Many institutions host more than 100 events each year, and when you consider the daily parking needs, managing event parking can become overwhelming. But there's a solution: event parking software can help bring things under control.
First, let's break down the two main functions of event parking: planning and management. Event planning software helps organizers (whether they're people or departments) prepare for the parking needs of an event. It allows them to arrange spaces, resources, and money in advance. On the other hand, event management software is used to handle the parkers before, during, and after the event.
In this article, we'll focus on "planning the parking". It involves everything from creating the event to completing it, including managing people, places, things, and money. The key is to connect everyone and everything together using the internet and mobile devices. These tools do the heavy lifting of communication and organization.
The goal is to get everything right long before the event day, provide real-time control during the event, and give parking managers the tools to review and improve both the current and future events.
(In the next blog next month, we'll talk more about managing event parking using software.)
How does it work?
Parking managers can use the internet, cloud services, and mobile devices to organize all the people involved. Event planners can create and request events on their own. They can choose and reserve parking spaces and locations for specific dates. They can also ask for help with staffing, cones, or parking arrangements. Planners provide all the necessary details and requirements ahead of time.
Then, the parking managers review, approve, or assist the planners with their event. Servers, which are powerful computers, handle all the hard work and connect everyone together. They make sure there are no conflicts like double bookings or allocation issues. They also manage the reservation of cones, signs, and other things needed for the event.
The servers communicate with everyone involved, assigning parking spaces and providing directions. All the important information is stored securely in the cloud, allowing managers to handle the event before, during, and after, and analyze how it went to improve future events.
What features should a good event planning software have?
Accessibility for all event personnel:
Being easily accessible is important for every department. An event management software will give you both online backend and frontend management. Online backend management allows your administrator to view analytics and reports with ease. An online front counter helps customers purchase permits or view parking without having to come into the office.
Live Inventory Tracking:
When creating an event, you need to know what resources are available, at any given time. A quality event planning software makes this easy with live inventory tracking. That way you know exactly how much of each resource is available.
Customized, Targeted Communication:
Having a customer fill out multiple forms means something gets lost in translation. A great feature your event planning software should have is being able to customize your event request forms. This allows you to get specific information about what your customer needs with simple-to-use forms. Customization and simplification can cut down on unnecessary data collection.
Billing - Done and Done:
If you want to eliminate payments in person or over the phone, then an online payment portal is a must-have feature for event planning software. Customers should be able to pay their invoice directly through the portal. This makes it easier for both parties involved in the transaction. Another thing to consider is automated messages sent throughout the payment process. No more confusion on a customer's payment status.
Use Analytics to Improve Parking:
In addition to streamlining processes, an event planning software should provide robust analytics. These analytics can help inform important business decisions in the future. You should be able to track customer interactions with your website, and analyze customer data to optimize your operations.
An event planning software can offer incredible benefits that make managing events easier than ever before. With features like customized invoicing, live inventory tracking, form customization, payment portals, and analytics, an event planning portal can help streamline your business operations while ensuring that your customers have a positive experience every step of the way!