The basics: Equipment and tool rental company Sunbelt Rentals hosted POWERHOUSE 2024 April 28-29. Taking over both the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, the event brought together more than 5,500 Sunbelt Rentals employees from across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., along with more than 100 investors, key stakeholders, and other industry leaders.
A winning theme: The theme for POWERHOUSE 2024 was “Win the Day,” aiming to reflect how Sunbelt products are used to “win the day” for their clients. To bring this vision to life, Sunbelt Rentals partnered with global event and experiential marketing agency Impact XM to create “Anytown,” an immersive exhibit showcasing more than 600 Sunbelt Rentals products across 15 lines of business, all set within a 300,000-square-foot event footprint. 
Anytown showcased more than 600 Sunbelt Rentals products across 15 lines of business.Photo: Courtesy of Sunbelt Rentals
"’Anytown’ is actually a concept that’s been part of Sunbelt Rentals' arsenal for about six or seven years now,” explained Julie Cunnyngham, Sunbelt’s vice president of marketing, brand, and communications. “Our last national event was in 2018—and back then, ‘Anytown’ was a two-dimensional application on iPads for our sales team to demonstrate how we serve various customer needs in different end markets. It was a way to visualize the diverse types of rental equipment we offer across various industries—from construction to events, hospitals, retail, and so on.”
When planning this year’s event, the team saw an opportunity to crank things up a notch—and to transform Anytown into a full-scale, immersive experience. “We wanted to move away from traditional trade show booths and exhibit-based layouts and create something entirely new,” said Kim Brown, director of partnerships and events at Sunbelt Rentals. 
The event's colorful branding was used throughout the Georgia World Congress Center, which hosted the exhibit hall, and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which hosted the general session.Photo: Courtesy of Sunbelt Rentals
Games inspired by Battleship, Operation, and more were customized with brand messaging.Photo: Courtesy of Sunbelt Rentals
“From the moment people walked into ‘Anytown’ or even the general session at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, they were in awe,” she said. “The scale was massive, and we put a lot of thought into movement, making sure people could get from one area to another smoothly while sticking to our very tight schedule. It was all about striking the right balance between camaraderie, excitement, networking, and the learning piece.”
Anytown itself featured 27 different spaces, each representing a different job site or place—and in each space, team members and vendor partners were tasked with providing live demonstrations. “We even added life-size games like Battleship and Operation, customized with messaging that aligned with the business topics for each area,” Brown added. “And, of course, we created cafe areas and relaxation zones to let people unwind without leaving the space.”
Complex logistics: Early in the process, the Sunbelt team realized they’d need an experienced team to help manage the ambitious project—and found the right partner in Impact XM. “Impact XM blew us away, and we hired them on the spot,” remembered Brown. “From there, Brian Fallon, our senior design director, imagined transforming a convention center with 344,000 square feet into Anytown. We began with this big-picture vision, and it was the technical capabilities and the passion from the Impact team that made it work.”
Brown likened the event team's role to city planners. “We were deciding how many zones we’d need, the different types of job sites to show, and where each piece of equipment would go,” she said. “The rendering process went through a lot of iterations and was finalized about 60 days before the event in Atlanta.”
A solid partnership was the key to making it work, added Sylvia Joubran Gaffney, senior account director at Impact XM. “Sunbelt had its own ‘army’ on site, and so did we, often matching up teams one-to-one or even three-to-one depending on what was needed,” she explained. “For example, we had a seven-day move-in period, starting from the far end of the convention center to avoid delays and keep equipment safe. Sunbelt’s machinery wasn’t just on display; it also helped us manage the logistics of moving exhibit material, which added a unique aspect to our planning.” 
The general session was held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Impact XM designed a state-of-the-art stage featuring a massive 100-by-33-foot LED wall flanked by two 25-by-33-foot LED walls. The resulting setup, one of the largest ever seen in the stadium, allowed Impact XM to develop compelling motion graphics and content that effectively communicated Sunbelt Rentals' plans.Photo: Courtesy of Sunbelt Rentals
Throughout both venues, the team created cafe areas and relaxation zones to let people unwind without leaving the space.Photo: Courtesy of Sunbelt Rentals
Engaging entertainment: Beyond the education sessions and show floor, the team integrated thoughtful entertainment that cut to the core of Sunbelt’s mission and company culture. “We had Zac Brown Band perform, which was meaningful to us because their foundation, Camp Southern Ground, supports veterans—a key part of Sunbelt’s values,” noted Cunnyngham.
Another memorable moment was during the general session, when the Sunbelt CEO played a video about one of their employees, Hunter, who had helped save a baby and a young girl involved in a car accident. “The room was silent when Hunter joined our CEO onstage—you could’ve heard a pin drop,” said Cunnyngham of the emotional moment. “That story really captured our culture and commitment to community.”
“I still get goose bumps thinking about it,” added Brown. “The storytelling in that moment really elevated the experience, showcasing what Sunbelt stands for on a stage like Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was so impactful.”
