The Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) logo now marks the spot. Rental consumers who go to www.RentalHQ.com, the world’s largest rental store locator, now will see that logo, along with the description “Certified Event Rental Professional on staff,” in front of all American Rental Association (ARA)-member rental operations that have staff members who are active graduates of the CERP program at that location.

“This designation allows potential customers to know which rental operations have personnel on staff who have gone through the only rental-specific certification program available to those in party and event rental,” says Carla Brozick, ARA’s director of education and training. “Becoming CERP-designated takes commitment and hard work.”

Tom Davis, CERP, president of Are You Ready to Party?? in Waterville, Maine, couldn’t agree more. “This is a great way to spread the word to consumers and set us [CERP-designated party and event rental operations] apart from the competition. When consumers are looking for a company to help plan their events, seeing the CERP logo and knowing that a particular operation has CERP-designated staff gives them a comfort level in knowing they will be dealing with a company that has trained its staff, is dedicated to the industry and is there for the long haul,” says Davis, who serves as chairman of the ARA Party Certification Task Force.

So, when a potential customer goes to www.RentalHQ.com directly or lands there through an Internet search, that person has the ability to type in the city and state, or more directly, the ZIP code, on the “Find a rental store” tab. All rental stores in that area will appear on the screen. Those with CERP-designated staff at a particular store location will have the easily recognized CERP notification next to that store listing.

“In today’s market, you have to prove to your customers how you stand out and how you can make their events the best ever,” Davis says, noting that the CERP designation is the way to do so. Having that designation on www.RentalHQ.com. is a “great” way to market this achievement, he adds. For more information on the CERP program, go to www.ARArental.org or call Lori Byerly, ARA’s project coordinator, at 800-334-2177, ext. 277.