Briggs & Stratton announces Rental Summits for Europe and North America

Briggs & Stratton is again organising its Rental Summit this year, with separate events taking place in Europe and the USA.

The summits, which are designed to promote debate around electrification of equipment, including the use of Briggs & Stratton’s own Vanguard battery packs, will be held at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany on 29 September and at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on 6 and 7 October.

The engine OEM said the Summits “will again provide a platform for industry stakeholders to exchange ideas, address shared challenges, and explore the opportunities driving change in the industry.”

Confirmed speakers for Frankfurt include:

• Carole Bachmann, secretary general of the European Rental Association
• John Smeets, director fleet uptime at Boels Rental
• Frederic Lietaer, CEO of Eliet
• Neil Bravery, commercial director at Hire Association Europe
• David Frank, senior vice president & president of electrification at Briggs & Stratton
• Harald Schreibmüller, head of sales at Hainzl Motion & Drives

The organizer said the speakers will “share practical perspectives on fleet performance, equipment utilisation, operational efficiency and the commercial factors influencing long-term fleet investment decisions.”

John Smeets of Boels Rental will be one of the speakers at the Frankfurt event. (Image: Briggs & Stratton)

Attendees will get behind-the-scenes access to one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs before concluding the day at the FRA Lounge near Terminal 3.

Atlanta Rental E-Summit

Briggs & Stratton said the US Rental E-Summit 2026 will focus on the commercial realities of electrification.

“As electric power continues to move from concept to commercial deployment, successful adoption requires more than equipment alone”, said the company.

“It requires collaboration between OEMs, rental companies and technology providers to address integration challenges and develop practical, rental-ready solutions.”

In addition to the full day summit, attendees will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of Vanguard’s battery manufacturing facility in Tucker, Georgia.

Sjoerd van de Velde, managing director at Briggs & Stratton EMEA, said: “The Rental Summit 2026 provides a unique opportunity for industry leaders to come together, share expertise and collaborate on solutions that will shape the future of rental.

“Following the success of our previous summits, we look forward to expanding The Rental Summit in 2026 with dedicated regional events in Europe and North America, creating even greater opportunities for meaningful discussion, knowledge sharing and industry collaboration.”

The Rental Summit in Europe will take place at Frankfurt airport on 29 September. (Image: Briggs & Stratton)

David Frank, SVP & president of electrification at Briggs & Stratton, added; “The rental sector is a dynamic, forward-looking industry of great significance, and it is a privilege to deepen established partnerships while fostering the next generation of strategic collaborations.

“This event is something truly special, a vital platform for the entire industry, and we are honoured to support its continued growth.”

Event registration

Registration for The Rental Summit 2026 is now open via the event website.

KHL Group and IRN are official partners of the events.