I had the opportunity to sit down and speak to Renee Jain (pictured left) of ICC Rents to discuss a little about what their company does and what they offer to convention, trade show and event planners.  ICC Rents began as a family owned business as the vision of Ganpat “Jim” Jain, Renee’s father, in Chicago in 1979. The company began as a computer rental company and has exploded into one of the top rental companies in the trade show world.  What was once only servicing the Chicago area and McCormick Place, now is nationwide and services all the major conventions centers from Orlando to Las Vegas to New York and L.A.  Renee can recall the business in her father’s den when they first started and talks about the long hours it took her father, and later her brother  Raj Jain, to build this business to its current state of a 24/7 full on customer service shop servicing the nation with over 100 employees.

ICC Rents is a company that can provide all of your technology needs from a laptop for your tradeshow booth to that 103″ Plasma TV or seamless Video Wall.  They provide all the back end support as well.  Once you rent a component, you can rest assured that it will be at your show, on time, working, and will be backed by support should anything go wrong.  They have touch screen monitors, interactive kiosks and just about anything that will set your tradeshow booth apart from the competition.  They can help get you noticed on the show floor.

I asked the simple question of “why can’t I just buy a television from the local store and use it?”  She was well prepared with a response and raised many questions I had not thought of, like extension chords, cables, set up and delivery, and many other reasons why renting is a smart investment for using a company like ICC Rents to handle your needs.  Technology becomes obsolete, many pieces of equipment break down and many other reason why having a support team is important in renting the proper equipment.  There are many hidden costs that she discussed as well.  They are truly knowledgeable in the industry and have become quite trusted in more areas than just for a tradeshow.  They have corporate clients that use their services as well for onsite training and setting up meeting and events.  I could not begin to cover all the areas where they can help you with your technology needs.

In addition, and because I am serial procrastinator, this statement she said stuck in my mind:

“We are the last minute provider” ~ Renee Jain

What she meant is that many people forget about something like a required hard case for that 50″ plasma TV for their wall, or they forget that they needed a wall mount for that television or of a cable needed to make it work. When this happens they can be there immediately to cure any forgotten item or to make sure your trade show booth comes off without a hitch.  I think am going to put that number in my pocket for my future trip to Vegas in September as chances are I’ll need it.  With 24/7 service such as theirs, I can rest easy because we all know I’ll forget something.  They can help.

ICC Rents handles any type of tradeshow and not just the technical market.  Everyone is needing technology to catch attention of convention attendees and tradeshow attendees.  She mentioned the bridal industry and agricultural industries and many other areas where technology can enhance your tradeshow experience and produce more leads.

Back in March of 2008, ICC Rents was merged with Smart Source Rentals, a powerful partner that has taken their service and their ability to service trade shows and conventions to the next level.  Give ICC Rents a call for your needs, be it a computer laptop to a wall mounted television to an interactive kiosk.  Tell them Convention Insider sent you!

Popularity: 27% [?]

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As I traveled to Orlando a couple of weeks ago, I could see a number of places getting a face lift. Some of the resorts and attractions were expanding and getting new themes, and now it seems as though the Orange County Convention Center is also slated for a new look and feel. Trade Show Week is reporting that the convention center is expanding by 80 acres that are adjacent to their facility. It is indicated in the report that The Peabody Orlando, the OCCC, The Hilton Orlando, Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Universal City Property Management are all working together on the project. The report goes on to state:

…the plan so far includes a 1,400-room hotel – with the brand to be announced this summer – plus attractions, entertainment, retail and a large outdoor entertainment area that will be connected via a waterway concept to create “additional venues, spaces for entertainment and show performances.” The development will be north of the OCCC’s North/South Building and connected to it by pedestrian bridges.

It’s just the latest proposed development for the area surrounding the convention center. The Hilton Orlando, which broke ground last year, will be the first hotel connected directly to the OCCC by pedestrian bridge when it opens next summer on the east side of the North/South Building.

This is a trend I think that is taking place among most of the competitive convention centers vying for that event or trade show by expanding their facilities that are giving more than just space and management of the event. The convention centers are making it more of an experience for the attendees by making it easier for hotel arrangements and also giving them exciting things to do while not attending conferences or meetings. I think they are trying to keep up with the likes of Gaylord Entertainment that has been selling this business plan from the beginning. The all-in-one experience seems to be the new idea for facilities looking to get ahead.

Popularity: 36% [?]

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These photos were taken inside the Atrium at the Gaylord Palms Convention Resort in Orlando, Florida. Those large lizard types are actually alligators and they are joined in the water buy turtles. The children standing around were in awe of these creatures, and they could not wait to get in the pool later! Well, of course, I had to tell them that the alligators were in training in this water feature so when they grow up they could be in the pool! This is a great feature by the folks at Gaylord Palms. I am here at a conference and I’ll have a complete review of the facility and perhaps if I can manage an interview with the management here.

Popularity: 27% [?]

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My wife has been bugging me to get her garden ready for planting.  Here in Colorado it is safe to plant your Garden on Mother’s Day and we promised we would do this as a family.  My job has been to get the soil tilled and ready for planting the various vegetables.  I woke today thinking I had a couple of hours that was not filled with conference calls that I could get to the local nursery to purchase my materials to prep the plot of dirt in the back yard.  The only problem with that intention was that as I opened the door I had a blast of cold and found that it was snowing.  It snowed most of the day.  Love that Colorado weather.  I missed that opportunity.  I was looking around the web for some information about soil preparation and found myself looking for a landscaping convention.

The Landscape Show is a large show that is scheduled this year in Florida at the Orange County Convention Center on September 25-27, 2008.  The show is very large with 250,000 square feet and 600 exhibiting companies.  Apparently they are capitalizing on the green movement itself:

Looking to make an environmental difference in your part of the world? Plants and trees are the original cleaning agents of the earth – offering oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide; absorbing pollutants, odors and noise; providing homes for wildlife and creating important beauty for quality of life and sense of community. The Landscape Show offers a diverse pallet of plants, products and services that can make a positive impact on your environment.

I think I will try again tomorrow unless we have any blizzard warnings.  Someone forgot to send the memo of global warming to the gardening gods.  In the meantime do the planet a favor and plant something.

Popularity: 23% [?]

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On this day in the United States, we all rush out to get that tax return in the mail, or I guess in this day and age we rush to the computer to file it electronically over the Internet.  Like every other holiday, I try to mix in a little celebration of the day.  Today, all I could think of was death and taxes.  You know the old saw about some things being certain and of those, most prevalent are death and taxes.  This lead me to think about what convention or trade show might be out there that deals with issues of death and taxes. 

You might think a death convention might be a little morbid, and I must say the name does not stick too well with me, but how about a mortuary or other type convention or trade show?  My company has even help establish a funeral blog, so I know they must have a convention.  As you know, all industries have their own trade show and the people at the National Funeral Directors Association are no different.  The NFDA had its national convention in 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the and in 2008, the convention is scheduled in October in Orlando, Florida.

Tax professionals around the US are operating on no sleep and are drinking coffee and energy drinks to get through to midnight when the deadline arrives.  They will be happy to know that they can relax at their national convention this summer in Atlanta, Georgia.  The conference is set to take place at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, July 7-10, 2008.

To all of the tax professionals out there, good luck today with your deadlines.  To the rest of you out there doing your own taxes, you have a little time left if you want to procrastinate a little bit longer, say about 12 hours.

Popularity: 35% [?]

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The pet industry is a huge market around the globe, and like any other industry, it has to have a trade show or convention to support the many people involved.  My company actually helps manage a blog in the pet industry and I happen to know it’s big business.  Just stand outside your local pet store or look at the way we run to that window of pet shops to see the latest crop of puppies or kittens.  You have to be able to support that following, and the best way to keep track in the industry is to attend Global Pet Expo.

The Global Pet Expo will take place in Orlando, Florida,  February 12-14, 2009, at the Orange County Convention Center.  The 2008 convention took place in San Diego, California, and the numbers were not readily available on their site, but the numbers for 2007 were impressive.

“Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show, is presented by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) and Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). The 2007 Show featured 760 exhibiting companies utilizing 230,000 net square feet of exhibit space. More than 850 new product launches were featured and 4,600 pet product buyers from around the world attended.”

The site provides excellent information about their event and also provides other information about the show and the industry.  One of the things I found interesting as I scanned their site was that Labrador Retrievers, have been the AKC’s number one popular breed of dog for 17 straight years, and Bulldogs have moved into number 10.   I suppose I can file that under other useless knowledge I pick up while surfing the Internet.  I wonder if they have dog walkers and poop scoopers attending this event?

Popularity: 25% [?]

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Last year my wife worked in the mortgage market and we saw the beginning of the end of the booming housing sales because of the problems we saw with the lenders.  She ended up being laid off from her job due to the woes of banks.  Lenders being in trouble also means that the home buyers and sellers are in for a dip in the housing market.  This also translated to a dip in attendance at this year’s National Association of Home Builders and their  International Builder’s Trade Show.

According to Trade Show Week Magazine’s Rachel Wimberly, from a quote from Wayne Stetson, Vice President of the National Association of Home Builders, the pre-registration of attendees was down 15%, while the true number came in at a dip of 11%.  The trade show took place at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center on February 13-16, 2008. 

Next year the trade show is set to take place in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 20-23, 2009.  This is great news for the City of Las Vegas at the IBS has taken place for the last four years in Orlando.  Wimberly goes on to add that Stetson indicated that since this was the fourth year in a row that the event took place in Orlando, it may have grown stale in the eyes of attendees and that next year being in Vegas could spice up attendance.  It seems that many of the exhibitors were also excited for Vegas since they saw a rise in deposits for the trade show in January 2009.  A change in scenery may change the trend. We can only wait and see what happens in January.  Good luck to the folks at NAHB and IBS.

Popularity: 31% [?]

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I worked in the golf industry for about 10 years and was very tuned in to the latest in equipment and services and followed along in that trade for a while.  One of the most exciting things about being part of that industry was the PGA golf expo and other trade shows and conventions.  The trade show is usually held each year in a place where they have plenty of golf opportunities as well.  Many of the manufacturers and people involved as exhibitors love to wine and dine retailers and golf shop owners to play golf and try out the latest in equipment.

As many golfers out there know, golf can be a very expensive sport, and buying things like golf balls can set a guy back each game as much as a tank of gas these days.  I for one don’t remember ever having to pay for a golf ball in that entire span of time I was in the business.  The reason was the great stuff given away at conventions and trade shows such as these.  It was nothing to walk out of a convention with a box of balls and a handful of tees to go with that golf glove and cool new spikes to fit in your golf shoes.  In order to be an expert about the equipment, you had to be an expert user of the equipment.  Many a Driver and iron have I used that never had me reaching for my wallet.  It was a great perk being in the business.

I see this year that the PGA Expo is going to be in Las Vegas in August 2008, and the PGA Merchandise Show that is the big kahuna convention of the golf world is going to be in sunny Orlando, Florida in January 2008 at the Orange County Convention Center.  There are more reasons to have these events at these locations than just good weather that time of year, they are a couple of the best places to play golf on the planet.  I miss the days when I reached into my golf bag and pulled out a freebie golf ball.  Now when I hit a tee shot into the water it has a little more hurt behind it knowing that I actually paid real money for that ball.

Popularity: 29% [?]

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With the ever popular reality television and the huge following of game shows out there in prime time television, it only stands to reason that a convention would benefit from the same type of excitement, hype and fun.  I’m talking about The Ultimate Game Show founded by Bryan Quinn.  Bryan Quinn  and his company are located in  Sacramento, California and they cater to all types of conventions, trade shows, corporate retreats and conferences across the country.  They have worked with a small groups of as many as 25 people up to huge conferences or trade shows and even Fortune 500 companies.  They inspire groups to be a part of your convention or trade show and make it an experience to remember.   The biggest inspiration to me is when he says they can help give away lots cash!

Bryan Quinn, pictured right,  has been doing game shows for conventions, trade shows and even corporate meetings for a number of years now and has literally hundreds of events under his belt.  Bryan provided this information about his company and himself:

They have presented game shows in twenty states and now have equipment stored in strategic locations across the U.S., allowing them to access any city within a 14 hour drive. They have game show productions that range from very small to TV-studio quality, and offer game formats inspired by popular TV game shows as well as completely original games. The founder and President Bryan Quinn has been performing and organizing corporate events for more than 20 years, as a Disc Jockey, team-building facilitator and for the past 8 years as a game show host. He is one of the most experienced corporate game show hosts available, but for clients looking for celebrity talent, The Ultimate Game Show also works with a variety of TV game show hosts and comedians. The Ultimate Game Show has helped its clients create award winning booths and become the most popular place on the trade show floor. Their games can be used as a high-energy method to give away promotional items, but more importantly to highlight the benefits and features of their products and services.

Earlier this year, a second division of the company has come to fruition and they call it “The Ultimate Audience Response”.

Ultimate Audience Response, which offers clients the greatest return on their meeting investment through total audience participation. Their audience response services allow every attendee to participate by responding to questions utilizing a wireless keypad. The results are then displayed instantly in a variety of graphic formats that are easy to understand. In addition to the benefits of a game show, Ultimate Audience Response?s clients can also gather attendee contact and demographic information as well as conducting market research.

The service provided by Bryan and his group is meant to enhance the experience of attendees to your trade show, or convention.  As I said above they can handle any size group and can provide all the necessary equipment.  Bryan and I joked about the fact that they could provide as little as a small podium for a speaker to the 18′ x 18′ Tic Tac Toe stage setup as pictured on their site.   They have even filmed the event for companies that want to use the show later.   Being a bit pessimistic about the cost of such a service I asked Bryan about what it would cost to provide such a service and I was very shocked at how affordable this service was and what they provide. 

Bryan said that they not only do the convention scene but they are also very busy during the holiday months doing holiday parties and corporate, non-public gatherings.   Bryan Quinn and his group has appeared all over the country including, many events in the California area, Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago and other venues.  He stated that they can handle your plans from start to finish with as little hassle as possible.  Something that any event planner can be thankful to have.

When talking to Bryan for some reason I couldn’t get Richard Dawson out of my head and I told him about my problem.  He said that is normal and even indicated that his company works with many comics and retired game show hosts and can provide a variety of choices for your event.  Thanks for talking to us here at Convention Insider Bryan, I really enjoyed learning about your business.

[To receive additional information or to book The Ultimate Game Show? for your event, please call our office toll-free: 1-866-4-GAM-SHO (1-866-442-6746) or complete the contact form at their site.]

*** To find other vendors and suppliers such as the above featured company, please go to Conventions.net and search the resources.  If you want to have your company or your service featured here on Convention Insider’s Friday Feature, contact us and tell us about you and your service or product I would be happy to visit with you and feature you on Friday!***

Popularity: 57% [?]

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