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December 6, 2011 - Vol 3, Issue 25 |
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The Year in Review - A Great Year for Advancing the Parking Profession |
It's been a busy year at IPI--one in which fantastic benefits, programs, and initiatives were launched. From our record-setting 2011 IPI Conference & Expo in Pittsburgh, to the launch of The Parking Professional magazine's award-winning redesign, to getting the word out to more people than ever before that Parking Matters�, IPI is closing out the year with a long list of achievements and accomplishments that benefit all of our members. One of the biggest changes we made this year was to our membership structure, which shifted from being individual-based to company-based. In a nutshell, this means that when a company belongs to IPI, all employees are members too, with all of the rights and benefits of full membership.
Be sure to read our "2011: Year in Review - A Great Year for Advancing the Parking Profession" and hear about the important things IPI is doing for the parking industry and our partners and members. We did quite a lot in 2011, and our plans for 2012 are just as ambitious. There are good reasons IPI is the largest organization of parking professionals in the world. |
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SRO for IPI 'Training Day' at Brazil's First Parking Conference | |
Three letters describe IPI's successful partnership with Abrapark, the parking association of Brazil, in leading a full day of training on the fundamentals of parking in late November: SRO, standing room only. More than 250 Brazilian parking professionals gave rapt attention to the IPI delegation including IPI Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE, Chair Casey Jones, CAPP, Boise State University; Josh Kavanagh, CAPP, University of Washington; Chair-Elect Liliana Rambo, CAPP, Houston Airport System City of Houston; and Dave Hill, CAPP, MMM Group Limited as they spoke about the parking profession, technology trends, customer service and conflict resolution, and the latest in access and revenue control. A session on special event parking management held unique interest as Brazil prepares to host both the World Cup and the Olympics in 2014. The event was such a success that Abrapark and IPI are already planning future conferences in partnership -- and look for a big Brazilian contingency at the 2012 IPI Conference & Expo in Phoenix in June. A very special thanks to Abrapark's President Andre Piccoli and Board of Directors for initiating this partnership and for all their gracious hospitality. |
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IPI's First Latin Parking Conference | |
 Language was no barrier at IPI's first Latin Parking Conference in Miami last month, was conducted entirely in Spanish. Eight Latin countries were represented in a two-day conference that included educational sessions, networking, and tours of Miami Parking Authority's operations, Miami Beach parking operations, the Miami Marlins Stadium, and Bayside Marketplace. Speakers and tour guides included IPI's Executive Director Shawn Conrad, CAE; IPI Chair-elect Liliana Rambo, CAPP, Houston Airport System City of Houston; Roamy Valera, CAPP, SP Plus Municipal Services, Chester Escobar, Standard Parking; Lissette Hernandez, CAPP, Florida International University; Roberto Hernandez, P.E., SECB, LEED BD+C, Hershell Gill Consulting Engineers; and Franklin Laso, Complete Consulting Services Group.
Lessons learned: parking is a universal language and everyone benefits when information is shared and friendships are formed. At the request of attendees, the Latin Parking Conference will become an annual event, and the next one will likely be held in Miami in the fall of 2012. IPI is forming a new committee to guide plans for this and other future conferences.
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IPI's 2012 Professional Recognition Program Open for Nominations |
Now is the time to recognize people and organizations that have made exemplary contributions to parking professionalism this year. Honorees will be named in the following categories:
- Parking Professional of the Year (for management/supervisory staff that directs an entire operation or manages multiple units within a department)
- Parking Supervisor of the Year (supervises one or more employees within a department responsible for only one unit within the department)
- Parking Staff Member of the Year (for front-line staff)
- Parking Organization of the Year (for public or private organizations, departments, consultants, suppliers, commercial operators, etc.)
There is no fee to enter. The deadline for submitting nominations is February 15, 2012 and the official entry packet, along with the names of past honorees, can be found at www.parking.org/prp.
Questions? Please contact Lauri Chudoba at 540.371.7535. |
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'Tis the Season for Good Parking Media Coverage |
Remember the 10 holiday parking tips news release IPI distributed just before Black Friday? That generated some excellent media coverage, getting picked up by newspapers from coast-to-coast, regional business journals, some insurance and retail business blogs, consumerreports.org, and even WLS-TV, the ABC news affiliate in Chicago, where anchors mentioned IPI and bantered about our parking safety advice in a serious and respectful way. If you missed it, here's the release.
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New Jobs Posted in IPI's Career HQ | |
IPI's CareerHQ is the industry's leading online resource connecting employers with qualified parking industry professionals, and helping those professionals network with potential employers. CareerHQ is provided as a complimentary service to individuals looking for new career opportunities. Below are a few of the most recent jobs posted.
Assistant Manager - LAZ Parking
Transportation Planner - Duke University
Assistant Director for Parking Operations - Duke University
View more job listings
Have a job to post? Reach thousands of parking professionals at www.parking.org/careers.
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Getting Charged Up |
 It seems everyone who's anyone has jumped on the electric vehicle (EV) bandwagon in the last year, up to and including U.S. President Barack Obama, who called for widespread adoption of the technology in his 2011 State of the Union address. It stands to reason that more electric vehicles will require more public charging stations, which would appear to have a potentially huge effect on those who own and manage parking facilities. But is that true? IPI Members can read this article and the rest of the December issue by accessing the online version of The Parking Professional.
To advertise in the award-winning The Parking Professional, contact Bonnie Watts at 540.371.7535. |
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New RFPs Posted on IPI's RFP Portal |  These and 10 other open parking RFPs are available at the IPI RFP Portal. Access to complete RFP details is a benefit of IPI membership.
Sonoma County Regional Parks
For: Parking Pay Stations
City of Orlando, Fla.
For: Parking Access and Revenue Control System
Absalom Jones Center, Wilmington, Del.
For: Parking Lot Replacement
City of Haverhill, Mass.
For: Parking Revenue Control Equipment
Do you have an RFP you would like to have promoted? IPI provides this forum for parking organizations to post their RFPs at no charge. For more information, contact Henry Wallmeyer at 540.371.7535.
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Stories from the Road in the Parking Audit World | |
IPI's Next Webinar
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 2:00 P.M. EST
Instructors: Clyde B. Wilson, Jr., president, The Parking Network, Inc. and Lila Murray, CEO, The Parking Network, Inc.
Instead of presenting you with a dry how-to audit or boring you with an analysis of yet another parking operation, this webinar will take you on the road with a distinguished audit team. The case studies shared, which are real stories from the road, will demonstrate the wide range in which operations may be compromised and subsequently improved.
We are all in the parking business. In the parking business there are a lot of people working in the field doing mundane repetitive tasks for extensive hours, which translates into a lot of people having a lot of free time. Any one person handling cash, even in the best circumstances, may begin to wonder...how could I beat the system?
The parking business is full of so many details that it is impossible to think of everything. Audits are not about a particular field employee or manager. Audits are about managing a surprisingly complicated, dynamic system that is full of loopholes on the best day. The goal of an audit is to improve operations, to make sure the budget is available to purchase controls and hire enough good people to efficiently manage the parking operation and provide great customer service.
This webinar is your ticket to the road show that will enlighten you on how to use audits to benefit your operations and bottom line.
$35.00 for IPI Members; $50.00 for Non-Members
To Register: www.parking.or/webinars
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2012 Awards of Excellence Nominations Submission Deadline Extended | |
 The International Parking Institute is now accepting entries for the 30th Annual Awards of Excellence competition. Each year, IPI recognizes world-class examples of parking design and program innovation. Award categories recognize outstanding achievement in Design, Program/Operations, Rehabilitation, and Aesthetics. This year, two new categories have been added to the competition: Sustainable Parking/Transportation Design (for new facilities) and Best Design/Implementation of a Surface Parking Lot. In addition, Category IV has been upgraded to include existing Sustainable Parking/Transportation Programs or Operations.
Specific criteria being judged include exterior appearance, continuity with the surrounding environment, economy of construction, sustainable practices, security, lighting, ease of use, graphic and art elements, landscaping, architectural treatment, efficiency, compliance with the American Disabilities Act, operations efficiency, and revenue generation.
The deadline for receiving entries has been extended to December 31, 2011. Get all the details and the Official Entry Form.
Please contact Lauri Chudoba or call 540.371.7535 for more information.
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Look for the Golden Ticket! | |
 In celebration of IPI's upcoming 50th anniversary in 2012, we are going to surprise a few very lucky people! In January, a few random issues of The Parking Professional will contain Golden Tickets. Each Golden Ticket will provide the holder with one free registration to the 2012 IPI Conference in Phoenix, Ariz. So make sure to look for The Parking Professional in January and read it cover to cover for your chance to find one of the Golden Tickets!
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Industry Headlines From IPI's Social Media | |
Did you know that IPI provides an easy way to follow the latest news and trends in the parking and transportation industry? Just join us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. IPI staff regularly post information that is important to parking professionals. Here are just a few examples of the stories you may have missed:
Hospital parking fees should be scrapped, journal says http://ow.ly/7IQsm
Six tips for providing adequate surveillance coverage in #parking lots http://ow.ly/7ITIj
In praise of parking authorities - in Toronto via @mtlgazette http://ow.ly/7K9X7
Three green CT parking garages honored by @parkingcouncil http://ow.ly/7LaeC
Lancaster city #parking garages to get new, cheaper lighting http://ow.ly/7MpN0
Parking Lots Offer Safe Haven for Real-Estate Investors via @CNBC .com http://ow.ly/7Mr18 -IPI member Larry Cohen quoted
Parking Study Highlights Need For New Businesses http://ow.ly/7Pl2C
Man survives storefront car crash (video) http://ow.ly/7PBj2 -Read how crashes like this can be avoided (IPI article) http://ow.ly/7PBAH
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