June 2023 witnessed significant developments in the parking industry, specifically with vehicle-centric digital services, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and sustainable mobility solutions. Major collaborations and initiatives aimed to enhance the driving experience, simplify parking and charging, and promote green transportation. Overall it's been a busy month, and if you're already reading this we're willing to bet that you have been just as busy, but don't worry, we have all the news wrapped up for you here!

Venue Parking can either be an asset or a pitfall for you and your customers - depending on how you manage it. This week in our blog we will look at the basic dos and don'ts when it comes to event and venue parking, an often overlooked aspect of event planning.  There's nothing like inadequate parking that can put a dampener on an event. Whether you are attending, hosting, or even just living close to an event venue, disorganized parking can quickly turn into a nightmare. Congestion, potential accidents, obstruction of emergency exits, street overflow...

Exploring the topic of hospital parking exposes many varying and diverse viewpoints and grievances. Balancing the provision of a vital service during challenging times while ensuring safety and smooth operations poses a huge challenge. While some argue for a singular solution, at Parking Network, we embrace a more open-minded approach. Today, we delve into global trends in hospital parking, offering insights into practices and challenges felt globally. Well-implemented parking facilities ensure that patients, visitors, and healthcare providers can easily access the hospital premises.

Progress, in any industry, is essential. But without knowledge, steps forward can be misguided and end up creating more issues than solving them. In order to keep up with our rapidly changing environments we must make sure we are learning as much as we can, accurately. This is where the power of data analytics comes in.  ''Data analytics'' has become a common term in today's working culture. It refers to the process of examining large sets of information to uncover patterns, trends, and insights. This data then informs decision-making and drives improvements! Sounds good right?

Summer is almost upon us, and as the weather gets warmer earlier than usual, people are preparing for their summer holidays. The Pandemic caused a popularity surge in staycations, a trend that does not seem to be going anywhere with more and more people choosing to travel in their own country and support local tourism. An Irish native, this author decided to take in almost 900km of the Irish West Coast, in a twenty-year-old campervan, with her fiance and mother-in-law-to-be. However, the cramped traveling arrangements were not the most challenging aspect of this trip.

Did you know Parking Networks' headquarters is based in a small Dutch city called Maastricht? Nestled in a valley in the south of the Netherlands, Maastricht is famous for its medieval-era architecture, vibrant cultural scene, gothic churches and cobblestoned streets. Known as ''Little Paris'', if you visit Maastricht you would be more likely to see bikes zooming around the city than cars. This is due to Maastricht's clever underground parking infrastructure, but also because the main city center has almost entirely designed for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport.

The concept of a webinar (web seminar) was introduced in the late 1980s when the internet was still being developed. Although at the time, there was no possibility to share screens - it was limited to text-based formats. Technology advanced over the next decade to allow users to share data in real time while communicating with each other - allowing one person to show a presentation to hundreds and thousands of people from anywhere in the world. The early software editions even had features like polling and private chatting. With these developments, the modern-day webinar was born!

In short, yes. But don’t stop reading yet! We will explain why. Trade shows have been around for centuries. Traditionally they were used to buy, sell, and – yes you guessed it – trade spices, fur, leather, and other agricultural commodities in medieval Europe. Over the years they have evolved to meet modern needs and allow the sharing of knowledge, products, and services that meet the demand of growing and shifting economies.

The Hague introduces €50 flat fee for parking to deter drivers from parking close to the beach and city center  In an effort to prevent tourists and visitors from clogging up historic areas and seaside roads, a new pilot scheme in The Hague has introduced a flat fee of €50 for parking in certain streets, including those around the popular Scheveningen beach. The scheme, which will last for one year, aims to discourage short drives and reduce congestion in the city center and seaside areas, particularly on sunny days.

Last week we looked at 3 ways that we can make our public car spaces more environmentally friendly, exploring topics like renewable energy resources, managing the parking process with the latest parking and payment software, and supporting EV charging. This week we will look at private car park spaces, the impact they have on our environment, and the various strategies we can take to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainability. The ownership structure of car parks can vary depending on the location.