After nearly a year and a half of lockdowns and precautions that led to the cancellation of the many annual events and conferences throughout the country, parking, transportation, and mobility professionals nationwide are finally reuniting. State, regional, and national conferences have started up again, with our typical series of events over twelve months happening over the next five months.

With the Delta variant emerging, we are hopeful that precautions continue to be implemented and we can again reconnect with industry colleagues and friends nationwide to discuss the events and experiences of the past 18 months, how our clients’ operations have been impacted, and look ahead to the future of the industry. We can’t wait to get back out on the conference circuit, and here are just a few things we’re looking forward to:

• A sense of “normalcy”: It’s rare (i.e. it’s never happened) to go so long without industry events, and we think everyone is ready to finally get away from the screen and reconnect in person.
• Recent industry transformation: Not only has COVID changed the trajectory of our industry forever, but technology has of course advanced significantly as well. We are looking forward to seeing for ourselves what new technologies and solutions have come to the market.
• Supporting our clients: While virtual meetings are convenient, our goal is to constantly be looking for new opportunities to support our clients in municipalities, higher education, healthcare, private operations, and more. We’re excited to connect with them again in person to showcase all the great products we’ve developed during this time and identify the perfect solutions to enhance their operations.
• What’s Next? These industry events always provide such a great outlook for what we can expect in the near and long term for the parking, transportation, and mobility industry. We can’t wait to learn from our fellow professionals what they see as the future of the industry, how our solutions can complement the changes that are coming, and how we can all work together to support our communities.

As we come back together, these events will be a great opportunity for industry professionals and solution-providers to discuss all of the latest trends, strategies, and technologies that have developed organically in recent years, and as a result of COVID. For instance, last week at the Texas Parking & Transportation Association (TPTA) Conference & Tradeshow, speakers highlighted a number of important topics facing the industry right now including parking permit issues on college and university campuses, the transformation of loading zones and the impact on urban planning, smart cities, and more.

This week, we had a great time attending the Pennsylvania Parking Association (PPA) Conference in Pittsburgh. Sessions there highlighted touchless parking, green technology, and mobility.

We’re excited to get back out on the parking industry conference circuit and share how we can help transform communities, campuses, and private parking facilities with our innovative technologies including Touchless Parking, Inventory Management, Promotions, and Parking Permits.

Check us out at the National Parking Association Convention & Expo, September 27-29 in Las Vegas (Booth #624) and at the International Parking & Mobility Institute Conference & Expo, November 29-December 2 in Orlando (Booth #613). Safe and healthy travels to you all!

As communities begin to reopen, students go back to campus, people go back to the office, and things get (hopefully) back to normal, permit parking will be on the rise again. Throughout the pandemic, many individuals may have given up their parking permits (unless they kept them to avoid getting dropped to the bottom of a waiting list) not knowing if or when they would need them again.

However, as people come back, they may be coming back to a very different looking parking permit experience. And that’s a good thing!

First, parking permit terms may shift. What was once a monthly or even annual permit parking agreement may now be more of a daily commitment given that people may not be going to the office every day anymore. Another interesting change may be the elimination of paper. Permit parking is shifting to paperless with all transactions, enforcement, and tracking monitored electronically. This is great news not only for the person trying to keep track of a paper permit or hangtag, but for the operator reducing their costs to purchase paper and the waste generated from that.

Permit parking customers include those utilizing private garages, residential permit holders in downtowns areas, students and faculty at colleges and universities, or anyone who purchases permit in a facility needing in and out privileges. Make sure that these loyal customers have the best experience possible and feel at home in your facility. ParkEngage Permit Parking allows you to implement a custom and personalized solution to make their parking experience as pleasant as possible Check it out here.