Greetings Parking Professionals!!!

I hope your summer went well and that you were able get some R&R (rest and recuperation—as I was taught when our family was in the military). There’s something that has been on my mind that I would like to share with you. I wasn’t sure that I would say anything, but the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that positive change doesn’t typically come about by not speaking up.

I’m fortunate to serve on multiple organizational boards (I am also a member of the IPMI Board of Directors) and have served as chair of more committees than I can remember. As a result, my business has benefited from involvement in many areas of transportation (in addition to parking) and in many countries. Living the life of the consultant means you are constantly learning and applying—and don’t get me started on the importance of networking. I like to say that if you have a question, I’ve probably heard it before and can relate an answer to some sort of past/parallel experience—whether it be from transit or toll systems or construction or traveler information or commercial vehicles or intermodal freight or…parking! The beauty is that when I don’t know the answer, I know someone who does. That’s not bragging, that’s just a fact of knowing so many of you in the parking industry that have seen and done some amazing things. I learn from all of you!!

Here is what I really need you to think about. I was attending a conference while working for two clients on the subject of truck parking and was also serving as a reference for some international truck parking initiatives. I knew that I could get some good information from the exhibit floor to help those clients while at the same time I could serve as a business matchmaker between those clients and the relevant vendors. When I walked the floor, there were exhibitors that looked at me and treated me as an inconvenience—even turning their backs on me chatting among themselves about happy hour while I stood there waiting to ask questions, not realizing who I was, what I was doing and how it could possibly change the direction of their business. There were also exhibitors that took the time to treat me like I was a potential customer that deserved to be heard and knew that even though they didn’t know me, they knew that business changing potential can come from a stranger. 

Guess which vendors and products I included in my reports that are viewed by U.S. Federal agencies, state governments, and in foreign client presentations? Always remember, just because a person that visits your booth is unknown to you or a person of color or short or female or works for a company you’ve never heard of doesn’t mean that this person you’ve pre-judged purely on appearance can’t be the key to the best year your company has ever had. Be smart and take full advantage of your exhibit booth investment. Opportunity sometimes comes in the most unfamiliar packages.