G-20 SUMMIT COMES TO PITTSBURGH

by Tom Hornyak,

In late July ’09, the Administration announced that the 2009 G-20 conference of the top economic powers in the world would be held in Pittsburgh, PA, This presented a once in a lifetime opportunity for Micro Rental Service to provide equipment for the countries attending the conference. We immediately got in touch with the Washington embassies of all of the invited countries and virtually every hotel in the Greater Pittsburgh area.  In addition, I informed several members of the ITRA about the event to try to leverage any contacts that they had and to get some marketing ideas.

One of the biggest problems encountered was dealing with security.  The Secret Service took overall responsibility for all of the security for the event.  They provided very little information to the media as to which portions of the city would be off limits to not only the business located in the security perimeter but also to outside vendors.  With essentially the entire Golden Triangle in Pittsburgh being shutdown for the event, it made logistics interesting.

Fortunately for us, the countries that we were able to secure, Mexico, Brazil, The Netherlands and India were all based outside of the security perimeter that made that hectic week a little more bearable.

Overall, it was a good opportunity to show off the beauty of the city to the world that hopefully will result in long term economic benefits but more importantly, it gave us a lot of work.


About the author
Tom Hornyak, is a CPA, and Owner/President of Micro Rental Service located at:
4390 Rt. 8
Allison Park, PA 15101
412-487-5226
tomh@mrsmmc.com
Celebrating 25 years in business!!

San Diego Selected as 2010 ITRA Conference City

Announced at the 2009 ITRA Conference in Orlando, the 2010 conference will be held in San Diego. Additional information will be posted at a later time.

The ITRA Seal of Approval

If you want the best in the Technology Rental Industry, look for the ITRA Logo on websites, invoices, letters and stationary.

ITRA Member companies have high standards of performance in the computer rental and audio visual industry.

When you see the ITRA logo you can be assured that you are working with a good qualified company in the Technology Rental Industry.

If you are in the Technology Rental Industry consider joining the ITRA.

Working Together: Rental Opportunites for New ITRA Members

It's called pitching and catching in our association. ITRA member companies can pitch, catch or both. But to be in the ITRA game you only need to be either pitching or catching. You don't have to do both.

The Goal of Pitching and Catching
The goal is to increase member to member commerce within the ITRA.

Pitching Defined

ITRA member companies who get opportunites for other ITRA members are called 'pitching companies". For example if Member Company 'A' needs extra laptops for an order, he may subrent his shortage from Member Company 'B'. Member Company 'A 'is the pitcher. Another example would be that Member A needs plasma flatscreens installed in the Orlando Conference Center, Member B, who is located in Orlando and has Plasma Flatscreens in inventory actually performs the work for Member A. Think of pitching as providing opportunities for ITRA members.

Catching Defined

ITRA member companies who have equipment and technical expertise available for sub-rental are catching companies. Catching companies are do the work for Pitching companies.

By pitching and catching, the ITRA is helping improve commerce within the association.

If you are in the rental industry and you would like more opportunies, consider joining the ITRA team of member companies as either a pictcher or catcher, or both.

ITRA Member Spotlight: Micro Rental Service

Micro Rental Service is located in Pittsburgh, PA and has been serving the short term computer and audio visual equipment rental needs of Western Pennsylvania and the Tri-State area for over 25 years.

Being locally owned and managed allows our company to provide personal and timely support to our customers. We are a founding member of the International Technology Rental Association.

My membership has been extremely beneficial to my company both from the opportunities that I have been given through cross-rental deals with other members but just as importantly through the personal relationships that I have made.

Just through cross-rentals alone, my annual dues is returned more than tenfold. I have also received great ideas to expand my product offerings. I greatly enjoy our annual conference as an educational opportunity and a chance to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones.

About:
Micro Rental Service,website: www.mrsmmc.com, contact Tom Hornyak phone: 412.487.5226 email:tomh@mrsmmc.com

Message from the President of ITRA: Dan Kallen of Hartford Technology Rentals

Welcome to the International Technology Rental Association website. Established in 1997, the ITRA has grown to become a leading global technology rental association.

Doing business today is harder than ever and outside of a relentless focus on customer service, nothing is more important than networking. That's where the ITRA comes in.

Member companies of the International Technology Rental Association are simply the finest AV and computer rental companies in the world. Our members provide the best service you will find anywhere. Most importantly, in the truest spirit of cooperation and competition, our members refer business to each other to help sustain and grow our industry.

If you think your company has what it takes to become a member of the ITRA we invite you to fill out a membership application. If you need to rent AV or computer equipment, look for the ITRA Seal of Approval. That's a guarantee that you are working with an ITRA member company.

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Dan Kallen

President - International Technology Rental Association (ITRA)
Vice President - Hartford Technology Rentals