New event parking app available for Gators, Gainesville

Having trouble finding parking on Gator game day?

Do you want to make getting to the stadium, tailgate, or event simpler?

Would you like to earn money on game day by listing your driveway or yard to host parking?

Help is on the way with Parkey, a peer-to-peer, two-sided marketplace for event parking. The new parking app allows homeowners, businesses, churches, schools and other property owners to list their available parking spaces for major events. In contrast, fans and event attendees can book parking in advance directly from their phones.

“The easiest way we explain it is that Parkey is the ‘Airbnb of parking,’” said co-founder Trevor Regli. “The goal of Parkey is to make game-day parking easier for both sides.”

Zane Knapp, the founder, along with co-founders Matthew Seyoum and Regli, first came up with the idea during the past spring semester at the University of Florida while searching for a house for their junior year.

During one of their tours, they were told that they could rent out the driveway for football games if they wanted to stand outside with a sign and sell parking.

“That made us think there had to be a more convenient way to do this,” Regli said. “After doing research and also experiencing Gainesville’s parking problems firsthand as students, we saw an opportunity to create a better system.”

Knapp, Seyoum and Regli have been best friends since middle school and still live together at UF. They felt like there was no better time or environment to build something like this than while living in Gainesville and experiencing the problem themselves.

For hosts, the app removes the need to physically stand outside with a sign and sell parking before an event. They can list their available spaces, set pricing, choose the types of spots they have, and sell parking in advance.

“This gives them peace of mind knowing their parking can be sold before the event, without sacrificing profit since Parkey does not take a fee from the host’s payout,” Regli said.

For fans and event attendees, Parkey allows them to compare parking options based on price, distance, ratings, tailgating availability, overnight parking and other amenities before they arrive.

Instead of driving around Gainesville looking for parking on game day, users can reserve a confirmed spot ahead of time and know exactly where they are going.

Regli said the parking process is designed to be simple.

“Hosts can create a listing through the app by adding their address, photos, spot type, vehicle capacity, pricing and event availability,” he said. “Customers can then search nearby spots, book through the app, receive confirmation and be directed to their reserved spot.”

Reservations are connected with license plate information to help confirm the booking and make the process smoother for both the host and customer.

Parkey is still relatively new to the market and is currently available on the iOS App Store.

“We are also working on expanding access to Android devices and web browsers in the future,” Regli said.

They have already served two big Gainesville events since launching – the UF Orange and Blue spring football game and the Morgan Wallen concert weekend.

“We successfully sold parking for both events, and during the Morgan Wallen weekend, we sold out parking for one of our hosts even though the host was not home for the event,” Regli said. “That was an important early test for us because it showed that the Parkey model can work without requiring the host to physically be there.”

They also have a full business plan already written for Parkey that outlines their market research, financial projections, app development, operations, marketing strategy, risks and future growth plans.

Their early focus is on Gainesville, especially UF football and basketball games, along with concerts, festivals and other high-volume events. From there, they plan to expand into other college towns and event-heavy markets such as Tallahassee and South Florida.

“Overall, we see Parkey as a way to create a more organized, convenient and community-based parking solution,” Regli said. “It gives property owners a simple way to earn money from unused space, while giving fans a better way to find and reserve parking before major events.”

For more information on how you can list your driveway or yard on Parkey and generate revenue, or to book a spot near the venue ahead of time, visit getparkey.com.