Find Our Team at Upcoming Shows

The BusBank will have staff members at a couple of upcoming key charter bus and travel  industry events this month. These events are a great time for us to meet with both current and potential customers, vendors and learn about upcoming travel news.

Here are the events to check us out at:

United Motorcoach Expo – Feb 8-12, 2012 Long Beach, CA

One of the leading shows in the motorcoach industry. Attendees can learn about how to manage your motorcoach business effectively. We look forward to seeing many of our vendors along with meeting other companies in the travel and tourism market.

RSAA 2012 Summit – Feb. 7&8, New Orleans, LA

This is one of the largest meetings of the Receptive Services Association of America. It is also the first time it is being held in New Orleans. The Summit is a great place to connect international travel buyers and suppliers together.

If you are heading to any of these events, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at sales@busbank.com. We would love opportunity to meet you at either of these events.

Additionally, if you have other events upcoming that you want us to attend, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to seeing you on the road!

Top Travel Articles of The Week

10 Winter Getaways to Suit All Ages

Priceline Ad causes rift in bus industry

America’s Healthiest Cities to visit

Carolina Cup: A Southern Tradition to not miss

Be sure to check back next week for more articles about group and event travel from The BusBank.  Next Friday, we will be doing a bit of coverage on where to check out the super bowl and providing recipes for those of you hosting a party!

Image Credit: Eugeni_dodono

MotorCoaches, A Famous Movie Star and Priceline all in one article.

Yep, you read that correct, on Monday, January 23rd, The American Bus Association release a press release in regards to the upcoming “Priceline Negotiator” series commercial with actor William Shatner stating that the commercial showing a bus accident is in poor taste. They also want to offer Mr. Shatner a ride on a motorocach as well.

We  at The BusBank hope that Mr. Shatner rides on a motorcoach and see how wonderful the motorcoach industry is. The press release notes ” that nearly 1/3 of theater tickets are purchased by group tour and motorcoach customers. This is of no shock to us as many of our customers head to both national theater centers via Motorcoaches in Chicago, and New York city but also seeing smaller local shows across the nation.

Currently, no response has been made by Mr. Shatner or Priceline in regards to this recent press release and commentary from the American Bus Association but we are interested to see if anything comes of it.

If you are interested in viewing the press release in its entirety, you can check it out here.

Image Credit: Fugue

You don’t have to be a great salesman to convince someone to take a vacation to Hawaii. However,a trip to Hawaii along with a charter bus tour in Honolulu would be a great gift for a salesperson during the slow post holiday season.

Fall in love with Honolulu, while traveling on a  charter bus, setting your eyes on Pearl Harbor to see the remains of one of the most popular battleships in history is humbling. Entombed within the remains of USS Arizona lay the remains of 1,177 men who perished during the attack. It is a must see for all.

Another site of interest for a charter bus tour to visit is Diamond Head. You can take a hike up the volcanic track which is  difficult but well worth it in the end. The charter bus can also take you to the Waikiki Aquarium which has been in operation since 1904. The main purpose of this Hawaii aquarium is to educate and entertain its visitors about the splendors of the ocean – which they did quite well.  You will become engrossed in studying all the corals, eels turtles, sharks and many different types of fish.

The Honolulu charter bus stopped us on our fourth day there at Hoku’s Honolulu restaurant which provides not only amazing food but also with a little bit of entertainment. They have an open kitchen which lets you see into what goes on inside the kitchen and how your food is prepared. By the time we got you get back on your  Honolulu charter bus rental, you will be totally satisifed.

Hawaii is a beautiful place and you should check it out if you ever get the chance. If you are in sales, you should drop this article to your boss in hopes that they send you away.

Image Credit: mjb84

Carolina Cup – A Southern Tradition Perfect

The Carolina Cup horse race is a rite of spring for many in the southeast.  The annual steeplechase style horseracing event is held at Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina.  Over 65,000 fans have a great time each year at this event.

Fashions of the Carolina Cup

Horse Racing is a huge draw still throughout the southeast for more than just the horses as attendees come dressed to the nines.  Men can be seen in great spring attire including Seersucker suits, oxford shirts with ties, and pastel shirts.  Women come dressed as if it is a fashion event with their best sundresses, highest heeled shoes, and oversized hat.  You had better come dressed to impress for this event, as everyone else will be with spectacular people watching abound.

Before The Race: Carolina Cup Tailgate

Before the race you can expect a large tailgate that rivals that of many of the SEC Football games. Fraternities and Sororities from across the southeast come to the event many of which come to Carolina Cup via Charter buses.  Groups coming to the event bring a variety of tents, coolers and grill all to ensure the tailgate is a success.  No glass containers are allowed on the premises for safety purposes, as dropped glass can be dangerous for all around.  Remember to bring lots of water as it can often be hot weather on race day.

Carolina Cup Tickets

People and groups interested in buying Tickets can Purchase tickets here .  The pricing for Tickets to the Carolina Cup currently range from  $25 for General admission up to  $800 for tickets that include room for a tent  and two parking spaces. Please do not hesitate to check out the official Carolina cup website for ticketing information.

This event is one of the best and most travelled to spring events in the South. We have sent many groups over to the cup and can help make sure everyone has a safe and fun day at the track! If you are interested in grabbing a charter bus and heading to the event, please do not hesitate to contact us at The BusBank.

Image Credit: Wagsomedog

Another week in to 2012 and a good amount happened again in travel. From President Obama taking pro-tourism measures to ski Resorts looking to save the ski season. Here is a list of the travel news from around the web.Travel

  Experts Applaud Obama’s Pro Tourism Measures

  Charter Bus Safety Recent Information from FMCSA

  Ski Resorts Call on Higher Authorities to Save Season

  Packing Tips for Ski Vacations ( assuming they get snow!)

Have a wonderful weekend! Don’t forget to check back next week for great travel and charter bus news. If you have stories or news, please don’t hesitate to share it on our Facebook Page 

Image Credit: Wwarby

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently released a message coming out again 3rd party compliance reviews and vehicle inspections.

“Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has received numerous inquiries regarding third-party inspectors offering “safety certifications.

Please note the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency of the United States Department of Transportation, is the only agency authorized by the United States Congress to issue Federal interstate operating authority registration, to regulate interstate passenger motor carriers, and to determine their eligibility for continued operations”

Here at The BusBank, we understand the importance of safety in the motorcoach industry. We continue to monitor information provided by the Federal Motor Coach Carrier Safety Administration. This information along with other information such as age of equipment and the performance of an operator on The BusBank chartered trips are some of the information  used to determine if an operator can stay part of our operator network. The biggest portion of this is that an operator must be in good standing with the FMCSA.

If you ever have questions about an operator that you book thru The BusBank, we will be happy to provide you with information about this.

We want our customers to have a wonderful and safe bus charter experience.  Therefore, we will continue to follow our current methods and will be closely following any changes in regulations or safety improvements by the industry to stay at the forefront of the industry.

Image Credit: Oregondot

We have helped a lot of different customers with Bus Wraps over the years. You can see some of examples of bus wraps on our corporate marketing and bus wraps page.   We are asked many questions on a regular basis about bus wraps and wanted to provide a good reference for people looking for a bit more information about wrap advertising.

What is a Bus Wrap? 

Wrap advertising is the marketing practice of completely or partially wrapping a bus in an advertisement. Thus turning the charter bus into a mobile billboard.

Why Use a Bus Wrap? 

On average the US population spends two hours per day on the road. Vehicle advertising generates up to 70,000 impressions on day/vehicle. Mobile advertising costs only a fraction of TV, Radio, Print or conventional billboards.

How much does a Bus Wrap Cost?

Bus wraps vary greatly in cost depending on design and coverage.  The pricing can range anywhere from $8,000 – $12,500 this price would include all installation and removal costs as well.

Who Does The Artwork? 

Certain templates are needed for each bus depending on the bus type and model. This template is then used by a graphic designer to create a custom design that will go on the bus.  Typically, a company will allow you to design this yourself and then they will provide final proofs, mockups to be reviewed by designer.

Where does a buswrap get done? 

The Bus Wrap is printed on special film to be applied to the bus. The bus wrap is then installed by experts to ensure that it does not damage the paint job or design already on the bus.

What Type of Bus Can be Wrapped?

All types of buses can be wrapped. The key is making sure that you have the right model and measurements for the design.

How long does this process take? 

A Typical bus wrap from initial idea to wrapping the bus takes about 1 month. This is the average time to go through the entire process.

To Learn More About Bus Wraps or Wrap Advertising, you can check out this wikipedia page or contact us as we are happy to answer your questions.

We hope that this information was helpful and answered all your questions about Bus Wraps. As you can see bus wraps are a great way to show off your brand and are another way that a charter bus can be used.

This week was another great week in travel for your charter bus experts at The Busbank. Here are some of our favorite links that we came across this week. In addition, please do not hesitate to share your links or travel news on our Facebook page or over on Twitter.

100 Places to Take Your Family in the U.S. - Here is a great list of some common and uncommon destinations to take your family. THey have locations from across the U.S. and activities that vary in cost.

Coachella 2012 Lineup announced: – Coachella one of the largest music festivals in the United States announced it’s 2012 lineup. Check out the lineup and find out how you can travel to the event.

The 10 Easiest Foods to Eat in the Car: We love you, we hope you love food. A Great list of road trip snacks that you can bring on your next charter bus trip.

Best of Ski Canada from the National Geographic:  The writer spent two weeks checking out all that Canada has to offer in Skiing from the mountains to the resort bars. This is a great list for anyone looking to take a ski trip.

Image Credit: Dobak