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The 2001 World of Concrete trade show has advised the American Rental Association that a “recent ruling by the World of Concrete Exhibitor Advisory Board” excludes rental companies and “rental-related groups” from exhibiting at World of Concrete, which is scheduled for Feb. 27–March 2, in Las Vegas — the same time as the A.R.A. show in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 26–March 1.
The simultaneous shows, of course, are a problem for both exhibitors and rental people who do a significant amount of business in the concrete and masonry markets. World of Concrete will return to its traditional January dates in 2002.
In a July letter to A.R.A. show exhibitors, A.R.A. officials said, “We would hope that no one would have to experience this conflict in the future.
“However, if faced with the situation again, the American Rental Association will make every attempt to meet with World of Concrete and rectify the situation,” the letter assured exhibitors.
A.R.A. show locations are currently booked out to the year 2022. Lead times like this are necessary, given the limited availability of convention centers big enough to handle a show the size of the A.R.A. show. Unfortunately, World of Concrete — an even larger show — has the same problem.
A.R.A. has been an exhibitor at World of Concrete for nine years, on behalf of the construction equipment rental industry, and was again on the exhibitor list for 2001. But on June 8, World of Concrete returned A.R.A.’s deposit check with notice of its ineligibility to be an exhibitor.
To clarify the situation for the rental industry, we put some questions to Beth Gassen, the author of that World of Concrete letter and show director.
RM: Are all rental companies and rental-related organizations excluded from the World of Concrete show? If not, on what basis were these exceptions made?
Gassen: There has existed a long-standing rule that no rental companies be allowed to exhibit at World of Concrete. This rule, however, has not been thoroughly enforced. Our Exhibitor Advisory Board unanimously recommended at the last meeting that we begin enforcing the ruling with the 2001 show. To the best of our ability, we have tried to eliminate all rental companies and have made great efforts to accommodate the board’s recommendation as fairly as possible.
(The World of Concrete Web site currently shows several rental companies as exhibitors, but Gassen says that is simply the list of exhibitors for the show held this past February, not the current list of exhibitors for the next show. However, the American Rental Association, also a World of Concrete exhibitor in 2000, has been removed from the Web site.)
RM: The decision seems odd, because rental is growing rapidly everywhere. It has taken root in the world and construction equipment people — organizations, contractors, distributors, manufacturers, magazines — are all focusing more and more attention on rental and how to optimize their involvement in it, not on how to exclude it.
Gassen: We welcome [rental companies] as attendees. Why the Exhibitor Advisory Board presented the exclusion of rental companies from exhibiting is related primarily to the fact that rental companies are positioned between the manufacturer and the contractor. Manufacturers benefit from sales to rental companies. Renting a product is a great way to influence future sales.
RM: How do you define “eligibility”?
Gassen: Eligibility is addressed in the current Exhibition Rules in the section entitled Frequently Asked Policy Questions on page 4, which reads, “I am a Rental or Leasing company. May I exhibit at World of Concrete/World of Masonry?” “Rental companies are not permitted to exhibit.”
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