Registration for A.R.A.'s first-ever certification program begins Sept. 1, followed by an official rollout at the Portland City Conference later that month.

The cornerstone course is scheduled to start on Nov. 6. A pilot paper-based program has begun, according to Maureen Conway, A.R.A. director of education. A.R.A. Party Certification Ad-Hoc Committee members, along with one employee each, started the trial course in July. A second pilot program begins Sept. 6 with students who showed early interest in the program. Feedback from those two groups will be incorporated into the final coursework.

"We have an exciting and practical Foundations of the Party and Event Rental Industry [cornerstone] course developed," Conway said. "One of the best practices in curriculum development is to field test the product early on, so we are looking forward to the feedback from the two 'beta tester' groups to make sure we have a top-quality experience for all the learners in the certification program."

To receive the certification designation, a professional must first successfully complete the Foundations course. The course includes a history/

introduction section with chapters written by RM columnist and past A.R.A. President Keith Klarin and A.R.A. Executive Vice President James Irish. Career paths, goal-setting and how the C.E.R.P. designation will help a student personally and the professionalism of the entire industry are focuses of chapters by Charles Neffle, A.R.A. senior vice president, and Maun Petersen, C.E.R.P. ad-hoc committee chairman.

In the Foundations course, the products and services section lists basic event-rental store products and suggestions for learning more at the student's employing store (shadowing a warehouse employee, for example). Condition checks to determine if products are rental-ready are included in this section. Sale products that often are inventoried at a rental store are discussed in this chapter. This section also includes supporting services that rental stores may offer including event planning, sub-rentals, delivery/pickup, installation/breakdown and on-site event assistance.

The course's next section is on order flow in the front office and warehouse, along with delivery/pickup and documentation. This section also includes a module on financial management/accounting.

The fourth section is based on establishing working relationships with customers in person and on the phone, along with dealing with complaints. This section also includes how to build a team among co-workers, and partnering with professional organizations.

After completing the cornerstone course, a student must complete coursework in two of nine disciplines: Storage and Warehouse; Tenting; Linens; Tabletop Products and Design; A/V and Visual Effects; Power and Lighting; Concessions and Gaming; Decor, Themes and Props; and Flooring, Staging and Risers.

DACUMs (Develop a Curriculum) have been completed in some of the areas, and more are planned through to the fall months so the disciplines are scheduled to begin early next year. A recertification process will take place after three years, providing a chance for students to take courses in other disciplines.

To receive the C.E.R.P. designation, a student also must obtain points based on industry leadership and continuing education, formal education, professional experience, service (speaking, volunteerism, etc.), articles in publications, awards and related activities.

Students will be able to sign up for the program as cohorts/study groups. Students do not have to be from the same store, but the cohort participation must be approved by the A.R.A. director of education's office.

At a recent meeting, the ad-hoc committee also discussed proposed student completion periods. Based on two hours a week of study, plus Saturday mornings, the committee thought the Foundations course could be done in four months. After testing, they estimated the discipline coursework also could be completed in a fairly short time, Conway said.

Courses will be both paper-based, with Web enhancements, and Web-based with enhancements from CD-ROMs and videotapes. The Web site will include a place for students to submit questions, and responses will be archived. Committee members and others who have completed the C.E.R.P. will serve as coaches.

The University of Illinois is the C.E.R.P.'s university partner; Dr. Tim Wentling, chairman of the Department of Human Resource Education in the College of Education, serves as the consultant/liaison to the A.R.A. The university's focus is on curriculum standards, assessment and testing, records management and Web-based course development.

Members of the certification ad-hoc committee are Petersen, Diamond Rental & Sales, Salt Lake City, chairman and A.R.A. Party and Event Services Special Interest Group chairman; Robert Sivek, The Meetinghouse Cos., Elmhurst, Ill.; John Crabbe Jr., Vermont Tent Co., South Burlington, Vt.; Cathy DeBusk, Party People, Phoenix; Susan Miles, PDQ Rentals, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Andrew Paquette, Pyramide Party Center, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada; Jane Gillespie, Festive Occasions, Woburn, Mass.; Steve Belliveau, Tentwares, Londonderry, N.H.; Mike Davis, RentX Industries, Columbia, S.C.; Neffle, All Occasions Event Rental, Cincinnati, A.R.A. board liaison; and Conway.

To sign up for the program, including the two chosen disciplines, there is a $100 signup fee, plus $100 for the three courses, plus $275 for the final assessment and the C.E.R.P., to total $475. For those who want to take one course at a time and not commit to the program, the cost is $100 each for the three courses (whenever they are taken), plus the signup and assessment fees, for a total of $675.

If two or more join as cohorts, sign-up costs are reduced to $50 each. Cohort participation also allows for free materials for the Fundamentals course. Non A.R.A. members will be charged an additional $300, the equivalent of a store membership, which will be designated as a membership contribution.

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