Press Release Archives
2009 Releases
TECH-SAVVY TRAVELERS PREFER BUSES, NEW ACADEMIC STUDY SAYS
December 22, 2009--The growing availability on intercity buses of access to digital technology while traveling “may be a major factor when consumers make their long-distance transportation choices,” according to a new study released today by DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.
ABA, AMERICAN EXPRESS ANNOUNCE NEW BENEFIT PROGRAM TO HELP MEMBERS SAVE MONEY ON BUSINESS OPERATING COSTS
December 8, 2009--The American Bus Association today announced that it has worked with American Express to create a new member benefit program that will help motorcoach and tour operators save significantly on day-to-day business overhead costs through American Express’ Corporate Card Program.
NEW ABA BENEFIT LETS MEMBERS HAVE LOW-COST, TOP-TIER 401K PLANS LIKE “THE BIG GUYS”
November 30, 2009--ABA has teamed with Transamerica to offer members a Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) 401(k). With this new ABA Premium Partnership benefit, ABA member companies can custom-fit retirement plans to meet their needs, potentially reduce costs to levels on par with larger companies, and can have their administrative duties handled by the professionals at Transamerica Retirement Services.
ABA WELCOMES DOT MOTORCOACH SAFETY ACTION PLAN
November 16, 2009 --The American Bus Association today lauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Motorcoach Safety Action Plan” for its holistic approach to motorcoach safety, including the need for more aggressive enforcement to get rogue operators off of the road, enhance operator safety oversight, invigorate vehicle safety maintenance, and focus on crash avoidance technologies as well as occupant protection.
ABA OFFERS TRIPBUILDER EVENTMOBILE™ FOR MARKETPLACE 2010
November 12, 2009 --The American Bus Association today announced that it has forged a new partnership with TripBuilder EventMobile™ for the Capital Region Marketplace 2010 that will provide delegates with a free leading-edge tool using innovative mobile event trade show technology to make more efficient use of their time during the premiere group travel and motorcoach show at the Gaylord National Jan. 15-19, 2010.
ABA INSIDER TO SPIN-OFF FOUNDATION FOCUS AS NEW PUBLICATION
October 26, 2009 --The American Bus Association today announced that the “Foundation Focus” section of the bi-weekly ABA Insider newsletter will be spun-off from its parent publication and become its own bi-weekly stand-alone newsletter featuring exclusive coverage of ABA Foundation scholarship programs, groundbreaking research on motorcoach tourism and travel. The first stand-alone Foundation Focus will be published Monday, November 2.
ABA LAUDS CALIFORNIA BUS ASSOCIATION EFFORTS TO STOP ROGUE OPERATORS RESULTING IN TOUGH NEW ENFORCEMENT LAWS
October 16, 2009 --The American Bus Association (ABA) praised the efforts of the California Bus Association (CBA) for its diligence and tenacity in working with state law enforcement and elected officials to pass the toughest laws yet cracking down on outlaw operators imperiling public safety, which were signed by the governor into law this week.
GROUPCONNECT.COM NAMES PALMERI MANAGING DIRECTOR
September 21, 2009 --GroupConnect.com today announced the selection of veteran travel industry leader James J. Palmeri as Managing Director for GroupConnect.com, the new joint American Bus Association-Ontario Motor Coach Association online portal designed to be a one-stop shop for group travel needs. Palmeri joins the organization as it prepares for its launch.
ABA, MONSTER ALLIANCE OFFERS ONLINE RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS
September 10, 2009 --The American Bus Association (ABA) and Monster.com®, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), today announced they have formed an alliance to provide ABA members access to Monster’s leading online recruitment expertise and solutions with the goal of assisting them to quickly and efficiently find skilled and hourly workers.
ABA “OPERATOR TRIP PLANNING” WEB TOOL TOPS 50 DESTINATIONS
September 9, 2009 --The American Bus Association’s “Operator Trip Planning” online resource for bus and tour operators seeking information on motorcoach parking, street access, drop-off points and other critical information about tourism destinations they may be traveling to has topped 50 individual cities, regions and attractions from across North America, thanks to surging use by operators and CVBs, DMOs and state and provincial tourism offices sending their information to ABA to be included on the list and entice operators with their “motorcoach friendly” credentials.
ABA UNVEILS 2010 TOP 100 EVENTS IN NORTH AMERICA; FIESTA SAN ANTONIO, CANADA’S NAVAL CENTENNIAL WIN TOP SPOTS
September 3, 2009 --The American Bus Association today released the 2010 Top 100 Events in North America list, naming the Fiesta San Antonio April 15-25 the Top U.S. Event for 2010, and the Canadian Naval Centennial June 2010 in Victoria, B.C., and in Halifax, N.S., in July, with events also slated in other cities, the Top Canadian Event.
ABA RELEASES UPDATED “SAVE A PENGUIN: TAKE A MOTORCOACH” BROCHURE, FEATURING NEW DATA SHOWING BUSES EVEN GREENER
August 27, 2009 --The American Bus Association (ABA) today released an updated version of its "Save A Penguin: Take A Motorcoach" brochure, which includes the most recent data showing that buses are the greenest way to travel, as well as new excerpts from both the DePaul University study on intercity bus travel's revival and the Union of Concerned Scientists' study on low-carbon vacations.
ABA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2009-2010 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
June 23, 2009 -- The American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) today announced that the highest number of students in its history -- 19 -- will each be receiving $2,500 scholarships for the 2009-2010 academic year, making the $47,500 total distributed for the upcoming year a record annual sum awarded in the Foundation’s 13-year history.
ANDERSON ELECTED FOUNDATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIRMAN
May 6, 2009 -- The ABA Foundation elected Doug Anderson, President of Anderson Coach & Travel in Greenville, Penn., to serve as its new Chairman, succeeding Jot Bennett of Capitol Trailways in Harrisburg, Penn., during Foundation’s Board of Governors meeting held May 4 in conjunction with the ABA Spring Board of Directors meeting May 5-6.
ABA ELECTS JALBERT CHAIRMAN, JEBRAN VICE CHAIRMAN
May 6, 2009 -- The American Bus Association (ABA) Board of Directors elected Acting Chairman Jim Jalbert its Chairman of the Board, and Board member Tom JeBran Vice Chairman of the Board, both for two-year terms, during its Spring Board of Directors meeting May 5-6.
ABA WELCOMES U.S. DOT ACTION ON MOTORCOACH SAFETY
April 30, 2009 -- The American Bus Association (ABA) today embraced the plan by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to conduct a full review of motorcoach safety, the findings of which will be used to create a “Motorcoach Safety Action Plan” by August 2009
ABA ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE WITH TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR
April 28, 2009 -- The American Bus Association (ABA) and the Travel Professionals of Color (TPOC) today announced they have formed a strategic partnership to increase networking and business development opportunities for their respective members.
GROUPCONNECT NAMES POWERS VP OF SALES & MARKETING
April 21, 2009 -- GroupConnect.com today announced the selection of veteran travel industry business leader Jennifer Lynne Powers as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the new joint American Bus Association-Ontario Motor Coach Association online portal designed to be a one-stop shop for group travel needs. It is a new position.
AS GREENEST WAY TO TRAVEL, BUSES MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY
April 16, 2009 -- The status of motorcoaches as the undisputed greenest way to travel make every day Earth Day for the members of the American Bus Association.
BUS EXEMPTION FROM NY TOURISM TAX MODEL FOR OTHER STATES
April 3, 2009 -- The exemption of buses from the New York state budget’s “transportation services tax” provision remaining applicable to livery services speaks volumes about the recognition of buses as part of the transportation solution and should serve as a model for other states to emulate, the American Bus Association said today.
BISC REMINDS OPERATORS BUSY TOUR SEASON PREP INCLUDES PASSENGER SAFETY TOOLS
March 26, 2009 -- As the busy spring tour & travel season approaches, the Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) reminds all operators to make sure they have the tools necessary to meet the guidelines for communicating Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) pre-trip safety information for motorcoach passengers.
2010 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OPERATORS MEETING TO TAKE PLACE IN CONJUNCTION WITH MARKETPLACE
March 18, 2009 -- The next Southeastern Regional Motorcoach Operators Meeting will take place January 13-15 prior to the 2010 ABA Capital Region Marketplace at Gaylord National Hotel & Resort in National Harbor, Maryland.
NEW ABA FOUNDATION STUDY DOCUMENTS ROLE OF MOTORCOACHES IN BINDING BUS TRAVELERS & DESTINATIONS TOGETHER
March 9, 2009 -- The ABA Foundation’s newly released 38-page updated version of “The Economic Impacts and Social Benefits of the U.S. Motorcoach Industry: Binding the Nation Together by Providing Diverse and Affordable Services to Everyone” shows that the industry is vibrant despite the economy – and may be benefiting from a travel mode shift because of it.
BUS OPERATORS FACE INSTABILITY AS TEXAS LEAVES QUESTIONS UNANSWERED ON FUNDS FOR HURRICANE EVACUATIONS
February 23, 2009 -- Many family-owned and operated mom-and-pop small bus businesses that came to Texas from as far away as Illinois and Pennsylvania to help in recent hurricane evacuations now face financial instability because Gov. Rick Perry (R) and the state legislature haven’t yet provided clear indications of when Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds allocated to reimburse these hard-working Americans will be disbursed.
LENTZSCH STEPS DOWN AS ABA CHAIR; JALBERT ACTING CHAIR
February 17, 2009 -- The American Bus Association (ABA) today announced that Craig Lentzsch has resigned his post as the organization’s Chairman of the Board, and that Vice Chairman Jim Jalbert will serve as acting Chairman while the ABA Board and Governance Committee take appropriate steps on a successor pursuant to the association’s by-laws.
VOTERS CHOOSE “GROUPCONNECT” AS NEW PROJECT 2010 ONLINE NAME
February 4, 2009 -- Members of the American Bus Association (ABA) and the Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA) have selected “GroupConnect.com” as the official domain name for Project 2010, the two associations’ new web portal designed to be a one-stop shop for all group travel needs.
OPERATORS, EXHIBITORS PACK ABA PRODUCT PAVILION
February 2, 2009 -- The American Bus Association’s Product Pavilion during Marketplace in Charlotte proved to be a business-building success for both the equipment exhibitors and the hundreds of operators who packed the one-day, one-stop “show within a show” offering everything under one roof January 11th.
OUTGOING ABA CHAIRMAN ANDERSON LAUDED FOR ACHIEVEMENTS
January 27, 2009 -- The American Bus Association today lauded outgoing Board of Directors Chairman Doug Anderson for his achievements during his two-year term in that position, highlighted by his emphasis on greater inclusion of all member segments in executing the association’s agenda, his streamlining of the ABA by-laws and his commitment in his new role as Past Chairman to oversee the Governance Committee.
BUSTLING ABA MARKETPLACE 2009 DEFIES ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
January 16, 2009 -- The energy and enthusiasm of more than 3,000 attendees on hand for the 2009 American Bus Association Marketplace in Charlotte January 7-12 sent a clear signal that the motorcoach, tour and travel business is thriving despite U.S. economic uncertainty.
ABA ELECTS LENTZSCH NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN
January 16, 2009 -- The American Bus Association elected Coach America Board Member Craig Lentzsch of Dallas as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors, and selected C&J President Jim Jalbert of Portsmouth, New Hampshire as its new Vice Chairman, during its annual meeting held in conjunction with Marketplace.
MOTORCOACHES AMERICA’S TOP COMMERCIAL PEOPLE MOVER, STUDY FINDS
January 16, 2009 -– The motorcoach industry is the number one commercial people mover in the United States, accounting for 751 million passenger trips in 2007, up nearly 20 percent from the previous figure of 631 million passenger trips in 2005, according to a newly updated industry census released today by the American Bus Association.
