What is the mission of the Motorcoach Council?
The Motorcoach Council is North America's industry-wide initiative to promote public awareness about the availability, selection, usage and benefits of motorcoach transportation.

How is the Motorcoach Council a “solution” to our industry-wide challenges and stereotypes?
We all want to see our industry thrive. We want to be viewed as a solution to environmental issues, not the cause. We want to see increased ridership, revenues and profitability, as well as coach production signifying the growth and strength of our industry. We want to see a shift in consumerism and become the new and powerful “consumer marketing tool” capable of convincing the traveling public to leave their automobiles at home and instead ride a bus. If we come together now as an entire industry, we can deliver a stronger, more consistent message that we are a unified front designed to serve our community and the environment. We want to educate the public and re-position the motorcoach as the safest, most convenient, economical, luxurious, and environmentally responsible mode of transportation available.

What happened to the Go Green campaign?
It seemed to lose momentum and it had a specific message that is “hot” now. Why is Motorcoach Council different? The Motorcoach Council was originally referred to as the “Green Operators Motorcoach Council,” an informal group of initial operators whose origin stemmed from a deep-rooted desire for operators across the country to come together with a positive message to promote our industry. The “Go Green” campaign, as you refer to, was never really launched (to our consumers), yet did and still does, generate buzz within our industry (as well as in many other industries). At the core of the Council’s effort is a commitment to bring the motorcoach industry together as a whole, using coordinated marketing campaigns. To this end, the original slogan/message (created by a single manufacturer, MCI) was given priority over all other potential message points, albeit single focused and somewhat controversial, as it seems to have put us at a disadvantage from the start in rallying support from the entire industry, including all of the major manufacturers.

However, the exposure we received within the industry (at last year’s EXPO and Marketplace) did create some early momentum, and therefore it is quite possible that the current perception is that we have lost this momentum. Over the last eight months, a small group of operators have been working diligently, investing their own time and money to establish a corporate entity, developing a strategic plan, and beginning an initial fundraising program to give the Council it’s “legs.” MCI invested more than $45,000 in the preliminary efforts, including the creative and production of initial marketing materials, the gocoach.org website, and the trade show display booth. That said, the transition of this initiative to a private independent group of operators went relatively smoothly, considering this has been accomplished through volunteer efforts and no initial funding at all. Further, a national marketing and public relations firm has been identified through a full-scale RFP and screening process that took place over a four-month period, culminating with presentations made to the Council, manufacturer and national associations’ representatives. The Council views this partnership as crucial to identifying and implementing researched-based campaigns to most effectively promote our industry.
The “Go Green” message may carry more weight and appeal in some parts of the country over others, or in certain segments of our industry over others. With potentially hundreds of thousands, or even millions of hard-earned industry dollars proposed to invest in these industry initiatives, the Council sees the importance of engaging a national marketing and public relations professional to assist us in flushing out our industry messages and direction. The firm that we have identified, Finelight, has the capability (and creativity) to assist our industry, and we feel that their in-house research and call center will also be beneficial in helping us identify the most effective campaign(s) and message(s).
It is worth mentioning and outlining what we have learned over the last year, having generated buzz with the industry exposure of “Green Operators” and “Motorcoach Council,” and through continued feedback from operators and industry stakeholders.

A. We must shift the public's perception of our industry.

B. Green initiatives and practices do remain important to many in our industry, and those that see it as important are passionate about it.

C. Operators, and manufacturers felt that "green" was only one of many aspects of our industry that needed to be marketed to the general public. The facts that we are comfortable, clean, and safe, while providing convenience and an exceptional value, are just some of the additional benefits that continue to surface in conversation.

D. Operators were excited about using their coaches as “bill boards” for a national campaign, yet they have some concern about maintaining their own identity within that concept rollout.

E. Operators have stated that they are willing to financially support a program to change public perception of our industry, in an ongoing effort to grow the industry and their own businesses.

Thus, the Council determined that the “green” campaign alone did not have the legs to sustain the Council for 20+ years, albeit a current “hot” topic. For this reason, the Board agreed that the green component would remain a strong marketing point in the immediate future, however it should be just one facet of a more thorough marketing awareness campaign for the entire motorcoach industry. Without this approach, the Board was concerned that it (and our industry) could fall victim to criticism of “green washing,” or taking a myopic approach that did not have sustainability.

The Council decided to instead take a broader view, conveying many different benefits of motorcoach travel and will achieve this by conducting the research and analysis necessary to define the key competitive advantages of motorcoach travel from a consumer’s perspective. Given this information and feedback, the leaders of the “Go Green” effort regrouped and worked through a strategic planning process. The result of this process was the renaming of the organization to better reflect our comprehensive mission as well as outlining our purpose, goals and objectives. This document entitled, Motorcoach Council 2008 Strategic Plan, was forwarded to ABA and throughout the industry for review and comment in May 2008. This document remains available for review online. Visit: http://www.motorcoachcouncil.org/resources/Motorcoach_Council_Strategic_Plan_2008.pdf .

Shouldn’t the industry’s national associations take a leadership role and spearhead this particular crusade to enhance and strengthen the industry’s overall recognition and reputation?
Wouldn’t these organizations also have greater access to the funds needed for this major endeavor? Our industry is fortunate to have two very strong national associations, both of which are now members of the Council. Each association has it’s own specific role within our industry and is effective in their respective area of expertise. Their lobbying efforts, member benefits and education forums are extremely beneficial. (Many of us are members of both ABA and UMA for these reasons). While the Council is not in place to speak for either of the associations directly, we know that these associations are not focused on leading a large-scale, consumer-facing marketing/public relations effort for the betterment of our industry, which is just one reason for them to align with the Council.
The Motorcoach Council was established by Operators, at the grass-roots level, for this singular purpose and vision. We intend to serve as a conduit for both of these associations, putting the “human face” on our story to the public. Both ABA and UMA see the value in this effort, and the big picture benefits of working together in this regard. Neither of the associations has the resources (time, energy, or money) to singularly focus on this effort.
Both ABA and UMA hold a permanent seat (three-year term) on the Motorcoach Council (pending final modification to our Bylaws), and have been very active in our coordinated efforts. Eron Shosteck from ABA (EShosteck@buses.org) and Vic Parra from UMA (VParra@uma.org) may each be contacted directly should you seek additional insight into their respective associations’ engagement and commitment to the Motorcoach Council or our initiative. You may also review the personal testimonials of our Founding Partners on our website by visiting: http://www.motorcoachcouncil.org/testimonials.html

How do you envision working with the communications and media departments at the differing national and state motorcoach associations?
The Council intends to work collaboratively with the national and state motorcoach associations and have them remain the voice of the industry for issues and topics where they’ve demonstrated expertise.

Having the Board populated with a key Executive or staff member from each of the two national associations will ensure the seamlessness of these communications efforts. Further, Finelight will provide an online tool that houses research, plans, campaign schedules, creative, metrics as well as a blog.

How do you intend to harmonize the Capitol Hill messages and the consumer messages already in circulation?
Again, an integral part of the success of this initiative lies in the collaborative efforts of the Board, including the Board members representing ABA and UMA. The Council sees this as imperative to avoiding mixed messages.

As outlined in our Strategic Plan, The Motorcoach Council’s strategic goals are to increase consumer awareness, change perception and behavior, and increase overall ridership for the motorcoach industry. The Council’s interest and focus is on industry marketing and public relations to the consumer only. The Council’s purpose is to fill this much-needed role for our industry as a whole. With the support and engagement of the two national associations, the major manufacturers, and other key industry vendors along with a base of operators serving as leaders under the Founding Partner designation, our industry stands to gain much more from a coordinated marketing and public relations standpoint, than we currently achieve as individuals.
The Council’s intentions are to avoid participation in lobbying efforts, Capital Hill messages, and industry politics. We instead prefer to serve as the “bigger picture” marketing arm for the motorcoach industry; the conduit that facilitates media relations where appropriate by putting the “human face” on our industry.
Finally, the Council has made a decision that its purpose is not to play the role of the industry voice for crisis management and/or accidents within our industry (those situations are best addressed by the individual companies involved, along with the advice garnered from their own insurance carriers and/or legal counsel). National associations such as ABA and UMA should weigh in with their expertise during these unfortunate situations, as deemed appropriate and necessary.

What is the exact role of the Marketing Agency that has been hired by Motorcoach Council?
The Council is exploring a one to two-year initial agreement with Finelight, a strategic marketing and communications firm, to help us achieve our strategic goals: to increase consumer awareness, change perception and behavior, and increase overall ridership for the motorcoach industry. Finelight is a metrics-based advertising and public relations agency, known for developing marketing campaigns, communications and experiences that connect with consumers, change perception and preference, and move consumers to action on both a national and international level. Finelight will work collaboratively with the Council, through the Board of Directors, to develop a strategic marketing and communications plan, define our “industry” brand with key messaging for the consumer, execute traditional, grassroots and viral marketing and public relations initiatives, as well as develop tools and creative that will help us achieve our strategic goals.

If you would like to learn more about our selected partner we invite you to visit them online at www.finelight.com

Do you envision a pre-release vetting of messages before mass communications are distributed through the state/national associations, operators, or the Motorcoach Council as part of the coordinated efforts of all representative bodies to promote the industry to perhaps prevent conflicting messages?
Yes, we feel a pre-release vetting of messages is an important part of the process to develop the most effective campaigns. Finelight is counting on a collaborative effort with us, and is committed to getting fully immersed in our industry to gain a full understanding, prior to developing the most effective creative and messaging. The creative elements Finelight presented to the Council in Denver last September was merely a taste of the concepts and ideas they envision if hired, so as to demonstrate their overall capabilities. We were impressed by their “out of the box” creativity and energy, yet admit that several of their concepts and proposed “tag lines” may have missed the mark with messaging and could be misconstrued within our industry. It is our responsibility to now guide and direct them appropriately before developing and implementing our new campaign. The ultimate marketing message/platform and implementation strategies can be worked out and “vetted” through a collaborative effort with the Board and other leaders in our industry. Nevertheless, Finelight became the clear choice amongst the marketing firms who presented to us in Denver, primarily due their experience, creativity and overall energy, as well as their genuine excitement about our industry.

Coordinated efforts and the prevention of conflicting messages should be easily accomplished if the Council is continually comprised of operators from a around the country, as well as industry association professionals from ABA and UMA, all of whom are grounded in the issues and trends of our industry.

Certain organizations within our industry operate on a level of standards that we’d consider sub-par with our own, yet they often receive a disproportionate level of Federal funding due to their overarching recognition and reputation. What plans does the Council have to overcome these negative stereotypes and deficiencies within our industry?
Will these organizations become members of the Council? Our initiative is about raising the public awareness and image of our industry as a whole. Contrary to what many consumers perceive, the bus and motorcoach industry is not a smelly, dated, overcrowded bus as depicted in the recent Febreze commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeMzLX7OFdo), which identifies one of our greatest combined challenges to overcome. While companies like Greyhound and several others have their place in our industry, and fulfill a specific niche in the ground transportation market, they have not made application to join the Motorcoach Council at this time, nor have they been courted to join.

What is the dollar amount required of us to become Founding Partners and will we be asked to contribute an additional amount annually, or there after?
The Council is currently raising initial operating start-up funds via the Founding Partners Program. Monetary donations and in-kind contributions are being received to support the Council’s strategic goals. For a current list of all Founding Partners, who have committed initial start-up funding in excess of $150k to date, please visit our website: http://www.motorcoachcouncil.org/locate.html . The contribution level is $2,000 for Operators, Industry Suppliers, and State Associations, and is $10,000 for National Associations and Vehicle Manufacturers. The Tennessee Motorcoach Association (not yet listed on the web site), in an unprecedented show of support, just days ago approved a $25,000 donation to our effort! They are challenging other State Associations to step up and match their contribution.

Our operating budget is relatively small and fixed at this time. Although we support the Council’s efforts, the requested donation would be quite demanding. The Council has first hand knowledge as a start-up, non-profit entity, as well as being operators of our own businesses, the challenges of limited operating budgets. Your valuable contribution is an investment, and should be compared directly to the other investments you’re making in marketing and promotion for your members. Your participation is not meant to be a replacement to anything you are already doing, but to instead supplement and fortify those efforts. By banding together and pooling some of our human and financial resources, we believe that – as an industry – we can make a more significant impact on a larger scale.

Regarding your financial commitment/contribution to the Council, know that we appreciation the contributions received in full, you are willingly to accept a Letter of Commitment in lieu of an immediate donation if it is agreed that the full contribution is received prior to June 30, 2009, or as otherwise mutually agreed to in writing. This extension was created to address the specific needs of those firms whose Board meetings are scheduled later in the year, and/or operators who wish to “join now” and “pay later.” The Council offers flexible payment plans for this Founding Partner program, in an effort to get as many operators and stakeholders involved in this effort from the very beginning.

What are the benefits to me as a Founding Partner?
As a Founding Partner, you will not only receive honorary recognition for being the visionaries who began this initiative, but also enjoy perks such as discounted bus wraps and marketing materials, a preferential directory listing on the Council’s consumer-facing website, media exposure/opportunities, and have an active voice and involvement in the future success/direction of the Council. As Founding Partners, you can join the Council’s Advisory Committees (Funding Committee, Membership Committee and Marketing/Communications Committee), and take charge of our destiny, while gaining added exposure within our industry. The Founding Partners program expires March 15, 2009.

 When the new Motorcoach Council website is in place, will each Motorcoach Council Operator be listed and shown equally on the site, regardless of size and when the company joined, or their status within Motorcoach Council or will there be some sort of prioritization scheme?
The current MotorcoachCouncil.org website is a “Business to Business” site, designed to be a resource for those within the motorcoach industry to stay informed about our efforts. Although a new B2C (Business to Consumer) website is still being discussed and considered by the Board and our partner, Finelight, we envision developing a “search function,” or new section of the website to enable a consumer to easily find a motorcoach operator that suits their needs. This web feature might allow the consumer to search via Zip Code or State, or perhaps navigate a directory of alphabetized listings. In the absence of any “paid listings,” the directory would include all members of ABA, UMA, IMG, and subsequent Founding Partner / engaged organizations such as Trailways and Grayline.
While we remain open to new ideas related to paid listings and advertising, we must admit that this has not been our current focus. The only thing we have discussed thus far is the need to display our “Founding Partners” differently than all others listed in the directory, possibly using bold font on their listing, or devoting a unique section of the website to them (recognizing the individuals who initially stepped up on faith alone and contributed $2,000­$10,000 to support our efforts). These are the types of “benefits” we’ve currently advertised as perks to the Founding Partners program. We intend to close the “Founding Partner” opportunity (to “join” at this level anyway), on March 15, 2009.

Who is responsible for leading the recruitment efforts to bring in new Founding Partners?
The Founding Partner effort is clearly a grassroots effort, with current Founding Partners, Board Members, and industry leaders promoting our cause. This “internal industry push” has gained much exposure and momentum through the recent industry shows, and the “expiration” of the Founding Partners drive will be on March 15, 2009.

Is everyone who contributes, at any time, a Founding Partner or only if you give at the designated levels between now and the end of this fundraising drive (March 15, 2009)?
The Founding Partner program is limited to those companies and associations that have demonstrated the vision and leadership to get involved prior to March 15, 2009. The Council will accept a Letter of Commitment in lieu of an immediate donation if it is agreed that the full contribution will be received prior to June 30, 2009, or as otherwise mutually agreed to in writing. This extension was created to address the specific needs of those firms whose Board meetings are scheduled later in the year, and/or operators who wish to “join now” and “pay later.” The Council offers flexible payment plans for this Founding Partner program, in an effort to get as many operators and stakeholders involved in this effort from the very beginning.

Are the Founding Partner contributions intended to fund the Council’s ultimate consumer-facing marketing and public relations campaign?
The Founding Partner program speaks only to our start-up efforts, and not to the larger, more looming question of sustainable long-term funding of the actual marketing and public relations campaign efforts. The Council certainly acknowledges that this is our biggest challenge. While we are much further along than any prior initiative of similar scope, we also acknowledge that this “long-term funding stage” is most likely the challenge and ultimate demise of our industry’s past/failed efforts. It is important to note that the Council is approaching potential long-term funding strategies well beyond the oversimplified “new coach assessment” concept that has been floating around for years. Although we do see merit in this funding concept, we are also well aware of its challenges, as well as the resistance of some of the motorcoach manufacturers. While this concept may at some point still play a part in the funding strategy, we will need to be much more creative…

In our early stages of laying the groundwork for a long-term funding strategy for these marketing initiatives, the Council and our industry leaders, have recently convened and brainstormed a number of new approaches to this pressing issue. Individually, or combined, these strategies can put our industry in a position of financially sustaining effective industry-wide marketing campaigns. The Board is charged with the immediate challenge of fully exploring each of these strategies. Our Board member, Jack Wigley, of ALL ABOARD AMERICA!, is currently leading this charge, and has deployed a diversified group of focused and engaged Operators and industry stakeholders to assist him and create a Long-Term Funding Advisory Committee. They continue to gain insight and feedback from all spectrums of our industry, and would welcome additional input and ideas from Trailways.

Some of the ideas being evaluated include:

1. A fractional motorcoach parts assessment (possibly .25% -.5%)
2. A “per mile” assessment on motorcoach tires (amount TBD)
3. A “per vehicle” assessment on new motorcoaches (amount TBD)
4. A (10% -15%) dues override assessment to motorcoach operators and others, as part of their annual membership dues to ABA and UMA
5. Development of an official onboard “shopping mall” publication, similar to the “Sky Mall” publication, with % of sales being contributed to the Council as well as participating Operators
6. “Paid” listings on industry website and/or consumer website
7. A “per mile”, “per seat”, or “per charter” assessment to motorcoach operators (amounts TBD)
8. Fundraising event/dinner at trade shows, etc.

How much funding does the Council’s estimate is needed to fund its long-term goals and objectives (annually)?
Annual budgets will be determined by the final long-term funding mechanisms that are put into place. We do not yet know if we will have several hundred thousand or several million dollars available from year to year. We do suspect that this initiative will be an ongoing process, with an annual budget that would grow from year to year. The Board has determined that we will work with what funds we have, maximizing and leveraging earned media, as well as the “marketing and public relations” investments we have at our disposal. Imperative to this process is the engagement of a professional marketing agency, to properly identify and implement effective campaigns on behalf of our entire industry.

When will the Council actually implement its Consumer-facing public awareness / recognition campaign/program?
Our intent and proposed timeline calls for the initial launch of the consumer campaign, through limited marketing and public relations efforts, as early as Spring of 2009. Again, the timeline of an initial rollout of any campaign is subject to having an adequate funding mechanism in place, and we realize that a delayed launch is possible.

How are you going to measure the Council’s overall success?
The Council’s strategic goals are to increase consumer awareness, change public perception and behavior, and increase overall ridership for the motorcoach industry. The Council seeks to gauge success by meeting or exceeding our goals, and will define metrics that allow the Council to measure short and long-term success.

In partnership with Finelight, both leading and lagging indicators will be defined and measured. Leading indicators may include statistics such as number of press releases, key points covered, number of buses sold, number of people carried, visitors to the website and earned media value, and will allow us to evaluate and modify efforts early, optimizing our results.

Lagging indicators such as perception and utilization will also be critical to measuring success. We propose more significant measures such as the number of industry partnerships established, as well “big picture” milestones, such as adding Motorcoach to the current list of “tabs” such as Flights and Cars that appear on major travel web sites such as Expedia, for example. Prior to the launch of a consumer campaign, the Council, with its expanded Board (to include the ABA and UMA), and the Marketing Agency team, will be tasked with defining baseline measurements. Marketing Agency will be held accountable for achieving the defined goals and to measure and report the results of leading and lagging indicators as required by the Board. The Council envisions ongoing research be conducted as an integral tool to measure the success of our initiatives; studies akin to those performed by Nathan & Associates, the ABA and/or the UMA.

What is the governance structure for the Council?
In summary, a Board of eight voting Board Members, who at this time include six Operators, along with ABA and UMA (all of whom are Founding Partners of the Council), currently governs the Council. The intent is to keep the structure simple, yet balanced, in order to remain effective. Much discussion has taken place regarding the Board’s size and structure. It is our vision to keep the Board small and nimble, and led by operators, while continually garnering the opinions and feedback from our industry’s stakeholders for new direction. The Council remains open to developing advisory committees, formally and/or informally, as may be necessary to engage the manufacturers and other stakeholders for their insight. The current Bylaws allow for flexibility and change, at the Board’s direction, as may be necessary going forward.

Two Board seats are permanently reserved for ABA and UMA, as long as they remain the national associations for our industry. The Council feels that this engagement is imperative to fully involve the two national associations, which combined, represent a large part of our active industry. This structure will also ensure the congruency of messaging and campaigns, and therefore alleviate any potential for “mixed” marketing messages to the consumer. All Board members shall have equal voting power.

Note that IMG, as part of their initial and ongoing support and commitment to the Council’s efforts, has paid our attorney fees to Don Whitney, who assisted in establishing our corporate entity in the State of Kansas simply as a matter of convenience, as that is where IMG is based.

Who will actually be in charge of the organization, since it is unrealistic for every contributor to have a voice over all aspects of the Motorcoach Council?
The newly expanded eight-member Board of Directors will be charged with the decision-making and overall direction of the Council, based on a quorum being present, with the Chairman presiding. At some point, the Board may deem it necessary to appoint an Executive Director, if necessary, to lead the Council in the future. At present, limited funding for operations of the Council has only allowed for contracting one, part-time administrator to assist the Board in day-to-day duties.

What is the process for voting Board members in and what is the anticipated schedule for rotation?
The governing Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation can be made available to you upon request, yet are subject to change at the Board’s direction. At this early stage, the initial Board members have simply been hand-selected and then appointed by the Chairman. The original Board members represent a diversified geographical territory, as well as diversified operations and experience. More importantly, though, these individuals have been the ones that have stepped up from the very beginning with a passion to make this initiative succeed.

Are Board members elected from within the Founding Partners group?
Currently, yes.

Will all contributors, or only a Board or select group within the contributors, get an active voice in the direction of the organization and distribution of funds?
The Council’s Board of Directors will make the critical decisions on behalf of the Council based on its best judgment and a majority vote process, after considering the interests of the entire industry and the feedback received from its advisory committees, as may be required to gain insight and direction. Industry stakeholders meetings, envisioned to take place as part of the annual industry trade shows in future years, would serve as open forums for direct industry feedback. The engagement and participation of our national marketing and public relations partner, currently Finelight, is critical to this process.

Is there an exit strategy if success is not met and/or participation dwindles?
Like most of us who have started our own businesses, the Council has not outlined, up front, an exit strategy in the case of failure. First and foremost, we need to solidify our definition of success, not as being a one-time occurrence or “event,” but rather a series of successes or “small wins.” To date, the Council has had many “successes” in getting this initiative started; we’ve captured the attention of our industry with this concept, raised initial capital ($150k+ as of February 2009) and support, and identified a marketing and public relations partner through an effective RFP process. Future successes are also inevitable as we move forward. Granted, the process of starting this initiative for our industry may be moving slower than we would like or expect, yet we must all agree, it is still moving.

The Council does not look at “dwindling participation” as a factor in defining success at this point, as we have decided that this initiative will not be structured like other associations where funding comes from the development of “members” and “membership dues.” Our vision is that “participation,” related to the primary long-term funding and structure of the Council, will come from the engagement of both ABA and UMA. Thus, by their long-term engagement, all of their members will benefit from the marketing initiative. The Council is therefore not, competing for members and membership dues. As aforementioned, we do not want to become another association.

Furthermore, “participation” must come by way of industry suppliers (manufacturers, parts and tires vendors, etc) stepping up and committing to play their role in the long-term funding strategy.
In the unfortunate event that the Board were unsuccessful in its efforts to establish and secure a long-term funding strategy, the Council would then need to consider viable exit strategies, including but not limited to, reorganization or dissolution.

Is there a commitment from the Founding Partners to avoid the Motorcoach Council becoming another bus broker service or a competing association?
To reiterate, the Council has no intention to become a bus broker service, nor a competing association. Our efforts are intended to create value add for the industry as a whole, and specifically for the members of existing industry associations. As aforementioned, the Council intends to move away from the “membership/dues” concept as a whole. We would prefer to instead drive membership to our national associations (ABA and UMA), thus deriving a portion of our marketing initiative funding from a “dues override” on those memberships.

This 501 c (3) non-profit has sought to raise capital for marketing and operating expenses, but who is the staff responsible for those operating costs?
The Council’s Board of Directors is currently responsible for monitoring our budget and expenses. Our operating expenses are minimal at this time (under $100k annually), and we wish for them to remain low. When the “bigger picture” consumer campaign efforts are underway, the Board will hold Finelight (or any other marketing and public relations partner chosen and contracted) accountable for helping us develop, and manage the marketing portion of the annual budget. (Note: We have filed our application for 501 c 3 status, yet this designation has not yet been granted, yet is expected to be granted Spring/Summer 2009.)

Why is the organization based in Denver rather than Chicago, Los Angeles, New York or Washington, D.C., if its mission is to leverage mass media through earned media?
The Council has no disposition as to where the organization should be “physically” based. If, ultimately, the Board decides to hire an Executive Director, then perhaps the organization will be based either where that individual lives, or another location for strategic reasons. The original Board members realized early on that a phone number and physical address would be required to receive correspondence, other than by e-mail.

Originally, our corporate filings (prepared by Don Whitney, a Kansas-based attorney,) reflected the address of the IMG offices, merely as a convenience. Shortly thereafter, Todd Holland, of Ramblin Express (an Operator and Founding Partner), offered the use of his Denver facility as a mailing address for the Council, so as not to create a false perception that the Council was an IMG entity. The Council still remains very much a virtual entity, directed by Board Members located from coast to coast, with most correspondence being handled via e-mail, conference calls, and webinars. We have no leased offices, employees or staff, however we do utilize remote, administrative services as required, via “Admin On Demand”, a project/contract-based administrative outsourcing organization. Ms. Heather Horton, Principal, is a highly skilled and insightful administrator responsible for managing all activities deemed appropriate by the Motorcoach Council. Currently our banking relationship is with Wells Fargo, with the majority of our banking being facilitated primarily via the Internet.
In summary, the Denver “base” is merely a mailing address initially set up out of convenience,
and is seen as temporary.

Further, the Council’s strategic goals are to increase consumer awareness, change perception and behavior, and therefore increase overall ridership for the motorcoach industry. The Council will achieve this through a strategic, integrated approach that includes earned media. The Council will seek to gain earned media on behalf of the industry through traditional, nontraditional, grassroots and new media public relations initiatives. The ability to successfully achieve this goal is not so much influenced by the base location of the Council, but instead via the use of media relationships and the influence of a strategic marketing and public relations partner. The Board has identified that Finelight has not only the credentials, but has also successfully cultivated such relationships over the years through their network of offices throughout the country (Finelight is based out of Bloomington, Indiana). Incidentally, the RFP produced qualified proposals from marketing and public relations firms all over the country.