ABA's 2014 Marketplace Nashville was the Best Ever
The American Bus Association’s just-completed 2014 Marketplace in Nashville is the largest and strongest show ever put on by ABA in terms of its size, likely economic impact, return on investment for its members, and amazing evening activities.
More than thirty-five hundred delegates gathered in Nashville January 11-15, conducting more than one hundred thousand face-to-face business meetings with people from all across North America. In the process, they booked tens of millions of dollars’ worth of business to destinations, attractions and hotels in the United States and Canada. The delegates also took advantage of professionally run educational programs and opportunities to network with fellow business leaders.
Again this year, the New York City-based economic consulting firm John Dunham and Associates conducted an annual survey on the amount of business generated at Marketplace. The full report will be available later this spring. In Charlotte, at ABA’s 2013 Marketplace, the convention generated more than $108.3 million in total business.
Here’s what delegates are saying about ABA’s Marketplace 2014:
- Jayne Russell, Worldwide Sales Manager, Best Western International, Phoenix, AZ: “We keep coming back because it’s good for our hotels. ABA brings a lot of business to all of our hotels. ABA is just a great organization.”
- Patti Lloyd, Vice President of Sales, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce/CVB, Cape Cod, MA: “We feel that the American Bus Association’s Marketplace is a good place to represent all of Cape Cod, the islands, Massachusetts and New England. All of the ABA operators do know us, and they give us a lot of business, so this is where we come.”
- Scott Riccio, President/Owner, NorthEast Trailways, Lewiston, ME: “We have a lot of customers that we do business with on a regular basis. Marketplace gives us a chance to discover what’s going on, understand the regulation of things and learn other information we can bring back to the garage, apply to the business, and educate the drivers about the compliance necessities. They get to learn it firsthand.”
- Brian Whitaker, Vice President, Chicagoland Transportation Solutions, Barrington, IL: “We make a lot of connections at Marketplace. We network with other tour operators, network with destinations and find new places to take our tours.”
Photo and information from: ABA
