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CD Director of Events Jess Pavlow with Nick Lopez of JACO Limousine & Transportation, winner of the pass to CD’s 2017 Show in Orlando
Nashville, Tenn. — The Tennessee Association of Chauffeured Transportation (TACT) rang in the holidays with a festive luncheon on December 6. CD Director of Events Jess Pavlow was among the 15 members and supporters who came out for the yearly tradition.
As the association continues to grow, its leaders are thinking up new events and ideas to continue on its upward trajectory. TACT President Carl Haley of Grand Avenue Worldwide announced plans for a poker or casino night within the first quarter of 2017, which was met with wildly positive feedback. The association also is reaching out to ground transportation companies that operate within Tennessee but are based in other states to bolster its numbers and bring in new perspectives from the surrounding region.
In terms of old business, Haley spoke of the ongoing construction plans at Nashville International Airport, which officials say with include the input of area operators and TACT itself.
The attendees of TACT’s holiday luncheon on December 6
With a new year coming up, a call for board nominations was made. The nominees included Haley, Matt Yorke of Signature Transportation Services, Todd Roberts of JACO Limousine & Transportation, Val Newton of Regal Limousine Service, Ed Coleman of Emerald Luxury Transportation, and Johnny Sansom of Alpha Limousine.
Toward the end of the meeting, Pavlow thanked the association and its members for the ongoing support they’ve shown Chauffeur Driven, and spoke about its 2017 events. She also raffled off a pass to the 2017 CD Show in Orlando, which was won by Nick Lopez of JACO Limousine & Transportation.
The next TACT meeting will be January 2017.
Visit the association’s newly designed website at tnact.com for more information.
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VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Transportation
Fredricksburg, Va. — The Virginia Limousine Association (VLA) celebrated the season on December 1, where nearly 40 guests—including CD’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela, who’s also VLA’s executive director came out for the association’s holiday gala.
While there was much merriment to be had, there was also business to tend to. VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Transportation kicked off the evening event with thank yous, an overview of the association’s 2016 activities, and an update about inauguration information via both the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority and Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV).
CD Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela (left) with John Oulton of Richmond Limousine, winner of a pass to the 2017 CD Show in Orlando
Tony Simon of Reston Limousine and Zulfi Abbasi of American Executive Sedan Service expounded upon the benefits of the VLA’s newly strengthened ties with the DFHV while also thanking Jagiela for his role in building the relationship between the agency and association. Both VLA members explained how working with the DFHV will streamline a number of operations, such as how the agency will work with livery companies’ software providers to integrate their systems and how using its app to report where the industry’s services are being performed will help improve the district’s transportation efficiency.
VLA vendors also spoke, with Joe Lalla representing Georgetown Insurance Agency and Steve Wolfson speaking on behalf of Century Business Solutions.
Before the holiday festivities commenced, Jagiela concluded the formal part of the evening by raffling off a pass to the 2017 CD Show, which was won by John Oulton of Richmond Limousine.
The next VLA meeting will be February 6.
Visit vla-limo.org for more information.
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LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Transportation with Sarah McKee of Chosen Payments
Atlantic City, N.J. — The Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) held a general membership meeting at Harrah’s Atlantic City Hotel on November 14. More than 70 members and guests were in attendance, including CD’s Publisher Chris Weiss and Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela. The breakfast meeting gave attendees the opportunity to catch up on recent legislation and industry-related news.
LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Transportation got the meeting underway with an update on the TNC Bill that’s currently under consideration by the N.J. state legislature. While the Bill to allow TNCs to operate in the state was approved in May, it has been stalled due to the reluctance of the TNCs to allow fingerprinting and background checks. However, Sharenow estimates that the Bill will pass before the end of the year. Another piece of legislation, the Limo Bill, is also before the state Assembly, and is designed to eliminate sales tax on service and reduce insurance requirements. LANJ Board Members Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide Limousine Service and Pete Corelli of Lakeview Custom Coach recently provided testimony on behalf of N.J. operators and have worked tirelessly on behalf of LANJ to get this Bill passed.
L to R: Jason Gogel of MyLimo, Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car Service/Above All Transportation, Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide, and Anthony Azara of Touch of Class Limousine
Following the legal updates, Sharenow shifted gears to discuss changes to LANJ membership requirements, which include a reduction in dues for small operators who operate with one or two cars. He credited the support of Chauffeur Driven, Chosen Payments, and Complete Fleet Livery Sales for being able to reduce the fees. Also, Sharenow spotlighted LANJ’s Affiliate Membership program that welcomes out-of-state entities who run legitimate operations in their home state. Some of the association’s Affiliate Members include Boston Car Service/Above All Transportation, Desert Rose Limousine, RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, and Windy City Limousine, among others.
Next, David Piccolo, a representative from Meeting Sponsor T-Mobile was introduced. With T-Mobile serving as a LANJ Platinum Vendor member, Piccolo told the crowd that he is proud to consider himself a consultant to the association for technology issues. He then highlighted the services that T-Mobile can offer the chauffeured ground transportation industry, including GPS and SMS secure messaging. After T-Mobile’s presentation, Sara McKee and Katie Martinez from Chosen Payments were given the floor, and presented LANJ with a check for $10,753.03 for the past year’s shared revenue between the company and the association. They also offered those in attendance a $100 rebate towards any LANJ member dues for anyone who climbs on board Chosen Payment’s service before the end of 2016.
David Picollo, a representative of meeting sponsor T-Mobile
The meeting concluded with an educational session about marketing, which feature panelists Pat Charla of DriveProfit and Arthur Messina of Create-A-Card. Charla discussed the benefits of digital marketing, particularly the value of having processes automated with an up-to-date website. She also emphasized the importance of having a strong web presence particularly in regard to SEO and social media. Messina then followed up with a strong case for the notion of print being far from “dead,” suggesting that printed marketing materials add credibility to a business. He also proposed that operators should put headshots on business cards to increase exposure and familiarity.
The next LANJ general meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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