The 2011 Annual International Alert Users’ Association (IAUA) Profitability Conference was held on November 10-12, 2011 at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Each year, the IAUA Profitability Conference focuses on improving your sales and profits. The theme for this year was ‘Catch the Next Wave.’ It included classes, roundtables, networking and fun, all focused on catching the next wave of profitable trends and technology in the rental industry. This year’s keynote speaker was Dennis Masella, a nationally known web site and e-marketing expert. (Dennis received rave reviews for his 2009 IAUA speech on successful web site design.) Dennis demonstrated how to revitalize a rental business using the latest trends in E-Marketing, with IAUA-member rental businesses as “real-life” successful examples.
In an exciting change this year, Alert EasyPro software classes were all designed around the features of Alert revision 12 (the current revision), so everything could be applied the minute the attendees got back to their store. (Some were even logging-in and trying things out with their iPad or Laptop, right from the Conference!)
As always, the new features of upcoming revisions were introduced. Attendees were also invited to participate in Advisory Councils by type (Event/Party, General Rental, and Heavy Equipment), giving everybody the ability to confidentially review and improve our plans to make Alert software even better in the future. For an even more tangible software impact, attendees voted on a ballot of user-designed features budgeted for the next revision. The Resource Room, a cooperative lab environment, gave attendees hands-on opportunities to try new hardware and software, meet our partner vendors, and work with Alert experts.
After a “Report Card” presentation by Alert’s CEO, Tom Ross, the IAUA Board hosted its own business meeting (earlier in the day, prior to the keynote speech) to conduct the board elections and conduct a Town Hall Meeting for all members.
In addition to the business parts of the conference, in keeping with the 2011 theme, a luau was performed during our banquet with live Polynesian music and dancers, along with a drawing for two FREE round-trip tickets to Hawaii!
The International Alert Users' Association, IAUA, is the longest running and largest independent user’s group in the rental industry. It provides many important benefits for its owner/members, who pay a nominal annual fee ($95 per business owner) to belong.
Benefits include:
• An annual 2.5 day conference (generally hosted in Colorado Springs, Colorado), which includes 15-25 one-hour educational seminars on the Alert software and how to use it profitably in your rental business. The annual conference also includes peer-to-peer networking, guest speakers, individual consulting, confidential briefings on the company and on new products, beta testing in a software lab, time with the Alert executives and staff, recreational activities, and more. (Registration fees for the Annual Conference vary, and are budgeted to break-even on a per participant basis. Fees are approved in advance by the IAUA Board as part of its annual budget.)
• The IAUA Board is an elected body that represents you as an Alert client and provides constructive input on the IAUA Conference, and on Alert’s customer service, technology, and management. A members-only Board Election and Town Hall Meeting provides a confidential opportunity for Alert clients to voice their opinions and to seek constructive resolution of potentially sensitive problems and/or issues. (Alert staff are not present, unless invited to resolve specific issues summarized by the IAUA Board at the conclusion of the meeting. Non-owners may participate, but only as the designated representative of a business owner.)
• The IAUA Advisory Councils attend a meeting at each Annual Conference based on their market focus. The purpose of these meetings is to guide the long-term development of Alert software to best meet the needs of each market. Currently, there are three Advisory Councils, reflecting the make-up of the American Rental Association (ARA) membership: Event/Party Rental, General Rental, and Heavy Equipment.
• The IAUA Software Development Ballot is a member-generated, comprehensive list of new features that members approve via a computerized voting process which allocates an equal (but substantial) annual budget for each member who attends. You must be present to vote. 100% of the IAUA-approved features are generally delivered as part of the next Alert EasyPro annual revision.
• The IAUA also funds the Alert After-Hours Support Program, which provides emergency live phone support for Alert clients outside of normal working hours. Just like AAA for your car, your membership in IAUA entitles you to prompt “free emergency service” whenever you need it, at no extra charge. (Some restrictions apply, according to a written Software Support Agreement. Software Support, including Free Annual Upgrades and Free Warranty Service, is a perpetually renewable benefit of your Alert EasyPro software purchase.)
• Other IAUA benefits include a free subscription to the Quarterly Alert Newsletter, as well as voluntary inclusion in on-line social media groups, such as the Alert Linked-In membership group.
• Most important of all, as a life-time membership benefit of IAUA, you will have the opportunity to network with and be mentored by the most creative and profitable rental operators in the world, bar none. Your rewards for participation are limitless!We look forward to meeting you at next year’s event.