2024 Marketplace Registration is Open! Join Us in Happy Valley! | |
The PBA Marketplace is a unique opportunity for our motorcoach operators’ group leaders to meet with attractions, hotels, convention & visitors bureaus, etc. to see where their group might want to travel in 2025 and beyond….both day and overnight trips.
The 2024 Marketplace will be held March 25-26, 2024, hosted by The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau!
Monday, March 25
-Set-up day for exhibitors.
-Intro to Marketplace Seminar for those new to Marketplace.
-New Best Practices Roundtable discussion for experienced Marketplace attendees.
-PBA’s Board of Director meeting.
-Evening reception for all!
Tuesday, March 26
The main event, our Group Leader Marketplace at Nittany Valley Sports Centre. This is a new facility in State College. We think you will love it!
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Exhibitors, reserve a booth by October 31 to qualify for early bird pricing!
This is also the deadline for the special promo pricing if you attended our Annual Conference in Jamestown, NY this year. The value is $100 off your booth, so don’t forget to apply the code when registering.
| Showcase your destination by hosting a FAM Tour for the Group Leaders after Marketplace. FAM Tour offerings need to be submitted by 11/30/2023. | |
October Membership Renewal and Directory Updates
Invoices were due October 1. If you have not made payment, please contact our office to keep your membership in good standing.
We are also preparing the Membership Directory for print. The due date to make changes to your member record, to be reflected in the next printed and digital directory, is October 15th.
If you need a copy of your invoice or want to renew online, please click here for instructions. Information on how to update your profile is also included in that link.
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Anderson Coach and Travel Participates in Warriors to Washington | |
PBA Member Anderson Coach and Travel recently participated in Warriors to Washington by transporting members. Warriors to Washington honors veterans from the Erie region who were deployed and served the nation in the Armed Forces as a result of the attack on 9/11 by taking them to historical and national sites in Washington, D.C. Read more...
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The Bailey Family of Companies Welcomes New CEO & COO | |
PBA Member, Bailey Coach announced the appointment of Courtney Bailey Piccolo as its new President & CEO, and Kristy Fasano as its new Vice President & COO. Congratulations!
Over the past few years, Piccolo and Fasano have been working side by side with previous President John W. Bailey as he mentored them for these positions. Read the press release.
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R & J Transportation, Inc. and C & R VIP, Inc. Announcement | |
As we shared in the last GoNews, R & J Transportation, Inc., and R & J Tours (R&J) announced that it would be ceasing its charter and motor coach tour operations as of December 31, 2023.
In response, R&J received a tremendous amount of support and feedback from its customers and its colleagues. Specifically, C & R VIP, Inc. (C&R) a local motorcoach company out of Schuylkill County reached out immediately about its desire to continue serving R&J’s charters.
As a result, PBA Members R&J and C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R) are now proud to announce a strategic alliance to serve the customers of R&J and to meet the local needs of the charters in the future. Both R&J and C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R) pride themselves on providing quality service at the highest of safety standards to their customers such that this alliance will be a seamless transition of all charter operations.
Accordingly, R&J will continue to operate all existing tours through December 30, 2023. All R&J customer payments will be honored by C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R).
Additionally, all R&J customers that are interested in charter for 2024 and beyond are strongly encouraged to utilize the services of C&R.
For further information, please contact C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R) at 570-429-2200.
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Distinctive Systems Further Expands Its Support Team | |
PBA Member, Distinctive Systems is excited to welcome Sean Mueller and Jennifer Lawler to further expand their Support Team. With Sean's 25+ years of motorcoach experience at Coach USA and Jennifer’s 20+ years of experience at Badger Bus Lines, they provide a wealth of industry knowledge and Coach Manager experience that will further support their growing portfolio of accounts throughout North America. Sean also brings in a wealth of knowledge of their Tour Booking System. Read the press release.
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LancasterHistory's Historian Wins Two Awards | |
PBA Member, LancasterHistory's Randy Harris was recently celebrated by the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Randy won two awards: the Robert G. Stanton Award, given to those who demonstrate a commitment to engaging with and promoting the Network to Freedom program, and the Wilber H. Siebert Award, for outstanding research and scholarship in the field. He's also the first person in the program's history to win both awards. Congratulations, Randy! Read more...
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National Interstate Insurance Company is Northcoast 99 Winner | |
Each year, NorthCoast 99 winners represent the best workplaces for top talent in Northeast Ohio. These organizations can also receive a Special Category award, an Award of Excellence for company size or industry, and recognition for being a 10-time or 20-time winner.
Congratulations to PBA Member, National Interstate Insurance for winning for the 12th time! See their Facebook post.
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Wind Creek Bethlehem Appoints New Executive Vice President and General Manager | |
PBA Member, Wind Creek Bethlehem has named its new executive vice president and general manager.
Patrick Ryan, succeeding Kathy McCracken, is now serving in the position. McCracken had been on the job since February 2020 until her retirement on Sept. 30 this year.
According to Wind Creek, Ryan brings a wealth of expertise gained from various sales, marketing and operations roles with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
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September 6, 2023 Joint Meeting Guest Speaker Presentations
If you are interested in viewing the guest speaker presentations from the Joint Meeting held on September 6, 2023, please login to your member profile and click on Resources in the left hand navigation.
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Have You Contacted Your Senators and Representatives Yet?
Senators. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Tax Exemption Act in the Senate (S.1944). S.1944 is companion legislation to the House bill (H.R. 3510) re-introduced in May.
Bill H.R. 3510, reintroduction of a bill that would eliminate the tax burden for those who received CERTS Act money during the pandemic, was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means after being sponsored by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.). The bill has since garnered the support of Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Jared Golden (R-Maine), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), and John Rose (R-Tenn.).
The House bill currently has 13 sponsors, and the Senate bill has 5 sponsors. We need your help to advocate for our industry! Please contact your Senators and ask them to support S. 1944 and contact your Representatives and ask them to support H.R. 3510. Below are two easy forms that will only take a few minutes of your time to complete.
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BISC East, Hosted by GNJMA
November 15, 2023
The Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association is hosting BISC East virtually on November 15, 2023 and is inviting other eastern associations to attend!
Date/Time: November 15, 2023 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Virtual
Cost: $0.00
View the agenda.
| | On the registration form, bypass entering your email under My Information and skip to Registration Options. | |
TSA Free Training Session on their Exercise Information System (EXIS) Platform
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is offering an upcoming training session on how to utilize their Exercise Information System (EXIS) platform.
EXIS is a FREE online exercise tool that guides users through the exercise (discussion tabletop to functional exercises) planning process and provides resources to design, document and evaluate exercises for all transportation modes. EXIS is designed to provide transportation operators with a scalable exercise design process that allows them to plan, conduct, and evaluate their operations against clear and consistent performance measures. *In addition, EXIS provides users with exercise design and conduct resources.
Incorporating exercises into your operation is a great way to test your security plans/Emergency operations plans.
Date/Time: November 8, 2023 1:00 PM
Location: Virtual
Cost: $0.00
Register: Send an email to Alena Kent, Transportation Security Inspector – Surface TSA - Department of Homeland Security, at Alena.Kent@tsa.dhs.gov.
The website for the platform is https://exis.tsa.dhs.gov/ Feel free to sign-up to become a registered user and explore the platform prior to the training event.
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2024 Annual Conference - Save the Dates! | |
The 2024 Annual Conference will be hosted by Visit Ithaca in Ithaca, NY June 17-20, 2024! While we will be experiencing the area with FAMS, Dine-Around Night and Opening & Closing venues at area partners, the meetings will be held at Hotel Ithaca.
The beautiful, renovated Hotel Ithaca is located in the heart of downtown Ithaca and is less than 1 mile from both Cornell University and Ithaca College.
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INDUSTRY AND COMMONWEALTH NEWS | |
Governor Josh Shapiro Appoints TJ Yablonski as Secretary of Legislative Affairs
Governor Josh Shapiro announced former State Representative Mike Vereb is stepping down as Secretary of Legislative Affairs and he will appoint Thomas (TJ) Yablonski Jr., a Pennsylvania native who currently serves as a Senior Advisor in the Governor’s Office, to fill the role. Read more...
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Shapiro Administration Announces Additional Federal Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Funding, Community Engagement Sessions
PennDOT announced additional conditional awards for Round 1 of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding. These awards further the Shapiro Administration's work to address climate change, grow the Commonwealth's economy and ensure that the future of Pennsylvania transportation is on track to be cleaner, safer, more affordable, and more reliable than ever before. Read more...
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Real ID Documentation Change Is Designed To Help Customers
PennDOT recently announced that the requirement for proof of Social Security Number for REAL ID products will expand to include additional documents. Read more...
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The Museum of Bus Transportation Elects New Bus Committee Chair/Board Member
The Museum of Bus Transportation/AACA Museum is proud to announce that Tom McCaughey has been elected as the bus group’s member on the AACAM Board of directors. The museum is excited about having someone with Toms achievements and skills leading efforts to preserve the history of the bus industry… and ideal combination of experience and energy. Read the Facebook post.
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Tour Buses Catch on Fire in Upper Milford
Three tour buses caught on fire Sunday night in Upper Milford. Epic Tours, a charter bus company is without half of its fleet following the fire. Read more...
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House Uncertainty Puts Shutdown Specter Right Back on the Table
Time on the floor working on appropriations now must be spent figuring out who the next speaker will be. Read more...
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IRS Releases New Income Tax Brackets for 2023
The Internal Revenue Service released higher federal tax brackets and standard deductions for 2023 amid soaring inflation. Read more...
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NTSB Staffing up for Safety
The National Transportation Safety Board has dramatically increased hiring this year to keep up with emerging technologies and reduce the average time it takes to complete investigations. Read more...
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CVSA Releases 2023 Operation Safe Driver Week Results
Law enforcement officers in Canada and the U.S. initiated 11,448 traffic stops of commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers who were engaging in unsafe driving behaviors during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week traffic-enforcement and safe-driving awareness and educational initiative. From July 10 to 16, officers issued 4,494 tickets/citations and 5,756 warnings to drivers – commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers combined. Read more...
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FMCSA Revises Notice Regarding 68 MPH Speed Limit
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has revised its speed limiter entry in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s September 2023 Significant Rulemaking Report to eliminate a top speed in the summary. Read more...
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FMCSA: Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers of Passengers and Motor Carriers of Property
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review and approval and invites public comment. FMCSA requests approval to renew an ICR titled, “Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers of Passengers and Motor Carriers of Property.” The information collected will be used to help ensure that motor carriers of passengers and property maintain the statutorily mandated levels of financial responsibility to operate on public highways. Read more...
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6 Ways Limo Companies Are Using AI To Drive Business
Technology is transforming the ground transportation industry. From ChatGPT to green metrics, limo companies are implementing the latest technology to enhance their businesses and provide superior service. Read more...
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Could Bus Travel Actually Be Better—and Faster—Than Flying?
These days, flying is rarely comfortable or hassle-free, and you might spend more time in the airport than actually flying to your destination. Read more...
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ICYMI
Alerts, Invitations, Press Releases, and more are sent out to our Members as needed. Here are the emails we sent out since last Go News below.
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PBA maintains active Social Media Platforms. In addition to the emailed communications we send to you, we actively share information to our Facebook and Twitter accounts and our new LinkedIn. We encourage you to LIKE US, FOLLOW US and ENGAGE with us! #pabus | | | | |