February 12, 2023
The ARA Show™ has returned to Orlando for the first time since 2020. The 66th edition of the world’s largest equipment and event rental-specific convention and trade show organized by the American Rental Association (ARA) kicks off today at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) North/South Building.
Today’s schedule is focused on education, with 16 unique learning opportunities on a wide variety of business and operational topics in sessions presented by experts and industry peers. Attendees can choose from four distinct tracks: “Learn and Lead,” “Connect and Collaborate,” “Empower and Engage” and “Plan and Strategize.” In addition, there is the ARA Industry Awards Lunch, honoring those who embody the leadership spirit of ARA and featuring the two new inductees into the Rental Hall of Fame, Doron Broadfoot and James “Jim” Ziegler.
Monday’s Keynote Session will feature Daymond John — the CEO and founder of FUBU, a global lifestyle brand, star of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” and an author of five best-selling books including his New York Times best-selling books, “The Power of Broke” (2016) and “Rise and Grind” (2018). John’s presentation will be followed by the opening of the trade show floor, where attendees will find more than 700 exhibitors displaying a wide variety of products and services for all segments of the industry.
The trade show continues on Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will include a show floor reception from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The ARA Show 2023 wraps up on Wednesday with the show floor open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
During the show, attendees will have an opportunity to visit two separate ARA resource centers on the trade show floor to learn more about the tools offered as part of ARA membership. The booth in the construction section — Booth No. 3420 — will include interactive features and presentations. ARA’s Education department will host presentations on programs available to ARA members. The booth also will include some of the newest membership initiatives plus some excitement with a NASCAR simulator. The booth in the event section — Booth No. 3217 — will focus on ARA membership and networking opportunities.
Expanded networking opportunities also await show attendees, says Christine Hammes, ARA’s vice president, association services.
“Members have told us how much they value networking at events, so we have expanded the capacity of many of our networking offerings in 2023. There are many networking opportunities to choose from including the ARA Young Professional Network (YPN) Reception, the Welcome Reception, the ARAPAC Reception, the Women in Rental Breakfast, the ARA Foundation Charity Auction and Reception, and ARA’s Tuesday Night Event at Universal Studios Orlando. There also are a few added ‘extras’ including coffee available at the Keynote Session on Monday morning, updated coffee-house themed rest stops on the show floor in each department, the Show Floor Reception on Tuesday afternoon, water bottle giveaways for attendees to use to hydrate while shopping the floor, a take home travel swag bag for attendees, an online store to purchase Women in Rental swag during the show, and a cool new contest giveaway at the ARA Member Resource Center, Booth No. 3420,” Hammes says.
To get the most out of your time in Orlando, utilize The ARA Show app to stay organized. The app — which is available on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store — is the same as the 2019-2021 shows. If you still see information from a past show when you open that app, tap the “Settings” icon in the top right corner then on “Exit to Show List.” From there, you’ll see the 2023 show in the list. Tap on it then on “Download” to open this year’s information.
