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EventsU
EventsU is back in 2026! EventsU—an exclusive one-day education program for the event rental industry—offers curated sessions packed with revenue-driving ideas and fresh inspiration. From expert insights to peer-to-peer idea-sharing, you’ll discover how to buy better, plan smarter and grow faster, so you stay competitive in a changing economy. Walk away with actionable strategies to strengthen your operations, plus make meaningful industry connections with built-in networking opportunities.
EventsU will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28. To register, attendees must be an ARA member and be registered for The ARA Show. Registration opens Oct. 28. Learn more about passes and pricing.
EventsU is sponsored by Choice Party Linens and InTENTional Systems (formerly Eureka! The Tent Co.).
EventsU. Discover What Wows-And What Works.
EventsU Schedule
Breakfast and Opening Session — Stand Out Without Selling Out: Competing on Value in the Rental Market
Breakfast and Opening Session — Stand Out Without Selling Out: Competing on Value in the Rental Market
7:30 – 9:00 AM
Summary
Dropping your price shouldn’t be your go-to move when customers compare event rental companies.
From tents to tableware, customers compare everything and that includes your price tag. So how do you rise above the low-cost providers and prove you’re the better choice, even if you’re not the cheapest?
This session is built for event rental professionals ready to stop chasing price and start selling on value. Discover practical, real-world strategies to shift your team’s focus from discounts to differentiation so you can close more leads, protect your margins, and highlight what truly sets you apart: your experience, your inventory, and your exceptional service.
What you’ll take away
- The right way to answer, “Why are you more expensive than the other rental company?”—without sounding defensive.
- When to hold the line and when to price match, and how to make that call with confidence.
Whether you’re renting linens or tents, this session will give your sales team the tools to build trust, showcase professionalism, and communicate why you’re worth every penny. Attendees will enjoy breakfast starting at 7:30 AM with the opening session beginning at 8:00 AM.
Speaker
Operations
Ask the Expert: Inside the Evolving World of Event & Wedding Rentals
Ask the Expert: Inside the Evolving World of Event & Wedding Rentals
9:15 – 10:30 AM
Summary
Ready for a no-fluff, high-energy conversation about what’s next for the event and wedding rental industry? This rapid-fire Q&A session brings you face-to-face with one of the most respected voices in the business—offering real-world insights, straight talk, and answers you won’t get anywhere else.
From shifting customer demands to skyrocketing costs, labor challenges to the impact of trends, event rental companies are navigating big changes. This is your chance to ask the hard questions and get practical, experience-backed advice tailored to the realities of running a modern event rental business.
Whether you want to
- Future-proof your inventory.
- Revamp your pricing strategy.
- Strengthen your brand.
- Leverage digital marketing more effectively.
- Or simply stay ahead of the competition…
You’ll walk away with actionable insights to help your business evolve and thrive in a fast-changing market.
- Bring your biggest questions.
- Leave with clarity, confidence, and a plan.
Speaker
Catch & Keep: Building a Labor Force That Sticks
Catch & Keep: Building a Labor Force That Sticks
10:45 – 12:00 PM
Summary
If you’re struggling to find and keep reliable labor, you’re not alone. With a tightening workforce and rising client expectations, event rental companies everywhere are feeling the pressure.
From navigating the complexities of the H-2B visa program to making the most of temp labor, this session tackles one of the biggest challenges facing the event rental industry today: building a dependable, return-worthy crew.
Hear real-world lessons from event pros who’ve been in the trenches. Whether you’re short-staffed during peak season or looking to strengthen your long-term team, this session will give you actionable strategies to streamline your hiring process and boost retention.
Here’s what you’ll learn
- The H-2B visa program, how it works, what to watch out for, and how fellow
event rental companies are making it work (or not). - Temp labor, demystified—where to find it, how to vet it, and how to prepare for the pros and the inevitable cons.
- How to onboard new hires by setting expectations, building confidence, and keeping good workers engaged.
Speakers
Event Rental Industry Panel
Sales & Design
Chasing Curves: How to Ride the Waves of Design Change
Chasing Curves: How to Ride the Waves of Design Change
9:15 – 10:30 AM
Summary
Trends don’t just happen. They’re built, broadcast, and booked. The event rental companies who thrive are the ones who can spot the next big thing before their customers ask for it.
In this strategy-focused session, we’ll break down how event trends emerge in major markets, gain momentum through social media, and evolve as they travel region to region. You’ll learn how to read the signals, invest smartly in inventory, and strike the perfect balance between timeless staples and high-demand statement pieces.
You’ll walk away with
- Insights into the hottest styles and most-booked event rental items, from color palettes to must-have furniture pieces.
- Pro tips for bundling and upselling your inventory to boost order value and wow your clients.
- Simple visual tricks to turn browsers into bookings.
- Exit strategies for fading trends; know when to pivot and how to offload aging inventory.
- Trend-driven growth strategies tailored for businesses of all sizes.
Speaker
Ignite Your Marketing with AI
Ignite Your Marketing with AI
10:45 – 12:00 PM
Summary
Get ready to ignite your brand like never before! Ernie Harker, The Brand Igniter, delivers a powerful fusion of bold brand strategy and cutting-edge AI tools designed specifically for event rental businesses ready to dominate their market.
Discover how to transform your messaging, elevate your visuals, and target your ideal clients with precision, all without burning hours or breaking the bank. This isn’t just branding theory. It’s branding at warp speed—with a human spark.
What you’ll unlock
- Use AI Like a Branding Jedi – Generate magnetic messaging, scroll-stopping visuals, and high-impact campaigns in record time.
- Master the FIRE Framework – A proven system to build a brand that
connects, converts, and sticks in your customer’s mind. - Target Like a Sniper, Not a Shotgun – Use AI to find and engage your ideal customers with laser focus.
Speaker
EventsU Networking Lunch
12:00 – 1:00 PM
All EventsU attendees are welcome to enjoy a delicious meal while sharing ideas with industry peers.
Operations
Looking Back, it’s All Clear
Looking Back, it’s All Clear
1:15 – 2:30 PM
Summary
In the event rental industry, safety is about protecting your people, your clients, and your business from avoidable risks that can quickly spiral into costly fines, lost contracts, or worse.
This eye-opening session walks you through the real stories of event rental professionals who’ve made the mistakes, so you don’t have to. Learn what they wish they’d done differently, and how a proactive, safety-first mindset can be your biggest competitive advantage.
Here’s what you’ll learn
- Don’t wait for OSHA to show up. From unsecured ladders to overlooked PPE, small oversights can add up to massive fines. Learn the most common violations that show up in event rental operations across the country.
- Real talk, real consequences. Get a behind-the-scenes look at true stories from your industry peers who will share hard-earned lessons from safety slip-ups.
- Build a culture of safety. Discover how consistent training, smart equipment use (lift gates, 3 points of contact, and more), and a team-wide safety mindset can reduce accidents, boost morale, and protect your bottom line.
Speakers
Event Rental Industry Panel
Sales & Design
Future-Ready Change Resilience: Transforming stress into strength, uncertainty into opportunity, and resistance into energizing momentum
Future-Ready Change Resilience: Transforming Stress into Strength, Uncertainty into Opportunity, and Resistance into Energizing Momentum
1:15 – 2:30 PM
Summary
In the high-pressure, fast-paced world of event rental, stress is inevitable, but how you lead through it is what sets you apart. You can operate from the Scarcity State being reactive, overwhelmed, and change-fatigued or you can shift into the Vitality State, which is strategic, energized, and ready for what’s next.
This empowering session is a game-changer for owners, managers, and team leads navigating the highs and lows of a seasonal business. Learn how to lead from a place of clarity and collaboration, not chaos, and unlock a competitive edge rooted in culture, resilience, and alignment.
Key takeaways include
- How seasonal stress impacts every layer of your event rental business.
- Why real success goes beyond revenue and how to measure growth in terms of people, execution, and long-term impact.
- Sell smarter, execute better. Understand how what you promise affects your team’s ability to deliver exceptional results.
- 1 Team, 1 Mission. Build a culture of collaboration where departments work together, not in silos.
Speaker
Closing Session
Behind the Scenes: An Exclusive Tour of Event Rental Warehouses
Behind the Scenes: An Exclusive Tour of Event Rental Warehouses
2:45 – 4:00 PM
Summary
This exclusive, guided walkthrough gives you insider access to the systems, strategies, and layouts that power the event rental industry’s most successful operations.
From inventory management and quality control to order fulfillment and logistics, you’ll see firsthand how the pros keep things running like clockwork, even during peak season. Whether you’re building from scratch or fine-tuning what you have, these tours will spark ideas and offer real-world solutions you can apply immediately.
What you’ll take away
- Inventory systems that actually work—see how top teams track, maintain, and stage rental products for speed and accuracy.
- Workflow optimization tips—learn how strategic layout and process flow reduce handling, minimize errors, and boost turnaround time.
- Fulfillment and logistics insights—understand how orders move from pick list to truck with minimal friction.
- Space-saving strategies—discover how smart warehouse design can help you do more with less.
EventsU Reception
White Party!
White Party!
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Hilton Orlando Ballroom
Summary
Step into the spotlight and discover the grand finale of EventsU in dazzling style at our White Party, a high-energy, high-impact evening designed just for event rental professionals!
This isn’t just a party…it’s a live lookbook of the event rental industry in motion. Discover sleek white lounges, statement lighting, trending tabletop designs, and unexpected entertainment moments all brought to life by event rental professionals!
Enjoy a hosted bar serving up your favorite sips, graze your way through elevated heavy hors d’oeuvres stations, and dance the night away with live entertainment that keeps the energy soaring. We’ve talked shop all day, now let’s party in white! All white attire is required.
Whether you’re here to get inspired or just celebrate a successful week, this is the night to see, be seen, and toast to all things rental. Shuttle service to and from select official show hotels will be provided.
