mcboa annual meeting 2026

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Join us this November for the MCBOA Annual Meeting featuring our most comprehensive educational program yet.

This year's conference includes expanded educational sessions, dedicated networking opportunities, and practical learning tracks focused on Safety & Compliance, Maintenance & Repair, and Business Strategy. From managing risk and strengthening your safety culture to improving fleet performance, growing profitability, and preparing for the future, every session is designed to deliver practical ideas you can put to work immediately.

New this year, we've grouped maintenance-focused education into a dedicated track and are offering special one-day technician registration, making it easier and more affordable for maintenance professionals to attend.

Whether you're an owner, manager, dispatcher, safety professional, technician, or industry partner, you'll leave with fresh ideas, valuable connections, and actionable strategies to help your organization succeed.

We look forward to seeing you in November!

MCBOA Operator Members:  $175 per person
Wednesday Only for Technicians: $100
MCBOA Associate Members:  $200 per person

Please register early so we can have accurate numbers for meals, etc.

Note: All attendees must be members in good standing. 

DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis - Park Place

REGISTER NOW

HOTEL INFORMATION

1500 Park Place Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN  55416

Book within the MCBOA room block to receive a discounted hotel rate of $119. 

BOOK HOTEL

For reservations call 952-542-8600 or click on the link above. (Remember to mention you are with Minnesota Charter Bus Operators Association 2026 Meeting to get Special Convention Rate!)

Welcome Meet Up - Optional
Dinner on your own

Breakfast - Grab & Go With Vendors

Start your morning with a convenient grab-and-go breakfast served right in the center of the vendor area. Pick up something to eat, visit with MCBOA’s vendor partners and make a few valuable connections before the day’s sessions begin.

Insurance premiums, repair costs, legal settlements, labor expenses and vehicle downtime continue to place pressure on motorcoach operators. While companies cannot control every rising cost, they can make operational decisions that reduce exposure and help prevent an incident from becoming an even more expensive loss.

Mike McDonal will examine risk as a company-wide business issue involving drivers, vehicles, maintenance, documentation, claims and regulatory compliance. Attendees will learn how operational data and leading indicators can help identify concerns earlier, guide safety investments and support better decisions before costly events occur. The session will also explore how stronger documentation and incident-response practices can help operators demonstrate their commitment to safety and protect their people, equipment and profitability.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Identify risk exposure across driver performance, vehicle condition, maintenance, compliance and claims.

• Use operational data and leading indicators to recognize concerns and intervene earlier.

• Prioritize practical risk-management investments that protect passengers, employees, equipment and the company’s bottom line.

Safety & Compliance 

Safety Culture Beyond Compliance
Presented by Tom Holden, Transportation Advisors/EZ-DrugTest.com

Meeting regulatory requirements is essential, but compliance alone does not create a safe operation. A true safety culture is reflected in the decisions, behaviors, communication and accountability demonstrated throughout the company every day.

Drawing on his experience as both a motorcoach operator and compliance advisor, Tom Holden will challenge attendees to move beyond asking, “Are we compliant?” and begin asking, “Is safety actually how we operate?” This session will examine how leadership, training, reporting, coaching, documentation and consistent follow-through work together to create an operation that is prepared for an audit, an incident or an unexpected challenge. Attendees will also learn how to identify warning signs and address gaps before they are discovered by an investigator, insurer or attorney.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Distinguish regulatory compliance from a genuine, company-wide safety culture.

• Recognize behaviors, processes and documentation practices that indicate whether an operation is truly ready every day.

• Build accountability across ownership, management, drivers, maintenance and administrative teams without discouraging employees from reporting concerns.

Lunch & MCBOA Board Nominee Intros

Enjoy lunch while meeting the candidates nominated to serve on the MCBOA Board of Directors. Board voting will take place during Wednesday’s lunch, with one vote permitted per MCBOA member company.

Enjoy a sweet afternoon treat while visiting and connecting with MCBOA’s vendor partners.

Hear directly from federal and state enforcement officials about current safety priorities, inspection and enforcement activity, emerging compliance concerns, and what Minnesota motorcoach operators should be watching in the year ahead.

It is easy to become consumed by the immediate demands of running a motorcoach operation. This session invites attendees to step back from the day-to-day and look at the bigger picture.

Christian Riddell will examine the forces changing the motorcoach industry, including evolving customer expectations, new buying behaviors, technology, market pressures and growing competition. He will connect these broader trends to the real-world opportunities and challenges facing operators and explore how individual companies, associations and industry leaders can help influence what comes next. Attendees will leave with a clearer view of where the industry may be headed and how they can prepare their businesses for the road ahead.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Recognize the trends and market forces shaping the future of the motorcoach industry.

• Consider what those changes mean for their customers, operations and long-term business strategy.

• Identify ways operators can adapt, protect important relationships and help shape the industry’s future.

Driver recruitment remains one of the motorcoach industry’s greatest challenges, but finding candidates is only one part of the solution. This practical, interactive session will examine the complete employee journey, from attracting qualified applicants and writing job postings that get noticed to improving the hiring experience, onboarding new employees and creating a workplace where good drivers want to stay.

Attendees will hear current staffing and recruiting insights, learn from real-world examples and have an opportunity to share what is working within their own companies. The goal is for every operator to leave with practical changes they can make to improve how they recruit, hire and retain drivers.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Reach qualified candidates and create job postings that stand out in today’s hiring market.

• Identify where applicants may be lost during the recruiting, interviewing and hiring process.

• Strengthen onboarding, communication and workplace practices that encourage drivers to stay.

• United Motorcoach Association - Ken Presley, UMA
• American Bus Association - Fred Ferguson, ABA

Hear directly from national association leaders about the legislative, regulatory and industry issues affecting motorcoach operators. Ken Presley and Fred Ferguson will share the latest advocacy priorities, association initiatives and developments operators should be watching at the national level.

Vendor Showcase / Social Hour with Hors D'oeuvres

Relax, connect and spend dedicated time visiting with MCBOA’s vendor partners. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served as attendees explore products and services, ask questions and enjoy informal conversation with industry friends.

Start Wednesday with breakfast and conversation among fellow MCBOA members and industry partners. Vendor tables will also be open, giving you another opportunity to explore solutions, ask questions and continue the connections made throughout the meeting.

Maintenance & Repair 
Under the Hood: What's New from Cummins
Presented by Philip Hart, Cummins

Get an inside look at the latest updates to Cummins’ bus engine lineup as the industry prepares for 2027 EPA emissions requirements. Philip Hart will explain what is changing, what operators and technicians should expect, and how fleets can begin preparing for the next generation of Cummins engine technology.

This fast-paced discussion will bring leading motorcoach manufacturers together to answer the same five key questions about what operators and maintenance teams should expect in 2027. From product and service updates to new technology, maintenance trends and emerging challenges, attendees will hear directly from the OEMs about the changes they should be preparing for to keep their fleets moving forward.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Identify important product, service and technology developments expected in 2027.

• Understand the maintenance and technician needs associated with upcoming equipment changes.

• Prepare their shops, teams and fleet plans for emerging challenges while reducing avoidable downtime.

Take a break, enjoy refreshments and spend dedicated time exploring the Vendor Showcase. Visit with MCBOA’s industry partners, discover new products and services, and get answers to the questions affecting your operation.

Some of the best maintenance lessons come from experience, especially when something does not go as planned. Ray Smith, VP Operations and Maintenance, will share candid, real-world stories from the shop, including what worked, what did not, what it cost in money, time or downtime, and what Voigt’s changed as a result. With audience discussion throughout, this practical session is designed to help operators learn from one another without having to learn every lesson the hard way.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Evaluate difficult repair, replacement and maintenance-priority decisions.

• Identify process changes that can reduce repeat repairs, control costs and improve fleet reliability.

• Apply lessons involving parts, inventory, older equipment, technician training, tools and technology to their own operations.

Lunch & MCBOA Board Election

Enjoy lunch as MCBOA recognizes the nominees for the Board of Directors and conducts the 2026 Board election. Each MCBOA member company may cast one vote.

Maintenance & Repair 
The Diagnostic Detective: Troubleshooting Without Throwing Parts at the Problem

Replacing parts until a problem disappears can be expensive, time-consuming and frustrating. This practical session will examine a more systematic approach to troubleshooting, helping technicians move from symptoms and fault codes to the actual root cause. Attendees will explore how disciplined testing, service information and careful documentation can improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce repeat repairs and return vehicles to service faster.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Follow a logical diagnostic process before replacing components.

• Use symptoms, fault codes, testing and service information to isolate the root cause.

• Reduce unnecessary parts costs, repeat repairs and vehicle downtime.

Increasing profitability does not always mean finding more customers. Sometimes it begins by taking a closer look at how existing business is priced, sold and supported.

Christian Riddell will explore how factors such as demand, timing, fleet availability, trip mix and limited capacity can affect the true value of each opportunity. Attendees will be encouraged to reconsider familiar pricing and inventory practices, identify where margin may be slipping away, and think differently about how they use the resources they already have.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Identify areas where pricing, capacity and sales decisions may be leaving margin on the table.

• Consider demand, timing and availability when evaluating opportunities and setting prices.

• Make more strategic decisions about which business to pursue and how to use limited fleet and driver resources.

Technology should make work easier, but disconnected systems, duplicate data entry and repetitive manual tasks can create more work instead. This practical, operator-focused roundtable will explore how companies are using technology to connect booking, dispatch, telematics, maintenance, compliance and customer service.

Ben O’Day will guide a candid conversation about the tools operators have implemented, what is working, where integrations remain frustrating and which investments are producing meaningful returns. Attendees will also be invited to share the processes they wish technology could make faster, simpler or more reliable.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Identify repetitive tasks and duplicate processes that may be ready for automation.

• Evaluate how connected systems, real-time information and practical AI applications can improve efficiency and communication.

• Select one process to change or technology investment to investigate based on measurable operational value.

Back by popular demand, this candid leadership roundtable gives operators an opportunity to discuss the issues creating the greatest concern within their businesses and across the motorcoach industry. With new challenges and changes continuing to emerge, Chad Ely will lead an open conversation about what is keeping operators up at night and, just as importantly, the strategies, decisions and resources helping them move forward.

Attendees will learn:

• Hear how other operators are responding to current industry and business challenges.

• Exchange practical ideas, experiences and solutions in an open peer discussion.

• Identify new approaches and connections that may help address concerns within their own operations.

Cancellation Policy:

• Cancellations made prior to 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, October 16, 2026, will receive a full refund, less a $25.00 processing fee.
• Cancellations made between 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, October 16, 2026 and Friday, October 30, 2026, will be offered at 50% of registration fee.
• Cancellations made after 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, October 30, 2026, as well as no-shows, are not refundable.

Waiver of Liability:

By registering for the Minnesota Charter Bus Operator's Association (“MCBOA”) 2026 Annual Meeting (“Convention”), Registrant hereby irrevocably releases MCBOA, its staff, directors, presenters, employees and any other individuals or entities associated with MCBOA, from any and all liability related to, or arising from, Registrant’s attendance and participation in the Convention, the information provide therein, changes to its schedule, and hospitality services (e.g. lodging, food and transportation) incidental to the Convention, including, but not be limited to, any and claims, actions or losses for bodily injury, property damage, death, costs, expenses, and charges. Registrant voluntarily and knowingly assumes all risks related to, or arising from, the Convention.