March 14, 2023
Sarah Wilper, CERP
Hello, American Rental Association (ARA) Region One members.
I hope everyone is doing well. As we watch the winter months come to a close and spring starting to come into focus, I hope we are all looking forward to the transition!
At the close of The ARA Show™ in Orlando last month, I officially stepped into the role of ARA Region One director. I am excited to take on this responsibility and humbled by the support and kind words I have received from so many of you. I want to extend a big “thank you” to my predecessor in this role, Julie Creedon-Linton, CERP, of Creedon & Co. in Worcester, Mass., for the hard work, time and energy she put into the role over the last three years. My goal in this position is to advocate for our region, grow our membership and continue the development we have seen in the rental industry.
The ARA Show was a huge success. It was the first time since the pandemic that we were able to get back to our standard show schedule, with the event occurring in February. We have all weathered years of COVID, tumultuous economic changes and challenges in labor, so the show served as a real opportunity for attendees to regroup and reset for the upcoming season.
The show brought a full roster of events. There was education for both the event and equipment segments and networking events like state and regional get-togethers, a great family-focused night out at Universal Studios, the Young Professional Network (YPN) gathering and the Women in Rental Breakfast that hosted an outstanding and fun-filled speaker. And that’s only a partial list!
Most of the 700-plus exhibitors had positive feedback on show floor traffic and attendee engagement. The vendors all mentioned the great and meaningful conversations they had with attendees and the uptick in positive attitudes for this coming year. The show left all segments of the industry with a spring in their step and optimism moving into 2023. Thank you to all who were able to attend the show.
I look forward to working with each of your state associations and getting to know all of you better. Thank you to those who serve and volunteer on our state chapter boards. None of what we accomplish as a region would be possible without you.
Wishing you all the best!
Sarah Wilper, CERP, ARA Region One director
Taylor Rental Center
Manchester, Conn.
860-643-2496
sarahw@mytaylorrental.com
