CRA brought its Rental Rally Tradeshow back to Vegas earlier this month, returning to a familiar venue, the South Point Hotel and Casino. A record-setting number of attendees (455, an increase from last year) filled corridors, exhibit halls and education sessions. Former NBA player Tim McCormick kicked off the tradeshow on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, with his inspiring and humorous keynote address. Gary Stansberry of The Stansberry Firm drilled down to the nuts and bolts of successfully running a rental center business, providing key information owners need to track to ensure they stay at the top of their game. These informative educational seminars were provided by the Mid-Atlantic Tent Renters Association (MATRA).
 Later that day, buses departed from the South Point Hotel. Party and event industry participants enjoyed a gourmet kitchen experience at Lupo, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, and equipment industry participants toured the new Snorkel/Xtreme factory in Henderson. The fabricating site, which will span 23 acres when development is completed next year, is impressive. It has room for 20 assembly lines; it is anticipated that 8,000 machines will be built there this year.
Back at South Point after the tours, Rental Rally attendees were treated to a cocktail party in the Exhibit Hall, giving folks a sneak peek at what was ahead of them when the show floor opened the next day.
Promptly at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, the tradeshow doors opened, and the exhibit hall came to life. With 172 exhibitors in 345 booth spaces to visit, Rental Rally attendees had lots of ground to cover and plenty of deals to seal. From table linens and software solutions to construction equipment and dinnerware, rental center owners had the opportunity to see the latest products to hit the market, learn about services that can help them streamline their businesses and network with other industry professionals.
Steven Soares, president, Wirant Sales, Inc., has been attending CRA shows since 1979. "It is a great place to see your customers in a very low-key environment," he says. "This was the best show that Wirant has had in the last 12 years. It exceeded all of our expectations."
Soares wasn't the only one to feel the buzz around the show floor. "It was exhilarating being in the building [that was] filled with more positivity than I have seen in a few years," says Warren Hanson, territory manager, RGW Equipment. Luis Torres of Multiquip agrees. "There was a really nice flow of traffic. Both days were pretty busy." One of the advantages of exhibiting at Rental Rally, he says, is having customers all in one place. "It takes everyone away from the office," he says. "Everybody was in a good mood and there to buy."
After the long tradeshow day, attendees were whisked over to the Hofbräuhaus restaurant for the Annual Dinner/Awards Ceremony. The evening was filled with plenty of good food, entertaining music, and fun people. While folks were enjoying a traditional spread of Bavarian pretzels, sauerkraut, sausages and bread pudding, a live band played authentic German music.
Three awards were given out after dinner. The W.E. "Bud" Loeber Friendship Award was bestowed upon Arlen Stringfellow, who passed away last year. Kali Sarris accepted the award on behalf of Arlen’s family. The James Gartland Memorial Award was given to Richard Briggs. The ceremony concluded with the association recognizing former board member Don Cruikshank for his outstanding service to CRA.
There was more to come on Day 3, as SAIA and Snorkel/Xtreme co-sponsored an all-day class for attendees to become certified to operate high-reach equipment. The exhibit floor continued to buzz all day, and the show wrapped up with the traditional giveaway from the the RSIF and End of Show Raffle.
To no one’s surprise, CRA went ‘all in’ on this year’s Rental Rally Tradeshow, and the payoff was worth it: a successful exhibit show, powerful education sessions, and a whole lot of fun."The Rental Rally is a winner and well worth our time and investment," says Hanson. "We are already looking forward to making the 2018 CRA Rental Rally the best ever!"
See you next year!
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The digital edition of the 2017 Rental Rally Show Guide is available for your perusal. Detailed information on all the exhibitors is included so business can continue even though the show has ended. Thank you for reading!
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Look for more show coverage in the next issue of Rental Rally magazine, due out in March. To sign up to receive your digital copy, click on the link below.
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By Katie Kuehner-HebertCustomers of USI Affinity Rental Specialties can now benefit from an even broader array of insurance, risk management and employee benefits services, as the property and casualty brokerage firm has joined the family of EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants.
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Atlas Copco introduces its PROi gas breaker with electronic fuel injection (EFI), an industry first that offers significant benefits for users needing to break concrete, cut asphalt, tamp soil or drive ground rods. The Cobra PROi provides as much as 10 percent more power than its predecessor, the PROe, at all working speeds, while optimal combustion reduces fuel consumption by as much as 10 percent. Operators can start the breaker in almost any climate or at any altitude. Photo: Atlas Copco launches the industry’s first gas breaker with electronic fuel injection, which delivers dependable starts in nearly any climate or altitude.
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