Last week, January 26-28, 2016, rental industry professionals from more than 18 states and two countries descended on Las Vegas, for a three-day networking, educational, and buying extravaganza at the 2016 West Coast Rental Rally Trade Show.

There's no question that with twice as much floor space as last year's show and an impressive number of booths at 308, attendees and vendors of the 2016 West Coast Rental Rally, held at the Cashman Center, hit the jackpot. The latest products, services and solutions were on display for all rental industry professionals to see. From dance floors to compact equipment, from GPS tracking systems to tables and chairs, from trailers to digital marketing services ... if it impacted the industry, it was at the Cashman.

"I loved the size of the CRA show this year," says attendee Paul Arbon, president, U-Rent, Inc. "It was small enough that you really got a lot of one on one time with vendors and other rental people but large enough that there was always something new to look at." With products on display and vendors on hand to answer questions, buying decisions could easily be made.  "I went with a buying list," continues Arbon, "and some of my decisions were changed on the show floor after seeing the product and talking with vendors. There were great savings on the floor too which more than makes the trip worth it."

Peter Maginnis, general manager, Makinex, a first-time vendor and previous attendee, had great things to say about the activity on the show floor. "Our experience at the show was great," he says. "There was a good variety of relative businesses both attending and exhibiting. The show floor was consistently vibrant – we saw several interested buyers, the venue was perfectly accommodating and the overall atmosphere was fun and inviting."

The 2016 Las Vegas event had "a lot of new vendors," says Arbon, "which was nice to see." Maginnis  agrees."  The diverse geography of the attendees and exhibitors were not just narrowed to California – creating ample networking opportunities. We applaud the CRA for hosting such a fun, organized, prosperous event for the rental market."

This will be a tough show to beat for CRA in future years. As Arbon says, "It was ... the best I’ve seen CRA put on in years."

Look for more show coverage in the next issue of Rental Rally magazine, due out in March. To sign up to receive your digital copy, click here.