South Central Motorcoach Association




SCMA Operators Meeting Photos available here SCMA Annual Meeting and Market Place August 1-4, 2010 IP Casino, Resort & Spa, Biloxi, Mississippi Sunday, August 1 10:00 – 5:00 Registration Registration Bags sponsored by Lancer Insurance Company and Service Insurance Agency Programs sponsored by Silver Slipper Casino Notepads sponsored by MyrtleBeachHotels.com Pocket Schedules sponsored by United Motorcoach Association Name Badges sponsored by Sardo Bus and Coach Upholstery Transportation for all offsite events sponsored by ABC Companies, Daimler Buses North America, Motor Coach Industries, and Prevost 10:00 – 11:30 South Central Board of Directors Meeting 11:30 – 12:30 Joint Board of Directors Luncheon (AMA/SCMA board members and coach sales representatives.) 12:30 – 2:00 Alabama Board of Directors Meeting 2:30 – 4:30 Coach Sales Market Place Operators must participate in this market place to be eligible for four $500 fuel card door prizes sponsored by Georgia Department of Economic Development, Tourism Division, two for Alabama operators and two for South Central operators. All operators will visit each coach as a group for 7 minutes with the coach sales staff and can revisit the coaches for more in-depth, individual time with the sales staff. 6:00 – 9:00 Early Bird Dinner Event: Pool Deck Crawfish/Shrimp Boil at IP Casino Resort & Spa Sponsored by IP Casino Resort & Spa and Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau Mississippi and the IP would not let you make a trip to the Gulf Coast without showing you some real Southern Hospitality. The IP Chefs will prepare a good ole southern shrimp boil, poolside overlooking the beautiful Back Bay of Biloxi. Live entertainment will be provided by Barbara & Company. This live band is a Biloxi favorite. Please be sure and dress casual and those of you that would like to soak in the IP Pool will have the opportunity to do so as the Pool will be closed to the public for your entertainment only. 10:00 – Hospitality Monday, August 2 7:30 – 5:00 Registration 7:30 – 8:30 Networking Breakfast Dress casually for this breakfast so that you will be ready for golf or tours. 9:00 – 3:00 Golf Tournament at The Grand Bear Golf Course Coordinator: Tim O’Bryan, Service Insurance Agency Beverage Cart sponsored by Service Insurance Agency 9:00 – 1:00 Familiarization Tours FAM I - What’s Cooking, Mississippi? FAM II - “Who’s Who, Then and Now” on the Mississippi Gulf Coast 9:00 – 4:00 Familiarization Tours FAM III - Told You So Tours – Wiggins and Stone County FAM IV - Did You Know? Discovery Trip -Gulfport and Bay St. Louis 2:00-4:00 Familiarization Tours FAM V - Down to the Sea in Boats – Gulf of Mexico Experiences Choose your trip: (All departing from the Schooner Pier, Biloxi) a. Da Beach House – Kayaking to Deer Island (limit 10). Appropriate clothing recommended. b. Biloxi Schooners (limit 45) c. Biloxi Shrimping Trip (limit 48) FAM VI - Old Fort Bayou Blueway - Kayak Ecotour 4:30 – 5:15 New Member Orientation 6:00 – 9:00 Ice Breaker Event: Ship Island Ferry Sponsored by Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mississippi Development Authority/Tourism Division, LaQuinta Inn and Suites, Biloxi, Quality Inn Hotel, Biloxi, and Got Shots? Wine and Liquor 9:30 – Hospitality Tuesday, August 3 7:45 – 6:45 Registration 7:30 – 8:30 Breakfast Industry Update: American Bus Association Presenter: Robin Phillips, American Bus Association Sponsored by Motor Coach Industries 8:45 – 9:15 South Central Operators Business Session Presiding: Jim Lienhart, SCMA President 8:45 – 9:45 Operators Slot Tournament Sponsored by IP Casino Resort & Spa 9:15 – 9:45 Alabama Operators Business Session Presiding: Charles A. Payne, AMA President 8:45 – 9:45 Associates Session: Pre-Market Place Experience Do you want to know what really happens in market place? Attend this session and learn what operators need and expect from the various members. Please participate to keep this session flowing with ideas about how to make market place successful for you. Operators will participate in this session to discuss what they need and expect from you as a group tour venue. 10:00 – 11:30 Operators Session: Motorcoach Accident Investigation and Accident Prevention Presenter: Larry Yohe, Retired Accident Investigator, National Transportation Safety Board Industry Update: United Motorcoach Association Presenter: Vic Parra, United Motorcoach Association Refreshments sponsored by Visit Tallahassee 10:00 – 11:30 Associates Session: Marketing Strategies (Invited speaker to be confirmed) Virtual Way to Connect to Motorcoach Operators Presenter: Jennifer Powers, GroupConnect.com 11:45 – 12:15 Networking Lunch Sponsored by Daimler Buses North America and United Motorcoach Association 12:15 – 1:15 First Observer Program Training and Certification Presenters: Charles Hall, Program Manager, and Pat Rather, Call Center Operations Manager Through First Observer training, persons are taught to recognize suspicious behavior and activities as they relate to personal security. Many of these same threat indicators may also apply to the security of our nation. A certificate will be given to each person attending this session. 1:30 – 3:30 Market Place I Operators should be seated in market place by 1:25. Please briefly review the gifts received from Associate members and pack them away so that you can give Associates your undivided attention for the 5-minute appointments. Associates and operators are asked to observe the 5-minute limit. A bell will ring as a reminder for those who need it! Market Place Binders sponsored by Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism Refreshments sponsored by American Bus Association 1:30 – 3:30 Associates Session Travel Trends and Generations in the Workplace (Invited speakers to be confirmed) 3:45 – 5:45 Market Place II Operators should be seated in market place by 3:40. 3:45 – 5:45 Associates Session (Repeat) 6:45 Awards Dinner/ Board Recognition There will be a band provided for entertainment and dancing following the awards presentation. Dinner sponsored by Prevost Awards sponsored by ABC Companies Entertainment sponsored by IP Casino Resort & Spa Wednesday, August 4 8:00 Board Coaches for Breakfast 8:30 - 9:30 Breakfast at Hard Rock Cafe Sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe 10:15 – 11:15 Market Place III: Operators and All Associates If you missed an operator in Tuesday’s market place don’t miss this opportunity to finish your appointments. 11:30 – 12:30 Joint Board of Directors Meeting All shipments must arrive by July 30, 2010 Hold for Kimberly Cox: SCMA August 1-4 IP Casino Resort & Spa 850 Bayview Avenue Biloxi, MS 39530 2010 Joint Annual Meeting and Market Place Post-Meeting Familiarization Tour *Mississippi Land and Legends* August 4 – 7, 2010 Greetings from Mississippi! Interested in exploring the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a few extra days following Alabama/South Central Motorcoach joint meeting? Would you like to visit additional attractions and cities that you didn’t get to fully experience during the marketplace? You’ll get a chance to spend more time in Hattiesburg, Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis. View the attached itinerary for a glimpse of the exciting things you’ll get to experience. This offer is limited to the first 10 tour operators who respond. The deadline to respond is Friday, July 16. We must have at least 5 tour operators from 5 different companies for the tour to happen. The schedule below only outlines the basics of the tour; however, if you need more specifics to make a decision, please contact me and I will review the schedule in more detail. Sharon Robinson CTIS,TMP, MS Development Authority/Tourism Division 601-359-3297 (phone) 601-359-5757 (fax) sorobinson@mississippi.org www.visitmississippi.org Wednesday, August 7, 2010 2:00pm Depart IP Casino Resort for Hattiesburg 3:00 pm Tour MS Armed Forces Museum 5: 00 pm Check into Hotel 7: 00 pm Dinner Overnight in Hattiesburg Thursday, August 8, 2010 Breakfast in hotel 8:30 am Hattiesburg City Tour 11:00 am Depart Hattiesburg for Ocean Springs 12:30 pm Arrive Ocean Springs for lunch 2:30 pm Ocean Springs City Tour 4:00 pm Depart Ocean Springs for Bay St. Louis Check into hotel in Bay St. Louis Dinner Friday, August 9, 2010 8:00 am Breakfast at Hotel 9:00 am Bay St. Louis City Tour 11:30 pm Lunch in Bay St. Louis 2:00 pm Return to IP to pick up cars