NPA Convention & Expo 2023
The SAPS team takes their message on the road to the National Parking Association tradeshow.
NPA Conference: A Hub for the Parking Industry
SilMan Automated Parking Systems (SAPS) participated in the 2023 National Parking Association Convention and Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aka NOLA.
This was the first time for SilMan to be an exhibitor at the tradeshow.
The conference has a powerful draw, bringing together a wide variety of parking professionals, including Municipal and University facility leadership, private parking operators of all sizes, architects, consultants, and professionals representing a myriad of traditional and high-tech parking solutions.
Attendees were offered breakout sessions by leading suppliers and consultants. The presentations were grouped in three categories – Business Intelligence, Mobility, and Transportation Trends – with topics ranging from business operations, parking solutions, and long-term strategizing. The event kicked off with keynote speaker Robyn Benincasa, adventure racer and author, who convincingly made the battle call for the value teamwork.
Team SilMan in attendence at the NPA Conference: Steve Emahiser, Logan Nguyen, Jeremy Hendrix, Ben Ohmart, and Tom Mangin.
Showtime! A Brand-New Tradeshow Booth
The 2023 NPA Expo included the premiere our new exhibitor’s booth.
Fashioned in the spirit of our home office, the booth is a creative meeting space, which communicate SilMan’s commitment to collaboration. Moreover, the structural approach emphasizes our core competencies: engineering, project management, and skilled trades, bundled in authentic relationships.
The final product was a collaborative effort with Michele Fraichard at Flux Appeal and Woody Stratton and his amazing team at Axiom Custom.
A Community of Parking Professionals
While SilMan has been in the parking industry since 2015, this was our first experience interacting with the parking community beyond client relationships. Our feedback in one word is “Wow.”
Our team was enthusiastically welcomed. The wide variety of technologies and services related to our product created a “neighborhood” vibe and provided four great days of learning and making new friends.
And, of course, the team had a little bit of fun. Events included mixers at local historical sites and Bourbon Street hotspots.
The SAPS booth included a giant jenga game for guests to test their steady hand while contemplating mechanical parking.
However, attendees were not the only ones enjoying the game. It turns out that Jeremy, our SAPS engineer, has got game. Check him out!
What is the NPA?
Founded in 1951, the National Parking Association (NPA) is a leading trade organization for the parking sector. Aside from providing advocacy and education to the parking community, they are seasoned convention hosts.
One aspect we deeply appreciated is their approach to scheduling, which ensures that break-out sessions and learning opportunities do not conflict with Trade Show Expo hours. This approach supports attendees who often have limited time for a conference by avoiding conflicting offerings. It is also great for exhibitors who spend a lot of time and money for the opportunity to get infront of prospects, clients, and partners.
Stacy Hudson is at the helm. She has been an amazing partner and was irreplaceable in helping SilMan to land on our feet in our first year on the tradeshow floor.
Their website says it all. www.WeAreParking.org
We are looking forward to seeing everyone again in Las Vegas in 2024!
