International Technology Rentals Overview

 

The International Technology Rental Association is the first client that I have ever had the pleasure of doing digital marketing.  My experience started by writing blog posts and managing social media. Fast forward five years to today, I am still managing social media, but now I also cover the live conference.  This job includes everything from taking videos and pictures to live streaming the event. I would highly recommend the annual ITRA conference for any company within the technology rental industry looking to grow their business.

February 12-14th was this year’s annual ITRA conference.  I had the pleasure of both attending the event, while also running the social media.  Today I wanted to take some time to go over what the ITRA conference covered and my own experience.  This event is the 4th annual conference I have attended, and the second that I have run social media accounts.  Running social media for the event means taking pictures, videos, and updating the channels about each speaker.

The conference started with myself flying into Las Vegas from Phoenix.  The short flight was easy, and within no time, I was at Bally’s hotel, where the conference was.  Wednesday was the setup day for the event, so a few members started trickling in. Once the setup was complete for the conference, it was time for the first happy hour of the conference.  Here there were various crab and shrimp offerings, with an assortment of multiple sliders. To top off a great night, all drinks at the bar were complimentary. A perfect end to a great setup day, now it was time to prepare for the event.

Day 1 Morning of Conference Presentations

 

 

Now it was onto the first official day of meetings!  The morning began with a great selection of breakfast options in our dining room.  Once everyone had their caffeine to kick start their days, it was time for the opening remarks presented by Bruce Johnson.  Bruce welcomed all the different companies from around the world and laid out the conference schedule. There were going to be many opportunities to network and connect while learning about products and services within the technology rental business.

 

IntelliEvent was the first sponsor presentation at the conference.  This software focuses on the event rental management on a cloud-based model.  For technology rental companies, this type of software is essential for adequately managing inventory and business practices.  The presentation ran through how businesses can use and optimize the software to fit their custom needs.

 

After a short break, it was time for Epson to present their projectors.  The presentation began with a brief history of projectors and the primary differences between different types.  This explanation helps breakdown the aspects of the product that affect quality the most. Epson presented a large variety of projectors ranging from low range to extreme high range.

 

Next, it was time for iMag to present their custom screens and software, goPremio.  Brian Gardner showed off iMag’s latest release of customizable screens for trade show booths.  These products are both available to rent and to purchase. You can take a look at what the technology looks like in the picture below!

 

 

Day 1 Afternoon of Conference Presentations

 

Now it was time for the lunch break.  The first half of the day had flown by, with lots of great presentations.  Unfortunately, Viveka Von Rosen had to cancel her presentation, so the second half of the day had to be changed up.  Instead of a presentation on LinkedIn, there were going to be multiple ITRA members presenting.

 

 

I was excited to see my father, Dan Kallen, give a presentation on how the ITRA has helped him and Hartford Technology Rentals grow their business.  Throughout Dan’s time in the association, he has been on the board of directors and been president of the association. Within this period, Dan has been able to generate millions of dollars in revenue from member companies.  This point drove home how impactful the ITRA can be to growing technology rental companies.

 

During these presentations, I was also able to record video segments from our various speakers.  You can find these videos on the ITRA social media channels. The easiest way to access them would be checking out the ITRA Facebook page.

 

Once the presentations had finished from various ITRA members, it was time for Flex Solutions to present its customer relationship management software.  The presentation ran through workflows and typical customizations made by clients. By watching this presentation and IntelliEvent, it gave the industry a good grasp of the top technology rental CRMs.

 

Featured Presenter

 

The last presentation of the day was from Terry Lowe of PLSN Magazine and Timelessjobs.com.  Terry had a history of working in the copywriting business for over 20 years. He has started various magazines and publications.  Currently, Terry focuses on PLSN magazine that showcases the latest and greatest in event technology. The focus is primarily on AV and scenic equipment that is pushing the norms.  Similarly, Terry also launched the job site timelessjobs.com to focus on hiring seasoned professionals in their industry.

 

Cocktail Hour Round 2

 

After the final speaker finished, it was time for a brief break before the cocktail hour started.  This time is one of the most important of the events because it is prime for networking. One of the strongest appeals of joining the ITRA is the ability to get face-to-face time with both clients and competition.  Within the world of rentals, cross-renting is enormous. For some companies like Rentacomputer, it is their core business model. Utilizing the cocktail hours to meet with and create connections is essential for a great convention.

 

Day 2 Morning of Conference Presentations

 

For a conference in Las Vegas, I took it relatively easy.  This reasoning was mainly due to my responsibilities the next day and needed to be on point to capture all the action to post on social media.  I had gotten some great clips and pictures for day 1, so I was excited to wrap the event up today.

 

The day started with the general elections for who would be on the new board of directors.  Our returning board members were Bruce Johnson as President, San Malik as Vice President, and Lisa Fossler as Secretary.  Michael Hollmen of APG Rentals became the new Treasurer. For members at large, Burt Van Engelenburg was re-appointed.  The newly appointed members at large were Joel Martin and Randy Moore. Finally, John Beagle became the honorary chairman of the board.

 

Day 2 Second Half of Conference Presentations

 

Once the board elections were finished, it was time to dive into the presentations for the day.  The first presentation was from Cube i. Cube i is an event software company that creates mobile applications and games specifically for conferences.  This software helps engages audiences and capture their information in a more effective way than most generic methods.

 

Barco was the final sponsor presentation of the day.  Barco is a projector company that is moving towards using laser projectors entirely.  This reasoning is due to the increased strength and overall picture quality. I was able to live-stream the entire presentation directly to the representative Jaz’s Facebook profile.  If you are interested, I would recommend sending us a message, and we will put you in touch!

 

Now it was finally time to conclude the conference.  The finale was the award for the ITRA “Deal of the Year” award.  This award was between Rentacomputer and Mac rentals. Then, as quickly as it started, the ITRA annual conference for 2020 at Bally’s in Las Vegas had concluded.

 

 

Personal Experience

 

I had a wonderful overall experience through different presentations and networking opportunities.  My new contacts extended over several different countries all around the world. I was also able to increase engagement with people within the ITRA.  I hope that by next year more members will be interacting with myself so I can help promote ITRA members to the best of my ability. For any prospective companies interested in the annual ITRA conference, GO!  It is a very affordable event that will end up paying for itself.

Who We Help

 

The holidays are almost here, which means it is time to look back at 2019 and revisit some of the good we have accomplished.  Kallen Media LLC is a local company in Tempe, Arizona. Founded in Tempe this past year, we have been creating websites and digital marketing plans for all sorts of companies and people.  I want to shed a spotlight on the different non-profit companies that I have been able to help. The three most significant projects include the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation, Operation Blankets of Love, and The Wayne Foundation.  Within this article, I will highlight these wonderful non-profits and tell you how you can get in touch with the charities we work with to help their causes.

Kallen Media is proud to be able to do pro-bono web design and social media work for charities that are doing great work.  I am continually looking for charities and organizations to lend a hand.  If you know a local charity in the Tempe metropolitan area who are looking for web work or assistance, let me know so Kallen Media can help them out!  Currently, we have found our non-profit clients through a service called “CatchAFire.”  This organization connects service providers with non-profit clients. We highly recommend checking them out if you are with a company, or a professional looking to give back.

 

What We Provide

 

At Kallen Media, I have created a service geared towards non-profits. I Create and maintain Google Ad Grant accounts.  If a company is a registered non-profit, Google offers them a unique program to reach potential volunteers and donors.  This service is Google Ad Grants, which gives up to $10,000 a month in free ad spend. For small non-profits, this can be a major.  We recommend that non-profits reading this take a look at the Google Ad Grant Program. Similarly, send us a message if you need any help setting up a Google Ad Grant account, we would be happy to help!

I have the privilege to work with the directors of these organizations personally, and I am thrilled with the results that we were able to produce.  Creating meaningful content and plans is essential for non-profits. Because, like small business owners, non-profits have minimal budgets that they need to be able to direct appropriately.  Offering services pro-bono is my way of sharing Kallen Media’s passion for making the world a better place. The following are a few of the charities that I have had the pleasure of working with over the past year:

 

Charities We Work With

 

 

The Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation (TASF) dedicates its scholarships to providing technology scholarships to minority groups in need.  TASF started from the first African American airmen group to fly during World War 2. Now they are sponsoring STEM scholarships to students who want to follow in their footsteps.

OBOL is a leader in animal rescue dedicated to providing food and critical pet supplies at No Cost for over 12,000 homeless animals a year in California to shelters, rescue groups, and pets of the homeless.  OBOL has donated food, crates, pet beds, blankets, toys, bowls, and critical pet supplies to those forced to evacuate with their pets. We’ve assisted more than just dogs and cats — rabbits and tortoises were also in need of our supplies.

Finally is The Wayne Foundation (TWF), which dedicates itself to helping individuals find their lost money.  This organization has found millions over the past two decades in lost assets and funds from the government.  The first two charities are both located in California, while TWF is in Mesa, Arizona, at the Falcon Field Corporate Center.  We are excited to present the charities we work with, and the causes they fight for so passionately.

 

Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation

 

The Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation required a social media plan.  I dove into their content and message right away. We were able to get the TASF setup with a Hootsuite account that would allow them to create and manage all their content from one place.  Once our content calendar was complete, it was time to lay out the plan for the scholarship winners.  The social media accounts we focused on included Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with interest in branching out more in the future.

The most important part of the foundation is the students that they give scholarships.  This behavior led to creating posts highlighting the future graduate who would be receiving the award.  Once the plan was complete, I assisted in helping TASF applying with the Google Ad Grant foundation. Currently, TASF is posting the recipients of their scholarship for the upcoming year. We couldn’t be more excited to see how they can grow in the forthcoming years as one of the first charities we worked with pro-bono.

If you are interested in learning more about the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation, you can find their website here.  We are proud to get behind this cause, and I would strongly urge our readers to check out their foundation and donate before the end of the year.

 

Operation Blankets of Love

 

Operation Blankets of Love was a non-profit looking for assistance in both setting up and maintaining their Google Ad Grant account and campaign.  I am a certified Google Ad specialist. Previously I have worked with maintaining Google Ad Grant standards, so we were the perfect match.  OBOL focuses on building campaigns to target their specific volunteering events or donation drives.  Through working together, we created a set plan with target keywords. This way, we were able to create a Google Ad Grant campaign that is both compliant and generating clicks back to the website.

Over recent months, the fires in California have left more animals stranded without care or supplies.  OBOL is asking for any support through donations on its website to help these animals survive and find homes.  You can find out more information if you go to OBOL’s website, found here.

We are proud to have an on-going partnership with OBOL, where we assist in managing their Google Ad Grant.  This management includes updating keywords and adjusting campaigns to try and keep the calls as relevant as possible. Learn more about Operation Blankets of Love and how you can make a difference visit their donation page.

The Wayne Foundation

 

The final organization that we have had the pleasure of working with this year is The Wayne Foundation.  Due to these changes, there was significant restructuring occurring within the organization. This restructuring resulted in a need for extra help in their web development team.  Kallen Media redesigned content for The Wayne Foundation and its sister company LostMoney.  LostMoney helps individuals lost property and assets that the government has claimed over the years.

With oversight from upper management, we were able to design fully customized websites.  LostMoney remade their entire website with the help of Kallen Media!  We were extremely excited with the results and being able to help a non-profit that was dedicated donating to other non-profits.  Several on-going projects are occurring, and I could not be more excited to help design websites for companies that are helping others.

The best part about LostMoney is that they are not looking to take your money.  Because LostMoney is free, the organization urges individuals who find money to donate a portion to charities in LostMoney’s name.  We believe these types of acts of selflessness are what genuinely make the world a great place.

Through the remainder of the year, we are hoping to serve more non-profits than ever.  If you have a non-profit and need some help with your website or internet marketing, please get in touch.  For those looking for more information, we have the “2019 Digital Marketing Recap” article.  This article goes more in-depth on charities we work with during 2019.