At the end of January, a group of women took San Antonio by storm, and with a presentation titled, “Elevate Your Performance,” it’s clear that these women are certainly elevating the rental industry.
The event was the American Rental Association’s (ARA) RISE Women in Rental Summit and is a culmination of the ARA’s Women in Rental group, which aims to empower women and build their voice throughout rental. They focus on networking, mentorship and educational opportunities with the goal of increasing volunteerism from women on multiple levels.
While those are the mission statements listed on the ARA website, there’s another focus of the group that I, as a fellow woman, value. And that is the acknowledgement and appreciation of the strong, smart, passionate women and female leaders that work (and lead) in this male-dominated industry.
So, what better way to appreciate this league of extraordinary women than to hold an event that offers connection, education, networking and fun to other women throughout the industry? Thus, the inaugural RISE Women in Rental Summit was held.
Though I’m no longer directly involved in the rental industry, some of my ties and connections have remained. And since the RISE Summit’s conclusion, my social feeds have been flooded with exuberance, overwhelmingly positive reviews and pictures that sparked quite a bit of envy deep in my gut. In one review, an attendee called it, “an empowering, educational, wonderful convention.” And every single woman—and I mean, every single woman—said that they can’t wait for the next one.
Because that’s the power of connection. Of appreciation. Of community! But most importantly—the power of women.
Luckily for me, I was able to put my jealousy aside for a moment to get an inside scoop from an attendee and sponsor of the RISE Women in Rental Summit: Brandy Carmona, operations manager at Makinex.
Q: Brandy, tell me about your experience at the RISE Women in Rental Summit.
A: Overall, the RISE Women in Rental Summit exceeded my expectations on all levels. While it was a jam-packed schedule, I took advantage of every single minute I was there and attended every event that was offered.
The rental industry is massive and involves so many facets—there are manufacturers, equipment people, party people, insurance people, tech people, safety people and the list goes on. Bringing all these groups together is no easy task. However, at the end of the day, we all had two things in common: We were all there with intentions to strengthen ourselves while growing the rental industry AND we were all women!
Q: What do you think is the impact of this event? Why is it important?
A: We all know 2020 impacted the nature of people’s jobs—what they do, how they do it, who they do it with and, for a lot of people, achieving more with less. During these inevitable periods of difficulty, the most valuable currency is retention and motivation.
There are thousands of women who help make up the equipment and event rental community. Investing in these women and future women in rental should continue to be a priority. When you enhance any employee’s knowledge, they become more engaged, which has a ripple effect into your company’s success and your company’s culture.
Events like the RISE Women in Rental Summit offer the ultimate investment for all levels of personnel—from business owners to someone on the first day on the job. With this event, not only did we get ample networking opportunities to learn about different aspects of the industry, but everyone walked away with at LEAST one new skill and one new friend that can and will be used to further our growth into the rental industry.
Q: I know this will be a tough question. But what was your favorite part?
A: It’s hard to choose one single favorite moment. I will say that being able to network and share wins and losses with people from around the industry and covering all roles from CEO to mechanic helped me tremendously as a vendor. It helped me learn how I can do my job better. It opened doors for me personally and for Makinex to provide more value to our partners, ultimately growing the rental industry as a whole.
I also really enjoyed our educational session that motivated me to use my work as a vehicle to translate my passion into action!
Q: How does this event–and others like it–benefit women in rental?
A: Providing these types of events and opportunities inevitably creates a mindset of lifelong learning, which will only translate into the continued growth of this industry. The goal of the Women in Rental group is to provide networking, mentorship and educational opportunities. Being that this was the first-ever summit, they absolutely knocked each of those goals out of the park.
I would 10/10 recommend any and all women within this industry get involved with WIR and attend the next summit (details coming soon!). You will gain knowledge that will help you in your professional journey; you will gain a national, and even international, perspective on current events within the rental industry; you will network with some amazing (i.e., bad***) women who’ve failed, prevailed and ultimately inspired; and you will absolutely leave with some new friends.
Currently, WIR is working on growing their mentor program, seeking both mentors and mentees. My door and email are open for names and suggestions, so please reach out to me so we can continue to grow this awesome group and include more women!
