Bay Area Sister Firms Win Women-Owned Certification — A Boost for Local Event Suppliers

Certification arrives as a practical advantage for two family-run event firms

Standard Event Rentals and Impact Lighting Audio Video announced they have received formal women-owned business certification. The recognition, confirmed this week, tells buyers and procurement teams that both firms are majority owned and led by women. For the two sister-run companies and the Bay Area events community they serve, the certification is more than a badge — it can be a practical tool for winning work from clients who prioritize supplier diversity.

A local event supply story: who these companies are and what they do

Standard Event Rentals and Impact Lighting Audio Video began as local service providers focused on different parts of the same market. Standard Event Rentals supplies chairs, tables, tents and other staging gear for weddings, festivals and corporate gatherings. Impact Lighting Audio Video focuses on the technical side: lighting design, sound systems and AV support for speakers, performances and hybrid events.

Both businesses are run by sisters who built each company to serve Bay Area venues, caterers and planners. Over time they have worked together on larger events, creating a one-stop path for clients who need both rental gear and technical production. Their footprint remains focused on the Bay Area, where demand for live and virtual event services is steady and where many large employers and public agencies run formal supplier diversity programs.

Why the women-owned certification matters in plain terms

Women-owned business certification generally requires documentation that a woman or women control day-to-day operations, own a majority stake, and have final decision-making authority. Certification is issued by recognized organizations and sometimes by government bodies that vet ownership and governance details.

The practical effect is this: cities, colleges, large companies and some nonprofits keep lists of certified suppliers. When an organization has supplier diversity goals, certified firms are more likely to be invited to bid or included on a shortlist. Certification does not guarantee contracts, but it removes a barrier many procurement teams face when they try to track diversity commitments in their spending.

What this could mean for clients and the Bay Area event scene

Clients who need to meet diversity or inclusion goals now have two more certified vendors to choose from. That matters for event planners working with public agencies or corporations that set targets for spending with women-owned businesses. For the local vendor ecosystem, it nudges the buyer market toward more varied supplier lists and can encourage other small firms to pursue their own certification.

Operationally, certification can lead to new opportunities such as faster inclusion on municipal vendor rosters, invitations to corporate RFPs that specify diverse suppliers, and partnerships with larger production houses that want to show diverse subcontracting. It may also help the sisters win business from funders, foundations, or universities that track supplier diversity when they hire event services.

Company reaction and what’s next

In a joint statement, the companies said they were proud to earn the certification and view it as recognition of years spent serving the Bay Area events market. “This certification affirms the work we and our teams put into making events run smoothly,” the firms said, adding that the status will help them pursue a broader range of contracts and deepen ties with corporate and public-sector buyers.

Immediate plans include updating supplier profiles, sharing the certification with existing clients, and actively pursuing vendor listings with local governments and large corporate buyers. The sisters also said they expect to continue working as partners on combined projects while keeping each company focused on its core service: rentals on one side, technical production on the other.

For Bay Area event planners and buyers, the certification is a small but meaningful change: two experienced local vendors have a clearer path onto formal supplier lists, which could make sourcing simpler for organizers who must show they considered diverse suppliers.

Sources

• prnewswire.com