Reconnecting. We all need it, whether we realize it or not.
We can all be innovators by looking for new ways to reconnect with people and products. Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective, conversation, – or simply being in the right place at the right time.
Over 600 individuals gathered in Long Beach, California to reconnect at the 2022 UMA Expo. UMA is comprised of professional bus and motorcoach companies and associate members who are the suppliers, manufacturers, and travel partners serving the dynamic tour and travel industry.
The theme of UMA Expo 2022 was “Reconnecting”. David Moody of Holiday Tours, Inc. opened the general session by saying, “Connections is in the name: the UNITED Motorcoach Association”.
- Reconnecting means to take advantage of the opportunity to come.
- Reconnecting is about listening to the good and the bad over the last year.
- Reconnecting is an opportunity to learn from each other and create resilience to combat the next challenge, whatever it might be.
Expo boasted a show floor filled with products, services, equipment, and vehicles for the motorcoach industry.
Scott Michael, President and CEO of UMA remarked: “I was very excited to see the motorcoach industry come together in Long Beach for the Motorcoach Expo. What struck me was the number of attendees who stayed after the sessions were over and continued visiting with their old friends or new friends. In many cases, it seemed the purchasing decisions being made were focused on relationships and becoming comfortable with your new business partner, to ensure that you could trust them to continue to provide value with the product or service. These relationships are forged at industry meetings like the Expo.”
OEM leaders contributed their take on the theme of “reconnecting” and what it means to them for business and the industry.
Zane T. Gray, Director of Marketing of Daimler Coaches North America LLC said: “Having the opportunity to leave cyberspace and reconnect in person was impactful. Our customers were now able to use all their senses to experience our products. This allowed us to open their minds and show them what our company and our all-new Mercedes-Benz Tourrider products can do to build their businesses.”
Tony Mongiovi, Regional Sales Manager at TEMSA noted: “After two of the most difficult years for our industry, the highlight of the 2022 UMA was shaking hands with the industry’s survivors, many of whom are some of my colleagues and friends.”
Juan Lepe, Regional Vice President, Northwest Region at Motor Coach Industries (MCI) said: “The Expo was a great start for our industry. After two long and difficult years, it was wonderful to attend and reconnect with our industry. It felt great to have face-to-face meetings, discuss new trends and create new opportunities with the operators. The resilience of our industry stood tall, and the UMA Motorcoach Expo gave all of us who attended the ability to relive old traditions and create new ones.”
Miguel Oliva, VP Sales & Service for Irizar USA LLC said: “In my opinion, the UMA Expo 2022 was a successful event for Irizar. Our booth saw the most traffic after the pandemic hit and everyone we met was enthusiastic to reconnect and restart the industry. Overall, we think the connections or “reconnections” we had at the event with the customers will prove beneficial to our business in the short term future.”
The tourism industry is changing, and transportation operators need to find ways to reconnect with customers. Innovation is key for the future of tour and travel companies and technology can help connect customers with new experiences.
There are many opportunities for tour and travel companies to innovate to stay ahead of the curve in this ever-changing industry. Technology can be a major help in this process, as it provides new ways for customers to enjoy and explore different destinations.
William Bridges once said, “Change comes more from managing the journey than from announcing the destination“. Our team at Icomera believes just that.
Together with my team, Gabriel Lopez-Bernal, John Busskohl, and Adriana Hemzacek, we took to the Expo floor for three days of networking.
We had the opportunity to educate bus manufacturers and owners about the industry-leading onboard mobile Internet gateway, the Icomera X3. We showcased GoView, the industry-leading onboard entertainment portal which hosts Hollywood movies, TV series, and eBooks directly on the X3. After experiencing GoView hands-on, booth visitors immediately tied the solution to their direct customer demographic, colleges/sports teams, tour groups and commuters – the end-users of quality transport services seeking an elevated onboard Wi-Fi and immersive entertainment experience.
For more information about the solutions showcased at UMA Expo 2022, feel free to reach out to our sales team at [email protected]. The next stop on our industry tour is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the American Public Transportation’s 2022 High-Speed Rail Conference.
