Transportation and parking are often overlooked aspects of conference planning, but they can make or break the attendee experience. If you want to avoid traffic jams, parking shortages, and unhappy guests, you need to plan ahead and implement some effective strategies. Here are some tips to help you manage conference transportation and parking.
When evaluating your venue and location, the first step is to consider factors such as the distance and accessibility from the airport, train station, or other public transit hubs, the availability and cost of parking spaces, both on-site and off-site, the traffic patterns and congestion levels around the venue and nearby attractions, as well as the environmental impact and sustainability of different modes of transportation. Based on your assessment, you can determine the best ways to accommodate your attendees and speakers, and communicate them clearly in advance.
What we usually do for our employees is to allow them to choose the most convenient for them. We encourage carpooling for those who are relatively near each other. Our instruction is clear, they come on time using whatever transportation means is convenient and we will allow them to reimburse it.
Comece com uma avalia??o detalhada do local da conferência e sua acessibilidade. Considere a proximidade com aeroportos, esta??es de trem ou paradas de ?nibus, e a facilidade de acesso por rotas principais.
Providing shuttle services or rideshare discounts for attendees and speakers is a convenient and cost-effective way to manage conference transportation and parking. This can not only reduce the need for personal vehicles, but also ease the parking demand and enhance safety and comfort. You can arrange shuttle buses or vans to run between the venue and the airport, train station, or other designated locations. Additionally, you can negotiate discounts or vouchers with rideshare companies like Uber or Lyft, and share them with your guests. Furthermore, you can coordinate carpooling or ride-sharing among your attendees and speakers through apps or platforms like Eventbrite or Zimride.
Shuttles and rideshare options help to provide cost effective and efficient transportation options. With shuttles and black cars you have the ability to brand, have an ambassador, and create a unique personalized touch even before they arrive at the venue. If you find that the time between flights are too spaced and would leave people waiting too long for either, offering a Uber or Lyft code is a great option. It allows for attendees to better control their travel, scheduling their time at their convenience and also offers savings for your budget. In addition, both offers great networking opportunities as I find that even with Lyft and Uber people still share cars to their location.
Negocie acordos com servi?os de transporte locais ou plataformas de carona compartilhada para oferecer descontos para os participantes. Isso n?o só facilita o acesso ao evento, mas também promove uma op??o de viagem mais sustentável.
If you are expecting a large number of attendees and speakers to drive to your conference, you need to make sure there are enough parking spaces available. You can reserve or rent parking spaces near the venue, either on-site or off-site, and include them in the registration fee or offer them as an add-on option. Additionally, you can partner with local businesses, hotels, or institutions that have unused or underutilized parking spaces and arrange a fee or a trade-off. Alternatively, you can use online platforms like ParkMe or SpotHero to find and book parking spaces in advance and share them with your attendees and speakers.
Para participantes que preferem dirigir, garanta que haja estacionamento suficiente. Considere alugar espa?os adicionais de estacionamento próximos ao local, se necessário, e forne?a essa informa??o claramente aos participantes.
Technology can help you streamline the transportation and parking process, and improve the attendee experience. For example, you can use online tools such as Google Maps or Waze to provide real-time traffic updates, directions, and alternative routes. Additionally, contactless parking payments, validations, and access can be enabled using QR codes, NFC tags, or Bluetooth beacons. To further inform your attendees and speakers of the availability and location of parking spaces, you can use digital signage, LED displays, or SMS alerts.
Aplicativos móveis e sistemas online podem ser usados para reservar vagas de estacionamento com antecedência ou para organizar caronas compartilhadas entre os participantes, melhorando a experiência geral.
The last step is to solicit feedback and evaluate the results of your transportation and parking management. You can conduct surveys or polls after the conference to gather insights from attendees and speakers regarding their satisfaction, challenges, and suggestions. Additionally, you can analyze the data and metrics from your transportation and parking providers, platforms, and tools to measure performance, efficiency, and impact. With this information, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your transportation and parking management to improve your future conferences.
Após a conferência, colete feedback sobre a experiência de transporte e estacionamento. Use essas informa??es para fazer ajustes e melhorias para eventos futuros.
N?o se esque?a de planejar para acessibilidade, garantindo que participantes com mobilidade reduzida possam acessar facilmente o transporte e o estacionamento.