A few highlights and notes from NAFA’s 2013 I&E:

► Thank you to all of the 2013 Sponsors and Media Sponsors. The I&E was a huge success this year and we could not have done it without you!

► Extra! Extra! I&E News keeps attendees up-to-date of all the events and highlights while I&E is going on. To view any of the 2013 issues throughout the year, click here

► This year’s First Annual Fleet Excellence Awards recognized those who strive to be the best in the industry. A list of all Flexy nominees and winners can be seen here

► The Expo floor opened doors of opportunities for fleet managers and exhibitors alike. To view a list and floorplan of all the exhibitors that were at the 2013 I&E, click here

► At this past I&E in Atlantic City, volunteers helped build homes for AC Habitat for Humanity. The Silent Auction on the Expo Floor raised $3,071 and one hundred percent of the revenue went straight to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

►There’s still time to donate to Boston and Texas! NAFA will donate 100% of what we collect AND match the total up to $10,000. Click here to help those affected in the Boston explosion. Click here to help those affected in the Texas explosion.

► Check out NAFA’s Facebook page – we should be posting pictures from I&E very soon!

We Want To Hear From YOU!

How did we do this year? We want to hear about your 2013 I&E experience – please click on the link below to fill out a short survey. Surveys must be completed by the close of business on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Shortly after, we will select one, full submission at random to receive a $200 Amazon gift card!

>> Click here for I&E survey

There’s Still Time To Tell Us What You Walked Away With!

Let us know about the best idea you heard at I&E 2013 our one question survey. We ask that the survey be completed by the close of business on Thursday, May 16, 2013. Shortly after, we will select one submission at random to receive a complimentary registration to NAFA’s 2014 I&E in Minneapolis!

>> Click here to enter your best idea

Submit Your Ideas For 2014 I&E Sessions! Call For Presentations Now Open!

If you have an idea for next year’s educational sessions, plans are already in development for the 2014 I&E in Minneapolis, MN! Submissions deadline is Friday, May 31, 2013. Visit www.nafa.org/callforpresentations for more details!

Save the Date! NAFA’s 2014 Institute & Expo
April 8-11, 2014
Minneapolis Convention Center | Minneapolis, MN
www.nafainstitute.org

We look forward to seeing you in Minneapolis!

Forge new relationships and strengthen partnerships on the I&E floor, while gaining new clients and prospects for your business. NAFA’s Members manage fleets for corporations, organizations and public agencies covering a wide range of manufacturing and service organizations, governments, and public service entities. Our Members additionally serve financial institutions, insurance companies, and non-profit organizations. NAFA Members represent a dynamic group of industry decision-makers.

Please note that for 2014 we continue the Tuesday-Friday pattern – the Expo Floor will be open on Wednesday, April 9 and Thursday, April 10.

Reserve your space by July 31, 2013 and SAVE! Click here for the priority period application

Winner and Finalists For The 2013 Fleet Excellence Awards

Winners of the Fleet Excellence Awards were announced during NAFA’s First Annual Fleet Excellence Awards Night on Tuesday, April 23 at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists! There were hundreds of submissions, so this is a huge accomplishment to be recognized by your peers and the judges!

2013 Winners and Finalists

NAFA Member of the Year

Douglas Weichman, CAFM, Palm Beach County Fleet Management

NAFA Affiliate of the Year

William Pierce, ARI

Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Fleet Management

Winner: Kathryn Antonelli, Manager, Fleet Administration, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Finalists: John Dmochowsky, CAFM, Sales Fleet Manager, Mondelez; and Mike Hertel, Corporate Fleet Manager, Lone Star Overnight

Outstanding Achievement in Public Fleet Management

Winner: Steve Rapanos, Director, City of Edmonton Fleet Services

Finalists: Bruce Kilmer, Business Systems Analyst Supervisor, City of Austin Fleet Services; and Brian Marshall, Fleet Operations, State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Excellence in Corporate Fleet Sustainability

Winner: Christy Coyte Meyer, Global Fleet Director, Johnson Controls, Inc.

Finalists: Kevin Fisher, CAFM, Vice President Strategic Fleet Operations, ARAMARK; and Jerome Webber, Vice President Global Fleet Operations, AT&T Services, Inc.

Excellence in Public Fleet Sustainability

Winner: Mark Swackhamer, CAFM, Fleet Operations Manager, Houston Independent School District

Finalists: Greg Hansen, Transportation Equipment Fund Administrator, Washington State Department of Transportation; and Jim Reinish, Manager, Central Automotive Division, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Excellence in Corporate Fleet Safety

Winner: Theresa Belding, Senior Manager – Fleet Services, Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Finalists: Dan French, Director of Fleet Operations, G&K Services; and Judy Sparks, Fleet Manager, Advanced Home Care

Excellence in Public Fleet Safety

Winner: Bill Horne, Supervisor – Fleet Safety, City of Edmonton Fleet Services

Finalists: City of Austin Fleet Services; and Dennis R. Hogan CAFM/CPFP, Manager – Fleet Services, City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Excellence in Fleet Leadership

Winner: Robert Martinez, New York City Police Department

Finalists: Jonathan Kamanns, Ingersoll Rand; and Don Nunnari, AAA Arizona

About The Flexys

NAFA Fleet Management Association is synonymous with excellence in the fleet industry. That distinction is a part of the recognition of the Institute & Expo and the CAFM program; but as much as these are recognized for quality of content, so too are they recognized because they are associated with and meet the stringent standards the Association has set for them. That commitment to presenting the best and brightest in the industry takes yet another step forward with NAFA’s inaugural Fleet Excellence Awards.

Comprising seven individual awards, the Fleet Excellence Awards (Flexy for short) shine a spotlight on those who impacted fleet in both the corporate and public fleet segments during 2012. These awards will be reviewed by a prestigious industry panel consisting of fleet managers, fleet management company professionals, and members of the fleet industry. Submissions for all seven awards were open to fleet managers throughout the United States and Canada.

Driving To AC

Thanks to the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway, your trip will be:

Philadelphia: 1 hour
Newark, NJ: 2 hours
New York City: 2.5 hours
Baltimore: 2.5 hours
Washington, DC: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Boston: 5.5 hours
Pittsburgh: 5 hours and 45 minutes

Parking at the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel only costs $5.00!

Flying In

Atlantic City International Airport is 20 minutes away from Atlantic City. Scheduled carriers include Spirit Airlines – to see where Spirit flies out of, click here

Philadelphia International Airport is an hour away from the Convention Center and hotels. Airfare prices to Philadelphia Airport are easily affordable right now: Most cities are under $350: Los Angeles; Chicago; Denver; New Orleans; Detroit; San Francisco; San Diego; and Houston — Under $325 from Atlanta; Las Vegas; St. Louis; and Nashville — Under $275 from Seattle; Dallas; and Miami.

These prices will not last forever, so register to attend I&E now and book your flights!

Exclusive NAFA Shuttle Service – Jump On The Party Bus! Registration for the NAFA Shuttle is closed.

If you happen to be flying into Philadelphia Airport, NAFA is providing exclusive bus transportation between Philadelphia Airport and Atlantic City, NJ at a low-cost of $25 round-trip per person. Buses will depart Philadelphia Airport towards Atlantic City all day Monday, April 22 and half-day Tuesday, April 23. Return transportation to Philadelphia Airport will be provided all day Friday, April 26 and half-day Saturday, April 27. Relax, grab a drink, while NAFA takes care of the rest!

The Train Station Is Located INSIDE The Convention Center!

If you prefer to ride in by train, the NJTransit Rail Terminal is conveniently located within the Atlantic City Convention Center (where the Expo will be held) and connects Atlantic City to Philadelphia at 30th Street Station and Amtrak’s Northeast corridor lines. For more information, call 1-800-ACTRAIN, or visit their website at www.njtransit.com

Stay In AC For Under $100 A Night!

NAFA has a block of rooms at the famous Trump Taj Mahal (the HQ hotel for the I&E) for under $100 a night per room. This is a price, for the convenience and glamor of staying at the Taj, unlike anything you might find anywhere else!

>> Hotel Reservations

For more information, visit our Transportation webpage

CALSTART will host a specific education and training track featuring several value-add sessions for fleets looking at getting the latest information about advanced fuels and vehicles, and how to make them work for their operations.

All sessions were developed by CALSTART and will feature their speakers and experts.

Sessions include:

• An up-to-the-minute status report on available high efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles and technologies to keep fleets current
• A workshop highlighting and correcting the most common myths and misperceptions about advanced and alternative fuel vehicles
• A session on how to decide what solutions work best for a fleet’s unique operation, including using decision tools like Fleet Value Calculators
• A hands-on session about how to plan for a sustainable or green fleet, including case studies and making the case to the corner office.

For more details, click here

Two of the Northeast’s top event and convention venues, the Atlantic City Convention Center and Historic Boardwalk Hall, are open for business after Hurricane Sandy, with neither experiencing any significant damage from the unprecedented storm.

NAFA’s 2013 Institute & Expo (I&E) will be in Atlantic City April 23-26, 2013. Events will take place at the Atlantic City Convention Center, while the Taj Mahal Hotel will serve as the primary hotel, with overflow rooms available at the Sheraton Hotel. Neither hotel suffered any significant damage during the storm and both properties are already fully operational.

According to Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, “Both the Atlantic City Convention Center and Historic Boardwalk Hall came through the storm and both venues are already resuming operations,” said Vasser. He noted that Historic Boardwalk Hall will play host to superstar Carrie Underwood’s concert on November 9, as well as the Adrien Broner vs. Antonio DeMarco Championship Boxing match on November 17. “These high profile events will each be an excellent showcase for the destination, as we let people know that Atlantic City continues to be one of America’s top locations for world-class events, groups and conventions.”

In addition, all 12 Atlantic City casinos/hotels were open for business on Sunday, November 4, just 5 days after Hurricane Sandy struck the coast.

NAFA’s Executive Director, Phillip E. Russo, CAE, commented that, “As a lifelong resident of New Jersey, I have often been accused of having a ‘Jersey Attitude.’ Most times that’s a negative mark, but recently I couldn’t be more proud of having that label. It is precisely that attitude that is helping this state, and the entire region impacted by Hurricane Sandy, get back on its feet so quickly. Atlantic City is back because that’s what we do in New Jersey. There won’t be any negative impact on I&E 2013 and I anticipate the show being NAFA’s best ever.”

Online registration for I&E 2013 will be open in November. Please check this website later for details.

If you are inclined to help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, there are many ways to do so:

• NJ Governor Chris Christie and his wife have set up the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund at https://sandynjrelieffund.org/index.html
• The Red Cross will provide food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by the storm. To donate, visit www.redcross.org, call 800-Red-Cross or text the word “Redcross” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
• The Salvation Army has dozens of mobile feeding units and shelters along the East Coast that are working to serve thousands in the most heavily hit areas. Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org to donate.

It’s simple. NAFA Institute & Expo is the only meeting and exposition that gives you unparalleled access to North American fleet purchasers and decision makers. Meet face-to-face with hundreds of commercial and government fleet professionals at the largest fleet management event under one roof anywhere!

This is your chance to meet with nearly 1,000 fleet managers in two days. Where else do you get this opportunity?

Click here to fill out your booth space application for 2012. Exhibitor Prospectus found here

Check out a floorplan for the 2012 I&E and who’s already signed up!

Sponsorship opportunities can be found here

NAFA’s Institute & Expo is the “who’s who” event of the fleet management industry! The perfect opportunity to increase your networking power, I&E is the largest community of fleet professionals who attend year after year because they experience I&E’s hands-on value. Network and learn for four straight days this April!

NAFA’s goal is simply to make I&E the most valuable networking, business, and educational event in the fleet industry. I&E is unique: the entire educational program is the only kind to be developed by expert fleet managers in every fleet segment, with the sessions tackling the most pertinent, timely subjects.

Save The Date!

NAFA’s 2012 Institute & Expo

April 21- 24, 2012

America’s Center Convention Center

St. Louis, Missouri

Numerous options for those on a budget!

Stay here for the latest hotel news and discounts on hotels and transportation!