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L to R: Matt Daus of Windels Marx, Ken Lucci of Driving Transactions, and CD Editor Rob Smentek
It was a full house at the Hampton Inn Woodbridge on Tuesday, March 19, for a Spring luncheon meeting of the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ). More than 90 members and guests were in attendance, including CD Publisher Chris Weiss and Editor Rob Smentek.
LANJ President Mike Rose of My Limousine Service kicked things off by welcoming the attendees and introducing close to 20 prospective members who represented the Tri-State Area and beyond. One attendee, Reza Choudhary of HYRIDE, journeyed from the United Kingdom to take part in the meeting. Also acknowledged by Rose was Long Island Limousine Association (LILA) President Tom Gouldsbury of Azure Limousine.
L to R: NLA Secretary Doug Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation, LANJ President Mike Rose of My Limousine Service, and LILA President Tom Gouldsbury of Azure Limousine
Rose next delivered the LANJ Report, providing an update of what’s happening with the association. He announced the Barbara Chirico Scholarship Fund to honor the recently deceased founder of Gem Limousine. Open to the children and family of LANJ members, scholarship applications will be accepted until June 30. Members can contact Executive Director Patricia Nelson for inquiries. Rose also discussed association-based initiatives, including discounts from vendor members and a membership drive to attract new blood.
L to R: LANJ Secretary Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide, Reza Choudhary of HYRIDE, CD President Chris Weiss, and LANJ 1st Vice President Joe Gulino of Gem Worldwide
Next, the afternoon’s first guest speaker was given the floor. Jessica Maarek of Red Root Marketing offered a presentation called Social Media Marketing for Small Business, which provided tools and tricks to utilize social media platforms. Maarek’s emphasis was on “hyperlocal and community driven” marketing, and she demonstrated how to build community online. One suggestion was for operators to proactively follow 10-15 other accounts per week from their business pages. Creating compelling content was also discussed, as she pointed out that the current social media trend is quality over quantity when it comes to posting. Maarek advised that all posts should be branded and have a distinct call to action. Before concluding, she also spoke about the benefits of using AI to create graphics and content.
LANJ Executive Director Patricia Nelson
Rose then introduced the next special guest, who is a familiar face to the industry. Matt Daus of Windels Marx provided a compelling presentation that covered the legal and regulatory matters affecting New Jersey and New York operators. Daus began by stating that “LANJ is a shining example of state associations,” highlighting the benefits of joining the association. He then provided a short overview of his extensive history within the luxury ground transportation industry, both as a lawyer and politician. Chief among the topics covered by Daus was the matter of the congestion pricing tariff in New York City. This proposed law will add a fee to any car that visits the city below 60th Street during peak hours.
NLA Secretary Doug Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation (left) with Matt Daus of Windels Marx
“Their goal is to target anyone who crosses the bridge, so that the city can treat you like an ATM,” said Daus. “Tolls always come on, but they never come off.”
Daus discussed the legal battles that are in effect to curb the tax, notably lawsuits from the State of N.J. and the city of Fort Lee. However, despite the legal conflict, he stated that a test phase is likely to begin this summer, with the congestion pricing going full tilt in the fall.
L to R: Steve Horowitz of EmpireCLS Worldwide, LANJ Treasurer Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet Sales, and 2nd Vice President Jeffrey Cartagena of Leros Transportation Group
Another controversial N.Y. law was also discussed, namely the Anti-Idling Law. This legislation encourages citizens to report vehicles who are caught idling for more than 3 minutes in exchange for a percentage of the fine. In addition, Daus briefly covered the recent Corporate Transparency Act, which was featured in the January issue of Chauffeur Driven.
Before adjourning for the day, National Limousine Association (NLA) Secretary Doug Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation was invited to say a few words. Schwartz spoke about Daus’ pro bono efforts in helping the NLA with legal matters. Daus was presented with a plaque on behalf of the national association in recognition for his service.
The next LANJ event is their auction/dinner to be held Tuesday, May 21, at il Tulipano in Cedar Grove, N.J.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
[03.25.24]
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The US Congress is squarely in the middle of negotiations for the next fiscal year, but the passage of six critical funding bills is being heralded as a win for the travel industry by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) as it provides funding for the office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism.
This new position was fiercely fought for by the travel industry at a crucial point in the post-COVID recovery and was signed into law through 2022’s Visit America Act. The person in the position will be tasked with helping to prepare US cities to welcome and attract international visitors for business, tourism, and conferences, as well as reduce the visa wait times and maximize economic potential of US tourism.
USTA President & CEO Geoff Freeman
“Funding this critical position is a step in ensuring the long-term global competitiveness of the United States. While other countries are laser-focused on growing their share of global travel, the U.S. has been stuck in neutral—in part due to a lack of a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to increasing travel,” says USTA President & CEO Geoff Freeman “The Assistant Secretary will play a valuable role in coordinating across the government to help innovate travel facilitation and address persistent challenges that stand in the way of growth. This position will also be integral as the U.S. prepares to host significant international events over the next decade—including the World Cup—and compete for a greater share of the global travel market.”
Although this is great news for those specific delayed bills, Congress isn’t out of the woods yet when it comes to funding the next fiscal year. It was reported that House Republican leaders and the White House had finally struck a deal for its last remaining sticking point—funding the Department of Homeland Security—but Congress has several bills to pass before the March 22 deadline.
Visit ustravel.org for more information.
[03.19.24]
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The GBTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), announced the launch of GBTA’s Sustainable Procurement Standards, a free educational resource that corporate travel buyers worldwide can utilize to make informed procurement decisions and deliver on their organization’s sustainability objectives. Additionally, GBTA says that the standards align with the Biden Administration’s goals for a sustainable future for business travel.
Although the first set of standards focus primarily on the aviation sector, GBTA will release additional guidelines for other hospitality sectors—including hotels and ground transportation—in the upcoming months. Additionally, the association will hold sessions at their convention this July in Atlanta, as well as host a free webinar on April 3 to explain the new standards as well as answer questions. Click here to register for the webinar or here to register for the convention.
Delphine Millot of the GBTA Foundation
According to the press release, the Foundation along with the GBTA Sustainability Committee consulted with more than 50 leading companies in the business travel space over 18 months to develop the final text. The Sustainable Procurement Standards are available on the GBTA Foundation website, as well as in the GBTA Hub for GBTA members.
“One of the biggest sustainability challenges faced by the business travel industry around procurement is focusing on issues that are meaningful and driving positive change across the ESG spectrum,” said Delphine Millot, GBTA Foundation managing director and GBTA SVP for sustainability and advocacy. “This is why the GBTA Foundation convened the entire value chain of business travel to agree on common, global standards to benchmark the sustainability performance of airlines, hotels and car rental companies. The new Standards offer a practical solution for buyers to support their procurement efforts and streamlines the process for suppliers, ultimately fostering a more responsible travel ecosystem.”
Visit gbtafoundation.org for more information about the GBTA Foundation.
[03.19.24]