By Ben Schnabel, PTMP
As parking professionals, we are very comfortable with providing parking as a service. People visit our parking location because it is close to where they want to go. The actual experience of parking is not the event that they are looking forward to, it is part of a process to get to that event. So, what happens when parking IS the main event? It means that professionals that are used to providing efficient and effective service now need to consider another aspect – hospitality.
Welcome to the tailgate lot. Tailgating can happen before a variety of events, but it is most closely associated with football. The fall season and the start of an academic year put a particularly festive energy in the air before a college football game. Students, Alumni, and fans alike are excited for the game, but also excited to tailgate. Parking lots become a sea of tents and flags that display school colors. Grills, tables, chairs, and yard games are mixed in with the vast crowd of people enjoying beverages that would rival any local bar.
Suddenly, people are in your lot to have FUN. With fun comes the delicate task of balancing order and revelry. You want everyone to have a good time, but their good time shouldn’t encroach on the good time of other people. This is where the rules that are established and how they are enforced become an important part of the operation.
The best rules in a hospitality environment are those that empower staff onsite to manage the situation and do what is right for that situation. Rules that are unnecessarily restrictive or rigid can cause as many problems as no rules at all. “Follow the direction of the parking staff” is the best rule you can have. Let your staff know that the rules and guidelines that we have are so that everyone can enjoy the tailgating experience. When everyone listens to the parking staff and respects the other tailgaters, the tailgate lot can be a very festive and fun environment.
Ben Schnabel, PTMP, is an Assistant Director for Parking Operations at the University of Minnesota. Ben can be reached at schna015@umn.edu.