1. Virtual Summit participants share ideas, focus on future and stay positive |
Nearly one hundred Virtual Summit participants reconvened today online to share their progress in getting through the shutdown and moving toward restart. Joe Calhoon led a panel of operators to share ideas they have implemented since the last Summit reunion and what lessons they learned.
Paige Balsinger of All Around Charters & Tours discussed overcoming the challenge of a lack of open destinations by planning trips that are essentially drive-by sight-seeing with meals stops pre-planned at food trucks. Joe Gillis of Northwest Navigator recounted calls with customers seeking to learn how his company can help them. Marcus Ardrey of Evans Tours emphasized staying positive in the face of challenges. Lee Helms of Sunway Charters explained how his company has one staff member dedicated to looking for wedding work. John Burnett of Premier Coaches Northwest stressed the importance of being well-prepared to explain your cleaning and air exchange protocols because consumers ask educated questions about these factors. Valerie Zintz of Kobussen Buses also stepped up to share how her company has been able to get casino runs on weekdays when those venues are looking for customers.
The Virtual Summit follow-up number three reconvenes on September 9.
|
|
Did you miss the beginning of the Virtual Summit? Catch up now and register. www.uma.org/summit.
|
|
2. Keep the pressure Congress on for CERTS co-sponsorship and ask friends and colleagues to join us
|
|
3. Come for the legislative briefing and sales coaching. Stick around afterwards to socialize with friends.
|
|
The Thursday Town Hall will take place at 2 p.m. ET and is open to all registrants. Please join colleagues for an important legislative update and a sales coaching session from Jim Pancero. Once Jim wraps up, we'll open things up for all of you so we can connect online for some informal chat.
Click on Jim Pancero's video to get an idea of the sales expertise this Hall of Fame speaker can offer all of us during this challenging time.
|
|
Jim Pancero is a Hall of Fame Speaker who was featured at the Virtual Summit in June. |
|
4 . Carnival Cruise Line recovery efforts will focus on ports in mainland U.S. drive markets
|
|
Carnival Cruise Line will fall back on a tried-and-true strategy when the line eventually resumes service: It will bolster deployment throughout its network of home ports in mainland U.S. drive markets.
The line has always been the leader in U.S. home port deployment, but it doubled down after 9/11, when many Americans were scared to fly.
When cruise ships sail again out of U.S. ports, all but three of its 23 ships (24, after the Mardi Gras comes on line in February) will be sailing from U.S. mainland ports. One vessel will be based in Europe seasonally and two in Australia.
And even the ships Down Under will rely on the Aussie drive market.
|
|
5 . August 8 has come and gone: Here are four post-PPP relief programs for small businesses
|
|
Inc. | August 12, 2020 | by Diana Ransom
The sun once again set on the Paycheck Protection Program--the $669 billion forgivable loan scheme for besieged small businesses--and Congress is still fighting over a Phase 4 bill. You may be wondering about your other relief funding options.
Here are four programs still available for business owners in need of aid during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Federal disaster loans
When Congress passed the Cares Act in March, it not only authorized the Paycheck Protection Program, which has helped more than five million businesses access more than $521 billion in grant and loan funding, it also boosted one of its long-standing business aid programs. The Small Business Administration was granted $360 billion to support low-interest loans made through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, program and another $20 billion for grant funding. Those who applied for a loan at the outset, regardless of whether their application was accepted, could receive up to $10,000 in grant funding per applicant. That amount was later limited to $1,000 per employee up to a maximum of $10,000. The advance funding expired last month.
|
|
6. UMA Member The L&W Team launches co-sponsor tracker to help industry build CERTS support
|
|
Click Trisha's post below to see who is supporting CERTS in a simple red, yellow, green format. If your state is red, it's time to get to work! |
|
UMA Membership is FREE through 12/31/2020 |
|
Because our industry is stronger together, we invite operators to try UMA Membership FREE through year's end. Join us.
|
|
|
7. Maryland Motorcoach Association operators grateful for gift of electrostatic cleaning equipment
|
|
Cordless Electrostatic Sprayers are pricey and hard to come by these days as demand exceeds supply.
“It’s a great benefit to all of the operator members,” said Lauren Grote, with Rill’s Bus Service in Westminster, Maryland. “We have all been hit so hard by the pandemic with little to no revenue over the past few months coming in, and with all of the requirements for disinfecting our equipment and offices, these sprayers are a tremendous help to our businesses.”
All 34 members received a handheld Victory Innovations Cordless Electrostatic Sprayer and a 5-gallon container of cleaning solution. This one-time membership benefit is valued at more than $1,195.
|
|
UMA Members have access to a variety of resources to help sustain your business and our industry.
Check out our Social Media Tool Kit to enhance your online profile and promote our industry and UMA's AssurCLEAN Program to put your passengers at ease so they can travel confidently.
And remember to read and subscribe to Bus & Motorcoach News, which is powered by UMA, and your source for the weekly Motorcoach Minute video.
|
|
2020
-
UMA Town Halls, every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET Learn more.
-
UMA Safety Management Seminar, December 2-3, 2020, Ashburn, VA Learn more.
|
|
2021
-
UMA Motorcoach EXPO, March 3-7, 2021, Orlando, FL Learn more.
|
|
|
Every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET on the Zoom platform. Join from your computer or phone. |
|
Resources, news and important links for advocacy, federal programs, and more |
|
|
|
|
|
|
