Wow again!

April 9, 2008 by Chris Harrower, CTIS.

Pennsylvania Bus is now over…as always, I love the trip to Harrisburg (or York before that). I’ve done this show over ten years now, and I know a lot of the “regulars” by now, so we spend more time sharing stories than writing business. But I know that the business will follow.

The PBA Seminar went very well…I miss Marc, Jeanne and Connie, but the newbies on the faculty did a great job. Julie was great, Linda was equally great, and Jim Palmieri was his usual impressive self…very funny, very insightful, and he really did his homework! I may just have to borrow a few things from his presentation for the Crash Course program. He really dug in to the whole ROI question, and had some insights I’d never heard…which is the goal!

And then there’s the award banquet. I had heard rumors that I was in the running for Travel Supplier of the Year, but honestly, I thought Lois would get it. She’s worked very hard on the Marketplace committee for several years now, and has done a lot for PBA, and the industry as a whole. So, when Jeanne Vice wanted to go get some fresh air, I walked out with her. And that, as I heard later, started the firestorm! The PBA staff grabbed Rich Gilbert from Maryland, and sent him in search of us. He pulled Jeanne aside, and told her she had to get me back in the room.

We were already sitting with Amy Books (inside joke) and Debbie from Susquehanna, and their Driver of Distinction award winner, so we knew how rude it would have been to not be there for the awards ceremony. But it was funny after the fact seeing how many hoops people jumped through to make sure I would be there at the end!

Thanks very much to those who nominated me, voted for me, and supported me. The clock will sit on my desk for a long time to come. Winning in North Carolina and Virginia was a delight…to win something like this at home is amazing! I love this industry, and to be the first ever recipient of an award like this is a real thrill for me.

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