Fourteen years ago representatives from a group of rental & staging companies met to discuss the concept of a network where member companies would come together to improve their business operations and profitability by sharing ideas and leveraging relationships.

From this discussion the Rental & Staging Network (now EPN) was born, with the goal of organizing geographically diverse companies across North America – each well respected by peers and the marketplace, and each offering complete show capabilities including sound, lights, and video.

The key to success of any network is having the right members. EPN affiliation is by invitation and company criteria are evaluated through an application process and sometimes a site visit. A sample of the criteria considered include:

• Expertise in all three core areas – lighting, sound, video
• Ability to spec, design, and execute a large show
• Must have inventory in all categories – sound, video, and lighting
• Substantial investment in inventory with minimum requirements
• Annual revenue minimum requirement
• Must be referred by an existing stakeholder or vendor partner

EPN is “raising the bar” of professionalism within the live event production industry, setting its members apart as a premier market segment. The network gives members the ability to meet and communicate within a select peer group.

EPN has a monthly newsletter, an industry PR program, an online member-only discussion board, and conducts regular business intelligence surveys to help inform members on common or best practices to help our members make informed business decisions.

Three times yearly there are member education and networking meetings, frequently offering tours of member facilities, where invaluable face-to- face discussions result.

EPN offers a trusted partner network to help you with large-scale projects, provide “on the road” support or confidently refer customers to.

Members should be active and engaged in the Network, and should expect to:

• Attend 2 out of 3 meetings annually
• Participate on scheduled Member conference calls
• Participate in surveys and sponsored programs
• Meet established EPN Expectations for cross-member support and communication including responding in a timely manner to fellow members for show support.

To learn more about EPN, email EPN Headquarters at info@eventproductionnetwork.org .  Please include a brief company description, or link to your website, and let us know how you learned about EPN.