WOW! For all those who could not attend the 2006 SWPA Conference, you missed a great time! At the time this went to press (boy, that's an outdated term), we were still tabulating the final list of attendees, feedback, etc. I will have more to report on these items next month.

The Arizona Golf Resort was a great venue and I hope you all join me in congratulating the Conference Committee for a job well done. Many thanks to all of this year's sponsors, especially to our Presidential Sponsor and long time supporter, Access & Time Automation, Inc.

There were many people behind the scenes who made this a successful conference. A special thank you to the folks at Carl Walker, Inc. who prepared the CDs containing the speakers' presentations for attendees. We were excited to be able to provide the information in this format. Please let us know if this is a helpful benefit to you.

Speaking of feedback, we appreciated receiving conference feedback forms at the end of the show. Your input is valuable and I encourage you to mail or email any additional comments you may have regarding the conference, trade show and networking activities.

Also, I would like to thank all of you who submitted names of associates who are interested in learning more about SWPA and possibly joining the association. As a result, the Give-it-up Membership Drive has increased membership to over 120 members. Thanks again for making this very important effort, and Welcome to our new members!

A special note about elections for the board of directors. Typically, elections are held in conjunction with the conference however, due to time constraints each year around this time, elections have officially been moved to November of each year. As a result, there is still time to nominate members who may be interested in running for the board. Again, if you are interested or know of someone, please contact Tad McDowell at tad.mcdowell@ccmail.nevada.edu. Official election information will be released shortly.

As a reminder, we are preparing for the next training seminar later this Fall, to be held in Nevada. This will be a hot topic at our next Board meeting, scheduled for October 5th at 8:30am at the ASU University Services Building in Tempe, Arizona. Please contact me or any board member for more information and directions if you would like to attend. As always, we encourage your participation.

Getting involved means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty, making new friends and having a real experience along the way.

Ray

Raymond J. Humbert

swpa1@southwestparking.org

SWPA's 5th Annual Conference and Trade Show

Chuck Gillen, Access & Time Automation

What a great show! It was a special year as the Southwest Parking Association celebrated it's 5th Anniversary. Thank you to everyone who attended, exhibited and sponsored at this year's event in Mesa, Arizona.

A very special thanks to our Presidential Sponsor, Access & Time Automation, Inc. Sponsorships are important to the organization and make it possible to provide a complete conference and networking experience for attendees. Thanks for your continued support and contributions.

Attendees gather for educational sessions, exhibits and networking at the Arizona Golf Resort.

A variety of educational sessions were offered by industry professionals. Topics included Event Venues/Planning for Shared Use Parking, Technology Trends, Award Winning Parking Management & Strategies, Benefits of hiring a Consultant, Creating Effective Training Programs and Validation programs to name a few. A CD containing each presentation was included in each attendee's registration packet.

Thanks to all the companies who exhibited in this year's trade show. Exhibit booths included a variety of products and services including pay machine equipment, parking permits and tickets, consulting, parking construction, wireless technology solutions, and valet services to name a few.

Additional thanks goes to our Platinum Premier Sponsor

Ray Humbert, SWPA President and Jim Sayre, Conference Chair, present Michelle Wendler of Watry Design, Inc. with an award of appreciation at the Rockin' R Ranch closing event.

Conference Events and Prize Winners

The 5th Annual Golf Tournament was sponsored by McGann Software.

Jeff Becker with McGann Software (far right), is presented with an award of appreciation at the closing event held at the Rockin' R Ranch.

The tournament's 1st place Winners were: Mark Rudametkin (US Airways Center), Dong Glenn (Univ. of New Mexico), Peter Young (Digital Printing), and Todd Dorsey (T2 Systems). The winner for the longest drive was Jeff Becker and Closest to the Pin honors went to Dick Bianchi (Standard Parking). Proceeds from the tournament benefit the SWPA Scholarship Program.

The Texas Hold'Em Tournament was sponsored by Transcore, with special prize sponsors, Guardian and AWID.

Texas Hold' Em Tournament Champion, Mike Delahanty from the University of Arizona.

Attendees were out in full force and having a great time at the first Hold' Em tournament. SWPA raised $150 in donations which also benefits the Scholarship Fund. The final table of tournament players won various prizes. To the right, Tad McDowell (even though he is from Las Vegas!) had to settle for a consolation prize. It was Mike Delahanty who outplayed them all, taking home the Grand Prize - the coveted Hold'Em trophy, games and more. Be sure to look for our champ on the 2007 ESPN World Poker Tour. Go Mike!!!

For those who weren't so good at bluffing in Hold'Em, there was still fun to be had at the Blackjack table!

Michelle Horton (UNR), Blake Laufer (T2 Systems), and Cherie Hudson (ASU Downtown Campus) are all smiles. (A good indicator that it's not water in that Dasani bottle!)

Stay tuned for the 2006 Conference Wrap Up~ Part 2 in next month's newsletter.

SAVE THE DATE! Next year's conference planning is already underway for Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 2nd - 5th, 2007. It is never too soon to let us know what you'd like to see at the next conference and trade show. Please visit the SWPA website and email us with your suggestions. Also, those members in the New Mexico area who would like to be a part of the host committee, please contact directors Josh Kavanagh at jkavanagh@parking.unm.edu or Mike Torrez at mltorrez@cabq.gov.

Attention All CAPP Candidates! SWPA will be hosting a seminar at next year's conference. For information on joining the CAPP program, please Contact Lauri Chudoba with IPI at chudoba@parking.org or at (540) 371-7535.