Have you been out to see a sporting event lately? Chances are that if you have the biggest letdown has been all the waiting. Yet it is not the waiting in between timeouts, periods or innings, it’s the time spent waiting in the car. It’s not an unknown that there will be traffic on the roads to reach the destination of your game or sporting activity, yet the biggest killer is reaching the arena and having to wait in the car. There is nothing worse than being able to see fans walking into a stadium or gym, while you wait because you still need to park.
However there is new technology being ushered in that may alleviate this headache. The concept is similar to EZPass for highways, and is already being used at the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars. It is called Parkhub.com and will allow fans to validate all pre purchased parking with credit cards. According to Craig Courson, executive vice president and CFO at American Airlines Center, there are opportunities to “maximize the system and our revenue potential.” This is great news for fans, as it was implemented on January 5th and Parkhub.com has gone above and beyond to make it an easy and seamless transition for fans to park.
This new technology bodes well for sport goers and citizens that live in cities with sports teams. Easier, faster parking will help with traffic and fans will be able to get around the city faster. Overall the greatest benefit is for fan, which will be able to get into their game sooner, and have the ability to spend more time looking at memorabilia, shop at team stores, take pictures and visit concessions stands. All of which are good for business. After all most fans don’t go simply to see players play but to get a full experience that does not consist of waiting in the parking lot.
The American Airlines Center and Parkhub.com are ushering in a new era that will see a busy fan spend less time in the car, and more time in the arena. This technology has a chance to change the way people park at sporting events; they are a trendsetter, and it’s only a matter time before arenas and stadiums follow.