Within ten years, Cam Petty went from being an event planner to owner and CEO of an umbrella company, the Render Collective, with three divisions focused on event rentals, education for event professionals, and interior design. At the foundation of this rapidly growing business is one ideal: intentionality. Learn how Cam channeled her entrepreneurial spirit into founding and growing a business that’s focused on making her clients’ visions reality.

Who is Render?

Render (verb): The art of bringing something from one place to another being higher in intentionality and efficiency.

Cam Petty entered the event industry as an event planner in 2010. Two years later, she launched Beautiful Event Rentals when one of her wedding clients wanted to part with her DIY event decor. Cam decided to take it on, and the rest is history! As Beautiful Event Rentals grew their client base and inventory collection, they eventually phased out of wedding planning and switched to renting inventory full-time. Additionally, they added floral design and styling to their growing list of offerings. Eventually, Cam decided it was time for a rebranding to better represent what her business had to offer.

Render’s Launch

Thus, the Render Collective was born. This umbrella company covers event rentals, resources for business owners, and interior design. This is via Render Events (formerly known as Beautiful Event Rentals), Render Educate, and Render Interior, respectfully. Throughout the business’s evolution, the team consistently provides intentional and exceptional service. Their client is always top priority, which is why Cam has expanded her business into new ways to serve them. When it comes to Render Events, she and her team are dedicated to transforming clients’ ideas into reality, whether this is through florals, design, furniture, or custom pieces.

Intentionality is the foundation of Render. This means that for every individual client and event, Cam and her team provide inventory and services that are designed with the individual in mind. One of Cam’s favorite parts of her business is transforming customers’ Pinterest boards and Website Wishlists into reality, and doing so intentionally.

Cam decided to branch off into new verticals of interior design and education for event professionals. She did so because she saw there were gaps in the market for these in-demand products and services. Cam explains that education in the event industry is hard to come by, so she offers it for free via her podcast and for a cost via coaching and her e-courses (check out the Rental Biz Academy if you’re looking to start or grow your event rental business). She’s enjoyed putting together her classes and building a community online and in real life for her students. The event industry is special, and Cam wants to foster this.

A New Tool for Expansion

With a growing client base and inventory collection for Render Events, Cam knew she needed the right software to empower her growth. Unfortunately, the initial solution she’d decided upon was missing the mark. She and her team were using 5 different tools to perform, track, and analyze their business processes. On top of this, they were spending lots of time doing tedious work they’d rather have done by smart software. Once she realized the problems wouldn’t be solved with her current software, Cam began to shop for a new solution. After hours of research and weighing the pros and cons, she decided on Goodshuffle Pro to streamline her processes.

Along with Goodshuffle Pro’s valuable features that save hours of time when it comes to quote-building and the sales process, the Website Integration also made a huge impact for Render Events. This powerful, customizable integration from Goodshuffle Pro gave Cam her dream website. It also saved her time when it came to website maintenance, and resulted in an average conversion rate of 75%.

Cam has her eyes on the prize, with the mission of serving all her clients intentionally and exceptionally. We are so grateful to empower her growth and witness her business success.

Best Tips for Event Pros + What’s Next for Render

Cam has tons of great advice for seasoned event professionals, as well as for those just starting out (check out her podcast here). However, her number one tip is to start and build with a software that you know you can grow with. She even goes so far to say that if you have to choose between putting money towards software or putting it towards a warehouse, you should choose software, simply because it saves so much time and money.

In addition to software, she encourages event professionals to get involved with networking, whether it’s structured through associations, or more informal via meetings over coffee. She highly recommends NACE, a leading event organization for which she’s a board member.

There’s a lot in store for Render Events and the Render Collective as a whole. As the business continues to expand, Cam is looking to scale even more. She’ll do so by hiring more employees, building out the resource library, and putting together an online course for creatives called Creative Biz Academy. She and her team will host the next round of Rental Biz Academy in January 2021. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Cam Petty and her superstar business!

Since 2010, producing events has been a feature of Render’s brand. Initially beginning as a wedding planner, Cam Petty has refined Render’s offerings over the years and thousands of events later! In 2012, their rental extension, Beautiful Event Rentals, was created. As clients requested other products, the team grew their inventory bit by bit and dove right into renting inventory full-time. They added floral design and styling, and committed to sharing their event expertise with their community.

Though their services and offerings have evolved over the years, one thing has and always remains the same: providing intentional and exceptional service. For Render, their client is always top priority. It’s important to them that they elevate a brand’s story through design and thoughtful resources. Whether through hand-picked furniture, fabricated elements, intentional home design, or an e-course, they are here to serve their clients.