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Metropolitan cities are witnessing a steady rise in the number of vehicles, contributing to the already severe problem of congestion and pollution. When large-scale events such as concerts and exhibitions are organized, it only gets worse. They bring an influx of visitors to a facility (ground, stadium, theatre), creating a logistical nightmare for parking operators. However, events don’t need to be the parking nightmare they so often turn out to be. With technology, visitors can be given timely, accurate information, and parking operators can effectively event parking.

Let’s read how Smart Parking solutions can transform event parking:

• Smart parking at events

How can a city handle a sudden surge in traffic around the event facility, with a spike in the demand for parking? It is during such events that a city’s parking system and management are put to test. A few countries that have continuously succeeded in handling traffic and parking during major events are the US, the UK, Germany, Singapore, and Japan. These countries use intelligent parking systems comprising of smart parking apps and sensors to provide event attendees with real-time information about the best route to the event, parking spaces available at or near the venue, and the tariffs.

This information enables event attendees to make quick and informed decisions about parking even before reaching the facility. Thus, they are able to save time and fuel, instead of circling around parking lots, desperately looking for an empty space. This also means they enjoy the event without any hassle or frustration, resulting in a smoother event experience.

Through smart parking apps that optimize allocation, spots can be booked in advance. This enables users to get fast-track access to the event parking, which typically has several access points and gates. With sensors on gates to read car plate numbers and check their eligibility, the parking process is streamlined. By integrating an online payment gateway into the parking app, event attendees can enter and exit parking spaces with ease. Thus, smart parking solutions equip parking staff to help motorists find parking, informing them of parking availability in real-time. Visitors can then be directed to empty lots, easing frustration for them and the event staff.

• Improved parking revenue

Large-scale events are often a huge source of revenue for the organizers. Thus, a successful event is bound to garner word-of-mouth publicity, resulting in a potentially higher attendance for future events, even making for a constant stream of income. Moreover, the government also gets revenue from parking tariffs. Thus, it is necessary to make the event parking experience as seamless as possible. Through parking apps, event attendees can discover underutilized parking lots, translating into additional revenue for the facility owners and the government. The better the parking experience, the greater the odds of repeat customers. Thus, investing in smart parking solutions can generate increased parking revenue for operators and city administrations.

• Transforming the event parking experience with smart parking

With real-time parking information, organizers can post lot status updates, generate reports, and provide a mobile-optimized experience. Ultimately, equipping parking staff with smart parking tools creates a positive experience for everyone, eliminating the frustration inherent in event attendance. Attendees that benefit from such parking apps will continue to use this technology, accelerating the use of smart parking technology.

Get My Parking has supported some large-scale events in the past, offering a seamless management experience to parking operators. In May 2016, GMP served as the official smart parking partner for Maha Kumbh in Ujjain, an event that brought together over 60 million people and 5 million vehicles, over 30 days of scorching heat. Last year, we extended our expertise and operational consultancy to Isha Foundation which saw about 1 million devotees attend a mass meditation on Maha Shivratri. While such a large gathering had all the makings of chaos, Get My Parking deftly handled the end-to-end parking management at the location. At both events, we deployed a smart parking suite of advanced parking management, real-time availability display boards, dashboards, and a mobile and web app for online bookings.

Intelligent parking solutions not only transform stressful and painful parking experiences into stress-free parking experiences for attendees but also help generate additional revenue for the government and organizers. Leveraging this technology results in a win-win situation for major stakeholders and the benefits, monetary or otherwise, reaped from this technology, simply cannot be ignored. Smart parking can make all the difference between a stressful and a successful event.