TLPA

THE LARGEST TLPA SPRING CONFERENCE & EXPO EVER!

There is only one Big Apple - that’s New York City – the largest city in the United States. So it is fitting that the largest TLPA Spring Conference in the 32 years the Spring Conferences have been held took place in New York City, March 26-28. It was 10 years ago in 1999 when 311 people attended a TLPA Spring Conference & Expo in Long Beach, California.The TLPA Spring Conference & Expo in New York City smashed that attendance record with 383 attendees. And speaking of Expos, the trade show in New York featured 40 vendors far exceeding the previous record for vendor displays which numbered 33.

Over the three day Conference TLPA featured wonderful social functions in the exhibit hall where there were:

• 40 vendor displays;
  
  

• an amazing evening reception at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum hosted by our three New York host operators:

  
  
  

• MTBOT;
  
  
  
• BCAC/The Black Car Fund; and
  
  
  
• Ronart Leasing; and
  
  
  
• luncheon tours of the impressive facilities of Valera Global and Vital Transportation followed by a moving walking tour of the 9/11 Ground Zero memorials.

The TLPA Taxicab, Limousine & Sedan and Paratransit & Contracting Division Steering Committees met in open sessions and there were six educational sessions that shared much valuable information.

The conference opened on Thursday afternoon with the Taxicab Steering Committee and the Paratransit & Contracting Steering Committee meeting in lively 3 hour sessions. The Steering Committees discussed legislative and regulatory issues facing TLPA and the upcoming TLPA meetings in Dublin, Ireland and Las Vegas, Nevada, including suggesting topics and potential speakers for Roundtables and Breakout sessions in Las Vegas. Both Committees discussed a draft TLPA Medicaid paper and made suggestions that moved the paper closer to a final approval by the TLPA Board of Directors later in 2009.

There were discussions on industry research needs and the 2009 Fact Book questionnaires were approved for distribution. Finally, there were lengthy discussions on TLPA’s Public Relations’ program including the Operator and Driver of the Year program, the TLPA Promotional Literature awards program and the new company driver of the year program.

After the steering committee meetings, all attendees descended on the Exhibit Hall for the Opening Night Cocktail reception sponsored by Creative Mobile Technologies and TaxiData. The Expo was busy with the 40 vendors entertaining the operators. Both the operators and vendors enjoyed the relaxed environment of the Expo.

TLPA would like to thank all of our vendors for participating including ABI Insurance Services, Advanced EDR Systems, Advantaged Funding, Amcar Motors, Autocab USA, Autovan, Barnett Mobility, Blossman Propane Gas, Cabconnect, Inc., Centrodyne Corp. of America, Cindy Elbert Insurance, Clean Energy, Creative Mobile Technologies, Digital Dispatch Systems, Evolution Insurance Brokers, Freedom Motors, Gateway Insurance Company, Glieke, Inc., Liberty Motors, MJM Innovations, Mobile Knowledge Corporation, NDF Merchant Services, Paratransit Insurance, Professional Insurance Center, Pulsar Technology, Q’Straint, Research Underwriters, Taxi Data, TaxiPro/AequiCap, Inc., Tranware, Inc., Unified Dispatch, Universal Auto Supply, Van Nest Fleet, Verifeye Technologies, VeriFone Transportation Systems,Verrus, and Wireless Edge.

TLPA Spring Conference & Expo co-host BCAC/The Black Car Fund’s Victor Dizengoff with TLPA President, Rick Hewatt and co-hosts MTBOT’s Ron Sherman, Ronart Leasing’s Mike Levine and MTBOT’s Joe Gianetto. Photographed by Wim Faber. Copyright 2009 TLPA.

It should be noted that in addition to Thursday evening’s cocktail reception there was a buffet breakfast on Friday (co-sponsored by Pulsar Technology Systems) and a Friday luncheon (cosponsored by VeriFone Transportation Systems/Sprint). All three TLPA food functions received a 100% excellent or good rating from the attendees.

New York is the “city that never sleeps” and in keeping with TLPA’s President Rick Hewatt’s theme for the year, “Work Hard – Play Hard” TLPA Spring Conference attendees were given no opportunity to sleep Thursday evening. After the cocktail reception, our New York hosts MTBOT, BCAC/The Black Car Fund and Ronart Leasing sponsored a very special night of fun and camaraderie at the 85,000 square-foot, five-story Madame Tussaud’s New York Wax Museum.There was an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and taxi-tinis that had TLPA embers raving. It is an event that will be remembered and talked about for years to come.

Friday was the work hard day for TLPA meeting attendees. There were six educational sessions and a meeting of the Limousine and Sedan Steering Committee.

On Friday morning, the Taxicab Steering Committee presented two breakout sessions: “Alternative Fuels and Taxicab Fleets” and “New Issues/Tactics for Taxi Litigation.” Also on Friday morning, the Paratransit & Contracting Steering Committee presented two breakout sessions: “The Good & Bad of Working with MPOs” and “How to Work With or Bid Against Non Profits.” On Friday afternoon, there was a General Session in which there two presentations. The first topic covered was “Employee Free Choice Act/Unionization Efforts.” The second topic covered in Friday afternoon’s General Session was a “Panel of International Operators” providing information and ideas on how industry problems are shared internationally. In their evaluations, attendees gave these educational sessions rating of 96.8% excellent or good.

Friday evening, many of the attendees took advantage of group tickets that our host operators had secured to attend the great Tony Award winner Broadway musical Jersey Boys. On Saturday, the TLPA Board of Directors held an open meeting which many members attended.

Madame Tussauds Photographed by Joe Gianetto. Copyright 2009 TLPA.

Following the Board meeting, TLPA members Vital Transportation and Valera Global invited meeting attendees to tour their facilities.Vital Transportation provided lunch at their state-of-the-art facility, home to their 425 luxury sedan operation. Vital demonstrated how they had integrated all aspects of their operation: dispatch, cashiering, accounting and maintenance by utilizing the latest technological advances to become one of the premier black car operations in the world. Valera Global welcomed TLPA conference attendees into their multi-million dollar facility in Long Island City for a luncheon and tour. Valera Global provided an overview of their rigorous chauffeur training programs that have become the hallmark of their business. After the tours of the two companies TLPA members were treated to a moving tour of the 9/11 Ground Zero memorials.

Certainly,TLPA could not have accomplished having its largest Spring Conference ever without the very generous contributions of its many sponsors.We would like to acknowledge the following:

• VeriFone Transportation Systems for co-sponsoring the Exhibit Hall Luncheon on Friday and also the Board Breakfast on Saturday;
  
  
  

• Creative Mobile Technologies for sponsoring the Opening Night Cocktail Reception Hors d'oeuvres in the Exhibit Hall on Thursday;
  
  
  

• TaxiData sponsored the Opening Night Cocktail Reception Open Bar in the Exhibit Hall on Thursday;
  
  
  

• Pulsar Technology Systems for co-sponsored the Full Buffet Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall on Friday;
  
  
  
• Liberty Motor Company for sponsoring the very popular registration bags that the attendees received upon picking up their registration materials;
  
  
  
• Digital Dispatch Systems for once again sponsoring the name badge holders for each conference registrant;
  
  
  
• TaxiPro/AequiCap for sponsoring room key cards for all TLPA registrants who stayed at the Grand Hyatt;
  
  
  
  
• The Committee for Taxi Safety sponsored the Continental Breakfast on Saturday; and last but certainly not least,
  
  
  
• Our three New York host operators: MTBOT, BCAC/The Black Car Fund and Ronart Leasing for hosting an amazing evening reception at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

The following comments written on the conference evaluation forms provide the best summary to the meeting:

• An incredibly friendly group willing to share ideas/business strategies;
  
  
  
  
• Legal presentation by the guest attorney was excellent;
  
  
  
  
• Important topic that was delivered for a greater understanding of its impact on our industry.
  
  
  
  
• Very good – the best one yet on this subject;
  
  
  
  
• Great information;
  
  
  
  
• Lots of interaction and questions;
  
  
  
  
• Nice to hear from companies from other countries;
  
  
  
  
• It was a first class event and the venue was a surprise.

Tour of Vital Transportation conducted by Berj Haroutunian. Photographed by Wim Faber.
Copyright 2009 TLPA.

Make plans now to attend TLPA’s next two meetings this year. Information on these special events can already be found on the association’s web site ww.tlpa.org.

The TLPA Mid-Year Conference will be held in Dublin Ireland, July 15-18.The meeting is being held at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel. So, check your passport expiration dates now. The Mid-Year Conference will feature discussions on taxicab regulation, call center development and independent contractor driver issues.

TLPA’s 91st Annual Convention & Trade Show will be held in Las Vegas, October 3-7. The Annual Gateway Insurance Golf Tournament to benefit the Taxicab, limousine & Paratransit Foundation on October 3.The convention will be held at the Caesars Palace.This convention will feature excellent educational sessions and an unsurpassed trade show.Together with the social functions and camaraderie, Las Vegas was the site of TLPA’s largest annual convention and trade show ever and will be on the heal of the very, very successful New York Meeting. We are planning for this to be our largest show ever.

© 2015 TLC Magazine Online, Inc.