National Parking Association's 65th Annual Convention & Expo Kicks Off in Atlanta

The National Parking Association’s (NPA) 65th Annual Convention & Expo opens today at the Westin Peachtree Plaza and AmericasMart in Atlanta, Ga. This year, more than 1,300 participants and a sold-out exhibition represent record NPA Convention & Expo numbers. 

The Convention features leading authorities on technology, transportation and business trends shaping the parking industry. This year’s conference focuses on sales, service and parking transformation, and attendees will learn specific strategies to improve the customer experience and company return on investment. Bijan Eghtedari, president, Citizens Lanier Holdings, serves as the 2016 NPA Convention chairperson. 

In addition to education sessions, the NPA Convention & Expo offers numerous networking opportunities for parking professionals to get to know each other, share best practices and put deals in motion. The expo hall at AmericasMart opens Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET. 

“The parking industry is undergoing rapid change in how we do business and interact with our customers,” said Eghtedari. “As NPA continues its strategic focus on providing cutting-edge education for its members, parking professionals will learn the latest trends, technology and best practices that will advance their business processes and bottom lines.” 

Tuesday morning’s keynote address (Tues., Sept. 20, 9:30 a.m. ET) will cover Big Data: Connecting Cars, Parking & Transportation, featuring Bryan Mistele, co-founder, president & CEO of INRIX. Mistele’s background includes working with such brands as Microsoft and Ford, and he will address how transportation data and on-board automobile data and apps will transform the parking experience for both customers and parking operations. 

In addition to 50 interactive education sessions, including the annual Harwood Legal Forum and the Harwood CEO Leadership Forum, NPA presents three new Convention signature sessions:

• NPA Emergency Preparedness Certificate, Tues.-Thurs., Sept. 20-22, 8-9 a.m.
  NPA convention attendees have the in-person opportunity to earn a skills competency certificate in emergency preparedness. The sessions build fundamental knowledge in the application of safety practices within the parking environment. Sponsored by T2.
• Executive Sustainability Series, Wed., September 21, 12-1 p.m. 
  In this session, executive-level parking professionals will learn how Lanier Parking Solutions incorporated green practices into parking operations at Atlantic Station, a premier mixed-use development in Atlanta. Jeff Pinyot of ECO Lighting Solutions will interview Bijan Eghtedari. Sponsored by ECO Lighting Solutions.
• Healthcare MasterClass, Thurs., Sept. 22, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
  Healthcare parking experts from across the U.S. will participate in the daylong interactive program focusing on hospital/medical center customer experience, accessibility, responsible business and engagement. Sponsored by LAZ Parking.

The 2016 NPA Convention & Expo features seven tracks of targeted education for all parking sectors: peak performance, sales and service, maintenance, best practices, business of parking, power play roundtables and Certified Parking Professional (CPP) certification. 

For a complete list of education and networking sessions, go to www.npaconvention.org/2016.

About NPA

The National Parking Association, established in 1951, is the voice of the $28 billion parking & industry composed of private parking owners and public parking operators that together employ more than 143,000 people. NPA is the premier association for parking owners & leaders—providing research, advocacy, and education and credentialing. Visit NPA at www.WeAreParking.org