ANAHEIM, Calif. - In response to another season of slow trade shows - the American Rental Association's Denver Conference in late August, and the Rental Industry Association's Western Rental Equipment Expo in Anaheim last month - the associations' presidents have again agreed to discuss potential trade show cooperation. At press time, the presidents had set up a meeting in Dallas late last month.

"Even though the ARA and RIA have met before and were unsuccessful, this is really a preliminary meeting to see if we can do it a different way this time," ARA president Richard Paquette told RER. "I hope to achieve a common ground where we both would win by combining or cooperating to define the problems as we both see them, and then to solve them. To my mind, this meeting is to see if there actually is potential for that to be accomplished."

Planning to attend with ARA president Paquette were incoming-president Frank Wilson and vice president Charles Neffle. Planning to represent RIA were president Tony Beringer, chairman of the board Paul Powers III and former president and chairman Van Dossey.

Attendance at last month's RIA show was below last year's level.