NEW ORLEANS, La. — Even though attendance was down — an estimated 25 percent from last year's Orlando, Fla., convention according to American Rental Association executive vice president Christine Wehrman — most exhibitors at last month's New Orleans show reported strong buying and serious interest on the part of show attendees.

“We wrote a lot of business,” said Kurt Grimmer of GrimmerSchmidt, Franklin, Ind. “The attendance may not have been real high but the quality was good.”

“We equaled last year's total sales on the first day,” added a major compaction supplier.

Most exhibitors had fairly low expectations coming into the show in light of slow show traffic at both the World of Concrete in New Orleans last month and the Associated Equipment Distributors show in Anaheim earlier this month. And while many exhibitors had slow periods, most were pleased with overall activity, fueling a growing optimism that rental centers are stepping up their fleet-replacement and new equipment acquisition activity and that an overall economic resurgence might occur sooner that expected.

The vast majority of exhibitors polled by RER said they had considerably better results at this show than last year's Orlando convention, in terms of serious inquiries and actual sales.

Attendants at the special education events that preceded the trade show — Construction University and Events & Tents — increased in double-digit percentage points, according to ARA's Joe Lynch.