The DIXON team came home from the Southwest Parking & Transportation Association (SWPTA) conference with a third straight Power Pitch of the Day win, a Parking Professional of the Year award for Chisa Nagai, and a week well spent with the people who make this industry great. For the SWPTA Costume Party, the team dressed up as “Breaking Bad Parking Habits,” a parking-themed spin on Breaking Bad. Here's how the week went:

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Power Pitch of the Day, Three Years Running

DIXON won Power Pitch of the Day at SWPTA for the third year in a row, this time by launching DIXON Drone Vision. Led by Cameron Clark, our pitch brought the fun with an air cannon game that had the room laughing, cheering, and taking aim. It's our favorite way to introduce new technology: show it, play with it, and let people see for themselves why it matters. Thank you to everyone who stepped up to play and to the SWPTA community for the warm reception.

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Honoring Julie Dixon and The Parking Exchange

As part of SWPTA's 25th anniversary celebration, the association showed its appreciation for Julie Dixon, who served as association president for six years (2012–2019 and 2022–2024) and currently serves as Conference Chair. Julie also led "The Parking Exchange: Bring Your Questions, Share Your Solutions," a session that brought SWPTA's beloved regional forum format to the conference floor. 

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Leadership and a First-Time Perspective

SWPTA's current president is DIXON's own Peter McDonald, and it was a pleasure to see him leading the association through its 25th year. The conference was also a first for Elliott Holt, who attended his very first SWPTA. His take: it's unlike any other conference he's been to, in the best way.

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The Wellness Gap in Parking and Mobility

Vanessa Solesbee presented alongside our client Nick Nicholas of the City of Seal Beach on mental health in the industry. Their session, "The Wellness Gap in Parking and Mobility: Measuring Support, Participation and Impact," looked at how agencies and operators can better support the people who keep our streets, garages, and campuses running. We're grateful to Nick and the City of Seal Beach for being such strong partners on a topic that matters.

What we love most about SWPTA is that agencies and vendors sit side by side, receive the same content, and learn together. Thank you to the SWPTA board, volunteers, and members for 25 great years and a memorable 2026 conference. We can't wait for what's next.

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