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- Category: Industry News
Have you thought about serving on the board of your national association? Now is the time! The National Limousine Association (NLA) has the following seats open for the upcoming election and is now accepting applications for:
- At Large: 1 seat (any state in US)
- US Central Region: 1 seat (Ark., Iowa, Ill., Ind., Kan., La., Mich., Minn., Mo., N.D., Neb., Ohio, Okla., S.D., Texas, and Wisc.)
- US Northeast Region: 1 seat (Conn., Mass., Maine, N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I., and Vt.)
- US West Region: 1 seat (Ark., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Hawaii, Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.M., Ore., Utah, Wash., and Wyo.)
- Canada Region: 1 seat
- International Region: 1 seat
The deadline to apply is September 23, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. ET. To read the qualifications or submit an application for the election, click here.
The NLA held an information session with several past and current board members on August 24 to help answer any questions about running for the board and what is expected from these leaders. The session, hosted by NLA President Robert Alexander of RMA Worldwide, is available here.
Visit limo.org for more information.
[09.14.21]
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- Category: Industry News
You asked for it and we listened. In this column, we ask operators of all sizes and from all walks of the industry a question about their business and report their answers so you can assess how your own company compares to your peers. If you would like to participate, please email Rob Smentek at rob@chauffeurdriven.com for next issue’s question.
TOPIC: Since the pandemic, what new requests have your corporate clients been making (amenities, types of vehicles, pricing, “green” options, etc.)? Have there been any changes in RFPs? Have their service requirements changed?
With the pandemic, changes in corporate customer requests have included clients requesting SUVs instead of sedans so they are not too close to their associates. Also, we have several passengers requesting all chauffeurs to wear mask; we now do this on all trips. We’ve also had requests that we screen drivers to make sure they’re feeling well. This is also now done on all trips. Lastly, we’ve had a few requests for the chauffeur to wear gloves.
Christine Bennett, President
Showcase Limousine in Boise, Idaho
We have not had any special requests other than accommodating mask preferences for chauffeurs. Everything else has been very much the same.
Nick Boccio, General Manager
Buffalo Limousine in Buffalo, N.Y.
Corporate clients have reduced the amount of traveling a lot and, but when they do travel, they tend to book at the last second. During this difficult time, we have never lost contact with our clients, so they already know that safety and application of protocols have been, and still are, our utmost priority. While they are aware of our fleet/amenities, pricing seems to be not so important as the safety for a quality service.
Marina Brugnaro, President
New International Limousine in Venice, Italy
The only change in RFP I have seen is they want us to maintain the same rates for the next four years. In today’s environment, this is a bit difficult. One company was shocked as I told them that we will only do six-month pricing and see how things with their company are before discussing pricing for 2022. For most of RFPs, prospective clients do not care about year of the vehicle, but they have asked us to include how we reduce our carbon footprint. For us in Seattle, we use rainwater to wash our fleet. When sending out RFPs, make the procurement person think of you as a partner rather than another company sending in a request.
Jess Sandhu, Director of Operations
A&A Limousine & Bus Service in Kenmore, Wash.
Since the pandemic, a few corporate clients have requested information regarding our COVID safety protocols. We also find that due to social distancing, our clients are requesting a Sprinter van for what normally would require an SUV. Regarding RFPs—mainly for flight crew transportation—we have found that they are requesting larger vehicles for social distancing. We occasionally are asked if our chauffeurs are vaccinated. As a DH2 safety protocol practice, we continue to mandate our chauffeurs to wear masks. We also continue to sanitize our vehicles pre- and post-rides.
Nancy Vargas, CEO
DH2 Limousine in Jamaica, N.Y.
We’ve loved hearing your answers to our benchmarking questions—but we always welcome suggestions for future topics, too!
Send an email to rob@chauffeurdriven.com you just might see your query answered in our next e-News.
[09.14.21]
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- Category: Industry News
The latest Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) poll shows an increase in non-essential business travel continuing to rise in Europe. As such, the association has announced a number of in-person conferences and events as we head into the final quarter of 2021.
In addition to GBTA’s Annual Convention (November 17-19 in Orlando, Florida) a number of events, held across multiple European locations, are amongst the first face-to-face opportunities for industry colleagues to meet and collaborate in person. Education will continue to be a key component of each event with insightful keynotes from industry leaders and a range of panel discussions covering topical subject matter, each designed to spark interesting debate amongst specialists in their field, according to GBTA. Each event will also allow for numerous opportunities to network once again with peers, to rebuild and forge new business relationships.
According to the latest poll of GBTA members and stakeholders, 75 percent of European respondents expect that business travel will see a significant or moderate increase in the September to November 2021 time frame. This is supported by the latest results highlighting that more than seven in ten GBTA travel buyers felt their employees are ‘willing’ or ‘very willing’ to travel for business in the current environment.
The In-Person Events include:
September 16: GBTA France Masterclass at the Hôtel Le Méridien Etoile, Paris
November 9: GBTA Italy Conference in Milan
December 6-8: GBTA Europe conference in partnership with VDR in Berlin, Germany
“Following another disruptive year, I am delighted that we are once again able to host a number of in-person events for GBTA members throughout Europe. Safety and duty of care of course remain a priority and each of our events will have additional safety measures in place to ensure the well-being of delegates. Collaboration is perhaps more important than ever for the business travel industry, the return of in-person events will once again unite our industry to continue the safe return to business travel,” said Regional VP EMEA-GBTA Catherine Logan. “The multiple events across Europe will give delegates the opportunity to address the current industrywide challenges, as well as those specific to the individual regions and markets.”
“We are delighted to be able to return to in-person events and to be partnering with GBTA once again, to host the GBTA Europe Conference in partnership with VDR. Registration is now open, we look forward to welcoming you and giving the business travel community the opportunity to collaborate and network in a safe environment,” said VDR Executive Director Hans-Ingo Biehl.
Click here for more information and to register.
Visit gbta.org for more information about the association and its events.
[09.13.21]