ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The United Motorcoach Association is seeking nominations for the most prestigious honors private motorcoach operators can receive, the UMA Vision Awards, which are presented annually to a large and small coach company.
In the past, UMA has relied on its associate members to nominate operators for the awards and that will continue this year.
But, like it has over the past three years, UMA also is calling on motorcoach operator members to nominate peer companies they think are deserving of the honor.
The deadline for nominations is Oct. 16.
The awards will be presented as part of the UMA Leadership Awards Celebration during Motorcoach Expo 2018 in San Antonio Jan. 6-10.
The Vision Awards recognize motorcoach operators that:
- Engage in sound business practices
- Have excellent safety records
- Regularly employ innovative marketing, operations and customer service approaches
- Are good corporate citizens within the community
- Raise the standards for all motorcoach companies
- Raise the profile of the entire motorcoach industry
- Are financially sound
A nominee being “financially sound” is a component that was added a few years ago to the nomination criteria. After a company’s nomination form has been submitted and reviewed, UMA will contact the top-nominated companies to obtain financial information.
This information will be evaluated on a confidential basis by an independent certified public accountant who will assure the nominated company is financially sound.
This criteria ensures that every Vision Award recipient operates in a manner in which all motorcoach operators should strive to operate.
There are two Vision Awards, one that goes to a large operator (15 coaches or more) and the other for a small operator (fewer than 15 coaches).
To be eligible, a nominated company must:
- Have current operating authority as required by federal, state and local laws
- Have a USDOT “satisfactory” safety rating and/or comparable rating(s) as provided by applicable state agencies
- Be a member in good standing of UMA
UMA members — both operator and associate — can nominate coach operators for the Vision Awards using the form at https://motorcoachexpo.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/07/Vision-Award-Nomination-Form-2018.pdf.
Please email the completed form to Carrington Blake at cblake@uma.org or send it via fax to 703-838-2950 by Oct. 16.
