Editorial: March 2010

We value expert opinion because experience is the very best guide there is. But we shouldn’t discount the opinions of those who are less experienced. Often a fresh pair of eyes can see things that an expert may overlook through familiarity.

A fresh pair of eyes is what I’ve brought to the 2010 edition of The Rental Show. I’m filing this story from the show floor. By the time you read this, both sales manager Ed Cosman and I will be home from Florida, and getting ready for The Canadian Rental Mart, taking place March 9-10 at the Toronto Congress Centre.

I’m more excited than ever before about The Canadian Rental Mart after seeing what its American equivalent offers.

If you’ve never been to The Rental Show or The Canadian Rental Mart, I strongly urge you to go. It’s an experience unlike any other. Where else can you meet hundreds of people who share the same issues and concerns? Perhaps in heaven, but nowhere else on Earth.

The Rental Show is vast. I’m not easily overwhelmed, but this show did it. The exhibits cover 300 rental product categories, all under one roof. Not booths or companies, mind you, but categories. I haven’t stopped to count the number of booths yet, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s in the high hundreds. 

There’s something for everyone here. It doesn’t matter if you specialize in heavy construction, light construction and general tools, or party and special events. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, I suspect it simply does not exist. 

Walking through the heavy and light equipment sections at The Rental Show connects you with something primal. There are machines and tools for every application. Get your hands on them and, with the right knowledge, you could do anything. The party section evokes different feelings. It really is like being a kid again. Unfortunately, I can report that most companies will not let you try out their bouncers, even if you say you’re doing it for sound journalistic reasons.

Marion Ghiglione of Handy Special Events (see our cover story on page 8) is highly in favour of attending all the trade shows that she can. Nor is she shy when it comes to encouraging others to do the same.

“We get the benefit of listening to people in the United States, and it can help us to avoid making the same mistakes. If we meet someone who has tried something we’re thinking of doing, and they weren’t successful, then we can perhaps rethink that direction,” she says. “We’re in an industry that is somewhat trend specific. You can’t afford to be out of the loop.”

One thing really brought home to me just how gigantic The Rental Show really is. The First-Time Exhibitor Pavilion is a special section devoted to companies from all three categories that have never exhibited before. This section alone contains more than 30 exhibitors.

At the other end of the spectrum, The Rental Show also makes a special note of longtime, committed exhibitors. These are companies that have been exhibiting at The Rental Show for 40 or more years. This is longer than many companies even manage to stay in business, much less continuously exhibit at one show. The Rental Show doesn’t have just one or two of these exhibitors. It has 38 of them. That may be the most impressive thing about the show, and it’s a testament to its usefulness for both rental operators and their suppliers.