Discovering what’s new is one of the top reasons rental professionals attend The Rental Show each year. For 2012, the emphasis is on “new.” There’s a new energy, building on the success of The Rental Show 2011 in Las Vegas earlier this year. There are new ideas, from the latest products for rental inventories to innovations that help businesses run smarter, and the opportunity for new connections, since The Rental Show is where the entire rental industry gathers together. It also is all taking place in a one-of-a-kind destination, New Orleans.
Keynote session will
feature Aron Ralston,
inspiration for ‘127 Hours’
In 2003, Aron Ralston’s story made headlines worldwide. Ralston, the inspiration for the Academy Award®-nominated film “127 Hours,” will share the account of his remarkable will to survive during the keynote session at The Rental Show on Feb. 6.
Ralston left a successful career as a mechanical engineer with Intel in 2002 to follow his passion for outdoor adventures in Colorado. While hiking in Utah eight years ago, he was pinned by a half-ton boulder in a remote 3-ft.-wide slot canyon for nearly a week. He narrowly escaped death by severing his right forearm with a dull pocketknife. After applying a tourniquet, he hiked and rappelled for five hours before searchers in a helicopter miraculously rescued him.
Ralston documented this life-altering experience in his New York Times-bestseller book, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” which was adapted into the movie. In addition to the Best Picture nomination, James Franco was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar® for his portrayal of Ralston.
Aided by radical prosthetic devices that he helped design, Ralston has expanded his adventures to the world’s great peaks, deserts and rivers. He lives with his wife and son in Boulder, Colo.
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The Rental Show next Feb. 5-8 marks a return to the city for the first time in 10 years, which is bringing about a new buzz of anticipation as well. Hotels are filling up quickly with attendees and exhibitors, exhibit space is 90 percent sold and there’s great enthusiasm about revisiting a place that has its own new, improved outlook since 2002. Highlights of The Rental Show 2012 include: - More education, with 30 total seminars including indoor/outdoor half-day demonstration sessions, a half-day financial session including Steve Abercrombie, a new town hall on family business plus round-table discussions. Seminars are all day Feb. 5 and the mornings of Feb. 7-8.
- Keynote session featuring Aron Ralston, the inspiration for the Academy Award®-nominated film “127 Hours.”
- New events including Crescent City Carnival on Feb. 7 for all attendees and exhibitors at Mardi Gras World, the world-renowned maker of floats and sculptures, and An Evening For ARAPAC on Feb. 6, the fundraiser for ARA’s political action committee that will be held at the National World War II Museum.
- Returning events include Lunch With ARA on Feb. 5, Regional Receptions on Feb. 6, International Reception on Feb. 7, Reception With a Purpose featuring the ARA Foundation charity auction on Feb. 7 and Next Generation Reception on Feb. 5 plus a revamped The Rental Show Golf Tournament also on Feb. 5.
- Three days of trade show, Feb. 6-8.
- Events & Tents on Feb. 4-5, continuing its Saturday/Sunday schedule from 2011 with an industry tour, networking reception, breakfast speaker and education including indoor/outdoor demonstration seminars.
More details on The Rental Show schedule are available at TheRentalShow.com. Registration for The Rental Show is now open online, with a special $99 Internet-only rate available for ARA members through Oct. 31. The prospective member rate is $199. This includes three days of trade show, all show seminars and the keynote session. In addition, there are special early-bird hotel rates available for a limited time — complete details are online. If you have questions, call 800-334-2177, option 3.
Mardi Gras World brings the magic to life The color, the lights and the unique spectacle that’s only Mardi Gras in New Orleans come to life at Mardi Gras World, the largest float designing and building facility in the world. It’s here that more than 80 percent of the floats that journey down New Orleans’ streets during the Carnival season are designed and built. It also is here that all attendees and exhibitors of The Rental Show will have the opportunity to experience all the facility offers during ARA’s Crescent City Carnival event on Feb. 7. A maker of floats, sculptures and props, Mardi Gras World creates most of the parades held for Mardi Gras from concept through completion. Crescent City Carnival will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the floats and how they’re created, live entertainment, networking, food and beverages. Begun in 1947 by float designer and builder Blaine Kern, Mardi Gras World has been as much a part of Carnival as the New Orleans parades themselves. The work done at Mardi Gras World also is visible around the world — from the annual Mardi Gras parade at Universal Studios Florida to Japan’s Toho Park, Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and in parades in Antibes, France, and other international cities. Tickets for Crescent City Carnival are $40 per person and can be purchased when registering for The Rental Show. |