Rental Show attendance, buying show industry optimism

Attendance at The Rental Show 2011, which was Feb. 27-March 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, displayed a marked increase over the 2010 show.

The number of rental business personnel in attendance increased nearly 40 percent over the 2010 show, while the number of rental businesses represented increased just under 30 percent. Attendees came from the United States, Canada and 39 other countries.

Attendees were actively buying on the trade show floor, with many exhibitors reporting optimistic sales that began as soon as the floor opened.

“I think the message for this year is that the industry is back,” says Tim Ford, president of Terex AWP, in a statement about the show. “The companies we’re doing business with, the marketplace we serve and the products that we make are making a rebound as we thought they would. The industry is making a turn. You can feel it in the energy level of our customers. You can see it in the attendance of the show here relative to the past couple of years.”