December 12, 2023
Members from across ARA’s Region Three enjoy the ARA Women in Rental and YPN conferences in Clearwater Beach, Fla.
The American Rental Association (ARA) recently held its annual Women in Rental and Young Professional Network (YPN) conferences in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Women in Rental took place from Oct. 23-24, and the YPN Conference followed from Oct. 25-26. Both conferences were sold out, and attendees spent two days focused on networking and professional development with their rental peers.
See what some of the attendees who traveled from the Southeast — ARA’s Region Three — had to say about the events.
Camellia Chandler, FLEXTC, took ‘a dive into the world of rental’
Chandler, communications & marketing chief with FLEXTC, Villa Rica, Ga., attended the YPN Conference and says, “This was a fantastic conference,” adding that as a new member of ARA and the rental industry, “I was looking for an opportunity to engage with others and take a dive into the world of rental, and I got exactly what I was looking for!”
The conference’s keynote speaker, James Taylor, and his presentation, “Supercreativity™: Augmenting Human Creativity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” rank among Chandler’s favorite parts of the event.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the session breakouts during the conference,” she says. “[Taylor] was engaging and allowed us to leave our comfort zones in search of finding new ways to consider doing business. I truly valued learning of the many alternative ways we can leverage various tools in order to conduct our everyday business. From communications to daily conferencing and meetings, there are more resources available than we realize.”
Chris Whitesell, Rental Supply d/b/a True Value Rental, connected with people ‘in my own age group’
Networking opportunities were plentiful at the event
Whitesell, sales coordinator with Rental Supply d/b/a True Value Rental, Greensboro, N.C., also attended the YPN Conference and, like Chandler, rates is as “a fantastic experience with people who share the same interests as me.”
Whitesell’s motivation to make the trip was to connect with peers of a like age. “I attended to network with people in the rental industry that were in my own age group,” he says. “We were all able to bounce rental operations ideas and learn from one another.”
The conference’s closing reception — in the form of a cruise along the Clearwater Beach coast — was one of Whitesell’s favorite parts of the event, he says.
Erin Click, Lowe’s Tool Rental, appreciated the ‘organic conversations’
Click, tool rental field manager with Lowe’s Tool Rental, Huntersville, N.C., attended the Women in Rental Conference and says, “The Event was awesome! Well worth the time,” adding that she chose to make the trip “to meet other professionals in the industry to learn from them.”
Sara Ross, who delivered her program, “Activate Your Aliveness Factor,” in front of the Women in Rental group, was one of Click’s favorite parts of the event. “Sara Ross was awesome,” Click says, noting that her main takeaways from the presentation involved “taking care of yourself first in order to be the best version of yourself for others.”
Click also enjoyed the free time attendees had to spend with one another. “The organic conversations that started were awesome,” she says. “The boat ride at the end of the event was also memorable and special.”
Heather Lothridge, Stowers Rents, found a place to ‘bond and cheer each other on’
Women in Rental Conference participant Lothridge, account manager with Stowers Rents, Knoxville, Tenn., was “truly amazed with the location of our conference,” as she made the trip to “socialize with other women working in the same industry.”
The sunset cruise was a hit with Lothridge, and as for keynote speaker Ross, Lothridge says, “She touched on a lot of topics that were important to me, but the one that sticks out the most is that the first three minutes of my arrival at home are the most important.”
Lothridge also says ARA’s overall Women in Rental initiative resonates with her.
“Construction is a man’s world, so I love that ARA is offering this opportunity to women in order for us to bond and cheer each other on,” she says.
Patti Whitaker, Cardinal Rents d/b/a A Prettier Potty, is ‘really psyched’
Whitaker, owner of Cardinal Rents d/b/a A Prettier Potty, Charlotte, N.C., who also serves as ARA of North Carolina vice president, felt the Women in Rental Conference was “Wonderful! The accommodations were top-notch.”
Whitaker also is a member of ARA’s Women in Rental Committee, so the event and the interactions with her female peers in the industry were especially important to her. “It was a nice opportunity to network with other females in the rental industry,” she says.
Both the YPN and Women in Rental conferences offered an opportunity for participants to take part in a community improvement project, and Whitaker says this was one of her favorite parts of the event.
“Networking before, during and after meetings and also while doing our Giving Back Beach Clean-Up event,” says Whitaker of her conference highlights.
With events like the Women in Rental Conference, Whitaker, as a member of the committee that oversees the program, is encouraged. “I am really psyched about the Women in Rental development program,” she says.
