We talked to a lot of new prospects and we feel like we’ll get plenty of business out of this show. There were a lot more rental dealers here than ever before.
Ellison Crider of RSSS

RentDirect Executive Director James MacAlpine visits with Whirlpool's Brian Duke on the tradeshow floor at PrimeTime! in Las Vegas.

RentDirect Nationwide wrapped a successful four-day event at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas with a trade show that broke all previous records for attendance. See nine new pod cast interviews below. See photo galleries here.

“Our dealers are happy and our vendors are thrilled,” said RentDirect Executive Director James MacAlpine. “We really feel like this is the best show yet because we removed all obstacles for our members to purchase what they need to be prepared for the busy fall season. We helped provide new credit lines, and we brought more dealers than ever before here to the show. We even had prospects who planned to just observe the show join RentDirect on the spot so they could begin buying and take advantage of the aggressive show specials.”

Full-O-Pep’s David P. David is a RentDirect member who was impressed with the array of products and services available.

“The show was great. We looked at new appliances and we purchased some more durable lap top computers. We purchased new plasma television displays for all of our stores and new computer displays. We bought some new laundry pairs and we ordered enough supply to last us through November. We also bought several truckloads of refrigerators and enough furniture to support some upcoming ads we have planned. It really seemed like there were a lot of rental dealers at this meeting.”

RTO Online Video Podcasts

Rental pioneer Gloria Homeier-Schwein.

LRDA Secretary/Treasurer Jean-Guy Poulin.

Albert Turick, Creative Director for Amcase.

Alexis Miller, a Marketing Coordinator for Advertising Made Easy.

John Sprayberry is the newest Premier Rental-Purchase Dealer.

Leo Grossman, District Manager for Electrolux Appliances.

Larry Furiani of Coaster Furniture.

Beth Lewis, an Account Specialist from United One Source.

John Howard of PromoBiz.

Dealers who were busy making their fall product purchases included Mike and Mark Talley and Jim Cole, who recently parted ways with ColorTyme to operate the stores under their own brand of Rent 1st. The group’s approximately 65 stores will focus on renting appliances and electronics. Said Mark Talley, “We’re just very happy. We’re pleased with the move and we look forward to what’s next.”

But dealers weren’t the only ones pleased with the RentDirect show. Several vendors wrote record amounts of business in their booths.

“I was very happy with this show,” said Mike Bertolani of SED International. “We are very pleased with the support we received. LCD’s and television stands were the most-requested items and the biggest question dealers asked was ‘Can SED deliver LCD televisions? Other companies may have had problems with shortages but I explained that SED absolutely can and will deliver for RentDirect members.”

“We talked to a lot of new prospects and we feel like we’ll get plenty of business out of this show. There were a lot more rental dealers here than ever before,” said Ellison Crider of RSSS.

John Howard of PromoBiz said, “The traffic was really excellent and we made a lot of new customers. We’ll be there in a big way for the next RentDirect meeting in Dallas in March.”

Bill Lassiter of Lynnray Financial commented, “Once more, RentDirect Nationwide did a first class job of hosting vendors and members at their semi-annual buying show.”

Dimplex representative Wayne Strachan said traffic was strong from both new and existing accounts.

“With our booth containing multiple product lines like electric fireplaces, silk plants and the HD canvas art, we saw tremendous traffic. Industry statistics show the rise of electric fireplaces as popular items for the home, growing from 48,000 sold in 1999 to more than 646,000 in 2005. The category continues to grow as rental dealers see these beautiful and practical pieces of furniture as the perfect plasma television stand.”

Jim Gregory of Garme said, “We saw a lot of rental dealers this time and we did a fair amount of business here on the floor and we have plenty to follow up on when we get back to the office as well. We were very pleased with the reception we received and we had quite a few rental dealers visit us for the very first time.”

Frigidaire was one of the booths that was constantly buzzing with activity, and Patrick Maloney said they brought 130 staff members to work the RentDirect Nationwide show.

“This was a really good show for us. We were able to offer a broader mix of product that allowed our rental dealers to order some higher-end appliances.”

Home accessories company CBK was a second-time exhibitor at the show and Lisa Hoefl says response to their unique lineup was well-received.

“We had a lot of rental dealers that purchased accessories on the spot and we also got some great quality leads that we are going to follow up with in their various store locations. We didn’t feel we could sell them properly from this booth. We really want to get in their stores and help them merchandise the product, which is a strength of our field sales team. At first it seemed like the dealers were looking to purchase accessories to dress up their stores, but more and more they were considering the possibility of grouping these accessories for rent as part of a larger furniture set.”

Watch- RTO Online conducted nine more pod cast interviews with dealers and vendors from the show floor.

Watch- Beth Lewis, an Account Specialist from United One Source, shows how her company’s product lineup helps rental dealers protect their assets.

Watch- John Sprayberry is the newest Premier Rental-Purchase Dealer and he tells how it feels to finally be your own boss after years of working for RTO’s “big guys”.

Watch- John Howard of PromoBiz displays the latest in career apparel and promotional products for the rental purchase industry.

Watch- Larry Furiani of Coaster Furniture tells what sets his furniture company apart from the competition.

Watch- Louisiana rental dealer and Louisiana Rental Dealers Association Secretary/Treasurer Jean-Guy Poulin provides an update on the LRDA.

Watch- Rental pioneer Gloria Homeier-Schwein explains her secrets to success and shares what plans she has to expand her rental business this fall.

Watch- Alexis Miller, a Marketing Coordinator for Advertising Made Easy, gives us a sneak peek at the free marketing materials made available to RentDirect members through their innovative online ordering system.

Watch- Albert Turick, Creative Director for Amcase, gives a tour of the latest in store fixturing for RentDirect members available through the Nationwide Design Center.

Watch- Leo Grossman, District Manager for Electrolux Appliances, shows us the benefits of front load laundry and previews the latest in Frigidaire finishes for refrigeration.