Rental Show returns to New Orleans in 2012

Aug. 10, 2009 – The American Rental Association (ARA) has announced that The Rental Show will return to New Orleans in 2012, scheduled to run from Sunday, Feb. 5, through Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Ernest Morial Convention Center. This new location replaces previously scheduled dates in Atlanta.

“The association listened to both attendees and exhibitors from The Rental Show, and the consensus of the ARA board of directors was that returning to New Orleans was a high priority,” says Christine Wehrman, American Rental Association CEO. “ARA was able to meet this request and schedule a return to a location that has hosted The Rental Show six previous times.”

The Rental Show was last held in New Orleans in 2002. It had been scheduled for the city in 2007, but was subsequently moved to Atlanta as New Orleans recovered from Hurricane Katrina.

“Due to the rescheduling for 2007, The Rental Show has been to Atlanta frequently in recent years,” Wehrman added. “With the accessibility of the city to a large portion of ARA’s membership base, it’s been a convenient location and an excellent city to work with. Yet we’re also mindful of the feedback we’ve received and want to be responsive to the requests of the attendees and exhibitors.”

Expanding the locations for The Rental Show is one of the recommendations from The Rental Show Work Group, which was appointed by the ARA board of directors last fall and charged with evaluating specific aspects of the show. The work group, comprised of volunteers from both ARA general and associate member companies and ARA staff, discussed areas that impact the longer-term future of the show: the duration of The Rental Show each year, destinations where it’s held, and the trade show floor size and floor traffic.

New city locations in addition to New Orleans will be added into ARA’s show rotation to complement Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas.

The schedule for the 2010 show, which is one day shorter with new programs added, is a result of independent discussions by the work group and The Rental Show Task Force, which met in the spring to specifically plan for 2010.

The Rental Show 2010 is Feb. 7-10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, while the 2011 Show is Feb. 28-March 3 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

www.TheRentalShow.com