Despite a frosting of snow, event rental operators from a dozen countries converged on Atlanta over the weekend for ARA's "Events & Tents" show. The two-day event took place at the Georgia World Congress Center...

Excess is out, thrift is in. Even party hosts with big budgets are shying away from lavish spending in the face of dour economic news. In Part II of our “Save Me the Money!” series, event rental experts share how they help their clients cut costs...

For a handful of event industry notables, the business is in their blood. Twenty-year rental veteran Dan Nolan is one such event pro. Nolan started working for his family operation — the Chattanooga Co., launched in 1934 — in 1988. He earned $3.35...

Economic slumps tend to quell that want-it, need-it, gotta-have-it feeling. But some new inventory items are necessary even in tough economic times. Rental experts haven't tossed their 2009 wish lists in the trash, but they have pared those lists...

Angela Pennington has a job unique in special events. As vice president of inventory for Los Angeles-based powerhouse Classic Party Rentals, she is responsible for inventory in Classic's massive 34-warehouse system. Armed with an MBA from UCLA's...

The spooky economy has everyone scrambling to pull in revenue, and many rental operators are turning to discounting to hold on to business. According to the 2009 Event Rental Forecast, developed by Special Events Magazine, 13 percent of rental...

It is probably safe to say everyone in the rental business has experienced a business situation that involved discounting. If our competitors do it, we rail about how destructive tactical discounting is and how it destroys value; we also wonder...

To surcharge or not to surcharge...