TLPA 95TH ANNUAL CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW - A GREAT SUCCESS

Boston strong! The timing for the 95th Annual Convention & Trade Show could not have been better with the Baseball World Series’ electric atmosphere in Boston. It added greatly to the excitement of one of 2013’s largest gatherings of for-hire fleet owners in the transportation industry.

With more than 900 transportation industry leaders from across America and around the globe in attendance, this was TLPA’s largest meeting held outside of Las Vegas. This year’s conference featured:

• 27 educational sessions of important topics affecting the industry,
  
  
• a packed trade show with 106 vendors,
  
  
• the election of our new TLPA President Robert M. Werth and new members of the association Board of Directors for 2013-2014, and
  
  
• a tour hosted by Boston Cab Dispatch and EJT Management.
  

On Sunday, October 27, preconvention activities began with a high quality, intense Rogue App Seminar featuring attorneys, public relations professionals and operators. They battled rogue apps sharing, what strategies have worked well and not so well in countering the media, legal, regulatory, and political onslaught brought on by the rogue app companies.

On Monday morning October 28, the Annual Convention opened with an operator tour hosted by Boston Cab Dispatch and EJT Management. More than 250 convention attendees went on the tour. The educational segment of
the convention opened with the ever popular Roundtable discussions.

There were 16 topics covered during these sessions. The best attended roundtables were:

• How Did You Decide to Buy or Build Your App?;
  
  
• Social Media: What Types of Postings Work and Don’t Work?;
  
  
• What’s in Vehicles – MDTs, PIMS, Cameras, Credit Card?;’
  
  
• How Are You Marketing Your Own App?;
  
  
• What Do You Do to Enhance Customer Service Orientation?; and
  
  
• What’s at the Office – Dispatch, Cashiering, Maintenance?
  

The Opening General Session on Monday afternoon featured the Convention Welcome by TLPA President William “Bill” Rouse. It was followed by the Keynote Address by Dr. Gary Bradt, an expert in helping his clients turn change and tough times into opportunity. Dr. Bradt titled his presentation, Change Happens - Adapt, Ignite & Win! Following Dr. Bradt, Matthew Daus, President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators, provided an overview of IATR activities in 2013 and told TLPA members about the new model regulations recently adopted by IATR relating to rogue app operators.

After the Opening General Session attendees enjoyed a Grand Opening of the Trade Show. This year’s Trade Show was one of the largest in TLPA’s and received an excellent or good rating by 100% of the operators who responded to a post convention survey. The first day of the convention ended with the Networking Dinner hosted by the Women in Transportation. It was a wonderful event that featured the presentation of the Outstanding Contributor to Women In Transportation Award to Isabelle Scalzi, Vice President of Metro Taxi in West Haven, Connecticut.

The second day of the convention opened with the New Member & First Time Operator Attendee Breakfast and a Continental Breakfast. When the breakfasts ended, the
educational segment of the convention continued with eight well attended breakout sessions. The most popular of these panel discussions were:

• Rouge Apps Use of Social Media & Petitions to Influence Politicians;
  
  
• Key Findings of TLPA’s Rogue App Seminar; and
  
  
• How You Can Adapt, Ignite & Win conducted by our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Gary Bradt.
  

The Convention’s Second General Session featured President Rouse’s State of the Industry and State of TLPA Address. In his introduction of President Rouse, TLPA CEO Al LaGasse praised Bill’s commitment, tenacity, and ability to always be positive and upbeat in the face of any challenge. He noted Bill’s boundless energy stating that Bill was by far the most traveled TLPA President in our history. President Rouse’s presentation featured TLPA’s yearlong legal, legislative and public relations battles with rogue apps.

“Year in and year out, TLPA does an amazing job of juggling and keeping all the balls in the air,” President Rouse said. “This past year has been no exception, but this year has been more challenging. One issue, apps, has been almost all consuming, so it seems right to start there.” He then outlined TLPA’s four pronged strategy to counter the rise of rogue apps which included:

• Educate members about the importance of the issue and the need for the industry to adopt mobile technology in their businesses, and how to meet the competitive threat head on;
  
  
• Engage in a public relations campaign designed to bring balance to reporting and present our positions in a positive light;
  
  
• Press for regulations that are based on fact, and work to adequately protect the public and create a level and fair business environment;
  
  
• Provide support to TLPA members who are engaged in litigation.
  

He then outlined the association accomplishments under all four strategies. He completed his remarks with a message of hope and encouragement. He then thanked those who have mentored him in his career and those who have supported him during his year as TLPA President.

The association then presented the TLPA Driver of the Year Awards to the premier paratransit, limousine, and taxicab drivers for 2013:

• Ron Trujillo, Paratransit Driver of the Year, of Golden Chariot Specialty Transport Service in Vancouver, Washington;
  
  
• Richard Stockwell, Chauffeur of the Year, of Transport The People in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; and
  
  
• Jeremy Oliver, Taxicab Driver of the Year, of Yellow Cab Taxi in Coos Bay, Oregon.
  

The Second General Session continued with TLPA legislative counsel Kenneth Butler and Paul Miller reviewing the challenges TLPA members face and the goals TLPA has set in the
reauthorization of the federal transportation bill. They also discussed the latest on a rogue app operator lobbying Congress. President Rouse ended the session by presenting the 2013 Taxicab Large Fleet Operator of the Year Award to Judy Swystun, President of Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc., Norfolk, VA.

After the end of the Second General Session the Trade Show floor reopened featuring a fabulous lunch. The afternoon ended with a Member Appreciation Cocktail Reception on the Trade Show floor. A number of the Trade Show vendors commented that this was one of the best TLPA Trade Shows in recent years in terms of sales opportunities.

The third and final day of the convention began with a continental breakfast followed by the presentation of the TLPA Outstanding Industry Service Award posthumously to James Steele, a long time taxicab executive with Yellow Cab Cooperative, Inc., San Francisco, California. During the annual Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Foundation Business Meeting, TLPF President Lee Barnes highlighted the Foundation’s 2013 activities.

His presentation featured the two major projects currently under its auspices, the Transportation On Patrol (TOP) program and the Industry History Project. He discussed how the Foundation was funded noting the success of the TLPF Atlas Financial Holdings Bowling Tournament on Sunday afternoon which netted approximately $15,000 for the Foundation. President Barnes concluded the TLPF Business Meeting by announcing that Rick Hewatt would be the new TLPF President in 2014.

The Annual TLPA Business Meeting featured the election of TLPA Officers and Directors including: President Robert Werth and President-Elect Mike Fogarty. The Closing General Session ended with Robert “Robbie” M. Werth, President of Diamond Transportation Services, Springfield, Virginia, giving a rousing speech accepting the office of TLPA President.

He spoke of his career path from a middle school teacher to a minor league baseball executive, to getting involved in the transportation business specializing in transporting people with disabilities. Looking ahead, Robbie laid out priorities for his term in office including:

• continuing the battle against rouge app operators,
  
  
• enhancing customer service,
  
  
• dealing with the healthcare mandate,
  
  
• positioning TLPA in the next transportation reauthorization bill, and
  
  
• reenergizing the TLPA driver education program.
  

The TLPA 95th Annual Convention & Trade Show concluded with the Closing Banquet including a cocktail reception, a silent auction to benefit the TLPA Action Fund, and dinner and entertainment by The 3 Painters. The highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the prestigious TLPA Operator of the Year Awards, which went to:

• Bud Williams, Vice President and Partner of Wheelchair Transport Service, Clearwater, Florida (2013 TLPA Paratransit Operator of the Year)
  
  
• Barry Beall, President of First Class Executive Limo, Phoenix, Arizona (2013 TLPA Limousine Operator of the Year);
  
  
• Brock Rosayn, President of Metro Taxi of Palm Beach County, Delray Beach, Florida (2013 Taxicab Small Fleet Operator of the Year)
  

In 2014, TLPA’s 96th Annual Convention & Trade Show will be held Wednesday, October 15 through Sunday, October 19, 2014, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio & Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas. Find out more about TLPA by visiting our web site at www.tlpa.org.

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