The Rental Show Sees Attendance Uptick Fourth Year in a Row

March 4, 2013

With the recession far behind it and the equipment rental market continuing to trend upward, this year’s The Rental Show scored its fourth year in a row of increased attendance when it was held Feb. 10-13 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

The 2013 show boasted 5,365 attendees, who came from throughout the U.S., Canada and more than 40 countries.

In addition, there were 2,480 businesses represented on the showfloor, which was the highest total since 2006.

“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.

She added, “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.”

ARA President Mike Blaisdell also found this year’s show a success. “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.

Exhibitors on the showfloor noticed the uptick in attendance and gave the show positive reviews as a result.

“This year’s show was a tremendous success for our Ditch Witch organization,” said Scott Smith, director of sales for Ditch Witch based in Perry, Okla.

He added, “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.”

Pam Meyer, equipment sales manager for Subaru Industrial Power Products based in Lake Zurich, Ill., echoed Smith’s sentiments.

“Subaru had a very good show,” she said. “We were really happy with the increased attendance and the overall energy and excitement level of the rental store attendees.”

Next year’s show will head to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Feb. 9-12.

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