CERTIFICATION

You can become certified in one of four areas: City, University, Airport, or Private Operator parking. After signing up for P.I.E. you will be sent an email asking if you would like to follow the certification path. You can sign up ahead of time or upon your arrival at P.I.E. There is no cost involved with becoming certified.

You will be given a form at check in that will have to be filled out during your stay at P.I.E. The form will include the following two areas that must be filled out: Seminars and Exhibitor visits.

SEMINARS
In order to receive certification, you will be required to attend a minimum of six seminars (we have multiple seminars in each area), one in each of the following areas (these can be scene on the schedule web page):

Technology - What are the latest in technology issues
Financial - How to make more money for your institution
Area Specific - Attend one of the many seminars in your professional specialty
Auditing - How to save money for your operation
At Large - You choose one that pertains most to your needs
Networking - Learn from the best by talking with them individually.
(Networking only offered on Monday, March 31)

You choose what to attend as long as you cover all six of these areas. Some seminars fit two areas but you can only apply one seminar to one area, not two.

EXHIBITOR VISITS
You also must visit 20 different vendors on the exhibit hall floor (over 95 companies will be in attendance). These people are experts in what they do and can help you solve your problems.

You will be expected to fill out an evaluation form for P.I.E. and to turn in your certification form.

FINAL REVIEW
There is no compulsory exam or final project that you turn into the P.I.E. staff. If there was, we would have to charge more to create, copy, and grade it. To be honest, what "we" think you learned does not matter as much as what the city, company, or airport that sent you thinks you learned. We are suggesting to employers that send people to be trained that the newly P.I.E. certified people come back and present to their parking department on what they learned at P.I.E. Every teacher will tell you that the best way to know if someone learned something is to have them teach it to someone else. (Not only does this work but it saves the P.I.E. staff from grading a bunch of tests). Upon completion of your certification (and its validation) you will be mailed a certificate suitable for framing (also will have a great apple pie recipe on the back).

FAQ

1. Can I be Certified in one day? No, logistically it is impossible.
2. Can someone help me figure out what to take? We can help you figure out what is possible but you decide on what to take.
3. Why no final exam? How can one test encompass everything that is being covered in these three days and be fairly graded? It would be impossible to create and unfair to the participants.
4. How does my boss know that P.I.E. certification means anything? Show them. Make a presentation to your organization on what you gained at the event. That way they will send you back year after year.
5. Is the apple pie recipe any good? You will have to try it yourself.