April 2, 2025 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Schaumburg Convention Center), from the bar at Schaumburg Public House with colleagues and contacts, after giving a talk at 2:30 p.m. that day.
Parking Today Media’s Parking Industry Expo (PIE) celebrated its 25th year at Schaumburg Convention Center, gathering dozens of companies offering a wide range of parking and electric vehicle charging solutions. The first thing every attendee agreed on was that parking was free and close to The Expo. Not a joke!
Each of the big parking shows has unique characteristics. I think PIE’s best aspects are that everyone is friendly and happy to see one another. While true that PIE25 is an “expo,” the experience feels more like a get-together or a reunion. Lots of hugs.
One litmus test of a great show is when attendees tell stories from the many years they have attended. One meeting began with an attendee recounting the first PIE she attended 14 years ago. She remembered that year because she had just started her business, and she told me about how much opportunity she saw in parking. Super cool.
Another great thing about PIE is you can walk up to anyone, say hello, and have a brief or long conversation. Just like that. At PIE, everyone is a short walk away, and everyone makes time after their talks to answer questions. It’s parking’s version of “Ask Me Anything.”
Lead generation is another great thing about PIE. The attendee list is shared in advance. Although this does not mean every email gets a response, an attendee list provides much clarity when planning your PIE visit. I knew exactly whom I hoped to meet.
Serendipity is real. I met someone from a giant financial services firm who drove 30 minutes to attend. She explained several payment services we had no idea her firm offered. She had an email from us within 10 minutes, and she attended our talk. Payment services with grace and patience!
As we gathered at the Schaumburg Public House (aka, the bar), I found an energized group of company coworkers, industry colleagues, new acquaintances, and folks who have worked together for years. I got to know someone at a competitor, and we learned that we had a lot of the same ideas about where we hoped the industry was headed.
Ultimately, a good expo depends on the quality and strength of the relationships you make, strengthen, and learn more about. On that criterion, PIE25 crushed it. And yes, we drank to that.
Chris Phenner is the vice president of business development for Flash, Inc. He can be reached at chris.phenner@flashparking.com.
