February 1, 2023
Whether you are in event or equipment rental, you will want to stop at the American Rental Association (ARA) Resource Center — Booth No. 3420 in the construction area — at The ARA Show™ in Orlando to see all the latest educational offerings available to you and your team via RentalU, ARA’s educational platform.
For those in event rental, check out the:
Redesigned Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) program. This 23-course program focuses on front-of-the-house topics: fundamentals of the industry, customer service, sales, tabletop, inventory and marketing.
The updated program takes a deep dive into all these areas. For instance, in:
- Fundamentals of the Event Rental Industry, there are seven modules that cover everything from an overview of the event rental process and building a successful event rental career to teamwork, collaboration, networking and event rental profitability.
- Customer Service, there are modules that include information on both introductory and advanced customer service skills.
- Sales, there is an introduction to event rental sales module as well as a comprehensive overview of both inside and outside sales.
- Tabletop, there are five different modules that address tables and chairs, linens, tableware, glasses and cups, and rental design.
- Inventory, there are comprehensive modules of how to work with and maximize your inventory.
- Marketing, there is an introduction to marketing concepts and then in-depth coverage of digital marketing, consumer behavior and overall marketing in the event rental industry.
New tent ballasting tool that was created in partnership with the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) Tent Rental Division. This tool is designed to quickly and easily determine the minimum weight requirement to safely anchor or ballast non-engineered tents.
New tent ballasting video series. To go along with this tool, ARA has developed an eight-part video series. Topics covered include: How ballast blocks are made, transporting ballast blocks, safely moving ballast blocks, installing ballast blocks, covering ballast blocks, teardown and storage of ballast blocks, why concrete ballast blocks are a better option over water barrels and tent ballasting solutions.
The purpose of the series is to increase awareness of tent ballasting, share information on its benefits and provide best safety practices. These videos are free and are designed to be used by everyone on your team to ensure they are following set standards for the safe ballasting of non-engineered tents.
New Introduction to Rental courses for the event segment. This six-course certificate program offers a comprehensive overview for new employees: an introduction to event rental, safety, business profitability, customer service, soft skills, and working and learning in the industry.
Box Truck Training program designed specifically for this segment of the industry. This interactive training includes information about proper lifting and loading techniques, a Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations overview, warehouse safety, customer service, and delivery and pickup considerations.
For those in equipment rental, check out the:
Updated Professional Driver Education Program, a three-course interactive program designed to teach equipment rental drivers the importance of safety, reducing risks and defensive driving. This program covers all aspects of equipment rental driving and delivery processes.
New Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) operator training for customers. ARA now offers a MEWP Operator Training course that ARA Certified MEWP Trainers (ARA members who have successfully completed the association’s MEWP Train-the-Trainer program) can purchase and use to train their customers. This will allow members to meet the training requirements that satisfy the new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92 standards. With this new course, ARA Certified MEWP Trainers will be able to make it easy to meet these requirements and keep their customers safe.
ARA Certified Sales & Service training. The Certified Sales program provides knowledge through training courses such as customer service, digital marketing, sales skills and more. The Certified Service program educates users in electrical systems, diesel engines, gas engines, hydraulics and other topics pertinent to maintaining rental equipment.
New Introduction to Rental courses for the equipment segment. This six-course certificate program offers a comprehensive overview for new employees: an introduction to equipment rental, safety, business profitability, customer service, soft skills, and working and learning in the industry.
For all segments, there are the ARA Prioritize Safety monthly videos. Available in English and Spanish, these two-minute, animated videos focus on essential safety tips for the rental industry, from personal protective equipment (PPE) and chemical safety to defensive driving. Each video is accompanied by two questions to test the viewer’s knowledge.
There are new educational offerings for every segment. Once you learn about these and all the other offerings highlighted in this booth, swing by the ARA Resource Center Booth No. 3217 in the event section to learn more about ARA membership and networking programs. It’s all about learning how to maximize your ARA membership.
