Speakers

Dr. Vincent Blouin, Associate Professor of Architecture and Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University, holds an engineering degree from Ecole Centrale Nantes, France, a MS degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan. His dual appointment in architecture and engineering allows him to teach and conduct research on a wide range of topics related to building design and construction with a focus on structural performance analysis and optimization. Recently, he has been involved in the structural analysis and conservation of historic naval ships such as the Hunley submarine, the USS Clamagore, and the CSS Jackson. His role has been to provide engineering expertise to prevent degradation and/or critical failure during specific operations.

Son of Warren Darby, David Darby has been with Rent-E-Quip for over 11 years and leads the Weddings & Events sales team. Other primary responsibilities include leading marketing, sales strategy & product development.

Warren Darby is the founder and owner of Rent-E-Quip, Inc. An award winning, family owned and operated rental store in Colonial Heights Virginia. Rent-E-Quip has been open since 2000 and services both the Event & Construction markets throughout Central Virginia.

Nick, a New York native, began his formal career in the special events industry with Emmis Broadcasting in 1989 planning promotional events for radio stations WFAN & WQHT in the Tristate area, while running his own mobile DJ company he started in high school. After receiving a BA in Communications from St. John’s University, Nick prepared to embark on expanding his own DJ business. In 1994, he opened Tumbles, an interactive entertainment center and event space. After several successful years, he expanded the business to include Parties To Go, a division providing outdoor amusements, catering and party rentals. In 2000, along with his Brother-In-Law Sal Bileddo, Parties To Go acquired Emily’s Place Party Rental, a local tent and party rental company. The acquisition of Emily’s Place Party enabled the company to expand more aggressively into the tent rental market. Nick’s vision for growth and his strong belief in the importance of quality and customer service provided motivation for employees and a superior customer experience. These ideals supported a shift in the customer demographic, from backyard parties to large and logistically challenging events. Parties To Go became PTG Event Services, the versatile event company it is today. Nick’s commitment to quality, innovation, efficiency and safety led to the creation of a tent ballast system now known as Block And Roll®. Operating a tent rental company in the NYC area demanded mostly ballasted tents, yet building, transporting and placing ballast was an extremely difficult task and Nick was not willing to sacrifice safety by using water barrels or underweighting tents. Block And Roll’s Patented system has become the “industry standard” in tent ballasting and has allowed many companies the opportunity to properly ballast tents while maintaining efficiencies and safety. In October 2020 Nick Sold PTG Event Services and now will put all his focus into expanding B&R Innovations and the Block And Roll® system.

Dr. Furman is not your typical “academic”. She served as the Assistant Dean and Professor at the Hull College of Business at Augusta University for 10+ years, but her passion for career, leadership, and organizational development inspired her to launch Career Potential, a consulting, training, and coaching organization. Her expertise include generational diversity, unconscious bias, leadership success, and emotional intelligence. She brings her background in higher education—particularly business, counseling, and psychology—to the conversation to help individuals and organizations achieve success.

Josh Kohn is CEO and Co-Founder of SOHO Tents and Events and also CEO and Co-Founder of Decal Doodle, both based in Fairhope, Alabama. With more than 25 experience in the hospitality industry, Kohn, alongside wife Amy Kohn, have grown SOHO to be a leader in the event industry along the Gulf Coast over the last seven years. A small, start up business that began with 50 chairs in a garage now boasts over 35,000 square feet of warehouse space to hold an expansive rental inventory. Kohn is a graduate of the University of South Alabama. He and his wife Amy are residents of Fairhope with their three children: Carson, Cooper and Caroline.

Alex Kouzmanoff is the President of Torrance, California based Aztec Tents, an industry-leading manufacturer of tents and temporary structures for the hospitality and special event rental industry. In his role as President, Kouzmanoff provides strategic oversight of organizational strategy and helps build his organization’s success with his valuable experiences working in many different facets of the business.

Along with his ongoing work for Aztec Tents, Alex has also been integral in the success of several industry leading trade organizations. Kouzmanoff has served on the steering committee for the Tent Rental Division of the Advanced Textiles Association for two terms. He has also more recently served as Associate Member Director, on the Board of Directors for the American Rental Association. He has been a speaker at several industry leading trade exhibitions and has proudly served with many other trade associations in volunteer capacities.

Tarryn has been part of the Tent team at Peak since early 2016 (Then Peterson Party Center). She has maintained a strong growth strategy, successfully navigating the challenges of the COVID pandemic and guiding the Tent Division multiply in size and volume since joining. She got her start in international events having produced projects in the UK and Turkey and several events for Presidents, celebrities, sports teams and a slew of awesome everyday people. A life-long runner and outdoor enthusiast, she has never met a dad joke she doesn’t like 😉

Darren Randle is President and Founder of Houston Tents and Events based in Houston, Texas. With more than 14 years’ experience in the event and entertainment industry, Randle has been able to build a company with 20+ full-time employees that has become one of the fastest growing tent and event rental companies since he founded it in January 2020. Inventory includes frame and structure tents, general event rental party equipment as well as temporary power and electrical distribution.

Randle is a graduate of the University of Houston where he obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He and his wife Kori are originally from Memphis, TN but have called Houston home for the last 15 years. They have two children: Kali and Karoline. He is a Certified Event Rental Professional and has CPCE and CSEP certifications in the industry.

Alex Renaud is the International Sales Manager and part owner of Fiesta Tents Ltd. He has been on the TRD Steering Committee for the last six years and has recently become the TRD code committee chair. Alex has been in the tent industry for 25+ years and has experience in both manufacturing and rental. Alex has actively participated in many non-staking tent installations ranging from 10x10 marquees to 25M clear span tents and have been involved in many permit applications and engineer certifications for temporary fabric structure installations.

Coming soon!

Brian Stumph, Fred’s Tents Sales Rep., Trainer & Installer. Brian brings with him over 35 years in sales/project management, 17 years of Rental Operations/Installation experience and nearly 3 years of Manufacturing in the tent rental industry. Brian looks forward to expanding his relationships in the tent rental industry by being customer focused and solutions driven.

A 45 year veteran of the equipment and party rental industry, Michael Tharpe’s name is synonymous with tent safety and training. As National Sales Manager with Rainier Industries in Tukwila Washington, Michael has helped build the company’s strong reputation for putting quality and safety first, making it one of the leaders in the tent rental industry.

Michael has served on the American Rental Association (ARA) Board of Directors, Mid-Atlantic Tent Rental Association (MATRA) Board of Directors, Industrial Fabric Association International (IFAI) Steering Committee and is the Chairman of the TRD Steering committee. He is a trusted leader in the educational support to all of these organizations in developing the most respected and professional training programs in the tent rental industry. He has received numerous awards including the ARA Special Services Award, the IFAI Inspiration Award (Training for the Tent Installer) and elected to the MATRA Hall of Honor.

Michael’s commitment to safety and training is evident in the legacy he has built during his service to all these organizations. His professionalism, dedication and knowledge make him an asset to the entire equipment and party rental industry.

Kevin “Z” is the owner of Z Rental Consulting (ZRC), a consulting firm that works with small to medium sized rental business owners that are looking to sell their companies. Prior to ZRC, Kevin has been the CFO of three of the largest rental companies in the industry; Brambles Equipment Services, Arena Americas, and Classic Party Rentals as well as a partner in Vendo Rental Solutions, a consulting firm providing similar seller representation services. During his 25+ years of experience, Kevin has been involved in over 75 sales transaction in the industry.