European Rental Week 2024: Everything you need to know

The second annual European Rental Week (ERW) kicks off today. The event is dedicated to the promotion of rental across Europe and, according to the European Rental Association (ERA), will focus on three foundational pillars under the theme of “Working in Rental for a Sustainable Future.”

The first pillar, the people in the industry, will highlight the individuals who drive innovation, collaboration and success.

The second pillar, rental solutions, will explore the latest innovations and trends in equipment rental and the role it has in driving the industry forward towards greater efficiency, sustainability and success.

The final pillar, sustainability, will encourage participants to highlight how sustainability initiatives are shaping the future of the equipment rental industry.

The event, developed in collaboration with the National Association and Promotion Committees of the ERA, will also see various activities in different countries coordinated and promoted by the national associations within the European Rental Week framework.

Organisations are invited to take part to highlight the importance of rental companies, improve the attractiveness of the industry, raise awareness of the rental concept and promote rental as a sustainable, cost-effective and resource-efficient solution.

“ERA is committed to playing a pivotal role in making European Rental Week a success by actively supporting our members’ initiatives and fostering greater visibility and engagement across the industry,” the organisation said.

“We encourage all stakeholders to join us in these efforts and contribute to the growth and recognition of the rental sector during this important week.”

Expert webinar

The event will feature a webinar with rental leaders and experts covering a range of topics shaping the industry.

The ERW: Working in Rental for a Sustainable Future Webinar will take place on October 14 from 14:00 to 15:00 and will be broadcast across digital platform channels.

The ERA said there will be a special focus on sustainability, innovation and the importance of people in driving the sector forward.

Arne Severin, CEO of Zeppelin Rental, will open the webinar by looking at how the industry is evolving to meet the demands of the market.

Martin Seban, Director of MidMarket Strategy at KPMG, will then look at the numbers behind the size and growth of the rental industry in Europe, and will then host a presentation on the highly anticipated 2024 ERA Market Report.

The ERW 2024 speaker lineup. (Photo: ERA)

The event will then feature a panel discussion featuring Juergen Kuespert, Managing Director at the German rental association bbi , Dr. Markus Heidak, Senior CSR Manager at Zeppelin Rental and Rabia Aktas Ozdemir, Communications Manager at ERA.

Moderated by Murray Pollok, Director of Content, KHL Group, the webinar will explore a variety of topics including digital transformation, sustainability initiatives and the attraction and retention of talent within the rental industry.

Elsewhere, the ERA has said that special attention will be given to how digital transformation and sustainability efforts are “critical to creating rental solutions that are both cost-effective and environmentally responsible.”

The panel will also discuss the ERA’s “Attraction and Retention of People in Rental” study, offering insights into how the industry can better connect with younger generations. The session will end with guidance for companies at the early stages of their sustainability journey which will offer “actionable steps to establish a strong and achievable framework.”

The ERA said the webinar will offer “valuable opportunity for those interested in the rental industry” to “gain key insights, explore future opportunities, and engage with industry experts on advancing sustainable practices and operational excellence.”

For further information and for the webinar link, visit the ERW website.

How to get involved with European Rental Week 2024

The three pillars of European Rental Week 2024. (Photo: ERA)

As well as the promotional activities organised by the ERA, a number of companies and associations have confirmed their participation in European Rental Week, including:

The Hire Association Europe - Trade association for the plant, tool and equipment hire sector, aiming to protect, support and build successful businesses, set and improve standards, safeguard end-users, hirers and contractors through commitment to skills, standards and sustainability.

Global Rental Alliance - Networking organisation of equipment rental associations formed in 2003 to promote rental worldwide. The GRA said it creates an opportunity for members to learn from one another and discuss universal issues, such as promotion, sustainability, digitalisation, market penetration, safety, training and skills and attracting talent to the industry.

ASEAMAC - Support platform for companies specialising in the rental of machinery and equipment in Spain, ASEAMAC has been recognised by the Ministry of Labor as the representative business association for rental since 1996.

Plant Hire Week is to be held alongside European Rental Week. (Photo: ERA)

Social media challenge

The ERA is introducing the #RentalWeek2024 Social Media Challenge with the aim of encouraging people to showcase what it is really like to work in the rental industry and highlight the rewarding aspects.

Employees of rental companies that are interested in taking part are encouraged to create short videos via one or more of three popular social media trends:

“We work in rental, of course we...”

“Come to work with me”/”Day in the life”

“Things I would never do”

Posts, which can be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long, can be shared across multiple social channels, including Instagram, X (formely Twitter), TikTok and YouTube using the appropriate European Rental Week hashtags.

The ERA said that with the challenge it aims to “reach young, curious minds on social media and inspire them to consider a career in rental.” Those interested in participating are also encouraged to carry out their own activities, including the sharing of videos relating to the event, posting on social media, organising an event of their own or hosting an open day or running a competition.

Activities to look out for during European Rental Week 2024

Germany-based rental company Zeppelin Rental, part of Zeppelin Group, will highlight how it is dealing with the challenges of the green transformation. The company will focus on its range of sustainable products and ratings.

Zeppelin will also post videos with short statements from its employees about working in the rental industry which aims to give an insight about the benefits of working in the rental business.

Another activity will see a Zeppelin Rental employee that is training to become a road warden discuss how to make a career with the company.

Meanwhile, Boels Rental will explain the benefits of renting and leasing from the customer point of view via articles, testimonials and social media posts.

Software company STAEDEAN (formerly To-Increase) will look at how rental companies can achieve technological agility via a social media campaign. The company said the campaign will highlight how rental companies can “streamline processes and deliver exceptional customer service by leveraging the right technology.”

UK-based OEM Thwaites has created a campaign called Sustainability Underpins Rental, which encourages its European distributors to share a paper covering rental as a model of sustainability. The paper discusses how the rental industry reduces resource consumption, makes the industry more energy efficient, whilst reducing waste.

On Tuesday the 15 October at 10:00, Slovakian company PowerXtender is hosting a webinar on green battery technology and will highlight how its liquid additive can double the life of batteries.

As it did last year, Plant Hire Week will take also place in October across the UK, alongside European Rental Week. As part of the event, a webinar will be held on 16th October that will focus on debunking hire insurance myths with JCB Insurance.

On the 17th, a ministerial visit to a Blackwood Plant Hire depot in Nairn, Scotland, has been arranged.

France-based rental association DLR has also announced its participation in European Rental Week 2024. DLR said that it will promote the European Rental Association’s (ERA) social media challenge, which encourages employees to showcase what working in the equipment rental industry is like.

In the UK, the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) will upload a video series to its CPA YouTube channel. The videos will focus on people, rental solutions and sustainability and will also be shared via the CPA’s social media channels during the week.

The Swiss Association of Work Platform Providers is to host a Coffee in the air event, which will see the organisation put up an elevating platform in a public placecand invite people passing by to drink a coffee with members up on a platform.