Bright Future for SmartSource Rentals

Despite historically hard times, SmartSource Rentals continues to make strategic investments company-wide and put down building blocks for a solid future as the leading Computer & AV Rental provider to Businesses Nationwide.

Being the Top IT Rental Company has certainly helped to get us through some tough economic times, but like most industry leaders - being #1 is never enough! This past summer SmartSource chose to be pro-active in offering advanced training to employees from almost all 22 Computer and AV rental offices around the nation. This training was designed for our existing representatives to gain further insight surrounding Trade Show Rentals and the unique challenges presented at various conventions centers and exhibition venues around the nation.

Trade Show Services and Rentals are something SmartSource has been providing for years and is planning to expand. We have the unique advantage of having trained personnel and rental equipment physically located in most major Convention & Trade Show destinations. This is a huge advantage to some of our clients for some of the following reasons:

• Local Techs familiar with the area
• Backup/Extras Gear readily available
• Ability to duplicate orders in multiple cities
• Last minute changes/upgrades no problem
• No 3rd party vendor confusion
• One point of contact for your entire show

These are just a few of the reasons SmartSource is well positioned to become one of the leading Trade Show Rental providers, just as we are the Top IT Rental Company. We realize exhibitors, associations, and venues have a lot going on at any given show and having one point of contact, local equipment and pros on the ground in the city, and techs familiar with a show site makes things easier on everybody.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Rent a 17-inch MacBook Pro

The new 17″ MacBook Pro Laptops are as sleek and good-looking as they are powerful, and SmartSource Rentals has MacBook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo laptop rentals just waiting to be rented by your small business or large company.

If you are one of the millions of PC computer users who have always been curious about why people in the Macintosh camp always talk up their computers, then why not rent one and see for yourself what all the fuss is about. Everyone knows that the one indisputable thing about any Macintosh computer is the price, which makes renting a Mac laptop from SmartSource a perfect way to test the waters without having to break the bank and purchase one. A lot of people might associate Mac’s with the younger, student ipod crowd but we can assure you there are a large amount of business users and corporate users who get hooked on them for regular business or company use. Everyone should know by now that the MS Office suite runs fine on a Mac Laptop and that you can do just about anything on a MacBook Pro that you can do on a standard PC Laptop. What many executives prefer on the Mac is the durable design, slim size for cramming in your bag to and from the airport, long battery life and of course how easy they are to use.

The new 17″ MacBook Pro Laptops are carved from a single block of aluminum, making them light, sexy and tough - the perfect companion for any road warrior or trade show veteran. They’ll also help you stand out amongst the sea of black PC Laptops that tend to dominate most business meetings or trade show floors. If nothing else you can bring your 17″ MacBook Pro rental home from the office one day to watch a DVD or some movies on iTunes and show your kids you’re still cool!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Volunteerism initiatives launched in Times Square

SmartSource was selected for a National Press Event in Times Square kicking off two major initiatives aimed at ushering in a new generation of volunteerism. EIF (Entertainment Industry Foundation) is tapping into the vast entertainment community to help engage millions of Americans to find ways to volunteer more regularly by launching a multi-year I PARTICIPATE Campaign. In addition, Mayor’s from all over the U.S. have come together to form a bi-partisan “Cities of Service” coalition comprised of big and small cities across the U.S. working to help make a difference in their communities. Each of these new movements was announced at a major press event in Times Square, NYC on September 10, 2009.

This event was attended by a wide variety of celebrities, public officials, companies and organizations all with the common goal of increasing volunteerism. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg served as the emcee for this event after meeting with host of other mayors around the country earlier that day regarding the “Cities of Service” initiative, including Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Dublin, OH Mayor Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer, Vicksburg, MS Mayor Paul Winfield, Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, and West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel. Other celebrities in attendance included Ashton Kutcher, Tyler Perry, Randy Jackson, Christine Baranski, Fran Drescher, Sway Calloway, Kenneth Cole, Rocco DiSpirito, Kelley Menighan Hensley, Bernadette Peters, Cameron Mathison, Tim Daly, Lee Ann Womack, Constantine Maroulis, Jeff Francoeur, and Al Leiter.

Harnessing the power of social media, Mayor Bloomberg and Ashton Kutcher joined forces to reach out to more than 3.5 million followers on twitter and encourage volunteerism, which began to draw immediate responses across the internet.

For an event this large scale that was being hosted in a globally recognized location like Times Square, New York City, it was an easy decision to go with one of the most experienced NYC Sound, Staging & Lighting companies in all of New York City - SmartSource Rentals. SmartSource worked with EIF to provide sound, staging, LED Truck, internet access and other audio visual and technology support to make sure the event went smoothly. SmartSource was proud to be involved in helping two community driven initiatives be announced on a national stage in the heart of New York City.

Resources and Information relating to these initiatives:

Entertainment Industry Foundation
I PARTICIPATE
Cities of Service
Times Square Event Press Release

Popularity: 5% [?]

New Metrolines Magazine is out!

The September/October issue of Metrolines is out and if you haven’t picked it up yet or had a chance to read it - here’s a quick peak at some of the topics covered in the recent issue. Metrolines is published by MPIGNY (Meeting Professionals International Greater New York Chapter) and is a tremendous resource for Meeting Professionals. We’d also like to give a shout out to SmartSource’s very own Ken Edwards (Vice President of Finance for MPIGNY) who is featured on the cover this time around, along with some of the other meeting professionals who all work hard to make this magazine and a variety other events and resources possible.

The latest edition of Metrolines focuses on Edutainment as a theme for this year’s social committee, and if you’re in the NYC Metro Area you can see this in action at the “Tuesday Night Live” event coming up on September 22 in Manhattan. You can check out a video teaser below or register here.

The quote below from Megan Schilt’s  ‘Leadership Lines’ article is a great snapshot of the MPIGNY vision for this season:

“As we kick off the 2009 – 2010 season of MPIGNY, the entire leadership team has unanimously agreed on two things: we will accept nothing but success from our programs, and we are committed to providing intrinsic value at each educational opportunity to our members.”

Here are just a few other features from the current issue:

-Recent Yankee Stadium Tour
-Social Media’s growing impact
-Corporate Marketplace facts
-Meetings Management
-Destination Quebec Golf Outing
-Tech Tips
-Presentation Innovation
-High Definition
-Photos and other news

To learn more about this community of meeting professionals in the NYC Metro area, or other chapters of MPI, visit the MPIGNY website.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Freelance AV Techs Wanted in Boston

SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals is seeking Freelance Audio Visual Technicians to assist with the staging and operating of Audio/Visual and IT events in the Boston, MA area.
Update: as of 11/16/09 we are still accepting resumes!

We are a leader in the event technology services business with more than twenty years of experience working with some of the most recognized associations and event exposition organizations in the industry. All applicants must have knowledge and working experience within the Audio Visual field.  Excellent customer service is a must.

How To Apply

Please send your resume to bmarch@smartsourcerentals.com with the subject title ‘Freelance AV Tech’.

Mandatory: Please List Hourly Rates / Service Rates in your resume or email message.

This is a great opportunity to work with a National leader in Computer & Audio Visual services in the Boston area. We consistently handle a high volume of projects involving Audio Visual services for meetings, trade shows, and corporate events. At this time are accepting new resumes from qualified AV Technicians and professionals in the Boston area. Formerly known as ADHandy, SmartSource is committed to providing a wide range of high quality customer service and technical services across a wide range of events.

For more information please visit us online - SmartSource Computer & AV Rentals or ADHandy.com

Popularity: 100% [?]

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