Schedule
ABA'S MARKETPLACE DATES AND DEADLINES | |
May 30 | Registration Opened at Noon ET Housing Reservations Opened at Noon ET |
August 17 | Early-Bird Deadline |
September 20 | Sign-Up Opened for Research Databases and Volunteer at Noon ET |
September 26 | Appointment Requests Begin at Noon ET |
January 4 | Appointment Requests Due **EXTENDED DEADLINE = JANUARY 9 AT 11:59 PM ET** |
January 16 | Appointment Schedules Sent/Manual Scheduling Begins at Noon ET |
January 29 | Manual Scheduling Ends |
MARKETPLACE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE | |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 | |
8 a.m. | Coach Exhibit Move-in |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 | |
8 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sponsor/Exhibit Booth Set-Up (Booths must be set by 9 a.m. on Saturday) |
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. | ABA Board of Directors Meeting |
10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Orientation Center Subcommittee Meeting & Set-Up |
10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Resource Central Subcommittee Meeting & Set-Up (Meeting at 1 p.m.) |
2–6 p.m. | Registration/Service Centers Open, Foundation Silent Auction Begins and Sightseeing Ticket Pick-Up |
3-5 p.m. | Florida Motorcoach Association Board of Directors Meeting |
5-6 p.m. | Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) Committee Meeting |
5-6 p.m. | Education Subcommittee Meeting |
5-7 p.m. | FMA Reception |
6:30 p.m. | STAR Delegate Happy Hour LOCATION: The Sports and Social Club, 4th St. Live! |
7 p.m. | Louisville At Your Leisure Make sure to set aside time to get out and explore at your leisure while you’re in Louisville. You’ll be a VIP while attending ABA. If you’re looking for unique Louisville experiences these attractions have made special arrangements to be convenient for you by staying open late and offering free admission for you on Friday and Saturday: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Muhammad Ali Center, Frazier History Museum & Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center, Louisville Mega Cavern, Bluegrass Karting & Events, Flying Axes, Rabbit Hole Distillery, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Looking to go out for cocktails and live music? The Urban Bourbon Trail®, 4th Street Live!, Pin + Proof Bowling Alley, Jimmy Can’t Dance and Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar have you covered. Find the most up-to-date information and specials click links above. |
7 p.m. | ABA Board of Directors Dinner |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 | |
7-8 a.m. | Sightseeing Ticket Pick-up |
7 a.m.–6 p.m. | Marketplace Floor, Service Centers, and Registration Open |
8:30-10:30 a.m. | NAMO Board Meeting |
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | CEO Roundtable: Protecting the Value of Your Business |
9 a.m.–1 p.m. | Sightseeing Tours Sponsored by Louisville CVB & Mint Julep Experiences |
11 a.m.-Noon | ABA Executive Committee Meeting |
11 a.m.-Noon | Hispanic Motorcoach Council Executive Meeting |
11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Women in Buses Council Meeting Sponsored by Motor Coach Industries |
Noon-1 p.m. | Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) Executive Committee Meeting Presented by ABC Companies |
1-5 p.m. | Trailways Meeting |
1:30-5:30 p.m. | Education Seminars/Education Bites |
1:30–6 p.m. | Networking Floor Reception Sponsored by Experience Columbus, Connecticut Office of Tourism, Legends Attractions, Nashville, TN, National Interstate Insurance Company, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, South Dakota, Temsa, Travel Oregon and Travel Portland |
2-4 p.m. | State/Regional Association Roundtable and Legislative Update |
3-4 p.m. | Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) Orientation Session Presented by ABC Companies |
4 p.m. | ABA Foundation Live Auction |
5:30-6:30 p.m. | Operator Reception Sponsored by “Sweet Home” Alabama You won’t want to miss this reception, where you will be entertained, inspired and treated to delicious food and Southern hospitality. Come experience first-hand what makes Alabama so sweet! |
7 p.m. | Louisville At Your Leisure Make sure to set aside time to get out and explore at your leisure while you’re in Louisville. You’ll be a VIP while attending ABA. If you’re looking for unique Louisville experiences these attractions have made special arrangements to be convenient for you by staying open late and offering free admission for you on Friday and Saturday: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Muhammad Ali Center, Frazier History Museum & Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center, Louisville Mega Cavern, Bluegrass Karting & Events, Flying Axes, Rabbit Hole Distillery, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. Looking to go out for cocktails and live music? The Urban Bourbon Trail®, 4th Street Live!, Pin + Proof Bowling Alley, Jimmy Can’t Dance and Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar have you covered. Find the most up-to-date information and specials click links above. |
SUNDAY, JANUARY 27 | |
7–7:30 a.m. | Ecumenical Service Sponsored by The Carolina Opry Theater |
7 a.m.–6 p.m. | Marketplace Floor, Service Centers, ABA Foundation Auction and Registration Open |
7:45-8:45 a.m. | "Amplify Your Attitude" Operator Breakfast Join ABA as we welcome Vincent Ivan Phipps for a keynote to Amplify Your Attitude". The person who angers you, also controls you! Learn how to develop a solution focused and service oriented approach. Two of our most important skills in the hospitality industry are listening and problem solving. The average professional feels they listen at an 80% efficiency but truly only listens at 25% efficiency. This poor listening means we base our decisions and actions on what we think needs to happen instead of on what is needed. This lack of communication negatively impacts your ability to think clearly, resolve issues, and influence others. Learn how to identify the challenges in customer service and how to improve our own attitudes to think, respond and behave as professionals even when other people don't deserve your awesomeness! |
9-10:30 a.m. | Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) General Session Presented by ABC Companies |
9 a.m.–5:32 p.m. | DMO/Receptive/Charter Appointment Sessions |
9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Education Seminars/Education Bites |
12:20–2:15 p.m. | Opening Celebration and All-Delegate Lunch Don’t miss the opening celebration lunch on Sunday! The Sunday Lunch is a can’t-miss event that includes a performance by Louisville’s own America’s Got Talent contestants Linkin Bridge and Kentucky Derby winning jockey Pat Day! Pat Day is regarded as one of the most successful Thoroughbred jockeys of all time. By 1991, Day had set horse racing records across the country, earning himself a place in the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. It was in 1992, however, that he achieved that lightning-in-a-bottle moment off winning the Kentucky Derby on a long-shot horse, Lil E. Tee. Day will charm you with stories of his career but also talk about this year’s ABA Gives Back program, the Churchill Downs' Backside Learning Center. Sponsored by ABA |
3-5 p.m. | Betterez Summit - By Invitation Only |
5-6 p.m. | Betterez Happy Hour - By Invitation Only |
7-10 p.m. | Juleps, Jockey’s and Generosity Evening Event at the Kentucky Derby Museum A Party for a Purpose to benefit the Churchill Downs Backside Learning Center Sponsored by Louisville CVB & Kentucky Derby Museum Sunday night of ABA is for Juleps, Jockeys and Generosity. The Kentucky Derby Museum will roll out the red carpet for ABA guests for a night to remember, so wear your Derby best! In addition to fine Kentucky cuisine, Evan Williams Bourbon, and live music by Louisville’s own Louisville Crashers and Whiskey Bent Valley Boys Bluegrass Band, you will have unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime opportunities through our ABA Gives Back initiative: souvenir photo opportunities with Derby-winning jockey Pat Day, a thoroughbred meet and greet and your own signature ABA 2019 mint julep cup. There will be Derby hat-making activities and a Cigar & Jazz Lounge. All donations collected this evening will benefit the Backside Learning Center of Churchill Downs, a non-profit organization that serves the full-time equine staff that lives on site. Find opportunities to give back at http://www.buses.org/events/event/marketplace-2019/aba-gives-back. |
MONDAY, JANUARY 28 | |
7 a.m.–6 p.m. | Marketplace Floor, Service Centers, and Registration Open |
7:45-8:45 a.m. | New York State's Year of Love! Operator Breakfast Sponsored by New York State Destination Marketing Organizations and Partners Get your groove on! Join the NYSGroupTours.com team for an unforgettable breakfast featuring TASTENY themed cuisine along with the music, sites and sounds from 1969 as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival. 2019 is the Year of Love in New York State! Please stop by our booth on the Marketplace floor. |
9 a.m.-Noon | Distinctive Systems Annual User Group Meeting |
9 a.m.–5:47 p.m. | Lodging/Attraction/Associate/Allied Associations Appointment Sessions |
9:30- 10:30 a.m. | Bus Maintenance and Repair Council (BusMARC) General Session Presented by ABC Companies |
9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. | Education Seminars/Education Bites |
10 a.m.-1 p.m. | Betterez Hands On Training - By Invitation Only |
12:20–2:25 p.m. | "Best of Broadway" All-Delegate Lunch Sponsored by Group Sales Box Office at Broadway.com An all-star show awaits you, featuring performances from Broadway’s most popular hits, presented by Group Sales Box Office at Broadway.com, your one-stop shop for group travel to New York City. An unprecedented line-up of shows will perform at this year’s Best of Broadway, with an incredible 8 shows making their Marketplace debut. Arrive early and grab one of the best seats in the house for a production that is sure to be one of the most talked about events of the week. Shows scheduled to appear include Anastasia, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Frozen, King Kong, Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman, The Band’s Visit, The Book of Mormon, The Cher Show, The Prom, Tootsie, Waitress, and Wicked. |
3-5 p.m. | Distinctive Systems Annual User Group Meeting |
3-5 p.m. | School Bus Council Meeting |
4:30-6 p.m. | Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) Closing Session Presented by ABC Companies |
7–10 p.m. | Dine Around Louisville Dine Around Guide Sponsored by Louisville CVB The toughest decision you’ll make during ABA is which award-winning restaurant to choose for your Monday Dine Around. Between Downtown’s walkability and variety, NuLu’s farm-to-table offerings, Frankfort Avenue’s boutique atmosphere, the Highlands’ quirky and global tastes and the East End’s Kentucky classics, you really can’t go wrong. Oh, and did we mention that the Urban Bourbon Trail® consists of 44 bars and restaurants with over 50 Bourbons and Bourbon-infused menu items? Luckily we’ve created an ABA Dine Around Guide to help you choose what works best for you! |
9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. | ABA Foundation Afterglow Sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe International and Prevost |
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29 | |
7 a.m.–6 p.m. | Marketplace Floor, Service Centers and Registration Open |
7:45–8:45 a.m. | Operator Breakfast Sponsored by Entertainment Cruises and Guide Service of Washington |
9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Bus Maintenance and Repair Council (BusMARC) Offsite Presented by ABC Companies |
9 a.m.–5:02 p.m. | Lodging/Attraction/Associate/Allied Associations Appointment Sessions |
9:30 a.m.-Noon | UPDATED SESSION | ABA's Coffee Talk with FMCSA Come take advantage of an open discussion with ABA Government Affairs and FMCSA to ask questions on anything from rulemakings to ELDs. So come prepared with your questions, as this one’s for you! You can register for this special session by visiting and registering for the BISC Meeting - https://www.buses.org/events/event/bisc-winter-2019-meeting. |
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | Education Seminars/Education Bites |
Noon | Final Buyer Mailbox Delivery |
12:20–1:45 p.m. | All-Delegate Lunch |
3 p.m. | Foundation Silent Auction Closes |
6-8 p.m. | Motorcoach and Exhibitor Move-Out |
7-10 p.m. | Closing Night Celebration Sponsored by Visit Omaha Visit Omaha is excited to welcome you to Tuesday night’s All Roads Lead to Omaha party. See, hear, interact and taste what the city is all about. Known for juicy mouthwatering steak, did you know Omaha is also home to the original Reuben sandwich? Get ready for phenomenal food and high energy dance music from Omaha rock band High Heel. |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 | |
5:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Complimentary Airport Shuttle |