Three exams. One essay. Countless hours of studying. One goal = achieved. We are so thrilled to announce that eight Party Rental Ltd. team members are now officially CERP certified! 🎓
CERP — Certified Event Rental Professional — is an exclusive certification offered by the American Rental Association and the only rental-specific certification of its kind for the event industry. Graduates of the CERP program study the ins-and-outs of the event industry, while honing their skills in two specialized areas of the business that interest them, ranging from tabletop design, to warehouse operations, and beyond. After successfully completing the program, the grads received a beautiful certificate and their hard-earned CERP suffix to show that, not only did they take on the challenge, but they mastered it. (You can see the new CERP titles in the grads’ email signatures!)
We recognized the CERP certification as a perfect opportunity for members of our team to gain a 360-degree perspective of the entire event industry. By getting a broader and deeper understanding of our processes and our customers’ businesses, they’re able to grow as event professionals and gain the knowledge and experience they need to provide an even higher degree of service to our customers and their events.
Eight members of the Party Rental Ltd. earned their certification, including three Event Rental Specialists, four Customer Service Supervisors, and one Business Development Manager. We caught up with the grads to learn more about them and their experiences — check it out!
Barony S. – Event Rental Specialist, Team Lead
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
I’ve been with Party Rental Ltd. for a total of four years, including my first year before I left and came back.
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from working at Party Rental Ltd.?
The many steps needed to create a successful event and how to care for each step along the way.
What was one of the most important things you’ve learned from your CERP certification experience?
Getting my CERP certification has taught me that the event industry is a massive industry, and there is always something new to learn to keep our skills polished.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
The summer lunches [where people from different departments get to know each other over a fun activity and lunch] and volunteering. When working at Party Rental Ltd., you become part of our gigantic family, which is super cool, and I love it!
Deirdre H. – Customer Service Supervisor
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
I’m celebrating my 11th anniversary on March 5th!
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from working at Party Rental Ltd.?
One of the most important things I’ve learned is that it’s your colleagues that keep you going in the most stressful or hectic moments. They are the ones that put a smile on your face, understand the challenges you’re facing, and help you get through them. I wouldn’t change my “cast of characters” for anything!
What was one of the most important things you’ve learned from your CERP certification experience?
The fashion industry dictates many design trends in the event industry, and to make sure our customers have the products they want for their event designs, we introduce new products influenced by those trends.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
It was an honor getting to know [event industry veteran] Falk Lagner, and hearing him call me “Ms. Deirdre ‘Rutherford’ Hayes”.
Diane M. – Customer Service Supervisor
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
I’m celebrating my 25th anniversary with Party Rental Ltd. in May!
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from working at Party Rental Ltd.?
Teamwork, baby! And even after 25 years, I learn something new every day.
What was one of the most important things you’ve learned from your CERP certification experience?
Getting my CERP certification made me more aware of what I can do better to help our customers’ events and orders be more successful. It gave me a different perspective to find new, innovative solutions.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
The very first event I ever attended was a gala at the New York Botanical Gardens that we worked on years ago with Abigail Kirsch Catering. Just seeing everything come together beautifully on-site — and knowing that I played a part in it — is a memory I always look back on fondly.
Jen C. – Event Rental Specialist
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
I’ve been with Party Rental Ltd. for five years, since December 2012.
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from working at Party Rental Ltd.?
The most important thing I’ve learned from my experience here at Party Rental Ltd. is the importance of teamwork – we are one team and need each other.
What was one of the most important things you’ve learned from your CERP certification experience?
From starting the CERP program and getting my certification, I have learned how the event rental industry has expanded over the years and how beneficial it is to have this professional credential. This is definitely a great educational opportunity.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
The first time we did our team-building summer activity by volunteering at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in 2013.
Lena S. – Business Development Manager
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
I am happy to say that I have been with Party Rental Ltd. for over eight years!
What was one of the most important things you’ve learned from your CERP certification experience?
I have learned that it’s a huge industry with a lot of creative minds and opportunities.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
I have many great memories, and one of them was achieving one of my career goals by becoming a Business Development Manager.
Susanne T. – Customer Service Supervisor
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
I’ve been with Party Rental Ltd for 12 1/2 years. August will be my 13th anniversary!
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from working at Party Rental Ltd.?
Teamwork and communication are some of the most important skills and values in this business. This was supported in my CERP training.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
All of our holiday office parties are a good time and fun memories!
Valencia B. – Event Rental Specialist, Customer Service Trainer
How long have you been with Party Rental Ltd.?
My seventh anniversary will be in July.
What’s one of the most important things you’ve learned from working at Party Rental Ltd.?
Continuous learning is key in any form and any industry. Not only are trends, styles, and fashion changing, but so is technology and the traditional workspace. Change is inevitable so you may have to use plan “B” one day.
What was one of the most important things you’ve learned from your CERP certification experience?
I’ve learned how to better assist our customers with using my critical thinking skills. Taking the Sales and Tabletop Design courses allowed me to understand a better way to get them what they want and be a great listener to their needs.
We have to know — what’s one of your favorite memories from your time at Party Rental Ltd.?
Since we hardly get to chit-chat with other departments during the busy season, our company events allow us to enjoy each other’s company and get to know the people we work with behind-the-scenes but sometimes never physically see.
After seeing the success of our first “graduating class” (and all the fun they had along the way), many more of our team members are committing to their CERP certifications for the future. We’re thrilled to help them grow as professionals and can’t wait to celebrate their future successes.
