Almost 35 days to Convention

The countdown is well underway. In just over a month, rental leaders, suppliers and industry professionals from across Europe will meet at the ERA Convention 2026, taking place from 2 to 4 June at the MECC in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Celebrating 20 Years: Building the Next Era of Rental

As ERA, the European Rental Association, marks its 20th anniversary, this year’s Convention will celebrate two decades of progress while looking ahead to the next chapter for the equipment rental industry.

The sector is entering a new phase, shaped by digitalisation, sustainability, shifting customer expectations and the growing importance of service-based business models. Building the next era of rental will require practical innovation, strong partnerships and a clear understanding of how the industry can continue to create value.

Click here for the full programme and registration.

The 2024 ERA Convention

Our Speakers: François Johnston and Stefan Stremersch

ERA is pleased to welcome François Johnston and Stefan Stremersch to the ERA Convention 2026, bringing two highly relevant perspectives to this year’s discussions.

François Johnston will focus on circularity, Product-as-a-Service models and the shift from ownership to usership.

During his time at Michelin, he led the global ‘Tire as a Service’ business, anticipating many of the questions now facing companies across industrial sectors: how to move from selling products to delivering performance, and how to align customer value with sustainability.

He is also the founder and spokesperson of PACCT for Sustainability, an initiative dedicated to accelerating Product-as-a-Service models and circular transformation. His perspective is particularly relevant for equipment rental, an industry already built around access, utilisation and shared use of assets.

Stefan Stremersch will bring a strong focus on people, talent and business transformation. A professor of marketing and innovation, author of The Talent Advantage, and CEO of MTI, he has worked extensively on how organisations can build the capabilities they need to adapt and perform.

His connection to the rental sector gives his contribution added relevance. Stefan is closely connected to EUROMAT, his family’s rental company in Belgium, and has engaged with the Belgian rental community through BERA. His perspective is therefore grounded not only in research, but also in an understanding of the challenges facing rental businesses today.

Together, François Johnston and Stefan Stremersch will help frame two key dimensions of the next era of rental: the evolution of business models and the people needed to make that evolution possible.

Any questions: [email protected]