Reconnecting With the Transportation Industry
After more than twenty five years of building businesses, serving customers, overcoming hardship, and supporting my family, I began a new chapter by becoming actively involved in the professional transportation industry.
The 2025 Chauffeur Driven and National Limousine Association Show
My first national limousine industry show after more than twenty five years in business took place at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas.
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A Moment That Took More Than Twenty Five Years to Reach
When I first entered the limousine business, attending a major national industry show was something I genuinely wanted to do. I wanted to meet other operators, learn from experienced professionals, see the newest vehicles and technology, and understand how the larger transportation industry worked.
During those early years, however, finances were extremely tight. Every available dollar had to go back into the business, the vehicles, repairs, insurance, employees, and taking care of my family. Traveling to an industry event was something I wanted to do, but it was not something I could realistically afford.
As the years passed, the responsibilities continued to grow. I became focused on surviving, building Second Nature Limousine, maintaining the fleet, serving customers, raising my family, and handling nearly every challenge personally.
The dream of becoming involved in the national transportation community never completely disappeared. Life simply required me to place it aside while I focused on survival, responsibility, and building something that could last.
The transportation industry also faced several difficult periods. The impact of September 11 changed travel and transportation almost overnight. Years later, the financial crisis created another period of uncertainty for small businesses and families across the country. There were also many personal and business challenges that required my full attention.
Over time, I gradually became disconnected from the broader industry. I was still operating every day and building my company, but I was no longer thinking about associations, conferences, national shows, or becoming part of a larger professional community.
Attending the 2025 Chauffeur Driven and National Limousine Association Show in Texas changed that. Walking into the Gaylord Texan with Maya marked the first time I had attended a major national limousine industry show.
It was interesting to finally experience an event I had thought about during my earliest years in business. There were transportation operators from different markets, industry suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, technology companies, educators, association leaders, and professionals who had spent decades building their own companies.
The experience gave me the opportunity to observe the industry from a completely different perspective. I was no longer the young operator trying to survive from one reservation to the next. I arrived after more than twenty five years of experience, countless lessons, major setbacks, meaningful accomplishments, and a much deeper understanding of what transportation operators actually need.
More Than a Show, It Was a Return to the Industry
Looking back, this event represented much more than attending a conference. It marked the beginning of reconnecting with an industry that had been part of my life for more than twenty five years. It also began a new chapter focused on industry participation, professional relationships, advocacy, education, and helping transportation operators prepare for the future.
The 2026 Chauffeur Driven and National Limousine Association Las Vegas Show
After finally attending my first national industry show in Texas, the next major chapter brought Maya and me to Las Vegas for the largest Chauffeur Driven and National Limousine Association event of the year.
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Walking Into the Show I Had Thought About for Years
The Las Vegas Chauffeur Driven and National Limousine Association Show was an event I had thought about attending for many years. Within the professional chauffeured transportation industry, it is one of the largest and most recognized gatherings of operators, manufacturers, suppliers, association leaders, technology companies, educators, and industry professionals from around the world.
For a long time, the idea of attending a show of this size felt far away. During the earlier years of my business, I was focused on keeping vehicles operating, finding reservations, paying expenses, serving customers, and supporting my family. Industry travel and conferences were simply not realistic priorities at that point in my life.
By the time Maya and I arrived in Las Vegas, everything felt different. I was no longer attending only as an operator who had spent more than twenty five years building Second Nature Limousine. I was also attending as the founder of BookItRides, carrying a much larger vision for the future of professional ground transportation.
At first, the size and energy of the Las Vegas show were overwhelming. There were thousands of people, conversations happening in every direction, an enormous show floor, educational sessions, new technology, vehicles, industry leaders, and operators from markets throughout the world.
Once we became comfortable, the experience became exciting. Maya and I had a wonderful time meeting people, reconnecting with those we had already met in Texas, and gaining a deeper understanding of the relationships and organizations that help move the industry forward.
The show brought together more than 2,000 professionals from approximately 40 countries. It demonstrated how large, diverse, and international the luxury ground transportation industry truly is. The exhibit floor included vehicle manufacturers, coachbuilders, technology platforms, insurance providers, financing companies, industry vendors, and service organizations supporting nearly every part of a transportation operation.
What stood out most was the opportunity to see the industry as a complete ecosystem. For many years, my view was shaped primarily by my own company, my fleet, my customers, and the daily responsibilities of running a transportation operation. Las Vegas allowed me to see how operators, associations, publications, suppliers, and technology companies all connect.
It also reinforced many of the reasons I created BookItRides. Operators need stronger technology, greater control over their customer relationships, better online reservation capabilities, more ownership of their data, and tools that help professional transportation companies compete in a rapidly changing market.
The conversations and observations from the show gave me an even clearer understanding of the challenges facing operators. Rising insurance expenses, increased competition, technology changes, shifting customer expectations, workforce concerns, and the growing influence of large booking platforms are reshaping the industry.
I entered the Las Vegas show feeling overwhelmed by its size. I left feeling inspired, better connected, and more certain that my experience as an operator could help contribute to the future of the transportation industry.
Most importantly, Maya and I genuinely enjoyed the experience together. After so many years spent focused on work, survival, responsibilities, and building businesses, being able to attend an event of this magnitude together made the trip especially meaningful.
From Watching the Industry to Becoming Part of Its Future
The Las Vegas show represented another important step in reconnecting with the professional transportation community. What began with attending my first national event in Texas quickly grew into meaningful relationships, industry participation, new knowledge, and a stronger commitment to helping operators prepare for the future. After decades spent building my own business largely outside the national industry community, I was finally beginning to feel that I was becoming part of it.
Meeting Chris Weiss From Chauffeur Driven
Although Maya and I did not know many people in the room during our first National Limousine Association Day on the Hill, one unexpected meeting made the entire experience even more meaningful.
Moses Koktsidis with Chris Weiss from Chauffeur Driven after meeting during the National Limousine Association Day on the Hill.
The Person Behind a Publication That Helped Guide Me
During our time in Washington, D.C., Maya and I stepped outside and unexpectedly crossed paths with Chris Weiss from Chauffeur Driven. I recognized him immediately because I had seen him for many years through the magazine and the transportation industry coverage that had become so familiar to me.
For many people, Chauffeur Driven is an industry publication. For me, especially during my earliest years in business, it was much more than that.
When I began building Second Nature Limousine, I did not have mentors guiding me. I did not have a network of experienced operators to call when I had questions. I was not involved with industry associations, and I did not understand how the broader limousine and chauffeured transportation industry worked.
I learned through experience, mistakes, difficult situations, and every resource I could find. Chauffeur Driven became one of the few consistent connections I had to the larger industry.
The magazine gave me a way to learn about other operators, vehicles, technology, business challenges, industry events, and the people helping move professional transportation forward.
There were years when the business was extremely difficult. There were times when finances were tight, vehicles needed repairs, reservations slowed, and the future felt uncertain. Through many of those moments, Chauffeur Driven helped remind me that there was a much larger community of transportation professionals facing many of the same challenges.
The publication gave me information, perspective, and encouragement during a time when I often felt that I was building everything alone.
When I saw Chris outside, I knew I could not let the opportunity pass. I walked over, introduced myself, and told him something I had wanted to say for many years.
Chris, I want you to know that your publication made a tremendous difference in my life while I was growing within this industry. At the time, it was one of the only resources I had. Please thank your entire team for everything they did, because that magazine helped carry me through some very difficult years.
Chris could not have been more genuine. He listened carefully, understood what I was trying to express, and gave me a hug. It was a simple moment, but it meant a great deal to me.
For more than twenty five years, I had known Chauffeur Driven through its pages. I had read the stories, followed the industry, learned from the articles, and watched companies and leaders grow. Standing there and finally meeting the person behind that publication brought everything full circle.
The advocacy discussions and education were important parts of our day in Washington. However, meeting Chris was one of the most meaningful personal moments of the entire experience.
It reminded me that the work people do can influence lives in ways they may never fully understand. An article, a magazine, a conversation, or a kind gesture can give someone knowledge, encouragement, and the strength to keep going.
I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to thank Chris personally. I am equally grateful to everyone at Chauffeur Driven who spent years creating a publication that helped operators like me feel connected to an industry, even when we were building our businesses largely on our own.
Sometimes the Most Important Moments Are Unexpected
I went to Washington, D.C. hoping to learn more about advocacy and better understand the issues shaping professional transportation. I left with greater knowledge, a deeper appreciation for the people serving the industry, and the unexpected opportunity to personally thank someone whose work had quietly helped guide me for many years. That conversation with Chris Weiss remains one of the moments I will remember most from our first Day on the Hill.
The Executive Retreat at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Attending the Executive Retreat in Miami was another important and deeply personal chapter in our growing involvement within the professional transportation industry. It gave Maya and me an opportunity to listen, learn, build genuine relationships, and create new memories in a city that had already meant so much to us for more than a decade.
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Returning to a City That Had Become Our Second Home
Maya and I were thrilled when we were invited to Miami for the Executive Retreat. Every industry event had become another opportunity for us to grow, learn, and become more connected to the professional transportation community. This particular event felt even more special because it was being held at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
Over the previous decade, Miami had become our second home. We had traveled there many times, built wonderful friendships, celebrated special moments, and created memories that we still talk about today. The city had become part of so many meaningful chapters in our lives together.
Returning to Miami for an industry event gave the trip an entirely new meaning. We were coming back to a place we already loved, but this time we were arriving as active participants in an industry community that I had spent so many years observing from a distance.
Miami had already given us years of wonderful memories. The Executive Retreat allowed us to combine that personal history with a new chapter of education, professional growth, meaningful conversations, and industry involvement.
The atmosphere of the retreat was completely different from the larger trade shows. It created a more personal environment where people could spend meaningful time together, participate in deeper conversations, and hear directly from leaders and professionals who understood the realities of operating within the transportation industry.
We had the pleasure of listening, learning, and gaining a greater understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing transportation companies. Every discussion gave me another perspective on leadership, technology, operations, relationships, and the future direction of professional ground transportation.
For me, these experiences were never only about attending an event. They were about making up for years when I did not have access to mentors, industry relationships, or a community of experienced operators. Every conversation gave me something I could bring back into my own businesses and into the continued development of BookItRides.
The retreat also gave Maya and me time to enjoy the Fontainebleau itself. Between the meetings, conversations, and scheduled activities, we were able to step away for a quiet cocktail by the pool, take in the atmosphere, and appreciate where we were in that moment.
Even something as simple as waiting for the valet became part of the memory. Those photographs capture more than an event. They capture the complete experience, the professional moments, the personal moments, and the feeling of being together in a place that had already meant so much to us.
Conversations That Meant More Than I Expected
Some of the most meaningful moments at an industry event happen away from the stage. They happen when people sit together, speak honestly, and discover that their experiences are connected in ways they never anticipated.
Susan Rose
Managing Editor, Chauffeur DrivenI had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Susan Rose during the retreat. What began as a conversation about the industry became something much deeper and more personal.
I shared many of the trials and tribulations that shaped my twenty five years in business. I spoke about the years when I did not know whether the company would survive, the challenges that nearly brought everything to an end, and the personal sacrifices required to continue moving forward.
Susan was incredibly receptive. She did not simply listen to the words. It felt as though she understood the emotion behind them and recognized how much this industry had become part of my identity.
Her energy brought even more energy out of me. I felt comfortable sharing things I normally would not discuss with someone I had only recently met. Our conversation was fruitful, sincere, and deeply meaningful.
At one point, Susan looked at me and said, “My goodness, Moses, you have so much passion when you speak about this.”
That observation stayed with me because she understood exactly what I was trying to communicate. This was never only a business to me. I grew up in this industry. It shaped my adult life, tested me, supported my family, nearly broke me at times, and ultimately helped lead me toward an entirely new purpose.
Rob Smentek
Editor, Chauffeur DrivenI also had the pleasure of speaking with Rob Smentek, and our conversation was equally warm and genuine. I felt comfortable with both Rob and Susan from the beginning.
Rob and I spoke about the industry, my journey, the years of building Second Nature Limousine, and the importance of publications that serve operators who may not have mentors or strong industry connections.
For many years, the work being done behind the scenes at Chauffeur Driven meant more to me than anyone on the editorial team could have known. Their articles gave me education, perspective, and a sense of connection during periods when I was largely navigating the industry on my own.
Being able to personally share that with Rob and Susan felt like another full circle moment. Their work had reached me long before they knew my name, and now we were sitting together discussing the journey that their publication had helped me navigate.
My only regret is that we did not take a photograph together. We were so engaged in the conversation that the thought never crossed my mind. We will definitely correct that at the next industry event.
Out of every seat and every table in the restaurant, Susan and Rob happened to be seated directly beside me. I did not know who they were when we first sat down, and I am fairly certain they did not know who I was. That is how fate sometimes works. The right people enter our lives before we understand why the moment matters.
There were more than one hundred people at the retreat, yet somehow we found ourselves sitting beside one another. That unexpected seating arrangement led to one of the most meaningful conversations of the entire experience. I walked away feeling that it had not happened by accident. It felt like another blessing within a journey that continued bringing the right people into our lives at exactly the right time.
A New Friendship and Another Unforgettable Evening at MILA
The retreat also introduced Maya and me to a wonderful couple, Juan and Kelly Lopez. From our earliest conversations, we immediately felt comfortable together. We spoke openly about the transportation industry, the experiences that had shaped us, the challenges of business ownership, and the many opportunities that still existed ahead.
The conversations continued long after the official industry dinner ended. We decided to spend the remainder of the evening together at MILA, one of our favorite places in Miami Beach.
MILA already held a special place in our memories. Maya and I had enjoyed many wonderful evenings there throughout the years, and returning with Juan and Kelly allowed us to add an entirely new memory to a place we already loved.
The evening was lively, memorable, and filled with conversation, laughter, and energy. It became one of those nights that could never have been planned in advance. We had arrived in Miami to attend an industry retreat and left with a genuine new friendship.
That evening reminded me that industry involvement is not only about education, meetings, presentations, or business opportunities. It is also about the people we meet and the moments we share after the formal schedule ends.
A Retreat Filled With Learning, Connection and Fate
The Executive Retreat brought together so many parts of our journey. It returned Maya and me to a city that had become our second home, gave us the opportunity to learn from respected industry professionals, introduced us to Juan and Kelly Lopez, and placed me beside Susan Rose and Rob Smentek for conversations I will never forget. We enjoyed the retreat, the Fontainebleau, a quiet cocktail by the pool, an evening at MILA, and the simple moments in between. We arrived excited to attend another industry event. We left with new knowledge, new friendships, deeper connections, and another chapter of memories that will remain with us for years to come.
Representing BookItRides at the United Motorcoach Association Sales Summit
The United Motorcoach Association Sales Summit marked the first industry event that Maya and I attended specifically to represent BookItRides. It was also our first opportunity to support a national transportation association through an official BookItRides sponsorship.
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The First Event We Attended as BookItRides
The United Motorcoach Association Sales Summit represented something entirely new for Maya and me. Previous events had allowed us to reconnect with the transportation industry, learn from others, and begin building meaningful relationships. This time, however, we were attending with a different responsibility.
We were there to officially represent BookItRides.
That distinction made the experience especially meaningful. BookItRides had grown from an idea born through decades of operating experience into a platform preparing to serve professional transportation companies. Attending the summit allowed us to introduce that vision within the motorcoach community and listen directly to the operators the platform was being built to support.
For the first time, we were not simply attending an industry event as transportation operators. We were arriving as the founders and representatives of a technology platform created to help operators strengthen their own businesses.
The summit brought together motorcoach operators, association leaders, speakers, vendors, and transportation professionals who shared valuable ideas about sales, customer relationships, communication, profitability, leadership, and the future of the industry.
These conversations aligned closely with the reason BookItRides was created. Professional transportation companies need a stronger online presence, a better way to respond to modern customers, more control over their reservation process, and the ability to compete without surrendering their customer relationships or profit margins to outside booking companies.
Listening to the speakers and operators reinforced how important instant quotes, online reservations, customer ownership, efficient follow up, and modern sales technology have become for motorcoach businesses.
An Association That Welcomed Us With Open Arms
From the beginning, the United Motorcoach Association made Maya and me feel genuinely welcome. The leadership, staff, members, and attendees treated us with warmth, encouragement, and sincere interest in what we were building.
We never felt as though we were outsiders attempting to enter a new part of the transportation industry. We felt welcomed into a community that understood the value of experience, innovation, education, and strong relationships.
Before the Sales Summit, the United Motorcoach Association had already recognized our journey through a member spotlight article published by Bus and Motorcoach News. That recognition meant a great deal to both of us.
BookItRides was still preparing for its broader public introduction, yet the association had taken the time to learn about our story, understand the operating experience behind the platform, and share our journey with the motorcoach community.
The article did not simply recognize a new technology company. It recognized the years of transportation experience, sacrifice, determination, and firsthand operating knowledge that led to the creation of BookItRides.
When an association takes the time to understand your journey and recognize what you are trying to build, supporting that association becomes more than a business decision. It becomes an opportunity to express genuine gratitude.
We wanted to give something back. Sponsoring the UMA Sales Summit was our way of supporting an organization that had already shown support for us and contributing to an event created to help motorcoach companies become stronger.
The sponsorship represented the type of relationship we hope to build throughout the industry. We do not want BookItRides to simply sell software to transportation companies. We want to participate, listen, support education, contribute to important conversations, and build long term relationships with the associations serving operators every day.
New UMA Member Spotlight: Meet the Founder of BookItRides
We were deeply honored when Bus and Motorcoach News shared our story and introduced the motorcoach community to the experience, purpose, and operating journey behind BookItRides.
Listening to the Motorcoach Industry
The summit gave me an opportunity to observe the similarities between limousine operators, shuttle companies, charter bus businesses, and larger motorcoach companies. Although fleet sizes, vehicle types, and trip structures may differ, many of the core challenges are the same.
Operators need to respond to inquiries quickly. They need to earn trust. They need to communicate their value. They need to protect their profit margins. Most importantly, they need to make it easy for modern customers to do business with them.
When operators cannot provide immediate information, professional online experiences, or convenient reservation options, customers are often directed toward outside companies that control the booking process and place another layer between the operator and the passenger.
That is precisely the problem BookItRides was created to help solve. The platform is designed to place online reservations, instant quotes, customer relationships, payments, and valuable business data back into the hands of professional transportation operators.
The Sales Summit gave us more than an opportunity to present our company. It confirmed that the problems we had spent years addressing were affecting companies throughout multiple segments of professional ground transportation.
New Relationships Beyond the Summit
Some of the most memorable moments happened after the formal sessions ended. Maya and I attended the association dinner and later spent time with several United Motorcoach Association members.
The conversations became more relaxed, personal, and genuine. We spoke about businesses, families, vehicles, technology, industry challenges, and the experiences that had brought each of us to Nashville.
We later continued the evening with several association members at the after party. It was a fantastic time and gave us another opportunity to get to know people outside the structure of the summit.
Those moments helped transform professional introductions into real relationships. We arrived knowing very few people and left feeling as though we had become part of a welcoming community.
Our First Experience in Nashville
The summit was also Maya’s and my first visit to Nashville. That gave the trip another layer of excitement and created memories extending far beyond the business sessions.
We had the opportunity to experience Broadway, enjoy the energy of downtown Nashville, listen to live music, and spend time with several of the wonderful people we had met through the United Motorcoach Association.
The city was lively, welcoming, and completely different from anywhere we had experienced together before. Maya and I had a wonderful time discovering Nashville together.
Between the summit, the dinner, the after party, the conversations, and our time on Broadway, Nashville became another unforgettable chapter in our journey.
The Beginning of a Long Relationship With the UMA
The United Motorcoach Association Sales Summit represented far more than our first BookItRides sponsorship. It gave us the opportunity to officially represent a platform created from real operating experience, support an association that had already shown support for us, learn directly from motorcoach professionals, and begin building relationships with an entirely new community of transportation operators. Maya and I left Nashville feeling grateful for the welcome we received and excited about what could come next. We look forward to supporting the United Motorcoach Association, participating in future events, listening to its members, and building a relationship that we hope will continue for many years.