“You are going where?”

“The LA Auto Show.”

“But I thought you worked in parking.”

“ I do.”

So went a recent conversation with a friend who, coincidentally, used to design booths for auto shows.  He couldn’t believe there would be any interest in parking at the big one in Los Angeles. My response to him was to evoke a famous Bob Dylan track: The Times They Are a-Changin’.

One of the major trends for 2013 has been the connected car. Parking seems to not only fit extremely well into this trend, but is establishing itself as one of the essential elements.

We saw a glimpse of this back in September at the Frankfurt Auto Show, where European automakers showcased their leading technology. You guessed it, parking was there!

At the LA Auto Show, it became very clear that the automotive world sees parking as a very logical addition to navigation systems, and that these systems are fast gaining momentum toward being a standard in-car feature.

As Paul Asel, managing partner of Nokia Growth Partners, commented, “New auto technologies adopted in the next few years have the potential to alter our driving experience more than at any time in the past 50 years. The LA Auto Show offered a glimpse of what the next few years may offer. Much more is yet to come.”

Whether you operate a parking lot, provide parking information through a website or app, or manage payments and/or reservations, the auto world is ready to knock on your door.