When the opening bell for The ARA Show™ 2021 rang on Sunday, Oct. 17, it had been a long and, for many, difficult 20 months since the equipment and event rental community last gathered face-to-face to network and learn from peers, industry experts and vendors. For those who were in attendance in Las Vegas, it was time to reconnect and focus on the future.
“It was really exciting,” says Trish Southard, vice president, D.J.’s Rentals & Sales, Elk City, Okla. “I got to see friends. I had employees pulling us from booth to booth. It was wonderful to be there. If you didn’t make the trip, you missed out.”
The American Rental Association’s (ARA) 65th equipment and event rental industry-specific convention and trade show offered something for everyone.
The show kicked off that Sunday with a full day of education covering a wide variety of topics, from business management, leadership and culture to technology, human resources and events. On Monday, following the Keynote Session featuring Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy, everyone headed to the trade show floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center to see what the more than 600 exhibitors had to offer.
There also were plenty of networking events. They included the Regional Receptions where Kerrigan Ambers, district sales manager of the Oklahoma/Arkansas district, United Rentals, Rogers, Ark., who serves as
ARA of Arkansas president, was honored with the Leadership Impact Award. The Oktoberfest event also offered a fun night of food, music and great socializing.
“It was sensory overload — like Christmas morning,” says first-time show attendee Matt Schulte, owner, M&M Rental Equipment, Winnsboro, La. “We had planned to go to the booths on the first floor the first day, the booths on the second floor on the second day and see the outdoor displays on the third day. The first stop was at the Toro booth, where we met with our rep. When I looked down at my watch, I saw that we had been talking with him for 45 minutes. I looked up, saw the end of the floor and all these booths in front of me and knew I would have trouble getting to see everyone in all these booths,” he says.
Schulte ended up spending every bit of time on the trade show floor. “We were there from open to close and still didn’t see half of what was offered. About 3:30 pm. on the second day, I was three-fourths of the way through the first floor. I knew I had to pick it up and blaze through. The third day was left for the upstairs portion and then walking around outside. We were running around when everyone was starting to pack up,” he says with a laugh.
His efforts paid off. “We picked up some of the smaller items we needed and made deals with some software exhibitors. We got some deals. We also made sure that we received cards from exhibitors and information on things we were interested in. Now we have a contact for the people we need to deal with. Now we are sorting through cards and quotes,” he says, adding that attending the show “was absolutely a good experience.”
Exhibitors like Scott Pevey, senior manager, marketing, Ditch Witch, Perry, Okla., and an ARA associate member director, were happy to be back on the trade show floor.
“It was really refreshing and a great feeling to be back at the show. Our team was excited to be here. The past 18 months have been really challenging for everyone,” he says. “Traffic was really good and we were excited about that. There is nothing like face-to-face, being able to talk to customers and answer their questions in person.”
The trade show floor was the place to be for Joe (Joey) Adams Jr., owner, Jovo’s A-Team Rentals d/b/a A-Team Rentals, Amarillo, Texas, who has been a faithful show attendee since 1983.
“The ARA Show is where we always go. I like to go and kick the tires. It is a lot better to see the equipment and exhibitors in person than looking at a photo of it. My son, Brit, did all the shopping this year. I think he got some good deals. I gave him some fatherly advice,” he says with a laugh.