Show season 2018 – Choose local, national or international

Come see the new venue at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont. If you don’t mind some travel and want an even larger array of new equipment and education opportunities, take the trip to the American Rental Association’s Rental Show in New Orleans.

This industry is lucky to have so many opportunities to get together for profit, fun and education. No matter your time for travel, your interest in learning or your need to see the latest technology, there’s a show that hits the sweet spot. Some of us just want to do some comparison shopping and pick up items from our local sales force. Others are looking for ideas to improve our profitability and our offerings to our customers. Depending where you fall on this scale, you can select small and close, medium-sized and still within Canada, or a destination trip to see the most.

No matter which show you choose, Canadian Rental Association president Mike Maltby makes a good point in his President’s Message about a core benefit of attending shows: adaptation to change. If the same customers showed up at your store every week ready to rent from you and you only; if technology never advanced; if governments never brought in new regulations and taxes; if workers never quit or retired – there would be little reason to go to shows. But since all these changes happen all too frequently, getting together to stay informed and compare notes becomes part of your responsibility as a businessperson.

Here ends the lecture. Now for our primer on the local CRA shows, The Rental Show and the Canadian Rental Mart.

Atlantic Regional Trade Show
Date: Feb. 10
Time: 10:00 – 4:00
Location: Casino New Brunswick, Moncton, N.B.
Hotel: Hotel Casino N.B.
Banquet:Friday, Feb. 9, 6:00 – 10:00 at Hotel Casino New Brunswick
Banquet charge: $55 per person

The Atlantic show will include a Saturday-morning breakfast meeting for members at 8:00 am. Members who sign up for the banquet get breakfast for free! Registration for the banquet costs $55 with a hospitality suite to follow. Atlantic show attendees are entered to win 500 Show Bucks eligible to be spent with any show sponsor.

The Rental Show
Date:Feb. 18 – 21
Time: Varies – exhibit hall opens at 9 or 10
Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Centre, New Orleans, La.
Hotel: Hilton Riverside

Canadian Hospitality Night: “New Orleans Jazzy Style” Sunday, Feb. 18, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Dr.

The ARA’s Rental Show welcomes more than 600 exhibitors and includes over 20 educational sessions (see below). New Orleans is always a favourite destination for this show. This year’s keynote speakers are Jonathan and Drew Scott of HGTV’s “Property Brothers.” Key events for Canadians include the Hospitality Night (see above), the CRA Annual General Meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, and the Region 10 Reception right after at 5:00 p.m.

Prairie Regional Trade Show
Date: March 10
Time: 9:00 – 3:00
Location: Edmonton Expo Centre – Hall B, Edmonton, Alta.
Hotel: DoubleTree West Edmonton
Banquet: Saturday, March 10 6:00 to 1:00 am at the DoubleTree hotel
Banquet charge: $65 per person

Prairie Show attendees are encouraged to arrive on Friday, March 9, for a social night at 6 p.m. The social night will take place at the hotel with a silent auction and funny-money casino. The Prairie show banquet always enjoys a great turnout with entertainment and presentation of the legendary Dickie Doo award. Show attendees will be entered to win 1,000 Show Bucks, eligible to be spent with any show sponsor.

“I am extremely excited for this year’s trade show,” Warren Carriere, Alberta CRA president says. “We have the Prairie show co-chairs M.J. Hutton from Doosan and Sheldon Fingler from Infinite Event Services working very hard to create an event all our members, construction and party, can attend and enjoy. These shows are what keep industries and associations moving in a profitable direction.”

Canadian Rental Mart
Date: March 6 – 7
Time: Tuesday 10:00 – 6:00, Wednesday 10:00 – 4:00
Location: International Centre, Mississauga, Ont.
Hotel: Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport (formerly International Plaza)
CRA Ontario Banquet:Tuesday 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Delta Hotel by Marriott Toronto Airport

It’s a new venue and a new approach for the Canadian Rental Mart. The show moves from its long-time location at the Toronto Congress Centre around the corner to the International Centre. Parking is still free and it’s even closer to the airport. The official hotel remains the same, though hotel ownership has changed and it is now run by Delta. Instead of sit-down education sessions the Rental Mart offers free training for rental store staff that meets provincial requirements. Scott Owyen of Genie will conduct MEWP training from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Lucie Giroux of Sunbelt Rentals will conduct safety officer training from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Rental Mart attendees are entered to win a travel voucher for a trip for two to the destination of their choice!

Look for full details of the Canadian Rental Mart in March Canadian Rental Service.

Quebexpo
Date: March 27 – 28
Time: Tuesday 10:00 – 8:00, Wednesday 10:00 – 4:00
Location: Centrexpo Cogeco, Drummondville, Que.
Hotel: Grand Times Hotel Drummondville
Banquet: Cocktail reception Tuesday, March 27 5:30 to 7:30 on the show floor

Quebec regional awards will be handed out at the members-only breakfast on the morning of Wednesday, March 28.

Rental Show education

The Rental Show education sessions take place in four streams on Sunday, Feb. 18. Here’s a selection of some of the more interesting options.

Seven steps to building brand value
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Bruce Turkel, Turkel Brands, Coral Gables, Fla.

Seven rules, three words each. That’s all it takes to harness the power of branding. Attend this session and discover how to move your business forward in today’s rapidly evolving world. Through entertaining anecdotes and simple real-life examples, you will find out exactly what to do to put the power of branding to work for you.

Enjoy the ride
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Steve Gilliland, Steve Gilliland Inc., Mocksville, N.C.

This session, based on Steve Gilliland’s best-selling book, is a blueprint for getting the most out of life. It’s a humorous and uplifting approach to examining where you are personally and professionally. You’ll take away the inspiration you need to evolve and appreciate life, rather than simply to maintain and exist.

The principles of power distribution
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Rental industry panel

Electrical power is one of the most useful tools in all of history. Your customers count on you to rent them an appropriately sized generator for their needs. One that produces too much or too little power can cause harm to their equipment as well as yours. It also will drastically reduce your customer satisfaction rating. Attend this session to learn from your rental peers about generators over 25 kVA.

Influencing safety
9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Garrison Wynn, Wynn Solutions, Houston
Presented by ARA Insurance

Whether you are trying to reduce your number of recordable accidents or prevent a good safety record from creating complacency, this dynamic session is for you. You’ll learn how to develop the personal influence to make things stick, from helping leaders implement change at their locations to motivating workers to look out for each other on the job site. 

Buying a business – what you need to know
1:15 – 2:45 p.m.
James R. Waite, Esq., Winters & Waite, Denver

Nationally renowned attorney and author, James R. Waite, will discuss the most important things to consider and what to do first when you find a business you’re interested in. He also will touch on how to determine a fair offering price and terms, how to protect yourself if the seller misrepresents the business, and much more.