AUSTIN, TEXAS - With a record number of attendees and exhibitors, the 2010 Government Fleet Expo + Conference (GFX) brought together some of the greatest fleet minds from the public sector during the three-day event. Held at the Austin Convention Center June 21-23, the conference was well-received by the 525 fleet professionals in attendance.
Some highlights from GFX included:
Dynamic speakers, including a number of award-winning fleet managers such as opening keynote speaker Sharon Subadan, Hillsborough County, #1 Best Fleet in 2008 and 2009; John Alley, City of San Diego, 2010 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year; and Paul Condran, City of Culver City, #1 Government Green Fleet. Attendees also had a chance to hear from Barry Maher of Barry Maher and Associates, who got the crowd up on their feet in a number of interactive activities, as well as Bill Eggers and John O'Leary, co-authors of the book, "If We Can Put a Man on the Moon," who challenged fleet managers to "get big things done" in government.
Variety of informative sessions, ranging from fuel saving strategies, ways to implement a successful green fleet program, leadership training, and wireless vehicle management.
More than 90 exhibitors on the show floor opening day. Fleet managers had a chance to tour the expo show floor during breakfast and 2-hour lunch breaks to maximize use of conference time for sessions. A number of products were on display, including police models such as the Ford Police Interceptor and the Chevrolet Caprice.
100 Best Fleets awards presentation, sponsored by INVERS and National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA), ranked the top 20 fleets in the 2010 100 Best Fleets program, recognizing the hard work and efforts of the fleet leaders responsible for the successful fleet operations.
First-time Government Fleet award presented to Rick Longobart, facilities and fleet manager for the City of Santa Ana, for his innovate contributions to the fleet industry.
Continuous opportunities for networking breaks between sessions provided attendees opportunity to get together with peers to discuss individual challenges and share solutions. A first-time "Big Challenges and Big Solutions" networking roundtable on the second day of the conference split attendees into teams to identify common challenges and work together to develop practical solutions.
Tour of the City of Austin's fleet facility allowed attendees to see first-hand the fleet operations, including equipment and technology, with a demonstration of current software systems used.
Fun prizes for fleet managers who took the time to visit every exhibitor booth. "Passport Contest" winners received a mini Dodge Charger police car provided by Chrysler, full show pass for GFX 2011, flat screen TV, an iPad, and a Garmin GPS provided by GPS Insight.
Local Austin fleets and individuals from the U.S Marine Corps (USMC) also took advantage of the conference, showing up for the last day of GFX to visit the show floor and attend a special workshop from James Gough, retired USMC.
Demonstrating the event's success, even the last two conference sessions on June 23 were packed with fleet manager participants.
Stay tuned to www.gfleet.com and www.governmentfleetexpo.com for more GFX coverage and photos from the conference.
