IPMI Conference Courage, connections and community Chair of the BPA Board Anjna Patel MBE and CEO Andrew Pester were invited to represent the BPA at the International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI) conference in Fort Worth, Texas, US, in June this year. Here, Anjna shares her impressions of the event and the knowledge she brought back y first experience of the IPMI conference was the Sunday evening before the event began. The IPMI hosted an icebreaker session so BPA CEO Andrew Pester and I went along. Everyone was put into groups according to which US state they were from, and so we stood to one side. However, the woman running the activity invited us to stand with her and I ended up giving an impromptu talk. I thanked the Institute for inviting us, allowing us to learn from and forge closer relationships with it, and impart some of the knowledge we have, including our Women in Parking networks work on equality, diversity and inclusion. A lot of people came to talk to us afterwards, which was great, because these conferences are important for us all to build relationships and learn from each other. So many of the challenges we face are similar, no matter where you are in the world. From my time at the IPMI, I very much got the impression that our US counterpart really respects what we do and is aligned with us on so many things. M Sharing the occasion We wanted to show our appreciation to the IPMI for our invitation to the event and for the generous hospitality we experienced, so we took gifts representing all four nations of the United Kingdom for each of the IPMI Board members. We wanted them to experience the joy of King Charles IIIs coronation and to share in that event. Members helped me to source English Emma Bridgewater coronation-design mugs; Scottish shortbread in special coronation-edition tins; Irish teabags; and Welsh dragon keychains. I hope we continue to forge ever-closer relationships with our overseas partners. Together we can influence governments around the world to raise standards and help our sector develop as we face the future challenges and opportunities of digitisation, electrification and automation. 30 Global views On the second day, I was invited to be part of a panel of parking colleagues from around the world to discuss global trends in parking, transportation and mobility. We had views from the United Arab Emirates, Canada, US, Australia and the UK. It was very topical; we discussed recruitment, retention, professionalism, frontline abuse, innovation, artificial intelligence, technology, EV charging and hydrogen. We focused on the progress we have made and the difficulties that are holding us back, such as legislation. The US hasnt got as big a buy-in to EVs as we have that is a key difference. I had the privilege of wrapping up the session, so I reflected on what I had heard earlier from another key speaker: it isnt confidence that you need to make change, its courage. I thought that was very poignant, because when I did some research, Martin Luther King had spoken of courage when he was in Fort Worth. I also found out that, in the early 1900s, the women of Fort Worth saved money to create paved streets where children could play safely. Even back then, people were concerned about street safety and places for children to play. Showcasing the sectors best The exhibition was great. I was surprised by how many of our members were there, along with organisations from the European Parking Association. We chatted at length with many of them. A key takeaway for me was how close the BPA is to our membership and that we are all part of one community. Part of the exhibition was aimed specifically at start-ups a row of tables where smaller companies that may not have the money for a big stand could still make their presence felt and showcase their products and services. Another thing that stood out was how the thread of continuing professional development (CPD) ran through everything. All the sessions allowed participants to gain CPD points, which I think is something we at the BPA could aspire to do, as well. There were set times to view the exhibition and to access the learning sessions and workshops, so you didnt miss a thing.