For years, disaster planning at Encore Events Rentals, with locations in Windsor, Petaluma and St. Helena, Calif., was focused on emergencies occurring when employees were in the building and needed to exit immediately. 

Gary VerMeulen, president, Right Way Rental, Portage, Mich., might have been the owner of the only rental operation that not only offered equipment but also fishing tackle and live bait.

Recruiting and retaining qualified employees is such a critical issue for the equipment and event rental industry that the American Rental Association (ARA) has made that a key initiative under its strategic plan. 

Tented events are being transformed thanks to the magic of draping. Creative use of tent liners, swags — fabric that starts at the top of the tent and billows down in soft curves — and full-length curtains as well as pole drapes and sleeves to cover aluminum tent legs, including wood-grain velon or vinyl, can make a tented event look like everything from a lush cascade of elegant softness to a hot nightclub.

Q: As states begin to open up, what should we do to promote our party and event business to our clients and potential new customers?