FedFleet 2011 rolls into Orlando with a clear vision and a full agenda

Motor and aviation fleet managers of every rank will gather in Orlando, Fla., from July 24-28 for FedFleet 2011, the 11th National Motor Vehicle and Aviation Training Conference and Exposition. Hosts of the meeting and products expo, which will take place at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort, include the Motor Vehicle Executive Council, the Federal Fleet Policy Council (FEDFLEET), the Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy, and the Federal Boat Executive Committee. The theme of the conference: “A Clear Vision.”

More than 1,300 federal fleet and aviation managers will take part in FedFleet 2011, as well as many state and local government fleet administrators. About 160 exhibitors will be displaying their wares and staging how-to clinics in the Gatlin Ballroom at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort. See the following pages of this preview for descriptions of some of the innovative, green and cost-saving products to be displayed at the expo.

FedFleet 2011 will include the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Automotive Federal Vehicle Standards breakout sessions, manufacturers’ panels (one for automotive, one for aircraft), a personal development workshop and other Monday pre-conference activities, and an all-day, optional pre-conference class on Basic Fleet Management.

Policymakers from the GSA, Department of Energy (DOE) and federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will facilitate a workshop to help bridge the gap between policy-making and agency execution in the field. The session will help align each agency’s operational needs and goals with government-wide asset management policies.

Motor vehicle, aviation and marine vessel professionals can interact with vendors; participate in product demonstrations; and check out vehicles, supplies and services at the show’s exhibit area. Attendees can test-drive vehicles at the show’s Ride and Drive program on Monday, before the exhibit hall opens, and during exhibit hall hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Author and entrepreneur Steve Gilliland delivers the Thursday luncheon keynote address at the conference. The topic: “Enjoy The Ride.” Through humor and reality-tested techniques, Gilliland reveals the way to face conflicting demands in an unforgiving economic and work environment. Gilliland will show attendees how to ignite their passions and challenge them to never lose their focus or enthusiasm.

Gilliland built a multimillion-dollar company on the same philosophy he delivers to his audiences. In addition to his business success, Steve has authored the book “Enjoy The Ride,” which has been on the publisher’s top 10-bestseller list for three consecutive years.

Useful training sessions

“Listen To Me!! — Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World”

Conference emcee David DeBoy offers this professional development program.
With all of the modern communication tools available, getting the message out is not the problem — it’s getting the message heard. DeBoy will advise attendees how to get their point across in a world filled with social media and electronic devices. Potential audiences, DeBoy says, are flooded with visual and audio stimuli from every angle every day, and it’s easy for messages to get lost. DeBoy brings his creative communication skills to the session and will get attendees thinking about the best way to present important messages and make them memorable and effective, no matter the media.

David DeBoy is a business communications specialist who has crafted instructional, promotional and sensational message materials for corporations, associations and government institutions for 20 years. An award-winning writer and director, DeBoy has created specialty material for Kraft Foods International, the U.S. Postal Service and the FBI.

“Getting to Green: Introduction to Managing Your Fleet for Petroleum Reduction”
Speakers from OMB and DOE will use a stoplight scoring system to measure agencies’ progress towards government-wide energy and environmental goals. Scoring “green,” a sometimes-elusive target, requires reducing petroleum 2 percent every year since 2005. OMB and DOE experts will explain the OMB Scorecard and discuss how to improve an agency’s score by analyzing current activities and proposing appropriate actions.

“Distracted Driving: Our Nation’s Growing Epidemic”
Workshop speakers will offer insights on the increasing volume of vehicles, people and cell phones in the U.S. today; the explosive growth of texting among Americans; and the rise in accidents, injuries and deaths caused by distracted driving. The session will include several interactive discussions on the dangers associated with distracted driving, its costs, laws about distracted drivers, and prevention and enforcement methods in federal fleets.

“Fleet Management Information Systems — What You Need to Know”
Federal Management Regulation 102-34.340 requires agencies to have a fleet management information system. But do agency fleet managers know where to begin? During this workshop, a panel of industry experts will cover the best practices of implementing a fleet management information system.

Go to http://www.fedfleet.org/ for more information and to register for FedFleet 2011.