Representatives from more than 100 rental companies attend largest-ever trade show. Listen to all of today's podcasts by clicking play next to the selected vendor.

Click on a vendor to hear today's Podcasts from the RentDirect Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RTO Podcasts from Tusday, August 22, 2006 Click images to enlarge

Dan Cole, President of National Rent-to-Own, tells RTO Online his secrets for a successful, sustained growth pattern over twenty years.

Bart Stamper, a Premier Rents franchisee, talks about the opportunities that are likely to come his company’s way thanks to Rent-A-Center’s recent purchase of RentWay.

Anthony Salemi from Frigidaire discusses new trends in home appliances and why you just might find yourself purchasing (and renting) a metallic blue front load laundry pair.

Dan Companion from Home Now talks to RTO Online about how Badcock’s new rental concept is taking off.

Tom Murphy from Motivated Marketing discusses the future of musical instruments in RTO and told why it could be the next big thing in rental.

Bill Lassiter, Vice President of Lynnray Financial tells RTO Online how his company can lend a rental store up to $125,000 to buy inventory in just three days.

Bill Bazemore, Executive Director of Furniture Smart, discusses what furniture trends your rental customers will be asking for this fall and into the holiday season.

Wayne Harris confesses to RTO Online why Sandberg Furniture does fewer things, but does them really well.

Jeff White of Rent One in Shreveport, Louisiana discusses with RTO Online why the rental business has been good for him and his family.

Tuesday marked the second and final day of a two-day Nationwide RentDirect Prime Time Buying Show with vendors displaying merchandise on more than 175,000 square feet of showroom at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RTO Online recorded podcasts with key Rent to Own Company executives and suppliers Tuesday; Bart Stamper - Premier Rents franchisee, Anthony Salemi - Frigidaire, Dan Companion, Home, Tom Murphy - Motivated Marketing, Bill Lassiter - Lynnray Financial, Bill Bazemore - Executive Director of Furniture Smart, Wayne Harris - Sandberg Furniture, Dan Cole, President of National Rent-to-Own, Jeff White - Rent One, Bryan Collins - Bryce Co. Jewelry and Dennis Fairbanks - High Touch. Listen to all of today's podcasts by clicking play next to the selected dealer or vendor.

RentDirect members who purchased merchandise at the show received on-site “Cash Now” rebates.

According to RentDirect Executive Director James MacAlpine, seeing the dealers get their checks on the spot was satisfying, but it wasn’t the highlight of the show for him.

See a complete photo gallery of the Nationwide RentDirect tradeshow here(108 pics).

“For me, having dealers like Mark and Mike Talley pull me aside and say how different their experience was at this show was really rewarding. The Talley’s said that they have been to many shows before where they make appointments with vendors and the vendors may or may not be there when they get to the booth at their meeting time. But thanks in part to our work educating the vendors about rent-to-own, they actually had a vendor call them when they were running late.”

According to MacAlpine, a rental dealer with a single store can save as much as $20,000 a year by joining Nationwide RentDirect.

“If a dealer came to us and was considering joining, we’d help that dealer look his appliance program. We have very strong appliance programs with Frigidaire and other vendors. Right off the bat, that dealer would receive a 5% volume rebate at the end of each month for the appliances purchased through RentDirect. And the savings are just as impressive and sometimes even better throughout our electronics and furniture vendors.”

The Nationwide RentDirect show attracted members varying from single-store operators all the way up to representatives from Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership.

“The services we provide to our members that go beyond just purchasing can really benefit a rent to own company of any size. We offer help with financing, advertising, marketing, training and so much more. We want these dealers to look at us like their national support team – just consider us the Nationwide Corporate Office.”