Moline, IL - The Rental Show will return to New Orleans, with the 2012 Show scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 5, through Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. This new location replaces previously scheduled dates in Atlanta, the American Rental Association reports.

"The association listened to both attendees and exhibitors from The Rental Show, and the consensus of the ARA board of directors was that returning to New Orleans was a high priority," said Christine Wehrman, American Rental Association CEO. "ARA was able to meet this request and schedule a return to a location that has hosted The Rental Show six previous times. We're looking forward to returning to the city."

The Rental Show was last held in New Orleans in 2002. It had been scheduled for the city in 2007, but that Show was subsequently moved to Atlanta as New Orleans recovered from Hurricane Katrina.

"Due to the rescheduling for 2007, The Rental Show has been to Atlanta frequently in recent years. With the accessibility of the city to a large portion of ARA's membership base, it's been a convenient location and an excellent city to work with. Yet we're also mindful of the feedback we've received and want to be responsive to the requests of the attendees and exhibitors."

Expanding the locations for The Rental Show is one of the recommendations from The Rental Show Work Group, which was appointed by the ARA board of directors last fall and charged with evaluating specific aspects of the Show. The work group, comprised of volunteers from both ARA general and associate member companies and ARA staff, discussed areas that impact the longer-term future of the Show: the duration of The Rental Show each year, destinations where it's held, and the trade show floor size and floor traffic.