Destination Dallas – Transportation Tips from the Professionals

Whether its destination Dallas, Orlando or San Francisco, where does ground transportation rank on your long list of meeting priorities? If you are anything like your peers, it typically drops to the bottom of the list. It lacks the sense of urgency of hotel or air arrangements or the excitement of event production. This underrated component gets no respect… but it deserves it.

It is vital to consider how every transportation situation impacts the participant’s mindset and experience. From the moment they arrive, consider how airport meet-and-greet service, group/VIP transfers, shuttle programs and transportation to restaurants or other off-site events affect your guests. When participants are in a strange city, they are hyper alert which makes their reactions stronger. Even frequent travelers feel anxious when they’re lost, don’t have control, or feel pressed for time. We only need to think about road-rage to understand how disproportionate emotions can become when it comes to transportation.

In destination Dallas or wherever you meet, first impressions are everything. Transportation is typically the first (as well as the last) impression of your program. Just reserving the proper number of vehicles and drivers does not ensure that the transportation experience will be smooth for your guests. Aside from the obvious aspects of ensuring comfortable, late model vehicles that are where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there, there are many pitfalls that you must pay attention to such as:

  1. Drivers with unprofessional appearances or attitudes who are not properly trained on relating to corporate passengers,
  2. Failure to load passengers expediently and efficiently,
  3. Driving through unsightly areas,
  4. Failure to ensure that the transportation company has satisfactory Department of Transportation and Department of Defense safety ratings,
  5. Failure to verify that current and adequate insurance is maintained,
  6. Failure to physically inspect equipment, general offices and garage facilities,
  7. Failure to verify accuracy of written driver instructions,
  8. Drivers taking wrong turns or getting lost,
  9. Drivers dropping so that guests must cross traffic or walk a long distance,
  10. Or missing the mark completely and dropping at the wrong venue or hotel!

In Destination Dallas, Ultimate Ventures is a trusted partner to meeting planners to help them navigate transportation pitfalls such as these.