- Details
- Category: Industry News
The ABA show floor was packed with attendees The American Bus Association (ABA) held its annual Meeting & Marketplace from January 26-30 in Charlotte, N.C. Attracting over 3,400 attendees with its 2018 installment (including more than 1,000 motorcoach and tour operators), the conference aims to kick off the new year as a platform for ABA to provide networking, education, exhibition, purchasing, certification, and philanthropic opportunities to the bus and motorcoach world.
Meetings are a significant component of the five-day event, and the ABA Annual Meeting on Saturday was just one opportunity for the greater community to come together for an update about both the past year and what lies ahead. Various regional associations, boards, committees, and councils embraced this unifying opportunity to bring their far-flung members together to face-to-face discussions over the course of the conference.
UMA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner (left) with ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso During the annual meeting, ABA announced its 2018 board officers:
Chairman of the Board: Don DeViVo of DATTCO in New Britain, Conn.
Vice Chairman of the Board: Gene Berardi of Adirondack Trailways in Hurley, N.Y.
Immediate Past Chairman: John Meier of Badger Coaches in Madison, Wis.
Treasurer: John Miller of Miller Transportation in Louisville, Ky.
Additionally, Mike Dickson of Southeastern Stages in Atlanta, Ga., and AJ Kinney of Great Day Tours and Charter Bus Service in Cleveland, Ohio, were voted to three-year terms; Nicole Twigg of Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau in Louisville, Ky., was voted to a one-year term; and Kim Grzywaczof CIT Signature Transportation in Ames, Iowa, was appointed a one-year term as the 2019 ABA Marketplace Chairman.
One of the buses at TEMSA's booth "ABA recently went through a strategic planning routine and have mapped out the next three years for the association and how we service our members and the industry," said ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso. "These new officers and board members will play a key role in helping ABA continuing being the most respected and valued motorcoach, travel, and tourism association and I look forward to working with all of these dedicated professionals."
With educational sessions, speakers, and workshops accounting for a significant part of the conference, ABA offered more than 50 seminars led by an array of speakers and industry experts alike. Its breakout-session program was divided into three tracks: Professional Development, Technology, and Sales and Marketing. Short informational sessions on the showroom floor, safety education from ABA's Bus Industry Safety Council, maintenance and operations education, legislative updates, webinars, and certifications all rounded out the spate of learning opportunities to be found in the Charlotte conference.
Keynote Speaker Steve Miller shared his nontraditional approach to marketing and branding. Miller, whose book Uncopyable takes its name from his business philosophy, told attendees about his formula for helping companies—including some among the Fortune 100—separate themselves from their competition to grow as entrepreneurs and find success.
ABA's Bus Industry Safety Council met during the conference The beating heart of the conference is its fundraising work, and this year was no exception. The philanthropic initiative ABA Gives Back has raised money every year for a charity based in the conference's host city since 2007; thanks to attendees' generosity, ABA Gives Back has raised more than $347,000 in the past decade. This year's beneficiary was the Isabella Santos Foundation, which was established in 2009 in honor of its young namesake, who succumbed to the neuroblastoma she battled for five years since her diagnosis at age 2. The foundation has donated more than $1.5 million to neuroblastoma cancer research and children's cancer charities in search of a cure, and ABA members raised another $25,085 to support its passionate mission.
Up next for ABA is its Capitol Hill Flyover Days in Washington, D.C., which it will host in conjunction with the United Motorcoach Association April 10-11. The 2019 ABA Meeting & Marketplace will be Jan. 25-29 in Louisville, Ky.
Visit buses.org for more information. [CD0318]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Since 2013, the England-based industry magazine Professional Driver has honored the private car, chauffeur, and taxi industry with a black-tie event that recognizes the companies, teams, and individuals who maintain the integrity and high-touch service that exemplify luxury chauffeured transportation.
The iChauffeur team celebrates being recognized as the medium-sized Chauffeur Company of the Year This year was no exception. On November 23, a crowd of more than 450 guests included the chauffeurs usually waiting in parked cars outside galas and special events who found themselves in the middle of the action—often, right in the spotlight—as well as the decision-makers who have navigated their companies through the perilous, uncharted territory of existing alongside TNCs and were celebrated for their myriad successes.
An independent panel of four industry-entrenched judges—including ProDriver Editor Mark Bursa—selected the honorees, who were recognized for everything from creative marketing approaches, community contributions, and continually elevating the perception of the U.K.’s private car industry from the busy streets of London to the remote northern corners and everywhere between.
Chauffeur Company of the Year, 1-10 vehicles
The Gold Community Award went to the Street Cars team in recognition of their willingness to provide free taxis on election day, pay for the local mosque’s food during Ramadan, help with local charities, and more Gold – Orion Luxury (London)
Silver – Cole Executive Hire (Malmesbury)
Bronze – Chauffeur Travel (Bath)
Chauffeur Company of the Year, 11-30 vehicles
Gold – iChauffeur (London)
Silver – Driven UK (Horley)
Bronze – Herts Executive (Welwyn Garden City)
Chauffeur Company of the Year, 31+ vehicles
Gold – Club Class Chauffeurs (Hailsham)
Silver – Brunel (London)
Bronze – Little’s Chauffeur Drive (Glasgow)
Bronze – Premiere Chauffeur Drive (London)
The unanimous winner of the Private Hire Company of the Year (81+ vehicles) was Parker Car Service, chosen for its innovative competitiveness and for “leading the dialogue about how to progress the industry in the right way” Private Hire Company of the Year, 1-80 vehicles
Gold – Go Green Taxis (Didcot)
Silver – Cabs Smart (Ipswich)
Silver – Location Cars (London)
Bronze – Castle Cars (Tonbidge)
Private Hire Company of the Year, 81+ vehicles
Gold – Parker Car Service (London)
Silver – Royal Cars (Oxford)
Silver – Carrot Cars (London)
Marketing Award
Gold – GLH (London)
Silver – Addison Lee (London)
Bronze – Go Green Taxis (Didcot)
The Special Recognition Award honored all of the North-west professional drivers who rushed to concert-goers’ aid in the face of tragedy and was given to the Street Cars team for their pivotal role in providing rides to those who had just survived a bombing this past May New Start Business
Gold – Orion Luxury (London)
Silver – London Luxury Chauffeuring (London)
Bronze – Myhills Mini Coaches (Cambridge)
Community Award
Gold – Street Cars (Manchester)
Silver – GLH (London)
Bronze – Solway Private Hire (Silloth)
Environmental Award
Gold – Addison Lee (London)
Silver – Greentomato Cars (London)
Bronze – Cloud Cars (Nottingham)
Professional Driver of the Year
The GLH team proudly brandishes the Gold Marketing Award they received for developing a bold, people-forward campaign to reach younger passengers Gold – Hilary Hutchinson (Lakeland Chauffeurs)
Silver – Simon Peacock (Capstar Chauffeurs)
Bronze – Marc Brodie (GLH)
Bronze – Bogdan Tepes (Herts Executive)
While the Professional Driver of the Year is a hard act to follow and typically serves as the evening’s grand finale, there was a surprise last call this year. The Special Recognition Award, befitting its name, had a particularly significant meaning in the wake of the tragic, fatal bombing at a concert in Manchester this past spring.
In a time of chaos and confusion, chauffeurs from all over the region prioritized people over profit to safely ferry dazed concert-goers and bystanders to safer grounds free of charge. According to Bursa, who presented the award, among those leading the rally to help was Sameer Arshad of Street Cars—the evening’s 2017 Community Award Gold medalist—who "asked all his drivers to pick up as many people in need of rides home or to the hospital as possible." 
Professional Driver of the Year Hilary Hutchinson of Lakeland Chauffeurs displays the trophy that honors her commitment to the career she only began four years ago He reportedly told his drivers: "This is our city, at the end of the day. Money’s not everything."
"On May 22, a suicide bomber murdered 22 people and injured more than 60 as they left an Ariana Grande concert at the MEN Arena in Manchester," Bursa said before inviting Arshad up to the stage to accept the award "on behalf of all the north-western taxi and private hire companies and drivers who went well beyond the call of duty" to become the city’s fourth emergency service on that terrible night.
Bursa added: "Many drivers and operators turned off their meters and offered free rides to get people to safety. Some drivers abandoned their cars and went inside the police cordon on foot to find their frightened customers and escort them out of danger and back to the car. Drivers from all across the region offered to help. Companies from Liverpool sent cars to Manchester, and the local taxi firms worked through the night, without pay, to get people home safely."
The evening also saw the eighth presentation of the Professional Driver Car of the Year awards, selected by readers of the magazine after a full day of testing more than 60 vehicles back in August. This year’s big winners were:
Chauffeur Car of the Year: BMW 740Le xDrive Exclusive
Green Car of the Year: Hyundai Ioniq Electric Premium SE
Luxury SUV of the Year: Volvo XC60 D5 Inscription
Executive Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz E220d AMG Line
GMPV of the Year: Mercedes-Benz V250d AMG Line Extra Long
Estate Car of the Year: BMW 530d Touring xDrive M Sport
2017 Professional Driver Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz E220d AMG
Visit prodrivermags.com/qsi-home for more information about and photos from the award ceremony. [CD0118]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
youtube.com/watch?v=bb9ZxP4rgSk They say that timing is everything, and those who are smart strike while the iron is hot. For the NLA's latest public service announcement called "The Signs"—its second featuring actress, activist, and sexual assault survivor Pamela Anderson—the timing couldn't have been better when it debuted in early January 2018, just months after harassment scandals have taken down prominent figures in all walks of life, from Hollywood to politics. The rapid success of the PSA is boosting the confidence of the team behind the campaign that the message is—finally—resonating with a larger audience after three years of building that message. "We've had 1.4 billion impressions in just 14 days," said NLA Secretary Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach regarding the PSA. "In comparison, all of the press releases that NLA produced last year barely hit 1 billion impressions, combined. We've had a massive impact on these companies that have tens of millions of dollars for public relations."
This is the second PSA that the NLA has produced with Anderson. The first, "The Driver Game," featured a flirty Anderson interviewing drivers in the style of the "The Dating Game." This time around, "The Signs" PSA—with a more serious tone and a focus directed toward corporate customers and corporate travel buyers—caught the attention of media outlets like The New York Times, Today With Megyn Kelly, the U.K.'s Daily Mail, and was even featured in entertainment website TMZ's daily rundown. Millions have seen the video.
"When I first embarked on my quest to raise awareness about the safety risks associated with ride-hailing apps, I had no idea about the frequency or disturbing nature of the incidents," said Anderson. "It is digital hitchhiking. These apps are optimized for predators and will remain so until common sense safety measures are put in place."
Kelly had a sit-down interview with the actress, where she recalled times in Hollywood where she was promised cars or homes if she would be a director's or a producer's "number-one girl," but that she walked away without exception. Anderson has also been open about her abuse by a babysitter and a later rape when she was a preteen, and she now works closely with nonprofit PAVE, which aims to empower students, parents, and civic leaders to end sexual violence with prevention education. PAVE, founded by rape survivor Angela Rose in 2001, also cosponsored the PSA.
"The question is, whether [Uber & Lyft's background checks] are as tough as ones you get through a pre-arranged service. The bottom line is be smart, be safe, and never get into any car with someone who is a stranger to you," said Kelly during the program.
When the NLA's Ride Responsibly campaign was announced in 2015, the association leaders knew that it was going to be a battle for the future of the industry—but one that pitted a small but respected association against a multi-billion-dollar company with a lot of free, positive press and a public that loved it. (Lyft at the time was riding on the coattails of Uber, allowing the larger company to front the battles with legislatures.) Society is changing so quickly that legislators and the general public are usually more fascinated by what technology can do rather than being concerned about its potential negative consequences, and that certainly seemed to be the case with TNCs.
"I've had numerous meetings with California legislators and they get it, but they won't stop or slow down the progress of these companies for the sake of innovation," said NLA President Gary Buffo, whose company, Pure Luxury Transportation, is based in the Bay Area. "And if they have to ignore safety and regulations for innovation, then they will—and do."
But the cracks began to appear in the façade in 2016 and 2017, especially regarding Uber, and the media has steadily been waking up to the dirty underbelly of less regulated app companies posing as transportation providers. Compounding a very bad year, which included proven claims of sexual harassment and a frat-like working environment at its headquarters, Uber quickly scrambled for its PR life and ousted longtime CEO Travis Kalanick—but not before a #DeleteUber hashtag caught fire. Buffo and the NLA Public Relations Committee, co-chaired by Solombrino and Jason Kaplan of The Driver Provider, have been working with EVINS Communications for the past three years to develop a multi-tiered strategy to combat TNCs in pursuit of a level playing field—and to have regulators take notice of the dangers that the riding public is subject to without one. The timing for this PSA, however, couldn't have been better as sexual harassment scandals have exploded across numerous industries, spurring the #MeToo movement.
"Pam deserves a lot of credit," said Kaplan. "We're not a huge conglomerate that's paying her tons of money to be a spokesperson. It's not about that. It's a personal and passionate cause for her, and she has gone above and beyond to take on this battle. She believes in this so strongly that she's become a better spokesperson than we could have ever hoped for."
While the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Solombrino, there has been some pushback that the PSA is "anti-driver" rather than an attempt to level a playing field for all. In fact, the NLA launched a summer 2017 partnership with nonprofit Jobs With Justice, to highlight the responsibilities that Uber and Lyft have shirked regarding their drivers—often leaving those drivers chasing trips far from their homes or working insane hours for a low payout. The Huffington Post took notice of that campaign and reported on it in August of last year.
"We are not anti-TNC just for the sake of competition ... that has nothing to do with it," said Kaplan. "We as an industry are regulated much more than they are and we all take training and passenger safety very seriously for anyone we put in a car driving our passengers. And none of that comes into play with TNCs."
Solombrino agreed: "We're on a mission to get fingerprinting and drug testing as a standard in all states for all TNC drivers. We're trying to elevate the level of consciousness of the general riding public. No sane person would ever get on an airplane if they didn't think that the FAA had drug testing requirements for pilots."
Aside from assaults and kidnappings, lax regulations have exposed several other potential issues with TNC drivers: legal recreational and medicinal marijuana use, and hours behind the wheel—which is strictly regulated in states like California.
"We had 22 Uber drivers apply at our company in a one-week period and 21 of them failed the drug test so we couldn't ever hire them," said Buffo. "They likely went right back to working for Uber. We're hearing of drivers who come in from Tracy—about two hours away—to work in San Francisco for four days, sleeping in their cars and working 20-hour days. We have a one-on-one relationship with the people we are interviewing and ultimately hiring, and that's why our industry—on a good day—hires maybe one out of nine people who apply. That's why we don't have the problems that TNCs have. Regulators haven't stopped going after this industry, and all we can do is continually educate the end-user about the differences between them and us."
Solombrino will host a one-on-one discussion with Anderson at the Las Vegas show, which he said is sure to garner lots of media attention for both the association and the cause.
The NLA is also working on another PSA that will be released later this spring, one that Solombrino says will hit on all the pillars that they think are important to get across to the riding public and regulators. He says that the next will ultimately build on what they have wanted to communicate so far.
"In 2017, we created and built upon the public's awareness of the downside of TNCs with EVINS' guidance. In 2018, we're making that impact. And now with the #MeToo movement, it's helped to make it a global issue where TNCs are a landscape that need to be examined and truly made safer for consumers," said Kaplan.
Visit rideresponsibly.org or limo.org for more information on the campaign. Visit youtube.com/watch?v=bb9ZxP4rgSk to view the latest PSA in its entirety. [CD0318]