Tent and Table will be headed back to sunny Florida next month for the American Rental Association's (ARA) The Rental Show. This year's edition of the ARA is taking place February 26 through March 1 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Recently our friends at Rental Pulse posted some tips for people attending their first ARA Rental Show, and we wanted to share them with you.
Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet a lot. From the show floor to networking events to moving between seminars, you will constantly be on the go. In order to help your feet, you may even want to purchase a new pair of shoes before attending and make sure they are broken in. There are opportunities to rest your feet at the rest stops on the show floor, in the food court and during educational seminars, but a majority of your time will be spent moving around.
Pick up your registration badge early. The busiest time for Registration is on Monday morning, Feb. 27, leading up to the keynote session and the opening of the show floor. In order to make sure you see Jay Leno and be one of the first on the show floor, plan to pick up your registration badge before Monday morning. Registration is open at 7 a.m. daily.
Attend networking events. The show is known to be a great place to network. You can meet new people, pick up helpful tips and find new ways to grow your business by meeting other industry professionals. The best way to get to know others is by attending the networking events at the show. Visit the Networking Lounge, attend your Regional Reception and enjoy a thrilling night at ARA’s Evening at Universal’s Islands of Adventure™. These events and more will certainly help you grow your networking pool.
Give yourself plenty of time on the show floor. The show floor offers you the opportunity to see more than 675 exhibitors with new equipment to grow your business, Show-Only Specials to help you save and the latest trends to help you stay ahead. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to ask questions, explore new products and make purchases. The trade show is open for a total of 20 hours over three days, and it goes by quickly.
Plan ahead. The only way to be successful at the show is to plan ahead. Use the tools available at TheRentalShow.com and on The Rental Show mobile app. Read the educational seminar descriptions and select the ones that fit you best, search for exhibitors and know what companies you need to visit, and select the events you want to attend and register for those before the show. You can even use the app to personalize your schedule to stay on track.
Tent & Table will be set up at booths 1136 and 134 during the ARA show next month. We look forward to seeing you there.