March 14, 2024
This is a glimpse of one section of the show floor at The ARA Show™ 2024 in New Orleans.
The six-year hiatus from the Big Easy came to an end in February when The ARA Show™ 2024 kicked off at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
The 67th edition of the American Rental Association’s (ARA) premier event — which is the world’s largest equipment and event rental industry-specific convention and trade show — offered attendees plenty of opportunities to network and learn from peers, industry experts and vendors.
Saturday, Feb. 17, featured the return of EventsU, a full-day program designed exclusively for those in event rental with plenty of rental-specific education and networking.
The education continued Sunday with presentations delivered by engaging expert speakers and rental industry panel discussions covering tracks grouped into four themes: “Learn & Lead,” “Connect & Collaborate,” “Empower & Engage” and “Plan & Strategize.”
“We always go to the educational sessions,” says Matt Noonan IV, owner, Noonan Equipment and Event Rental, Springfield, Ill. “We had seven from our operation go this year. We split up and went to different seminars. I really liked ‘Financial Decision Making’ with Roman Basi. He offered really good information. We plan to discuss the key takeaways from the various sessions we all attended and see what we can incorporate at our locations.”
Dean Miller, CERP, Miller’s Party Rental Center, Akron, Ohio, left, creates some excitement with other rental operators during EventsU.
The educational sessions also were a big draw for Brian Flinn, district manager of Indianapolis-area rental operations, MacAllister Rentals, who serves as ARA of Indiana president.
“The biggest takeaway [of the show] is the education series that helps me reflect. At the beginning of every year, we are in our slower months, which is a time for me to get my head right before going into the busy season. I found a lot of value in the education regarding leadership practices, self-care and supporting my employees better,” he says.
Two seminars that particularly resonated with Flinn were “The Power of Using ‘Yes, And!’ Innovation to Stay Competitive in the Rental Industry” with Avish Parashar and “Stories, Not Statistics: Where Authenticity & High-Performance Teams Converge” with Alyson Van Hooser.
“I came back with 10 pages of notes of provoking thoughts, things we could look at in a different way and suggestions for how to challenge my management team. I am seeing what ideas I can tie back into my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly functions of employee engagement,” he says.
Brian Flinn, left, MacAllister Rentals in Indianapolis, joins other rental operators listening intently to a speaker during the education sessions at the show.
Amanda Withee, CERP, director of operations, Sully’s Tool & Party Rental, Akron, Ohio, who serves as treasurer on the ARA of Ohio board, enjoyed “Smart Strategies to Keep Your Top Talent from Becoming Someone Else’s,” with Lisa Ryan and “Hunting Discomfort: How to Be Resilient and Built for Breakthrough Growth” with Sterling Hawkins.
“Lisa talked about the importance of remembering to say thank you to your employees. You may be thankful for all they do, but you need to take the time to say it. Sterling talked about that, as owners, we need to acknowledge and face that discomfort to prepare ourselves for the unknown and unexpected,” Withee says.
That evening, Flinn, Withee and more than 85 fellow rental operators from Indiana and Ohio took advantage of the ARA of Indiana-ARA of Ohio mixer. “We had a sold-out event. The atmosphere was great, which encouraged a lot of networking,” Flinn says.
Withee agrees. “It was very well-attended and it was so nice to network with people from my own state of Ohio and as well as rental operators from Indiana,” she says.
Then on Monday, the Keynote Session with Jon Taffer of the hit TV show “Bar Rescue” seemed to strike all the right notes.
“He was a powerful speaker and gave a no-nonsense approach to making decisions — be intricate but don’t dilly-dally around. Also, he said to not be afraid of making mistakes because we all will make mistakes. He definitely brought some clarity to not wasting time. In our industry, we need all the time we can get,” Flinn says.
Noonan agrees. “He was very entertaining. I gained insights from him about needing to act soon and not pondering for days, weeks and months. I liked his style,” he says.
The opening of the trade show on Monday, which featured more than 650 exhibitors, was an impressive sight to behold, attendees say.
Katlyn Goff, CERP, Purdon Rentals, Lexington, Ky., and Matthew Mutton, Mutton Party and Tent Rental, Fort Wayne, Ind., become immersed in a show session.
“I was very impressed. The floor was really full with vendors and the crowd was solid,” says Flinn, who was one of 15 from his company who traveled to the show and had the chance to connect with vendors and look at new, as well as ancillary, product lines.
Besides checking out products, the ability to connect face-to-face with vendors is a valuable part of the show floor experience, both Flinn and Noonan say.
“The value is huge,” Noonan says. “We were able to see the equipment, see the quality compared with other manufacturers, examine what the advantages and disadvantages are and talk one-on-one with vendors.”
Many attendees also enjoyed returning show favorites like the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Reception, Regional Receptions, Women in Rental Breakfast, ARAPAC Reception for members of ARA’s political action committee, and the ARA Foundation Charity Auction and Reception.
Withee attended the Region Five Reception. “I liked the format, which allowed you to network with those from states right around you. I was able to catch up with old friends and meet some new people,” she says.
Victor Matta Jr., CERP, rental coordinator/service technician/driver, Chet’s Rent-All, Warren, Mich., who serves as ARA of Michigan secretary and chairman of the state chapter’s legislation committee, enjoyed the ARAPAC Reception and noted how valuable this is for members.
“Events like the ARAPAC Reception provide an invaluable platform for exchanging ideas and addressing legislative concerns within the rental industry. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with my rental peers and tackle legislative challenges collectively,” he says.
Susan and Scott Irwin, Delux Rental, Ypsilanti, Mich., make a bid during the ARA Foundation Charity Auction and Reception.
Just before the wrap-up of the show, many attendees shared an unforgettable evening with chart-topping country singer Mitchell Tenpenny at the sold-out Tuesday Night Event at House of Blues New Orleans.
“I had a great time. It was fun to cut loose a little at the end of the show and have fun with others from around the country who attended. If you are on Bourbon Street and at the House of Blues and not having a great time, it is your own fault,” Flinn says with a laugh.
Withee agrees. “It was wonderful to see a live concert. We had that place packed. I had a great time,” she says.
Show attendees from Region Five had such a phenomenal time they can’t wait to do it all again next year.
Withee is looking forward to Las Vegas. “I have missed only one show since I started attending. Absolutely I will be at the show next year,” she says.
“This was a great show,” Noonan adds. “We feel it is something we have to go to every year, so absolutely we will be going to Las Vegas next year.”
Flinn agrees. “This year’s show was such a success — the success of good educational content, the success of a full show floor with vendors, the success of rental operators and vendors being engaged. I thought it was a successful time in New Orleans. We already had a quick meeting since we returned about our plans for next year. It’s always a great show and important engagement for our team,” he says.
Click here to view the show wrap-up video from Rental Management.
