OSCAR NIGHT: The Academy Awards will be handed out Sunday night, and it's probably the most important night of the year for LA-based operators. Delivering celebrities to the Kodak Theatre in green vehicles has become an industry ritual. This year,
Econation has teamed up with Toyota to promote transporting Oscar lovers in a 2010 revised Prius. "The entertainment industry is working to influence the rest of the world to use more sustainable options for transportation," said Ben Bloch,
a managing partner for Econation. The question always becomes: "Okay, so Leonardo DiCaprio showed up in a Prius. Did he demand to be switched over to an SUV two blocks away, right after the awards show ended?" DiCaprio is pretty darn serious about the green movement, so probably not, but other Hollywood stars and execs are making this request, according to operators we've talked to. Regardless, the trend looks like it's here to stay, and the same is true for many corporate transportation contracts worked out by travel managers, meeting planners, and sustainability officers. -- J.L.
Print | posted on Thursday, February 19, 2009 10:33 AM