Making connections is what the American Rental Association’s (ARA) Young Professional Network (YPN) is all about. On Jan. 26-27, YPN members had the chance to rekindle industry friendships and spark new ones at the YPN Conference in San Antonio — the first in-person event of its kind since December 2019.
The historic San Antonio Riverwalk was the backdrop for the sold-out conference, which was hosted at the Hotel Contessa in San Antonio. Attendees kicked off the event with a welcome reception and “Custom Cocktail Challenge” on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Then, on Thursday, Jan. 27, guest speaker Alyson Van Hooser delivered “Own Your Success,” an education program themed around elevating personal communication and planning, earning respect and gaining
influence.
For attendees like Giovanni Femia, regional manager, Partner Rentals, Kingston, N.Y., who also serves on the ARA of New York board of directors, Van Hooser’s session was a highlight and consistent with the top-drawer education offered at ARA events.
“I know that education is always huge with ARA, so any education that comes with an event like this is a plus,” Femia says. “The speaker was great — very intuitive and very informative. Just her back story and the success that came from it was amazing.”
After the education sessions concluded on Thursday afternoon, it was time for some fun. Attendees were given the option to participate in any of three Riverwalk activities: a whiskey tasting at Devils River Distillery, an ax throwing competition at Classic Axe Throwing or a guided tour of the Alamo. No matter what activity attendees chose to pursue, the networking benefit of the YPN Conference followed.
“I wanted to do an event there was no way I could do at home, so I toured the Alamo,” says Allison McIntosh, operations manager, Taylor True Value Rental, Concord, N.H. and ARA of New Hampshire secretary. “That was a very cool thing to explore, and it was another bonding experience. Because I was walking slowly and reading all the signs, I met two YPN people who were going at the same pace through the museum tour. I hadn't spent any time with them at the conference and we went to lunch afterwards, so I ultimately made more connections out of the tour.”
Following the choose-your-own-adventure afternoon, YPN Conference attendees gathered that evening to close out the event at San Antonio’s Howl at the Moon piano bar.
At the conclusion of her first-ever YPN Conference, McIntosh says the event lived up to her expectations in facilitating connections with rental professionals in her own age group.
“I was most looking forward to connecting with people of my generation,” she says. “I work in a store that is owned by the second generation of a family and we hope to make that a third generation of ownership. Meeting other people who are in the industry and are my age — who have the same thoughts and aspirations, and are actively excited about the industry and their jobs — is really important to me. That's absolutely what I took away from the conference — meeting other people who are just as engaged and excited as I am about the industry.”
ARA’s YPN connects more than 1,000 equipment and event rental industry professionals for leadership training, networking, education and more. To be eligible to join the YPN, you must be between the ages of 18 and 40 and affiliated with an ARA-member general or associate member operation. Click here to learn more and to join YPN.