Rental industry trends upward

Words: Chris ColemanAn extremely active trade show floor, sold-out seminars, and positive energy and enthusiasm at The Rental Show 2013 in Las Vegas reflected the equipment rental industry’s upward trend.

The Rental Show 2013 marked the fourth straight year of increased attendance growth. The number of rental businesses represented increased this year as well and was the highest total since 2006, which was the 50th anniversary of The Rental Show. The total number of attendees was 5,365 from 2,480 rental businesses.

Attendees came from throughout the U.S., Canada and more than 40 countries to The Sands Expo and Convention Center for the Feb. 10-13 show.

“Overall, The Rental Show reflects where this industry is headed. Everyone anticipated a great show because of the attitude, tone and urgency we’ve seen from attendees on buying equipment,” said Christine Wehrman, CEO of the American Rental Association, organizers of The Rental Show.

“Everything about the Show was positive this year. The Events & Tents program on Saturday and the seminar day on Sunday were huge successes. Our sessions honoring our volunteer leaders were highly regarded and enjoyed by everyone,” she said.

ARA President Mike Blaisdell of Bunce Rental, Tacoma, Wash., also found this year’s Show electric. “It was great to see so much positive energy at The Rental Show this year with both attendees and exhibitors very optimistic about 2013 and beyond,” he said. “Attendees and exhibitors alike felt like the Show was well done and really enjoyed it. The educational sessions were well attended and received excellent reviews and, as always, the Show offered a lot of value and provided many opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer discussions that are impossible to get anywhere else.”

The perspective from exhibitors also was positive. Scott Smith, director of sales for Ditch Witch, Perry, Okla., said, “This year’s show was a tremendous success for our Ditch Witch organization. We saw a significant increase in traffic and all of the customers that we talked to were excited about the strong opportunities in the rental market for 2013 and beyond.”

Similar thoughts were shared by Pam Meyer, equipment sales manager for Subaru Industrial Power Products, Lake Zurich, Ill. “Subaru had a very good show. We were really happy with the increased attendance and the overall energy and excitement level of the rental store attendees,” she said. “Many attendees were armed with purchase orders in hand or a long list of items they needed to purchase when they came to the booth. That has not happened for several years. Subaru was also one of the exhibitors that was promoting the Show-Only Specials, which was a huge success. We’re looking forward to Orlando 2014!”

Next year, The Rental Show is Feb. 9-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Since the last Show in Orlando in 2010, the city has experienced a development renaissance with many new restaurants, hotels and attractions beyond the Disney complex. It’s also the No. 2 location on the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) list of the Top 250 Trade Shows in the U.S.

Watch TheRentalShow.com for the latest information on 2014.
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