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Episode 48: New year, same dilemmas?
157 Plays3 months ago
Kyle and Nate are pumped for the new year! They're headed to Florida for ATA, Madison, Wisconsin for an ARA of IL/ARA of WI event, and then back to Florida for The ARA Show. In this episode they talk about wedding trends of 2026, the impact of educational institutions on business, and why there is so much last-minute planning. The conversation shifts to reusing carpet - yay or nay, vinyl's post-COVID dilemma, black turf, and how to cut overtime. The guys emphasize the role of technology in enhancing operational efficiency and the need to be intentional as a manager in 2026.
This episode is brought to you by Anchor Industries. Learn more at www.anchorinc.com.
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Transcript
Introduction and New Season Chaos
00:00:01
Speaker
I'm a champ, reddle man, I'm working on all day. Getting mistakes in the ground no matter what they say. From sunrise to the night, make sure everything's right.
00:00:14
Speaker
Yeah, I'm a champ, reddle man, I'm working all Alright y'all, welcome back to Under the Vinyl, Tailgate Talk Edition. New year, new season, same chaos under the
January Antics and Birthday Banter
00:00:24
Speaker
tents. Kyle, how you doing buddy? I'm hanging in there, Nate.
00:00:27
Speaker
This month is flying by already, I can't believe it. This month? January? Yeah. You start looking at your calendar, you're like, uh, the month's already half over.
00:00:39
Speaker
Do you got one date circled on your calendar? What's that? The day ATA's over? No, it would be my birthday. That's all I'm wondering. When is it? If you got something coming for me. I'll add it to my calendar right now.
00:00:54
Speaker
Tomorrow.
00:00:58
Speaker
Is it really? really is. My gosh. So it shows how much of a friend you are. Here we go. When's mine? Hold on, hold on. no We're going this debate now. So January is a good month. It is flying by indeed.
Balancing Travel and Work Commitments
00:01:09
Speaker
It is, uh, it is already, we're eight days into January here, but I, uh, I don't know that it's flying by.
00:01:16
Speaker
um i feel like it's kind of creeping this week has felt like it's flown by, but, uh, I feel like the rest of the, the days have creeped. What do you got going? It's making it fly by. just starting to think about all this travel we have coming up. Um, I got some trips planned with me and the wife and then we have ATA, we have ARA in February. We got, you know, you figure every show you're gone for at least a week. So you take three or four weeks out of the winter it goes by pretty quick.
00:01:47
Speaker
Yeah, that is true. Um, I, I, I haven't been traveling a lot. Well, I kind of have, I mean, personally we traveled a lot. I feel like in December for the holidays and stuff. Um, The wife and I went on a little couples retreat last weekend, which was fantastic.
00:02:02
Speaker
Right before I got back to the back in the swing of things for work here, after a nice little break, much needed. But I was at the end of that break. I was i think I was starting to lose my mind. i was ready to go back to work. I told him. My wife, as I said, just need to get back to work. And I think I called you too several times and said, I just need to get back to work. I tried to settle.
00:02:23
Speaker
I tried to hone in on just settling with myself. But then that came with a full-on daddy daycare at home. So that created a little bit more chaos. And so i was I was ready to get back in the swing of things. Needless to say, I'm not a stay-at-home dad.
00:02:40
Speaker
Well, I'm glad you learned that lesson. So at least you know you'll be in the workforce a while. Yeah, exactly.
Anchor Industries Advertisement
00:02:47
Speaker
Hey, let's take a moment, Nate, right now, and let's hear from our great sponsors over at Anchor Industries.
00:02:53
Speaker
This episode of Under the Vinyl is brought to you Anker Industries, a fifth generation, family owned, American manufacturer of tents and clear span structures. Anker has spent decades engineering products that last season after season, and they're more than just your supplier. They're a partner committed to helping grow your business. And right now, Anker's winner discount is live. Get 15% off frame, fabric, and accessories for your tents and clear spans now through January 26th. Make sure you let them know Kyle and Nate sent you.
00:03:21
Speaker
Contact your sales rep today. Call 800-544-4445 or visit anchorinc.com to learn more.
Post-COVID Wedding Industry Trends
00:03:36
Speaker
All right, so the year ended. You took the last month off, it seemed like. It was impossible to get in touch with you, but i feel good for you.
00:03:46
Speaker
So I kind of want to talk about 2025. I know we've talked about it overall, but I kind of want to dive in maybe sector by sector. We'll call it. Okay. more Um, I'll start with us. So like the wedding sector.
00:04:01
Speaker
Yep. Numbers wise, we were kind of down. Um, and I don't know if that's cause the influx from COVID is kind of over. So in my head we're down, but really we're back to reality.
00:04:14
Speaker
Uh, What do you kind of see? What did you see in that wedding side of the business?
National vs. Local Wedding Markets
00:04:19
Speaker
I felt like the wedding side, it might've gone down a little bit more on the, i mean, we got to look at it two different ways or well, three different ways for us. Uh, you got the national weddings that we do that we travel with planners for and things like that. Um, we have our local weddings here in Chattanooga. We have local in Nashville, right? So I felt like overall in Nashville, it was kind of the same thing. Steady. Everything was good overall.
00:04:42
Speaker
Um, you know, nationally was good Locally here, we have... i mean, Chattanooga is a town that doesn't feel like it's... it It's got a lot of old money in it, but it doesn't spend a lot of money on big weddings. If they do big weddings, I feel like it's usually indoors. um But the business was still good there.
00:05:02
Speaker
Overall, I think as a whole... I don't think it was down as much as you would think. I think that it became higher end weddings, if that makes sense. So so the spend was more.
00:05:15
Speaker
Right. The spend was more. um i think that you were getting in the higher numbers on, on spending and just in, what you were doing to dress up the tents. Like we had that talk with Elizabeth, you know, just making the tents, um, a priority and in what style do you choose versus just something, you know, just your normal run of the mill tent. Um, so I feel like we had a lot of higher end tents. Now at the end of the day, the wedding business isn't a monster part of our business and I don't think it's a monster part of yours either. um,
00:05:47
Speaker
um i don't felt I don't feel like it it was significantly down or up. I think it was still right where it was before. Yeah. So for us, and ah so obviously we have the wedding market, but like you said, it's not
Educational Institutions' Spending Habits
00:06:03
Speaker
same with us. It's not a big portion of our business.
00:06:05
Speaker
um A big portion for us is educational institutions. And towards the end, middle to end of the year, we did notice some pullback. Um, as the government was doing things with their endowments and things like that, you started to see them start looking at every single penny they were spending a lot more.
00:06:25
Speaker
um I was on a call for something to do with rental analytics through ARA, and I made a comment that, you know, I watch how my customers' endowment funds are doing. And they're like, oh, I've never even, like, considered that. like that To me, that's a big thing. I need to know how much money they're making because that tells you how much money they're going to spend.
00:06:46
Speaker
Right. But, yeah, so that's – it's interesting to watch places like that who are playing with public dollars, in a sense, how they – meander their way through all these tax loopholes and things like that that's occurring now.
00:07:03
Speaker
Luckily, my clients aren't the head of the attack, but you can see that they're worried that it'll come. I think everybody's worried. I think everybody was worried last year too. I think everybody was worried in 2025 because that was just an absolute shit show.
00:07:17
Speaker
um But at the end of the day, I felt like more towards the end of the year, um it became more last minute weddings, last minute events, last minute everything. So like, I felt like maybe we didn't have a lot on the books at the beginning. I felt like before...
00:07:34
Speaker
pre-COVID, you were getting a lot on the books in like December, January, February, right? And that stuff was booking all for all for the next year. Now, I feel like we're in a time where I'm in, it's January now, and I don't feel like we have what I want on the books, but I know that by like March,
00:07:56
Speaker
or even April, it'll be there. I feel like people are planning later and later. And then you get halfway through the season in July and you look at your fall and your fall seems like you could add some more stuff, a lot more stuff in there. And I feel like you just start getting them last minute phone calls. And it's like, yeah,
00:08:13
Speaker
Do people just not prepare? Are they not, are they weighing their options still? I don't know, but it it becomes more, everything seems more last minute than what it used to be pre-COVID.
Managing Last-Minute Client Requests
00:08:23
Speaker
Well, we have this debate internally here all the time that like eventually,
00:08:28
Speaker
we should start using the word no to some of those clients who will know they can call you on Wednesday and you'll do everything in your power to have it done by Friday or even the week before. And they're really good clients, but they know they can call you and you are not going to tell them no.
00:08:48
Speaker
We have this internal debate all the time. And, you know, prior to coming to Chattanooga Tent when I was at Bryant's, we... I did not say no to anything. you Somebody called at 4 o'clock and they needed something at 5.30, 6 o'clock. I was charging a fee. We were making it happen.
00:09:04
Speaker
um Coming to Chattanooga Tent, the style is different because everything is bigger. I feel like maybe you can get away with that more on the on the local side here in Chattanooga, but even then we still don't really operate that way because there's so much going on. But I feel like as ah as a whole...
00:09:25
Speaker
Last-minute stuff for us, like, you know, we'll try and do some last-minute stuff, but there is so much with the big jobs that we have going out, and this is shout-out to Logan because he's he's the he's the one that's like, ah, you know, and he he says no to that stuff when we go to ask him. But, you know, if he can make it happen, he'll make it happen. But there's just so much big stuff they're prepping and getting ready. To try and shoot something small last-minute in there is extremely difficult. um in In Nashville, if I have the time and and resources, I will. but You also know at the end of the day, those little jobs that you do at the last minute that you're like, you know what? I'll help this person out. We'll do it at the last minute. What does it do? It always bites you in the ass every time. It doesn't matter. I mean, well you look at it as in your head small 20 by 40. Yeah.
00:10:09
Speaker
yeah Well, and in your head, you're like, oh, you know, if I help them out this time, they're going to give me a lot more work. And then they never do. Well, and it might be a $2,000 job and you're like, is that $2,000 job really worth it? Well, yeah, because I have nothing going on, but then somehow that $2,000 job just cost me $2,500 in and changes and it's blowing or it's angled the wrong way or it's not put up in the right spot. you know So yeah, the last minute stuff, I feel like we've done a lot better at saying no to.
00:10:39
Speaker
And last year I even... I had a job at the end of last year that I said no, a good client, um or the year before actually. It wasn't it was in 24. Really good client of mine, and I just had to say no because it was so last minute. that We had so much going on, and I hated to do it.
00:10:54
Speaker
But it was actually turned out they came back in 25, and it was one of the bigger jobs I did in 25 at the end of the year. So if they know you and they know your reputation and what your what you're capable of, they're always going to come back, I feel like.
Innovation in Tent Industry
00:11:08
Speaker
Well, the grass isn't always greener. I've had some customers learn that. that Like we had one come back after they took a two-year hiatus, we'll call it.
00:11:20
Speaker
And we lost it over something that was our fault.
00:11:26
Speaker
It's semantics. you know We fixed the problem before the event, but the person running the event refused to forget that there was the problem. Mm-hmm. But then they realized that you know moving to a different vendor wasn't also as good as they thought it was going to be. so Right. And also with that with that, though, if it's a good customer and you're not a week out or five days out or two days out, and maybe you're a couple weeks to a month out, we can find the labor and make it happen. and It just comes with a fee, right? so It's just money.
00:11:57
Speaker
That's what I say. They make more every day. Oh, yeah, sure.
00:12:04
Speaker
So for 2026, are you seeing any... I'm going to agree with what you... We'll go back a little bit to what you said about how you're not, you know, on the books right now, it's not looking like it's going to be a banner year. That's how things look here as well. But I know just like you do that people just plan later in the year for some reason. But like, what are you seeing trend-wise? What are people asking for? What are they...
00:12:29
Speaker
You don't have to give me you know any secrets, so you might be dreaming up over there. but Yeah, I mean, we have something new coming to the market that will be really cool. I think that everybody is to really like. I've already had it booked two or three times. So I think that that's going to great, and it's just a customization. At the end of the day, this industry – I think Mike Holland as a whole at Chattanooga has done a great job of just and being innovative, just like some other guys in this industry. um
00:13:01
Speaker
He likes to – I'll call him out and he's going to give me help for it. But he likes the shiny things, right? So I always give him hell because it's like, hey, we're going to step back. We're not going to purchase this. But then this shiny thing comes by and they give you a great deal and you're like, well, all right.
00:13:16
Speaker
If you can push it, let's get it. So we get it. But um I say that all to say it's helped us a ton in in the forward thinking and he's helped us a ton in that forward thinking aspect of making sure we're staying ahead of the curve because it's real easy that if you sit back and not spend any money, I mean, we all complain about spending money and what we're spending, but if you sit back and spend money, you'll get passed by in this industry really quick. yeah Especially with the when you're, depending on what size company you are, and where you're at. Um, so I think you just have to be innovative with the different customer and ah customization and Chattanooga 10 has been doing that far before i was ever here and far before a lot of people are ever here, but I'm privileged that we've been able to, that we have those resources that we're able to do that. So i think we, uh, continue with the really cool different tents and things like that. Yeah. I mean, you guys, you're the first one, first or second one that I saw, but you did that first big wood grain structure that had be what six pre COVID.
00:14:16
Speaker
Um, and that was really neat and innovative. That's really cool to see. And then you just bought that square thing, what, two years ago now? Yeah. The, uh, the skyline. Yeah. We love that. And it's actually, that was one of the shiny things that was a really good deal. And I thought it was like, I'll never forget. Mike called me randomly and he was like, Hey, you think you can get this to go? And I was like, well, I can sure try. And and luckily we, we did and it took off and it's, it's been a good rental item for some corporate stuff, um, and different things. It's, It's really funny because it's really not that big, but it's just the look of it and what it can do and where you put it and different things. is It's really fun. Now it's not going to be a wedding tent, but corporate stuff. Activations, things like that. Yeah. It's perfect for that. i mean, hell, I had Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the side of it and got to meet him in front of it. Who would have thought that?
00:15:05
Speaker
Well, that's pretty cool. Yeah. Look at you. Yeah. So kind of what I'm seeing out here in my market, obviously we bought the garden tent. Which is a, the price point on it makes it hard. It's not for everyone.
00:15:18
Speaker
We'll just put it that way. So I kind am, we're still toying around with what I hate to say low end, but what the product is that we need to bring in for the person who wants the garden tent, but doesn't have the budget for it.
00:15:34
Speaker
Um, so we've bounced on a couple ideas around seeing what kind of sticks. We're doing the old telling people we have something when we don't know, and that we can hopefully buy it before their wedding.
00:15:46
Speaker
Yeah. Well, just put it on your website and, uh, and there's some somebody specifically that I know that, uh, does this, but, just put it on your website and then say you got it and then just call your friends. Yeah, that's what you have friends for.
00:16:00
Speaker
Exactly, exactly. like Like you and that groove floor. Yes, the groove floor. You know, what's really funny is we've we've got the groove floor and it just hasn't really taken off a lot. And I think a lot of it's just because we don't have...
00:16:13
Speaker
we We have a – I think we got 4,000 square foot of it, right? So we we need more square footage, honestly, of that for the things that we're doing. Then it's ah it's a whitewash color, which we think is great. I love the whitewash. I think it looks awesome.
00:16:26
Speaker
um But everybody's looking for that more natural look, kind of like what you got um now. And I think you have, what, 10,000 square foot? Yep. Yeah. So I feel like that's a good to be I in first and do it.
00:16:38
Speaker
Yeah. So I feel like that's a good spot to be in. Um, and it's, I think that I'm seeing more and more, especially through different experiences with other floors that this is kind of the way to go.
00:16:52
Speaker
but also, I mean, who's to say that you can't do your own floor? Yeah. I know the guy, I'm going to say guys, but it's guys and gals, Taryn Drew down there at Holland Park. I've done some work with them this season, as you've probably seen through social media.
00:17:09
Speaker
But they do a lot of LVP. And it turns out great. They have a crew that they come that comes and installs it. Yeah. Yeah. You have to have a crew to come in and install that. Otherwise that is a that is a nightmare. I mean, good for them for how they're doing it. Cause I think it's fricking great. It looks good. It's a great product overall, but it's man. Is that labor intensive?
00:17:30
Speaker
Yeah. But I mean the flooring guys, they have that come do it. They're fast. They, it's like six guys. They all know what they're doing. They're, they're flooring people by trade. That's their profession. so they're very good at it. They can get it done pretty quickly. Um, but it turns out it looks awesome.
00:17:44
Speaker
Yeah. I personally went the groove route because like, I don't want to deal with this LVP. um But you're also you're also relying on somebody more and more now. So that that puts you in a space where you have to book people out. And talking about last minute stuff and everything else, like now you're relying on six guys from another company to show up. And don't get me wrong, like no hate to anybody, but when you're trying to rely on a construction contractor crew, know,
00:18:14
Speaker
they're not a They're not a tent and event crew. and Luckily, the crew that does hers, their main business is event flooring. Right. So, like, they'll come do carpet. They'll do your vinyl rollout, stuff like that.
00:18:26
Speaker
But still, yes, like you said, you're relying on someone else to come and make sure they meet the deadline as well. Right. So. But, yeah, flooring is, you know, we're seeing it more and more. People want the upgrades. They want the nicer turf. They want the nicer carpet.
00:18:44
Speaker
What are you doing? I didn't even expect us to go this route. Are you saving your carpet? This has been an internal debate. Brian Richardson is going to listen to this.
00:18:55
Speaker
So environmentally, we are supposed to say yes, right? It's so hard, Nate. I know. um we had this I think you and I had this conversation in another podcast, but um yes and no.
00:19:07
Speaker
Carpet. ah Here's the thing. Here's the way i look at it. How long has it been up? Has it been up for three weeks? One day. up for One day. Okay. One day, and what color is it, right?
00:19:20
Speaker
Yeah, I'm saying you can save black, but like any white, that's ruined. Well, and that that's my point. How are you supposed to justify re-renting that? Explain that. that's That's what I struggle with. How do I charge me the same for for brand new and used ones?
00:19:37
Speaker
Let me take you back 20 years. So 20 years ago, i was working at A's Rental, um and we did a lot of expo, right? So expo, carpet, there was blue, green, black, right? We would reuse that all the time. I don't think we ever threw it out. I mean, we rolled it up, and but the problem is you had to make it in a nice roll. You had to make sure that you got it lined up perfectly so that it didn't fold or bend or anything like that. but we had, we had trucks and trucks full of expo carpet. Cause we did a lot of trade shows. Um, we traveled and did trade shows a lot in the off season. So obviously we were taking event rental company, but in the off season, in the winter time in Indiana, there's not a whole hell of lot going on. So we did a lot of expos, trade shows, food shows, things like that. And we reused the hell out of all that carpet. So
00:20:30
Speaker
Fast forward to now, um going to like a wedding or something, just the amount of drinks and dirt and everything gets spilled on it. And then, you know, I always i also think about like the rain and the moisture and drinks spilled on it and then soaking through it. Like it just weirds me out to think of that soaking through that. And now you're rolling all that up and putting it all together and staining it.
00:20:51
Speaker
and now you're banking on getting to that job site and trying to roll that carpet back out and and hope that there's not a stain or something on there and or that you guys break the back well and then tell your customer that it's okay and it's good carpet like i yeah i have a hard enough time trying to get brand new carpet from it from carpet manufacturers that hasn't been bent or or doesn't have a little bit of weird roll to it and then You know, laying that out and not having a customer complain about it. So it's like, how do you, how can you justify used carpet or used turf to them?
Environmental Considerations in Event Materials
00:21:23
Speaker
Now, what I would say is if I was going to reuse anything, it would be either vinyl or.
00:21:31
Speaker
um you know, black turf. And yeah black turf is versatile because you can use it on anything. But if we have extra if we have extra and it's not bad, I'll cut it out and we'll we'll keep it to the side. And when we do like a stage, if the stage top doesn't look very good, then we'll put it on the stage.
00:21:48
Speaker
Yeah, we just... I met with some of the guys in the warehouse that day and on their list of things they wanted to get done was like start redoing stage decks. And I was like, well, you know what this year, let's leave them.
00:21:59
Speaker
And we have all this extra black turf for the season. We'll just black turf every stage going forward for the rest of this year. And then we'll redo all the stage decks next winter. And that way I can budget knowing in my head, okay, this is what we have to do next winter. I need some money set aside for this project.
00:22:15
Speaker
And it also gives me an excuse to get rid of some of the black turf. Now that we're throwing things away, Nate, what do you deal with vinyl? ah Well, I mean, that's the same thing. i mean If someone could figure out a way to recycle vinyl, I would pay people to take it.
00:22:33
Speaker
have the junk guy take it. The junk guy takes it for me. I've tried, like, farmers. I've tried firewood guys because they like them as tarps. Yep. <unk>s that And the thing about that stuff now is it used to be really heavy because it used to have like a really good back into it. Now it doesn't have a good back into And I've talked to Grant at Mainline from that about that many times. And I just – I think that's part of the reason I can't get behind the vinyl anymore is just because it's so thin. Coming out of COVID, they went to a thinner back. and not the padded back. So it's more of like... I equate it to like a billboard sign that you can just like peel off because it's so thin and it shreds really easily. Where before, that stuff was like a... It was like a almost like a carpet back underneath the vinyl, and it was like cushiony when you stepped on it and everything else. and My planners just complain about it now, and that's why I...
00:23:26
Speaker
I like the idea of going towards the groove rather than the vinyl. I used to love the vinyl. I thought it was a great look. But until you manufacturers out there can figure out how to make this this backing better to where it doesn't bubble on floors, it doesn't tear really easily, you know, it's just it's not going to work.
00:23:44
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, we we had our fair share problems with the vinyl on top of Duratrac. Everybody has. I know some of, well, I've had, take the bubbling and all that stuff aside, I was the big, I've talked about i think on here, I was the babysitter on a job and I watched a woman's heel go right through and get stuck in the hole in the floor. I'm like, oh, I thought I was going to have a heart attack right there. yeahp Yeah.
00:24:06
Speaker
Especially when you're watching it happen. But yeah, that's that was the, the job I watched that happen on is the same one I bought the groove for this year.
00:24:17
Speaker
yeah and we had We had the discussion in the office, and I was like, if there's ever a time to buy it, we have to do it for this job. right like we had to We can't screw this up because obviously the customer knew about the heels going through.
00:24:29
Speaker
so Yeah, you do not need those. um so Do you think that you're creating better systems or or getting and not just more stuff? or How are you guys rolling with that?
00:24:41
Speaker
I'm trying this winter really to... create better systems and kind of move the people around and figure out where people need to be and what we need to hire for.
00:24:53
Speaker
i think something's going to have to give here soon and I'm going to have to bring in some more management type people. Right. Get some stuff off my plate maybe because that's kind of how stuff gets missed is because I think I have a little bit too much on my plate.
00:25:08
Speaker
Well, what does Kyle want to do? That is million-dollar question. What does Kyle want to do in the L&A company? Does he want to be in the management, or does he want to drive a CDL truck? Does he want to drive a 10-ox? Does he want to go put up tents? What does Kyle want to do?
00:25:24
Speaker
or do you want to be a bathroom guy? Well, that's – here we go. Wait, we're switching gears here. Did everyone see United States Services files for bankruptcy? Yep, I saw that.
00:25:38
Speaker
I have so many thoughts about that whole thing. You file for bankruptcy, but you still get to operate as a business. I'm like, this doesn' you why do people get to do this? You're skipping the point here. What does Kyle want to do with his life when he grows up? I wanted United States Services to just buy me out, but I don't think that's going happen now.
00:25:54
Speaker
Yeah, that goes into the cash flow with growth growth and purchases there, big guy. Yeah, exactly. Kyle needs to figure out what Kyle wants to do. Yeah, and well, that's good, though, that you're you're thinking about more management. That would be great.
00:26:09
Speaker
That'll help you grow. But are you thinking about hiring then less people and taking maybe fewer jobs and better jobs? Or are you going to continue to ramp up the jobs and ramp up the people?
00:26:22
Speaker
I think I want to do – mean my I always say it out loud here. Less work, more money is always my goal. ay i need We need to cut down on our overtime hours just because that is eating us up. Yeah.
00:26:37
Speaker
like If you're charging knowing you're going be overtime, it's fine. But if you're doing your same work every year and your overtime hours going up and everyone's wages are going up, well, you've got to start looking at if you're actually making money on these jobs.
00:26:50
Speaker
So this year, the goal is to really track man hours per job. for loading from start to finish and really dive into the numbers is the goal. Some of that is going to be through using different like apps.
00:27:05
Speaker
We're going to start using connect teams that we saw at party reflections. So that way I can kind of track, have the drivers track, check in at jobs, check out at jobs, and I can track all that stuff fairly easily.
00:27:16
Speaker
Yeah. But we'll see. I hope this year is a year of gathering numbers. and then next winter, I can really figure out what direction we want to go in. Well, you know, the winners aren't just the biggest. They're the most organized. and and And how can – and the
Technology's Role in Event Industry
00:27:32
Speaker
profitability. How can you be – most profitable by the numbers. So I don't think it's, I think it's strength and cruise partnerships, overall systems and things like that. I don't think it has to be the the biggest, how much, how much you're currently doing, how many people you have, things like that.
00:27:52
Speaker
Yeah. Well, you you know, our group techs that we have, we have a very wide, diverse range of companies and the group techs that we're all in. And just being able to get Everyone's perspective and we all have the exact same problems, which I think I think it's funny every single time someone puts a problem in there i'm like, oh, I got the same issue And it's no matter if you're a really large company that travels all over the country or you're a really small local company so Oh, yeah.
00:28:17
Speaker
But and with that, I think that that you you said technology with the – what was it that we seen at – Connect Teams. Yeah, Connect Teams. I think just tech in general is bringing this this industry around. I think we we're probably not the most tech-savvy industry, um and and some people still don't want to jump into that. But I think ah also with the innovative products and things like that to for to keep the – industry is moving forward, this industry moving forward. I think that tech is huge in this industry to help moving, moving it forward as well. Yeah. All the tech companies need to really evaluate where they are now and where they want to go and,
00:28:58
Speaker
meaning the PORs of the world, 4C's on the cutting edge, obviously. so I'm excited to see where that goes once he starts getting a bunch of customers in there and using it and just see how that kind of changes those companies.
00:29:13
Speaker
I'm really interested still. I just want to get some real live feedback from other customers is kind of what I'm waiting on. So I know some people who are integrating. So it'll be interesting to see how that plays out for them.
00:29:26
Speaker
Right. And i haven't, I saw a Ramsey post the other day, 4C post with a rocket. It looked like going to the moon. So hopefully that means that everything is starting to take off now. And I think we'll see more at ATA here coming up um and and and see what they're coming at with that. I will say i'm i'm not i don't know anything about them other than a few times that I've met some of their people. But Good Shuffle is just absolutely dominating my Instagram reels right now. Every time I every time i jump on my Instagram, Good Shuffle pops up, and it's either them interviewing somebody at an ARA show or some kind of ad from somebody. like and It's really funny because you see like this person pop up and they start talking, and you're like, what is this rental guy talking about? He's talking long hours and this and that, and I was like, I don't know this guy, and then boom, it's like Good Shuffle. So it's like they are killing the Instagram ad game right now. I have left social media for the month. I'm eight days in.
00:30:27
Speaker
Really? Really. And why is that?
00:30:33
Speaker
I felt... Just needed a break? Yeah, like you start realizing, like, when I go home, I sit down at the counter and I'm talking to my wife, but I'm also sitting there scrolling Facebook and Instagram.
00:30:45
Speaker
So now it's I walk in the door, I put my phone on the counter, it's actually kind of nice. Oh, I know. try Tell me about it. so but i do But I do feel disconnected. Like, I don't know things.
00:30:58
Speaker
I hate that.
00:31:01
Speaker
Well, it's not, trust me, it's not that bad. um i When we were, were we, gone? Last last weekend when we went out to, just Emily and I went gone for the weekend.
00:31:13
Speaker
um And it was so freaking nice. I set my phone across the room so I couldn't look at it and scroll through it at night if I woke up. um And then I didn't touch it in the morning, so I woke up later. So I told Emily, I was like, maybe I just need to start setting my phone across the room and then set my alarm across the room so that way I'll get up quicker in the mornings. So I feel the scrolling has – scrolling is really easy to do right now in this time when we're slow.
00:31:44
Speaker
Yeah. So, well, we'll see what happens. Well, you and are to be together in another week – but but yeah in this track yeah we be ah Yeah, we'll be headed down to Orlando for about, what, six, seven
Industry Growth and Future Events
00:32:00
Speaker
days? Six, seven. um And then from there, we're going to ah ARA in Wisconsin. You and I got a jam-packed eight days together.
00:32:09
Speaker
We do. i will be seeing you more than I see my family, so you should enjoy that. and You should be very lucky. But yeah, ATA is going to be fun. It's going to be a good show. I think we got some live stuff, talks lined up there and just chatting with people. So.
00:32:28
Speaker
If you're at ARA or ATA, hit us up um or shoot us a message on Instagram. Let us know. And then after that, of course, we got the ARA show coming up. So we're back in Orlando again for another six days, I think it is. um so it's going to be a good time. So I think we've got a lot of good stuff coming up. It's going to be a good year. Just like we said in our last tailgate talk, I think it i think it's going to be a big year. Got a lot of good stuff coming all the way around.
00:32:57
Speaker
Yep. Well, but hey well i think the I think a little bit, I'll leave us with a quote as we leave here. Don't just be busy, be intentional, build it right, build it safe, and build something that actually lasts. And let's get this industry. Do it safely, folks.
00:33:14
Speaker
Yeah, let's get this industry moving forward in 2026 and come together to do it right. I know we actually had somebody that we may or may not have called out on this podcast that shot us an Instagram message. message um And he knew we were talking about him, and he said,
00:33:29
Speaker
ah, I'll do it right. I'll do better. And so, uh, yeah, so let's do it together. Let's do it right. Let's make this industry safe. Let's take off in 2026 and, uh, we'll start with some good shows. So Kyle, I'll, uh, until we talk again, probably later on today, this has been another episode of under the vinyl ah rental management media podcast. See you buddy.