Women In Parking is coming to Britain and Europe

The Women In Parking organisation, which will launch its European Chapter at Intertraffic 2016

A growing number of parking organisations have women in senior management roles, but more needs to be done to encourage women to aspire to the top roles. Inspiring and mentoring women in the sector is the primary focus of an organisation called Women In Parking (WIP). The organisation was founded in the United States during 2011 to serve as the lead association dedicated of female parking professionals by providing networking, leadership, and career outreach opportunities to its members. 

WIP is now widely recognised across the United States’ parking industry. The effort has paid off, as WIP currently has over 200 members and the support of many top parking companies both nationally and internationally.

However, WIP remains relatively unknown in Europe. In April WIP hopes this will change when it runs a networking event at Intertraffic Amsterdam at which it will discuss its aims and share its ambitions. The objective is to use the event to launch a European chapter of WIP.

Changing perceptions Stateside

For the past four years, WIP has worked diligently to make organisations across the North American parking industry aware of the benefits of creating a gender-balanced workforce. 

It makes sense to engage all stakeholders, so WIP membership is open to both males and females from all levels within parking organisations. Many top level executives in parking – which are still predominantly male – support WIP’s mission to encourage diversity within the workplace. 

A supportive network

WIP has achieved success in generating membership in North America by supporting its goals through focussing on education, networking and mentorship. The organisation provides a number of educational opportunities, including quarterly webinars and newsletters that offer practical insight from industry professionals. 

Networking events are also hosted by WIP at almost every national parking exhibition, including our own annual conference, at which women and men alike connect, learn more about respective organisations and establish relationships for potential business opportunities. 

From an educational perspective, WIP’s mentoring programme offers the greatest value to members as senior leaders provide guidance and insight to their paired mentees in the areas of professional and personal development. Such resources are often hard to find within the industry. 

The European mission

Given that the European parking labour market continues to see an increase in female representation in recent years, the introduction of the WIP organisation is very timely for the industry as a whole.

Women now run some of Europe’s largest parking businesses and organisations – Ashley Bijster at Imperial Civil Enforcement Solutions and Jo Cooper at National Car Parks in the UK, and Ana Preost at Zagreb Parking in Croatia, to name just a few. However, many of Europe’s most influential female leaders in parking agree that female professionals are still underrepresented in the parking and transportation industry. Luckily, they are willing to contribute to making a positive change.

Working alongside a number of European parking partners, WIP is hosting a networking event on 7 April at RAI Amsterdam, which will we introduce our organisation and explain our mission and member benefits. 

The networking event at Intertraffic will be sponsored by WIP corporate member Scheidt & Bachmann. 

Martin Kammler, Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH’s managing director and EPA Board associate member, says: “It is imperative that global leaders in parking recognise the valuable initiative that an organisation such as Women In Parking can bring to business discussions. I am fully supportive of a more diverse environment where collaborative ideas can be brought to the table to reach our fullest potential. 

“This is not only a matter of supporting gender equality in the workplace but more importantly about recognising valuable talent within our organisations by giving them necessary tools to grow and succeed.”

Building a brighter future

WIP’s great hope is that engaging with delegates at Intertraffic Amsterdam and other parking conferences will see a more inclusive representation amongst attendees, enabling us to engage in a discussion that builds a brighter future for professionals in parking. 

Laura Longsworth, current chair of WIP and vice president of national parking operations for Brookfield Properties, says: “The mission of Women in Parking is to influence the success of the parking industry by advancing the achievements of female parking professionals. WIP does this by looking outward to bring more women into the industry, showcasing member successes and serving as a key resource to its members and the industry. 

“As a WIP member, you will be part of an energised group of leaders that shares and exchanges expert knowledge, industry insights and enterprise building opportunities. Team work and collaboration is the key to WIP’s long term success. We look forward to the opportunity to making new connections across the parking community!” 

www.womeninparking.com

Tiffany Yu is secretary of Women in Parking and a marketing specialist at Scheidt & Bachmann USA

Women In Parking Networking event

Time: 5-7pm 

Date: 7 April 2016

Where: Booth 02.102 (Scheidt & Bachmann), Intertraffic 2016

RSVP attendance to: yu.tiffany@s-b-usa.com