even more scenic by one incredible sunset. Coasterra has earned its place as one of San Diego’s premiere Bayfront dining destinations, and we got to find out exactly why during an evening of networking, tasty locavore Mexican fare, and live music courtesy of Ottopilot. Many thanks to Grech Motors for providing transportation to and from the venue.
Education is a cornerstone of our events, and we once again brought a range of timely, relevant information to the schedule—thanks to the CD Education Committee spearheaded by co-chairs Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide and Kristen Carroll of The LMC Group. Matt Assolin of Nikko's Worldwide Chauffeured Services, Alan Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine, Sami Elotmani of Destination MCO, Kim J. Dolniak of Best Transportation St. Louis, and Tony Simon of Reston Limousine round out the hardworking committee.
Our very first session on Monday covered the all-important topic of “Are You Making Money?” presented by Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide and Jessica Boulerice of The LMC Group and moderated by Sharenow. We were thrilled to hear all throughout the event how accessible and engaging our speakers made this session, and are looking forward to seeing the long-term benefits attendees got from learning all about examining the financial health of their companies and boosting their profit in the process.
“CD brought in great speakers for an interesting financial class—they’re making me learn while still keeping it fun!” says Gary LeCamu of Diamond Limousine Service in Hempstead, Texas. “The retreat is one of my favorite events each year. We can't wait to welcome y'all to Texas next year.”
After a tasty lunch, it was back to business with “Safeguarding Your Company From Sexual Harassment,” delivered by Brooke Keil of Emerson Hospital and Ann Plunkett of Workplace Partners. Providing both an HR and legal standpoint, the presenters fielded tons of real-life questions while discussing the importance of fostering a workplace free of abuse, harassment, and toxicity.
“It not only covered the topic of sexual harassment but also other great topics that went beyond this uncomfortable conversation,” says Nancy Vargas of DH2 Chauffeured Transportation in College Point, N.Y. “As a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry, I feel that it’s a conversation we need to have in the workplace and with our colleagues. It will help keeping everyone in check, whether they’re an owner, employee, dispatcher, or affiliate.”
Then it was off to the Vehicle Showcase—where retreat-goers got an up-close look at Grech Motors’ newest buses and 2018 Lincoln Navigator—before an evening 15 stories above the city at The Ultimate Skybox. This one-of-a-kind rooftop experience overlooked another brilliant sunset, a nearly panoramic view of the city and beyond as it transitioned from daylight to nighttime, and the best seats in the house as the hometown Padres took on the Nationals. Renowned magician and mentalist Ben Silver dazzled the crowd in his own right with some awe-inspiring mind tricks and sleights of hand.
“As a satisfied sponsor since the very first retreat, we couldn’t be happier with how the Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat delivers year after year,” says Gold Sponsor Ryan Hilberth of Book.limo in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Our second day of education began with a bang as Temple University’s Jeffrey Montague discussed "Seizing Opportunities With Millennials, Hospitality & Tourism" with Sharenow moderating. This highly interactive session opened up a dialogue among generations while uncovering ways to harness Millennials’ outside-the-box thinking to the benefit of transportation companies.
We closed out the educational portion of the event with our debut of The Executive Game. Strategy Leaders modified this gamified learning experience for our retreat, which pitted eight groups against each other to see who would finish the game with the most retirement money—plus bragging rights and an article in CD magazine. Check out what Team One’s Shawn Glasgow of Peak Limousine, Kathy Kahne of Windy City Limousine, Terrie Lane of Grand Avenue Limousine, John Oulton of Richmond Limousine, Brandan Stein of Exclusive Sedan Service, Brion Svenson of Four Star Limousine, and Nancy Vargas of DH2 Chauffeured Transportation say about their victory in our June issue!
Attendees got to check out San Diego Tuesday afternoon and evening with a trolley tour courtesy of Old Town Trolley Tours and a free night to explore the town, with many staying with us through Wednesday to take advantage of an optional trip to the famed San Diego Zoo.
“Going back to my college town of San Diego for business was such an amazing experience—but the experience would not exist without the precise and detail-oriented planning of CD to make this retreat one for the history books,” says Gold Sponsor Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments in Moorpark, Calif. “Every single turn was perfect, every venue, education topic, pool party, and the crowd that this event was beyond top notch. Being able to learn, network, hang with clients, and pick up substantial new business = major success. Can’t wait for next year!”
We’ll have a full retreat recap—including tons of photos!—in our June issue of the magazine, so stay tuned. In the meantime, start planning ahead for next year when the CD Executive Retreat heads to Austin, Texas, to make the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown our home from May 5-7, 2019.
Next up: The 2018 Chauffeur Driven Show will head to the fabulous, all-under-one-roof Gaylord National just outside Washington, D.C., this October 7-10—which will be here before you know it. Head on over to chauffeurdrivenshow.com for all the details as they’re finalized.
Thank you again to our generous sponsors!
PlatinumGrech Motors
Ford-Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles
Gold
ABC Companies
Advantage Funding
Book.limo
Chosen Payments
Complete Fleet Livery Sales
Create-A-Card
First Class Customs
Lancer Insurance
Limo Anywhere
MCI
Affiliate
Black Tie Limousine
Black Tie Transportation Worldwide
Broadway Elite Worldwide
Exclusive Sedan Service
Gateway Global
Grace Limousine and Shuttle
Icona Global
North Point Transportation Group
Overland Chauffeured Services
Premier Transportation Worldwide
Signature Livery New Orleans
VIP Global
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Several members of the GCLA board were among those attending the association’s meeting at the CD Executive Retreat San Diego — The Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) has been taking its meetings on the road to ensure that its more-than-300 members hailing from all over the state are able to attend, and held its San Diego meeting at The Pendry in conjunction with the Chauffeur Driven retreat. Nearly 50 members made the meeting space a packed house on the afternoon of May 8.
The meeting came on the heels of the April 26 announcement that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) ruled that Uber is both a TNC and a charter party carrier (TPC). This means that the company must pay not only any fees it’s accumulated in the past three years for operating as a TPC but also the remaining back fees from that same three-year period for any TNC permit-holders providing TNC services through the Uber platform separate from Raiser-CA (a subsidiary of Uber that has been assessed CPUC fees). Uber has 30 days from April 26 to register as a TNC and TCP.
Despite this victory, there remain numerous issues for California operators, and the meeting provided an opportunity to both address them and assist others with their own pain points. Chief among those issues is how Uber has recently given Los Angeles International Airport $35M for prime curbside real estate, making it difficult for the industry to operate at the country’s second busiest overall airport. While the much-maligned TNC has been enjoying curbside pickup, traditional operators are relegated to waiting nearly two miles away for their passengers.
GCLA President Mo Garkani of The COTS Group assured members that the National Limousine Association and AFT have joined the fight against this unfair practice, and that he, too, is committed to this battle that arose from LAX’s determination to combat traffic by 50 percent. Garkani explained that the association has at least two airport contacts who are amenable to hearing the GCLA’s proposal appealing for the reinstitution of the curbside pickup for non-Uber vehicles.
Executive Director Tom Garrett assured members that “the GCLA’s never had a stronger financial position,” which bodes well for the battles that the association is facing.
As meeting attendees individually sounded off about their own personal concerns, a few items emerged as dominant frustrations, particularly insurance, worker’s comp, the cost of doing business, drug-testing in a state where marijuana is legalized, and the hiring and training of quality chauffeurs. To that last point, Garkani plans to hold a workshop wherein qualified trainers will offer chauffeur certification.
GCLA Director Perry Barin of Music Express and Past President Kevin Illingworth of Classique Limousines reminded everyone that it’s imperative to keep boosting association membership, as 300 members is disproportionate to the thousands of livery operations in the state. Garkani reminded those in attendance that “an association is stronger than one person and can help make things happen” for those grappling with significant issues.
The next GCLA meeting will be July 31 in Los Angeles.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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