March 14, 2023
Brian Richardson
Hello, American Rental Association (ARA) Region Two members.
Well, spring is right around the corner here in the Mid-Atlantic and many of our state associations are hard at work planning some great in-person events. Make sure you keep an eye on your email and mark your calendars for one of these events near you.
It was great seeing so many of our Region Two members at The ARA Show™ in Orlando. The all-new EventsU and Future of Equipment Rental sessions brought together many industry professionals who presented on best practices, new technology and innovative ideas to move our businesses forward.
This year’s Keynote Session, sponsored by ARA Insurance, featured Daymond John of “Shark Tank” fame. Daymond’s presentation described his rise from a struggling clothing designer working out of his mother’s living room to one of this country’s most recognized and well-respected entrepreneurs and authors.
The Women in Rental Breakfast this year featured Connie Podesta who presented a fascinating and humorous look at the four personality shapes (I’m a Circle). To learn more about which shape you are, visit Connie’s website.
This year the show floor had more than 725 exhibitors, including more than 85 companies who were exhibiting for the first time. If you want to reach out to any exhibitors who were present at the show, you can still do so at ARAshow.org under the “Register & Plan” tab. While there, you also can get a head start on next year’s show in New Orleans by booking your hotel – look for “Hotels 2024.”
I had the honor and privilege at the show of presenting the Region Two Leadership Impact Award to Reggie Eda of Oxon Hill Rentals, who also serves as vice president of the ARA of Maryland. Reggie makes all of Maryland’s events fun and entertaining.
I also want to take a moment to salute Harry Price of Trimble & Associates, Harford, Md., for his 15 years of service to the ARA of Maryland board of directors. He is stepping away from the position, and his contributions will be sorely missed. Harry was named ARA Region Two Person of the Year in 2016 and received ARA’s Leadership Impact Award for 2020 in recognition of his efforts. Thanks, Harry!
Finally, I encourage all of you who are involved in tent rentals to view the Tent Ballasting Webinar on Wednesday, March 22. The webinar, a collaboration between ARA and the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), will discuss the importance of accurate tent ballasting, feature an in-depth demo of how to use the new ARA/ATA tent ballasting tool and an overview of the ballasting diagrams and tenting resources, and will include a Q&A session. You can get more information and register here.
Have a safe and profitable launch to your spring rental season.
Brian Richardson, ARA Region Two director
L & A Tent Rentals
Trenton, N.J.
609-584-0054
brian@latents.com
