Attendance Strong and Buying Interest Brisk at Upbeat Rental Show

This week’s Rental Show at The Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas started off particularly strong on Monday with the best show-floor traffic since the mid-2000s. The number of rental businesses represented increased to 2,480 — the highest total since 2006, according to American Rental Association figures. The total number of attendees was 5,365. For the most part, most exhibitors reported healthy interest and many reported solid buying activity.

Show floor activity remained strong on the second day, although crowds seemed to diminish in some parts of the hall on Tuesday afternoon. Many booths were considerably quieter on Wednesday, the third day, not unusual for most trade shows.

Reports on buying activity were mixed, with some exhibitors reporting record Rental Show sales and others finding buyers more tentative. However, the consensus was that rental companies were considerably more interested in spending than in recent years, with a more optimistic view overall.

Both attendees and exhibitors gave the Sands Expo positive reviews as a venue.