You have just completed arrangements for your sales conference.  The hotel is booked, the food & beverages have been selected and your guest speaker is secured.  You finally have an opportunity to turn your attention to your least favorite part of your program -- ground transportation.

Quite often ground transportation is one of the last things to be planned but it is one of the first impressions your attendees have of your event.  Too little planning and not enough resources can result in major disasters.  Events, which should be making headlines, are now producing headaches.

Whether you decide to manage the ground transportation yourself or contract the services of a ground transportation management company, here are some of the guidelines to follow to select a quality ground transportation provider:

• Confirm the quality standards of the company.  Ensure that late model vehicles (1999 - 2002) will be used.  Determine if state and federal safety regulations are being met.  Get copies of insurance records to verify proper coverage (while standard coverage varies from state to state, sedans and limousines usually have $1.5M coverage; motorcoaches $5M).  The company's commitment to safety speaks volumes about the level of service that will be provided.

• Identify the communications and technology used by the company.  Ask how they communicate with personnel supporting the event - i.e. coordinators, dispatchers, drivers, hostesses, etc.  Determine if they have a 24-hour hotline.  Find out what type of hardware and software they use for reservations, tracking, etc.  See if they can generate easy-to-read, customized bills.  Ask what communications they can provide on their vehicles.  A company's use of technology can be a big indicator of how efficiently they manage their business and how seamless the service delivery will be.

• Determine the size, scope, and success of past programs.  Find out the types of programs the provider has supported.  Ask about their largest programs.  Determine the locations of these programs.  Obtain references from their customers.  Compare their past programs with the type of program you are organizing.  Your program has a better chance of being successful if the provider has done similar programs to yours and has customers raving about their service.

• Check the professionalism of the people providing the service.  Ask what attire they wear.  Get copies of the routing/directions the drivers use.  Find out what training programs are provided and how often.  Determine how experienced the staff is.  These resources will have the most impact on your attendees so it is critical that they come across as competent and professional.

• Find out the special services available.  See if event management services such as planning and coordination are available.  Determine if they have the staff to handle hostess service, tour guides, baggage handling, "meet & greet" service, etc.  The more ground transportation resources you can tap into can free you up to focus on other aspects of your event.

• Identify the procedures used to handle VIP passengers.  Quite often an entirely different approach is needed to properly handle CEOs and other top executives of major corporations.  An experienced, quality company will know this and have these procedures readily available.

• Review the policies of the company.  Find out how cancellations are handled.  Determine how vehicle changes and additions are handled.  Ask how quickly a company can react to major changes.  See if all correspondence from the vendor is in writing.  A company's flexibility and willingness to readily handle revisions shows they understand the business and put customer service first.

By selecting the proper quality ground transportation provider, you can focus on the bigger picture - a successful event!