December 12, 2023
Brendan Quinlan, left, of Big Dawg Party Rentals, is a recipient of the ‘CUSE50 award
Brendan Quinlan, owner of Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Big Dawg Party Rentals, has been named by Syracuse University as a recipient of a ’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award — the institution’s new annual award program dedicated to celebrating the success of Orange business leaders worldwide.
Graduating with a finance degree from Syracuse in 2007, Quinlan embarked on a successful career in the New York residential and commercial real estate sector. Distinguishing himself with a track record of $800 million in real estate transactions, his journey took an unexpected turn when he encountered real estate owners utilizing vacant spaces for events. This encounter ignited his passion for the event rental industry, leading him to make a successful transition into the genre.
Big Dawg Party Rentals was established in 2013. The idea for the business was solidified following an engagement party held for Quinlan that was catered by a rental company offering less-than-stellar customer service.
“The rental company delivered the supplies to the wrong floor and didn’t set it up like it was supposed to be. We had to carry the stuff up two flights of stairs to the party — the company wouldn’t help us. They just didn’t care and there was no customer service aspect at all. We thought that there was room to create a better model with better customer service, and we built our company upon that,” Quinlan says.
Big Dawg Party Rentals took off — with a little help from its highly-recognizable dog mascot that is central to the company’s brand — and weathered the challenges presented by the pandemic to thrive for more than a decade.
Thanks to his demonstrated business acumen, Quinlan was honored with the ’CUSE50 award during an on-campus ceremony on Nov. 9, 2023. The inaugural ceremony for the ’CUSE50 initiative — which identifies and commends the 50 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by Syracuse alumni — marked the beginning of what promises to be a long-standing tradition of acknowledging and applauding the accomplishments of Syracuse alumni in the business world.
“I am truly honored to receive such a meaningful award from the place I called home for four years,” Quinlan says. “Being an entrepreneur in New York takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and being recognized for that is very rewarding.”
Big Dawg Party Rentals — led by Quinlan, an accomplished entrepreneur, devoted family man and proud father of three children — moves into 2024 as one of the largest and most-respected event rental companies in the U.S. Committed to delivering exceptional customer service and high-quality event rental equipment, Quinlan has earned the trust and loyalty of world-renowned celebrities, industry titans and Fortune 500 companies.
