Friday, 25 September 2020 / Published in KLS Limousine Service, KLS Worldwide Transportation

Los Angeles Time news paper

Each year, the Emmy Awards celebrate the best in TV — not just on a single Sunday in September but over three months of schmoozing and glad-handing that provides a boon to the local economy. The televised ceremony and the many events surrounding it, including press conferences, screenings, luncheons, and splashy afterparties, employ thousands of people in and around Los Angeles, from TV crews, publicists, and stylists to bartenders, line cooks, seat fillers, and security guards.

While research on the show’s economic impact is scant, a study by the consulting firm Micronomics found that the 2012 Emmys provided $43 million in immediate benefits to Los Angeles County, including $2 million in spending by out-of-town visitors, $9 million from limousine rentals, wardrobe and event tickets, and $2 million from receptions and parties. With networks and streaming services now investing even more money in the Emmys, these numbers have almost certainly grown.

The Emmys are a perfect microcosm of the challenges facing the region, says Jay Tucker, executive director of UCLA‘s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment, and Sports. “The entertainment industry really is the heart of the city. When we talk about L.A. — and really Southern California — so much rides on this ability for us to connect and create things in person. One can only hope this is not the new normal.”

Because the COVID-19 pandemic has made these large in-person gatherings unsafe for the foreseeable future, this Sunday’s virtual Emmys will be different for viewers at home as well as the many people who work behind the scenes to make the event happen. As part of our coverage of how this year’s awards are adapting to coronavirus health and safety constraints, we’ve profiled two of them.

Alex Darbahani

KLS Worldwide Chauffeur Services CEO Alex Darbahani has seen business drop 95% since the pandemic struck.

KLS Worldwide Chauffeur Services CEO Alex Darbahani has seen business drop 95% since the pandemic struck.
(Christina House / For The Times)

Occupation: limousine company founder
Years in the industry: 23

In normal times, Emmy Sunday is one of the most lucrative days of the year for Alex Darbahani’s company, KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services. He typically has 300 to 450 vehicles on the road and brings in as much as $1.6 million transporting A-list nominees, powerful network executives, and their handlers around L.A.

This year, he’ll have about a dozen cars out.

“It’s a nightmare for us, for our industry,” says Darbahani, noting that the Emmys normally translate to about 10 days of brisk business shuttling clients to fittings, rehearsals, and press conferences. “It’s a huge loss for us.”

Darbahani started his company more than 20 years ago after a brief attempt to get into the film business. Early clients included Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera. Since then, he’s expanded to New York and London and established a reputation through discreet customer service — a must when dealing with demanding celebrities. He shares a colorful story about a tipsy singer who once got stranded in her pajamas at a truck stop on the way to a show in Las Vegas. (She remains a client.) “It has been a very interesting roller coaster for me,” he says.

When they are transporting clients to major awards shows, KLS chauffeurs — Darbahani doesn’t call them “drivers” — are typically armed with emergency supplies: hairspray, glue, thread. “You don’t know how many of those dresses when they get out of the car, it just rips.”

Much of KLS’ business comes from contracts with studios and TV and film productions, the vast majority of which have been shut down since March. In January and February, the company was ringing up more than $2 million in sales; now it’s lucky to make a tenth of that in a month. At the beginning of the year, KLS had 360 events confirmed and booked; by the end of March, they were all canceled. “Ninety-five percent of our revenue is gone.”

As a result, Darbahani has had to lay off a number of long-term employees, though he’s tried to adapt to the new reality, finding business in unexpected places. His chauffeurs have started picking up clothing from luxury retailers and bringing it to clients to try on. They leave the products at the client’s door, then bring back whatever they don’t want.

“Instead of passengers,” he says, “we’re moving products to the clients.”

Another source of income? Driving surgeons to and from the hospital when they have to operate.

He has kept the company afloat for the last six months, but with the fate of the Grammys and the Oscars still uncertain, Darbahani worries about what comes next.

“Anybody in production, the studios, the makeup artists. Whoever works in entertainment, they are lost this year. It’s so sad. All of us work so hard for it. The scary part of it is we don’t know where we’re heading to or when it’s going to end.”

Alex Berliner

 

Alex Berliner, president and founder of ABImages, outside Staples Center, site of Sunday's Emmy Awards.

(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

Occupation: Photographer, photo agency founder
Years in the industry: 31

For more than 30 years, Alex Berliner has been photographing celebrities at the Emmys, Oscars and other glitzy industry celebrations. “People tell me I’m good at parties,” he says modestly. “I approach people with trust and I make them feel relaxed and I do it without, in my opinion, being obsequious.”

 His powers of observation have resulted in some memorable imagery.

One of his best-known photos captured an awkward exchange between a blank-faced Angelina Jolie and former Sony Pictures chair Amy Pascal at an industry breakfast in 2014, shortly after disparaging hacked emails about the actress became public.

In 2018, he recovered Frances McDormand’s Oscar from the man who stole it at the Governors Ball, which he covers every year.

“There is never anything typical about an awards show,” says Berliner. “There’s always gotta be something.”

This year, however, is truly unprecedented. Instead of taking pictures inside the Microsoft Theater during the show or afterward at the Governors Ball, as he has for several years, Berliner will be watching the Emmys from home.

Like hundreds of other photographers who cover red-carpet events, Berliner, who owns the photo agency ABImages, has been hit hard by the pandemic. “Normally we have hundreds of shoots a year, and this year we’ve had tens of shoots because we stopped shooting at the beginning of March,” he says.

His agency, which had six full-time employees earlier this year, now has none.

“We could not maintain the payroll because of lack of business. We got PPP funding and we paid our employees as long as we could. We all reached that tough decision-making point [of], ‘How much more of my own savings can I give to my employees?’”

Awards season — the roughly six-month period from the Emmys to the Oscars — is a significant part of Berliner’s livelihood, and there is no telling when, if or how it will resume. Though he calls the TV Academy’s approach to the celebration this year “very sensible,” he is also concerned about the countless florists, caterers, security teams, and construction crews who are losing vital income. “They’re all suffering greatly.”

Recalling the gradual resumption of festivities after 9/11, Berliner is optimistic about the industry in the long term. “We all have a yearning for our celebrations to return. I think we are all looking forward to a day when you can blow out [the candles of] a birthday cake with our loved ones. I don’t think that we are accustomed to being isolated behind a screen on Zoom.”

Saturday, 02 November 2019 / Published in KLS Limousine Service

An Executive Limousine Service that Handles Your Logistical Needs

At KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services, we strive to offer a comprehensive executive limousine service that allows our executive clients to focus solely on what matters, their business. When you hire KLS to handle your transportation needs, whether for a straightforward trip from point A to point B or for elaborate roadshow services, you are hiring a dedicated team of professionals to handle all of your ground travel logistical needs.

Our executive transportation service starts with a dispatch team that handles all of the logistics of travel, including preparing for traffic and other potential obstacles. However, the centerpiece of our business is our carefully selected and expertly trained chauffeurs. Our chauffeurs will handle your bags and facilitate a ride that is conducive to excellent working conditions while offering additional services when needed – something like a mobile concierge. As the epitome of professionalism and courtesy, when you hire KLS you can expect nothing but the best.

To complement our superb chauffeurs, we employ a vehicle fleet that is second to none. With brands such as Mercedes Benz and Lincoln, our clients can look forward to spacious, comfortable surroundings and the finest amenities. All of our vehicles are equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi and our larger vehicles can be fitted with large flatscreen TVs to enable on-the-go presentations for training or disseminating information to your business partners. High-quality sound systems and other amenities can also accentuate a relaxing atmosphere for a quick break in between stops if required. In short, hiring KLS for all of your executive transportation needs ensures that your team is getting the best experience, allowing you to focus on your business and not the road.

To find out more, call us at the number on your screen or visit our contact page.

Saturday, 02 November 2019 / Published in KLS Limousine Service

An Event Limousine that Lets You Travel in Style

Any exciting event needs an exciting event limousine from KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services. When you hire KLS, you are getting a highly-trained group of professionals equipped with a superb vehicle fleet that will get you and your party to just about any kind of event in style.

Our event limo service package is highlighted by our many vehicle amenities. Our vehicles are equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, high-quality entertainment and sound systems, ice chests, flat-screen TVs, and LED lighting to set the mood. Whether you are traveling for a wedding, concert, or even business, we give you the tools to make sure your ride is an unforgettable experience.

Of course, our fleet is not the only perk you are getting when you pick us for your transportation needs. When you hire a limo service, you expect your driver to exhibit the highest degree of professionalism and courtesy. We only hire the best and most experienced chauffeurs and then further train them in our trademark methods. A KLS chauffeur is expected to be resourceful so passengers can arrive at their destinations on time, regardless of traffic and other issues. We will handle any luggage you may have and ensure that the experience is positive through and through.

Corporate Travel

In addition to our entertainment services, we at KLS provide exceptional executive transportation for VIPs and businesses. Whether our clients require roadshow services or simple point-A-to-point-B transportation, we make sure to handle all of the ins and outs of logistics so that our clients can focus solely on their work.

Contact

For more information on all of our services, please visit our contact page or call us at the number at the on your screen.

Thursday, 11 July 2019 / Published in KLS Limousine Service

Event Limo Service to the Biggest Events Around

KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services provides event limo service to Los Angeles and the surrounding areas’ hottest events, including award shows, music festivals, and the biggest entertainment and business conventions. With a fleet of top-of-the-line luxury vehicles, the best amenities, and with the finest chauffeurs around, our luxury car services are among the best nationwide as well as in Southern California.

Whether you need to get to San Diego Comic Con, E3, Coachella, or a big-time award shows, we can get you to where you need to be efficiently and in style. We have vehicles for practically every situation. Individual riders, couples, or small groups will love the intimacy of our luxury sedans like the Mercedes Benz S550, enjoy the space and comfort of our top of the line SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade ESV, or bask in the elegance of our Lincoln MKT limousines. All of our vehicles come with luxurious amenities that will let you enjoy your ride exactly the way you want to. Whether you prefer to relax in spacious leather seating sipping your favorite beverage or want to blast your own music on our sound systems, we can provide. The more business-minded can enjoy the ride just as well, with high-quality Wi-Fi and undisturbed privacy.

Those new to the area can take advantage of our LAX pickup service while even the most seasoned native can enjoy an event limo in Los Angeles. Our chauffeurs are expected to exhibit only the most professional and courteous behavior, all the while providing the equivalent of mobile concierge services. We fully intend to exceed our clients’ expectations every time they step into one of our vehicles.

If you need uncompromising limo services in Los Angeles, please do not hesitate to give us a call at our phone number or through our contact page.

Thursday, 11 July 2019 / Published in KLS Limousine Service

An Event Limo in Los Angeles? Talk to Us!

We at KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services provide the event limo in Los Angeles you’re looking for to just about any type of affair, shindig, or gathering, including awards shows, music festivals, and the biggest entertainment and business conventions. With a fleet of luxury vehicles, the best amenities, and elite caliber chauffeurs, our luxury car services are among the best on nationally, let alone Southern California.

Whether you need to get to San Diego Comic Con, E3, Coachella, or the Grammys, we can get you to where you need to be efficiently and in style. We have vehicles for practically every situation. Single riders, couples, or small groups will love the intimacy of our luxury sedans like the Mercedes Benz S550, somewhat larger groups may enjoy the space and comfort of our top of the line SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade ESV, or bask in the elegance of our Lincoln MKT limousines. All of our vehicles come with luxurious amenities that will let you enjoy your ride exactly the way you want to. Whether you prefer to relax in spacious leather seating sipping a cocktail or want to blast your own music on our sound systems, we can provide. The more business-minded can enjoy the ride just as well, with high-quality Wi-Fi and undisturbed privacy.

Those new to the area can take advantage of our LAX pickup service while even the most seasoned native can enjoy the finest event limo service in California and beyond. Our chauffeurs are exhibit only the most professional and courteous behavior, all the while providing the equivalent of mobile concierge services.

If you need limo services in Los Angeles that doesn’t compromise on service, please do not hesitate to give us a call at a number on this page or contact us online.

Sunday, 30 June 2019 / Published in KLS Limousine Service

Event Limo Service that Never Hits a False Note

KLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services provides event limo service in Los Angeles for anyone wishing to arrive at their destination with more than just a touch of class. Patrons of KLS’s services can expect nothing but the utmost professionalism and courtesy from KLS’s carefully selected chauffeurs.

KLS provides special event limo service to virtually any major event. Los Angles is one of the world’s foremost entertainment hubs in the world, and as such, we have offered luxury travel to award shows like the Grammys or Oscars, music festivals like Coachella and the Playboy Jazz Festival; and conventions like E3 and American Film Market. These high-profile events attract some of the entertainment industry’s biggest stars, yet also offer significant opportunities for dozens of other professions. Whether our clients want to arrive with the fanfare of a celebrity (perhaps because they are), or simply want to have a good time or get some work done, KLS can help.

KLS endeavors to deliver a true luxury experience that caters to a client’s personalized needs, and that goes beyond our chauffeurs. KLS employs a fleet of vehicles that outdoes the rest. This includes sedans for single or double riders who want to enjoy comfort in a more intimate setting, SUVs and vans for larger groups, and of course, limousines for those who want the classic deluxe travel option. All vehicles come equipped with high-quality Wi-Fi and various entertainment options. Additional amenities like bars and ice chests are specific to some larger vehicles and special requests can always be taken into account before travel.

KLS takes pride in offering unparalleled chauffeured limo services in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. If you need luxury car services, do not hesitate to visit our contact page for more information or call the phone number above.