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Schedule

Luxury Transportation Expo ’22 Program at a Glance

DAY 1: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

8AM – 3PM: Registration
9AM – 3PM:Exhibit Area
10AM – 3PM:Feature Aisle on Expo Floor
12PM – 1:30PM:Pinkies up! Get your High Tea hat on and enjoy an INDUSTRY FIRST ladies’ High Tea social complete with fabulous finger sandwiches, tea cakes, salads, and of course, TEA! This is a networking event so plan to not only show off your hat but be prepared to take the mic and introduce yourselves to all the ‘high society’ ladies of luxury transportation!
1:30PM – 2:30PM:
  • Aaron Lesavoy, Code3
  • Mark Petree, Limo Marketer
Say goodbye to advertising “gurus” who ask for subscriptions or a significant chunk of change. Marketing doesn’t need to be spendy and attendees will find out just how EASY it is to:
  • Get repeat business through client relations tips.
  • Get customers to refer business to you.
  • Offer Personalized Experiences
  • Focus on Email and social media Inbound Marketing
  • Leverage Content Marketing
  • Create Interactive Content
  • Educate Your Market
  • Focus on Storytelling
  • Create A Google Business Page
  • Nail Your Value Proposition
  • Embrace Grassroots Marketing
  • Be Your Own PR Advocate
  • Convert Customers to Advocates
2:30PM – 3:30PM:
  • Harry Dhillon, Ecko Transportation
  • Victoria Davis, American Limo Services
Looking for the best way to outsource reservation & dispatch services? Or do you want to hire and train your team from within? This session will deal with both scenarios and weigh out the pros and cons with you involved in the conversation. You will walk away knowing:
  • The A, B, and Cs of client account creation and internal management systems
  • The critical basics of dispatch and reservations
  • How to communicate with drivers and with customers
3PM – 4PM:
  • Robert Gaskill, Motev
  • Sara Richardson, GCLA
  • Guest Presenter: Lee Palmer Turner, GBTA President (LA) & Matthew Daus
4PM – 5PM:
  • TBA
5PM – 7PM:

After the keynote presentation, we will adjourn to the outside exhibit area and enjoy live music, a hosted open bar, and hors d’eurves (sp?) reception while networking with vendors and our event sponsors. For 2 full hours, we will mingle as the California sunsets over our shoulders

(the Pacific Ocean is right next to us) and enjoy a truly sophisticated experience with lots of interaction.

7PM – 9PM:Glam Up in your GOLD for this one! A true Hollywood-styled elegant dinner party awaits all full registrants to EXPO. The evening includes a signature Golden Mojito, along with a plated 3-course dinner (salmon, steak, or chicken); live entertainment, and an after-dinner silent and live auction. Proceeds to the auction will go to the SAVE OUR CURB RIGHTS Initiative at LAX. Come support this important initiative so that our parking and curb rights moving into 2023 are secured with this Hub California airport! Seating is open, however, if you’d like to reserve a table we can handle this – but only on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Reina@gcla.org for that and any other special requests, including dietary options.

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

8AM – 4PM:Registration (coffee service from 8am – 10am)
9AM – 10AM:
  • Harry Dhillon,  Ecko Transportation Worldwide, India
  • Selim Aslan, MIB Worldwide Chauffeured Services,  Turkey
  • Alex Darbahani, KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services,  Iran
There are more than 50 million immigrants in the United States, many of who’ve become entrepreneurs. This speaks volumes about their ability to overcome obstacles to create a business life and succeed as an entrepreneur. Sometimes it’s hard to see the effect that immigrants have made on the U.S. economy, particularly in their leadership roles. Yet there sometimes is a negative stigma that falsely represents what immigrants have done for this country. It’s important to address the successful operators who came from a foreign country and established themselves in America and to hear their stories. No doubt, they have had a powerful influence on transportation.
9AM – 10AM:
  • Curtis Gabriel

Frustrated with the lack of good chauffeuring and dispatch applicants? That’s because it is more difficult today than ever to attract talent. However, it’s out there! This session will show you how to write a killer job post. We will also delve into the type of business culture you have – it’s critical to know that so you find the right fits for you, the owner. We will reshape the application process with you so it is simple. And this session will show you easy ways to use outsourced resources like job fairs, team recruiting, and technology – starting with our partner Zip Recruiter who now has a customized program just for our industry. Finally, we will unpack the latest compensation packages that make committed employees.

10:10AM – 11:10AM:
  • Sara Richardson ( Sustainable Transportation & Travel Network/GCLA )
  • Debra ( Travel and Meeting Society (TAMS )
  • Tiffany Hinton, Motev
  • Liane M. Randolph, California Air Resource Board rep
Everyone in travel is talking about Sustainability, but what the heck does that mean for ground transportation? This session will explain Sustainability and walk participants through the easy process of converting to a more environmentally sound business. We will discuss driver behavior and training tips to reduce fuel usage. We will show attendees how to easily institute recycling and more. We will teach operators how to understand CO2 emissions, how to track their vehicle output of CO2, and cover the subject of off-setting those CO2 emissions to ultimately be compliant with the new “carbon neutral” mandates coming our way. Travel managers are already beginning to require vendors have a Sustainable program in place so there’s no time to waste!
10:10AM – 11:10AM:
  • Robert Saucedo, Carrera Tours
  • Lonnie Reynolds, American Limo Services

Attend this discussion facilitated by a panel of savvy bus marketers who will talk about new strategies for charter work and opportunities to increase your tour business. Attendees will hear new ideas on partnering with companies, convention and visitor bureaus, charities and non-profits, churches and schools, AND how to create and sell your own local bus tours. In addition to all of this, the panel will explore contract opportunities with businesses that need to move employees, senior living facility transfers, and private transit. We will talk about the infrastructure bill in place, and the impact electrification is having on the bus market – the pro-s and the cons.

11:15AM – 12: 30PM: SUPER PANEL – Behind the Golden Curtain of an Acquisition Thinking about buying a transportation company or selling yours? There are three national operators who have all gone through the process of buying and selling their businesses in the last few years. Get a front-row seat at this candid discussion about the real experiences these owners went through on their respective journeys.

Guest Stars:

Diane Forgy, former owner of Overland Chauffeured Services, KS

At Diane’s suggestion, her parent started the company in 1979. Diane assumed control of Overland years later when her parents passed away. Over two decades, she grew the business from a small retailer to a multimillion-dollar corporate-focused company and amassed a truckload of awards along the way. Post-pandemic, Diane made the emotional decision to cash out and to sell her business to her primary competitor. From a first-time seller’s perspective, Diane will share her personal journey and what she had to do to prepare herself and her company for the sale along the way.

Jeff Nykos, CEO of Leros Point to Point, NY

Leros Point to Point started as a small family business in 1983. Jeff and his brother Chris are the “drivers” of the company’s growth. Today, Leros PtP employs 250 people and is a global monster of a company. Much of their expansion was done by acquiring small and mid-sized companies. Jeff will share their formula for success. He will also discuss the mistakes to avoid before buying, selling, or merging your company.

Joe Guilino, Gem Limousine Worldwide, NJ

Founded in 1976, Gem is a 3rd generation business and considered a premier operation in the Northeast. In 2020 Gem purchased Concord Worldwide after the founder used the Pandemic to speed up his exit strategy. Concord Worldwide was started with one limousine in 1984 by Bob Bellegamba who grew to over 100 vehicles and became Gem’s competitor – albeit a friendly one! Joe will share his experience making his first acquisition, which happened to be an extremely large purchase.

Mo Garkani, The COTS Group

This LIVE CONVERSATION will be facilitated by Sara Eastwood-Richardson, GCLA Executive Director and President of RAS International.
12:30PM – 3:30PM:After the Super Panel presentation, we will adjourn to the outside exhibit area and enjoy a complimentary boxed lunch including gourmet sandwich, salad, chips and dessert along with and free beverages while networking with vendors and our event sponsors. For 3 full hours, we will mingle as the California ocean air breeze and palm trees sway above us. This is sure to be a truly wonderful afternoon with plenty of time to interact with suppliers and watch hands on demonstrations.
3:30PM – 5:30PM:

Conference Center

  • MOOVs team
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