MLOA Readies Members For Its First Limo Business Conference

[UPDATED 9/27/12 @ 11:35 a..m. PT/2:35 p.m. ET w/new members info]

ATLANTA — The Minority Limousine Operators of America convenes its first business conference next Wednesday, Oct. 3 to help operators learn how to land minority-based transportation contracting opportunities and prepare responses to RFPs to win such contracts.

The 1st Annual MLOA Conference — to be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel — is officially being hosted by the Georgia Minority Transportation Association. As of Tuesday, 38 operators from around the nation were signed up to attend the conference, located and scheduled to allow attendees the ability to fly in and out of nearby Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport on the same day.

The conference and lunch are free and open to all operators and chauffeured transportation industry members. Complimentary airport transportation is being provided by the Westin Hotel.

MLOA President Maurice Brewster told LCT the conference fulfills a commitment to educate its membership, which has grown to 76 operators and eight vendor members since it was founded during the 2011 International LCT Show in Las Vegas. Newest members signing up this week include: Barbara Chirico/Gem Limo, Donna Duval/Golden Limo, Kristina Bouweiri/Reston Limo, Belinda McKeon/Joshua’s Limo, Lisa Mastro/Max Transportation, and Kyara Kahakauwila/L.A. Limousines & Transportation Service. The MLOA received NLA recognition this year.

Brewster told LCT on Tuesday that the conference just landed a key corporate speaker, the vice president of strategic sourcing and supplier diversity at RBS Citizens Bank, who will be worked into the previously published schedule below.

Schedule
Other events on the schedule so far include:

10:00 — 10:10 am: Welcome
10:10 — 10:20 am: Introductions

10:20 — 11:00 am: Introduction of 1st Speaker - Albert Smith, Coordinator
Georgia Department of Transportation DBE
Topic: DBE Certification Process

11:00 — 11:25 am: Introduction of 2nd Speaker - Sonny Rincon, President Georgia Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Association
Topic: Working with DBE Associations to Win Contracts

11:25 — 11:35 am: Break
11:35 — 12:15 pm: Introduction of 3rd Speaker - TBD Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council
Topic: TBD

12:15 — 1:15 pm: Lunch
1:15 — 2:15 pm: Introduction of 3rd Speaker - Karen Swain
Topic: How To Write A Winning Proposal Response To An RFP

2:15 — 3:15 pm: Team Building Exercise: Preparing Your Oral Response to a RFP

3:15 — 3:25 pm: Break

3:25 — 4:25 pm: Team Presentations
4:25 — 5:00 pm: Q &A / Closing Remarks / Wrap Up

Going to the event
MLOA conference attendees can get a $115 per night special room rate at the Westin. Reservations: (404) 762-7676. Code: MLOA

Conference Information: GMTA, (678) 886-6804; MLOA, (800) 398-7881

MLOA membership is open to everyone as are its monthly conference call meetings on the last/4th Friday of every month, 10 a.m. PT/ 1p.m. ET.

— Martin Romjue, LCT editor