A guest post by Vicki Pero, principal of the Marlyn Group…
When Women In Parking became a formal organization in late 2011, there were no guarantees in terms of what the future held. Since that time, WIP has grown and matured and it’s clear to anyone who has attended an organization event that it’s here to stay and just starting to realize its potential.
Whether you’re a man or a woman, you might be asking yourself why WIP and its desire to attract and retain talented female professionals in our industry should matter to you. The next time you attend a new business presentation or a client meeting, look around the room. You are likely to notice many more female faces staring back at you than there were 10 years ago. These stakeholders want to see similar representation on your side of the table. In addition, from the customer perspective, women make or influence over 85% of buying decisions in their households. It’s probably a good idea to have their perspective represented within your organization, so you can better understand whom you’re selling to.
Since the very beginning, WIP has hosted networking events at each of the national parking shows and continues to do so today. In addition, we held our inaugural conference, with the help of John Van Horn and Parking Today, in March following the PIE Show in Chicago. This was the first year of what will be an annual event going forward.
One of the most popular benefits WIP makes available to its members is a mentoring program that pairs seasoned industry professionals with women who are newer to parking. This program has recently kicked off its second year with even more participants than were involved in 2013. Programs like this touch the core mission of WIP, which is to promote advancement and achievement of women in the parking industry.
In June, WIP is honored to have produced the entire Parking Today magazine. This is again to the credit of John Van Horn who made his magazine available for this purpose. When you read this edition, you won’t find articles that talk about advancing women in the industry or tips on how to help women succeed in your organization. You will find articles written by female professionals representing their areas of expertise in various industry disciplines.
So, if you haven’t gotten involved in Women In Parking yet, what are you waiting for? We hope to see you at our next event.
To learn more about Women In Parking, visit www.womeninparking.com
