2023 Regional Meeting


SCMA-AMA-GMOA REGIONAL MEETING
HOLIDAY INN
SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS                   
JULY 16-19, 2023

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 

Sunday, July 16

11:00 – 5:30    Registration

12:00 – 1:30    SCMA Board Meeting (include a light lunch)

1:45 – 3:15      AMA Board Meeting 

3:30 – 5:00      GMOA Board Meeting

5:45 – 6:00      Board Coaches for Train Depot

7:00                 Early Bird

Dinner and Entertainment aboard the A&M Train
Sponsored by the Explore Springdale/Experience Fayetteville
Transportation sponsored and provided by Village Travel

 

Monday, July 17

8:00 – 9:15      Breakfast

8:30  – 5:45     Registration

9:30 – 5:45      Education Sessions

9:30 – 10:30    Dispatch and Your Company’s Culture
Speaker: Chris Riddell, Deliverabilities

10:45 – 11:45  Drug and Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion Training                           
Speaker: Dan Tomlinson, Lancer Insurance Company

9:30 – 11:45    Associate Session: Flawless Delivery Hospitality Training                                                         
Speaker: Craig Johnston, Director of Workforce Development Training & Advocacy, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association

12:00 – 1:30    Lunch
Speaker: Dr. Georgia Steele, Southern Region Field Administrator – FMCSA           

1:45 – 5:15      Operator Sessions Continue

 1:45 – 2:45      Operational Excellence: Having the Right People in the Right Place at the Right Time for Your Clients                             
Speaker: Jeff Shanker, Black Tie Transportation        

3:00 – 4:00      Top Ten Rules of Dispatch                                                                
Panelists: Jeff Johnson, Village Travel
                    Bernard Pacheco, Dixieland Tours

4:15 – 5:15      What is Expected by the Finance Guys                                                        
Panelists: Tony Pederson, Motor Coach Industries
                     Ryan Gulan, Huntington Equipment Finance

1:45 – 5:15      Associate Sessions                                                                                        

1:45 – 2:45      New Member Orientation
Panelists: Julie Levengood, Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau
                    Jeannie Sadaphal, The Ark Encounter
                    Mike Vescio, GMOA Associate Director, Discover DeKalb

3:00 – 4:15      “Mock” Market Place for Associates
Moderator: Mike Pittman, Sight & Sound Theatres
Operator: Suzanne Vaughn, Bus Supply Charters
Associate: Karen Matlock, Visit Mississippi

4:30 – 5:15      “Things that are working–2023”
Moderator: Mike Vescio
Panelists: Julie Pennington, Experience Fayetteville
                    Mike Pittman
                    Lucy Raheja, Fox Theatre

6:15 – 6:30      Board Coaches

7:00                 Ice Breaker Dinner Event: Apollo on Emma
An iconic event venue of timeless beauty, restored into a 1940’s art deco space.
Sponsored Explore Springdale/Experience Fayetteville
Transportation sponsored and provided by Village Travel

9:30 – 11:00    Hospitality after event

 

Tuesday, July 18

7:00 – 8:00       Breakfast

8:15 – 5:30       Registration

8:30 – 10:30     Market Place I

10:45 – 11:30    Coach Presentations

11:30 – 12:30    Coach Visitation

10:45 – 12:15  Associate Session: The Future of Hospitality & Tourism
Speaker: Tami Reist, President/CEO, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association

12:30 – 12:45                Board Coaches
All coaches return to the hotel by 5:30.

12:45 – 5:00     Golf at The Creeks Golf & RV Resort
Golf Coordinator:  Tim O’Bryan, Service Insurance Agency
Beverage Cart sponsored by the Service Insurance Agency
Transportation sponsored and provided by Village Travel

12:45 – 5:00     Tours              
Tour Lunch included, sponsored by Springdale/Fayetteville and their partners
Transportation sponsored and provided by Village Travel

Tour 1:  Butterflies, Bombers and Blooms 
You will have lunch at Mermaids, a local flavor here in town with a special guest. Then the next stop is Botanical Gardens Of the Ozarks, where you will have fun inside the butterfly house and enjoy the beautiful gardens with a highlight of musical storytelling. Next stop is the Arkansas Air and Military Museum to see planes, trains, and automobiles. While at the museum you will have the opportunity to walk through history, and take in a sampling of local beer during our “history happy hour” offering!

Tour 2:  Shop until you drop 
Enjoy Pinnacle Hills Promenade, upscale shopping, retail therapy, and local favors of the Ozarks.  Lunch location to be determined. 

Tour 3:  Bentonville Backyard Billionaire
This tour will take you to the Museum of Native American History, The Momentary where you will have lunch, the 8thStreet Market, and Historic Bentonville Square.  For a small town, Bentonville has more than their share of Rich & Famous. Starting with Sam Walton founder of Walmart, and let’s not forget to mention Tyson Poultry and JB Hunt Trucking. Maybe it’s something in the water. But you will be sure to find out once you get here!

Tour 4:  Across the mountains, over a trestle bridge and through a tunnel
Come ride the full train trip, see the sights, and hear the tour. Then on the ride back hear representatives from the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, the Ozark Highlands Nature Center, and Arvest Ballpark share what Springdale has to offer. Come sample what Black Apple Cidery (the state’s only hard cidery) and Sassafras Winery & Vineyard have to offer and learn about what they make.

6:30                 Reception

7:00                 Awards Dinner

9:00 – 11:00     Hospitality after event

 

Wednesday, July 19

7:00 – 8:30       Networking Breakfast
                           Industry Update Panel Discussion
Panelists: Peter Pantuso, American Bus Association
                     Ken Presley, United Motorcoach Association

8:00 – 10:00     Registration

8:45 – 9:15       Display Booth Visitation

9:30 – 11:30      Market Place II

11:50 – 12:00    Board Coaches
Transportation sponsored and provided by Village Travel
Transportation will include a drop off at the airport in Bentonville after lunch.

12:30 – 1:30     Market Place Awards Lunch: Crystal Bridges, Bentonville.

Rookie of the Year

Associate of the Year

Operator of the Year