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In a world buzzing with digital notifications and constant online noise, there’s something deeply powerful about shaking someone’s hand.
The moment you find something in common over coffee, share a laugh at happy hour or make eye contact across the expo hall – that’s not just a connection. That’s a conversion (or retention) in motion.
I’m grateful to work in an industry that truly gets this. The parking and mobility industry places a high value on in-person events and continues to invest time, money and energy in real-life interactions.
At Parker Technology, we attend 15+ trade shows every year, and that’s not counting all the other events we host and attend.
When someone new enters this industry, one of the first things they say is how genuinely kind and caring everyone is. It’s not about the hard sell. It’s about building relationships.
In this blog, I want to share why these personal, meaningful interactions matter more than ever, and exactly how we create them.
Why Interactions Matter More Than Ever
Let’s face it: the digital world is noisy.
Emails get sent to spam, ads get ignored and LinkedIn messages go unread. But experiences? They leave an impression.
According to Freeman’s 2024 Attendee Intent and Behavior survey, 80% of respondents say in-person events are the most trusted marketing channel. Why? Because real conversations lead to real relationships.
When you’re face-to-face, people lower their guard. You can talk details. You can talk life. That’s when business decisions happen, from a place of trust.
Let’s be honest. People are more likely to remember a connection made at a happy hour than anything you wrote in a nurture email. That’s just facts. Coming from someone who writes those nurture emails.
How Parker Creates Powerful Interactions
In this industry, Parker is known for our in-person events. We don’t just show up. We show up with intention. Here’s how:
1. Trade Shows – Where Face Time = Fast Trust
We take a tailored approach to every trade show. For bigger shows, we plan out pre-show campaigns with emails, social posts and personal reach-outs.
Once we’re there, we exhibit with a booth and attend sessions and events to connect with industry pros organically.
But the secret sauce? Post-show follow-up. We use tools like Romify to track leads and send pre-formatted emails that keep the conversation warm. That touchpoint can be the difference between “nice meeting you” and “let’s work together.”
2. Client Dinners & Happy Hours – The Relationship Builders
Nobody wants to be pitched over steak. That’s not how partnerships are built.
Instead, we invite our clients and prospects to events where the only goal is connection. These informal settings help us build personal relationships, spark meaningful conversations and simply make people feel good.
And yes, sometimes a handshake at a happy hour leads to a signed contract later. But we don’t do it for the close. We do it because we care.
3. Site Visits & HQ Tours – Letting Our Brand Speak for Itself
This past year, we’ve leaned into site visits and headquarters tours, and the impact has been incredible.
At NPA last year, we hosted call center tours at our Las Vegas HQ. Visitors were blown away by the scale of our operations and the sophistication of our call-handling process. It’s one thing to describe it on a slide deck, it’s another thing entirely to see it in action.
We’re now inviting more prospects to our HQs to show them exactly what we do and how we take the weight off their shoulders. It’s transparency, trust and “wow factor” all in one.
4. FUSION25 User Conference – Building a Branded Ecosystem
We’re trying something completely different this year. We’re hosting our very first in-person user conference!
This isn’t your typical industry event. It’s hyper-focused on our customers, partners and friends in the parking world.
Every touchpoint is designed to feel personal and valuable, from the content to the speakers to the swag.
Our goal is to equip attendees with strategies to drive business growth and hone their professional skills.
It’s all about our solution, our team and how we can help each other succeed.
The ROI of Human Touch
This isn’t just feel-good fluff. There’s business value here. Stronger relationships = better retention and more referrals.
Trust builds faster in person than over email. It’s easier to trust someone you’ve actually met and spoken with than someone whose name only lives in your inbox.
In-person experiences reduce friction, accelerate decision-making and deepen loyalty.
When people feel seen and understood, they don’t just buy. They stay. Which is the whole point.
Let’s Make It Personal
Here’s the thing: we’re all in the business of people. And people remember how you made them feel.
So, whether it’s a trade show chat, a casual coffee or a site visit, make it count. These moments are where real loyalty is born.
Want to connect with our team? Check where we’ll be at for our next trade show and we can set up one of these meaningful, in-person meetings.
Katelyn Perman
Content Marketing Manager
Katelyn Perman has 4+ years of experience in marketing, specializing in social media strategy, email campaigns, graphic design and copywriting. She holds a B.S. in Strategic Communication and Human Communication Studies from Indiana Wesleyan University.