Everything came together for the ARA of California’s June 25 baseball event at Oracle Park in San Francisco that pitted the San Francisco Giants against the Cincinnati Reds.
“It was great,” says Kathy Ne
wby, CERP, account executive – special events, AFR Furniture Rentals, Hayward, Calif. “The sun was shining and the weather was wonderful. Plus, we were in a big suite that opened up into three rooms, which was nice. I had not been in any of the suites in this park before. The food was really good too. And the Giants won, which was the important thing. The day before they lost and the day after they lost, so it was nice to be there when they won.”
“The Giants killed it, winning 9 to 2,” echoes Jared Medaris, CERP, president, Expo Party Rentals, Fresno, Calif., who serves as ARA of California president.
Medaris was pleased to see so many ARA of California members turn out for the game. “We had about 30 attend, which made it a nice-size crowd. We had some new faces, too. Many brought their families. I brought the owners of my company and my wife. It was an all-around family-friendly good time,” he says.
Newby hasn’t been able to attend an ARA of California event for quite a while because of her work schedule. “I now have my weekends back, so I can go to things like this. I took my nephew, his wife and their little girl. We decided to do something as a family,” she says.
Besides enjoying the weather and the game, Newby, Medaris and others had a chance to network with each other. Newby also did her part to send out Instagram stories. “I tagged ARA and AFR. I always have to be on social media,” she laughs.
“Being able to meet our peers who we may not be able to see all the time is valuable,” Newby adds. “It can be hard at the conferences to connect because there are so many people. This is a good way for our local members to get together and do a little networking, let our hair down and have a great day as a group. My family and I had a great time. I felt it was well worth the price.”
Another big hit with everyone was the variety of food and drinks available. “Each of the rooms of the suites offered a different cuisine of food. It was great. And Robert Bell Insurance and ARA Insurance were our drink sponsors, which we really appreciated,” Medaris says.
Feedback from those who attended was extremely positive. “I received a lot of thank-you’s and interest in future ARA of California events. I told everyone about the baseball game in Southern California that we are offering in August, the speaker we are sponsoring at the upcoming California Rental Association (CRA) yard party and other events we are looking at. There was a lot of interest,” Medaris says, adding that members should watch their email for details about upcoming chapter events.