March 14, 2023
Angela Nussel, CERP
Hello American Rental Association (ARA) Region Four members.
I’d like to start by saying how excited I am to represent you as the Region Four director and offer a big thank you to Bryce Puckett for his service the last three years. Bryce and I served on the Texas Rental Association (TRA) board together, and I am honored to continue the work he has done for our region. My focus will be to help our states maintain/achieve elite status and ensure we are well-represented on the national level. Please let me know how I can help with any specific need you may have.
It was such a pleasure to meet many of you at The ARA Show™ in Orlando last month. What a wonderful show it was! There were several networking opportunities, engaging social events, outstanding educational sessions and the trade show. We also held our annual ARAPAC event at Topgolf, complete with an exciting auction and camaraderie. It was great to be back on our rotation surrounded by our fellow rental peers and associate members.
The ARA Show featured updates on the new Tent Ballasting Tool, the new Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) program and workforce development. Our keynote speaker, Daymond John, was both entertaining and motivating. So was Connie Podesta, the featured speaker at the Women in Rental Breakfast. We had nearly 300 students in attendance at the Student Career Day. Those in attendance were high school, college and tech students and they are excited about a career in rental! It was an exciting few days. If you weren’t able to attend this year, I strongly encourage you to attend next year. You, your team and your business can gain so much from the show.
I also encourage you to spend some time on the ARA website, in particular the RentalU tab (located under the main “Learn” tab), where you will find training and education available to you, many at no additional charge. The items I listed are just the tip of the iceberg of what is available. For those in event rental, sign up for the updated CERP courses by the end of March and save 20 percent off the cost. Just use promo code CERP2023. That is just one of the many offerings available, so check them out.
I also would like to offer congratulations to Dillon Hughes with Only 1 Rentals in Navasota, Texas, for receiving the Rising Star Award, the late Frederick “Fred” Dupy with American Party Rental in Austin, Texas, for posthumously receiving the Industry Ambassador Award and Marty Bamburg with Bamco of LA/Bayou Bounce Co. from Shreveport, La., for receiving the Leadership Impact Award for Region Four. We are grateful to all of you for making Region Four shine. Your hard work and dedication to our industry is appreciated.
On the horizon is ARA’s National Legislative Caucus during March 28-30, and your state and regional leaders are excited to be back in our nation’s capital after a three-year hiatus. We will meet with our nation’s representatives and advocate for our members’ concerns. Be on the lookout for updates in the next newsletter or from your state leaders. TRA hosted a State Legislative Day in February. We were excited for the opportunity to get involved on the state level. It is important to be involved as some of the legislation can have a direct impact on our operations. Reach out to me if you are not sure where to start.
I am looking forward to meeting more of our Region Four members in the spring. Keep an eye out for your state’s educational and social meetings and let’s get together. I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us!
Have a great spring.
Angela Nussel, CERP, ARA Region Four director
Premiere Events, Austin, Texas
512-292-3900
angela@premiereeventsonline.com
