The American Rental Association reported that The Rental Show 2014 showed growth in the number of exhibitors and attendees. The trade show floor sold out for the second year in a row, and it included 674 exhibitors, which was an increase of 10% over 2013. More than 80 companies were new to The Rental Show. Attendance at the event in Orlando rose for the fifth consecutive year. Rental store attendance increased nearly 5% over 2013, with attendees traveling from 43 countries.
“It’s been a tremendous event for the industry in every facet,” said Christine Wehrman, ARA’s CEO. “The attitude, the economic outlook and the optimism only can mean another great year of growth for the equipment rental industry. The ARA is very pleased to see a positive outlook for the future.”
Mike Blaisdell, vice president of Bunce Rental in Tacoma, Wash.,and ARA’s chairman of the board, had similar feelings about the show. “Everybody in Orlando was in a positive mood," he said. "Every exhibitor I talked to was so tickled with the amount of traffic and sales. Everybody is very happy and people were spending money. Even our company came to the show with a list of equipment to buy, and we blew our budget. We bought all kinds of things we weren’t planning to buy, and I think a lot of people were the same way this year.”
Next year, The Rental Show returns Feb. 22-25 to New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
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