Fall is coming, and that means it’s time once again for Oracle OpenWorld 2011, being held October 2-6 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Researchers, entrepreneurs, the scions of today’s industries and the innovators of tomorrow’s – representing every imaginable industry – come to OpenWorld from the overwhelming majority of nations on Planet Earth.

If you want to master Oracle technology, this is the place, with literally hundreds of sessions, 450 exhibits, scores of technology demos, numerous breakout sessions and many exciting keynotes from world tech leaders from which to choose. If you want to outfit an exhibit area to reel in interested parties, CRE has the convention rentals expertise to help you there, too.

For 30+ years, CRE has been providing solutions for breakout sessions, presentations and exhibits, and is a veteran of OpenWorld. Our plasma rentals can anchor your booth with dramatic displays and signage, while iPad rentals empower your conference team by putting those same materials (and/or others) right in their hands for “portable presentations.”

As we’ve said of previous OpenWorld events, Oracle delivers “five days of education with insights and connections that will transform your business.” The clincher for 2011? This year’s “Appreciation Event” concert features Sting. How can you afford to miss all this?

Solar Power International 2011

From its previous home in Anaheim, Solar Power International 2011 (SPI) moves to Dallas, TX, for its annual conference, to be held October 27-29. SPI is among the biggest, most wide-ranging solar power exhibits and conferences in the world with some 24,000 professionals from over 125 countries in attendance.

With 1,200+ firms from all of the solar power vertical markets exhibiting across an expanse of nearly a million square feet (gross), SPI is working hard to achieve its goal: to “advance and support the solar power industry and to promote the growth of U.S. solar markets.”

Encounter new products, service providers and prospects while networking with professionals from the broadening horizons of the industry. Draw passers-by into your exhibit area with unique (and fun) LCD touchscreen monitor rentals that engage, educate and entertain. From manufacturers, contractors and engineering firms to utility companies, government representatives, investors and financiers, the connections you need to make will all be there – don’t let ‘em get away!

In addition to Audience Response System rentals and other gear, CRE has tips for a successful breakout session. Want to multiply your presence cost-effectively? Capture information from high-traffic areas with interactive kiosk rentals customized with your message and queries. We are conference and exhibit professionals. We can help! One call or e-mail to an experienced Account Executive, or a few minutes with our Quick Rental Quote form, and your solution is on its way.

We don’t just support media professionals, though. If you’re not a pro, but want to edit some clips or produce a video presentation, you can do it. And CRE Rentals can help. In fact, many simple video projects can can be done quickly, and well, even on a basic laptop rentals. For everyone from marketing professionals to administrative coordinators uploading interviews to YouTube, there are hardware and software solutions for all levels of expertise.

Software for basic editing

It doesn’t matter whether you work on a PC or a Macintosh, as many leading software programs support both. One advantage with Apple is the iLife software suite that comes pre-installed on every Mac. It includes iMovie, a great entry-level editing program. On entry- or intermediate-level systems – PCs running Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 or iMac rentals running iMovie – you can get decent results right away with templates and sample workflows, and near-professional results if you actually read the manual.

View your video

For a clear view with accurate color, CRE Rentals has state-of-the-art LCD monitor rentals to fill the bill. You may also need a larger display, perhaps a 30″ Apple Cinema Display rental if you want to preview finished work to management or show it in a conference setting. You can’t get your video projects done wisely and cost-effectively without comprehensive advice, which you get from CRE Rentals – along with the right tools, at the right price.

An Account Executive will help you get just what you need to get that video  project started. Make a call, send an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll get you what you need to succeed. Indeed!

The National Automobile Dealers Association will hold its 2011 NADA Convention & Expo at Moscone Center in San Francisco from February 5-7. Thousands of new vehicle dealers – plus retailers, automakers and industry leaders – will be there at the most important event in the automotive industry. Exhibitors need to stand out or be lost in the crowd, so  audiovisual rentals and other attention-grabbers should be part of your plan.

Do you have a product or service that targets this industry? Your customers are going to be there as well as your competitors and potential partners. So, it is vital to put on your best show with an interactive presentation displayed on a touchscreen LCD monitor rentals.

Since exhibiting at NADA brings you into personal contact with more auto dealerships than any other venue, you want to make a memorable impression. Letting people “touch their way” through presentations on Sony VAIO L all-in-one computer rental will engage them at your booth, while interactive kiosk rentals placed elsewhere will present your message while capturing information from potential partners and customers. With CRE, you have ‘em covered, coming and going!

RSA Conference USA 2011, coming to San Francisco’s Moscone Center from February 14-18, is the most comprehensive gathering of information security professionals. Attendees will learn about the newest security technologies, get updated on new best practices and gain insight into the security challenges facing businesses today. If you market a product or service to this industry, you can make a big impact with CRE convention rentals tailored to your needs.

The RSA Conference USA 2011 is the ultimate way to connect with security pros from around the globe. They will come from everywhere looking for solutions to the latest security risks, and if you have one of CRE’s plasma rentals you can really wow them. With simple computer programs you can control a multi-monitor setup (even a “wall”), so a few plasma screens or a mix of them and some LCD monitor rentals can make your exhibit the most eye-catching of all.

Consider holding a breakout session with one of CRE’s Audience Response System rentals. You can get immediate input as well as valuable feedback for later use. With CRE’s array of convention rentals you can achieve whatever effect you want.

At CRE Rentals, we are constantly thinking of how we can best serve your needs. We are always ready to equip you to blast through any production bottleneck or put your best foot forward at a convention. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll set you up with the right equipment, at the right place, at the right time and the right price – right away!

CES 2011 – the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the annual rite of passage for all things high-tech – begins today and runs through the 9th. It is by far the planet’s biggest get-together of gadgeteers, tech writers and assorted geeks. You know the type (you may be one): If you use our Mac Pro rentals and memorize every Dashboard widget, you share the mindset prevalent at CES. We have other blogs on New Year’s resolutions, and several recent looks at tech predictions past and future, so we’re not making any predictions here. We’re just reporting on the buzz, which is already at a high pitch.

Tablets ad infinitum

You may be tired of hearing it, but tablets will be humungous this year. CRE offers iPad rentals because Apple has sold about 14 million in nine months and people want them. Now Toshiba, Asus and other firms are rushing tablets to market. Some units will run Android, and some may even run Windows. CRE began offering high-quality Motion Computing tablet PC rentals when they were about the only game in town. Before we add any new products to our list, we’ll check them out up, down and sideways. What to watch for: A tablet from HP running the “WebOS” system. What to watch out for: Cheap tablets with an old Android OS (if it’s under 2.0, fuggedabowdit).

Is that “screaming” or “streaming”?

The streaming media market took off somewhat surprisingly last year. In no time we had Google TV, a new and improved Apple TV, revamped Boxee and Roku, new offerings from Logitech and plenty of Chinese lookalikes. Many of these units attach to large LCD monitor rentals to create a great presentation setup, but TV makers are way ahead of that. Instead of using large-screen LCDs or plasma rentals with the streaming devices, you can now get a TV with Web capabilities built in, so Netflix, Hulu and other sources will stream from “the cloud.”

Another shot at 3D

The far future of 3D monitor technology looks great, and your 2018 iMac rentals may be equipped with 3D screens that are great for design, layout, engineering and (of course) watching movies. Consumers pretty much ignored the TV makers’ 3D-TV push in 2010, possibly because of the expense, possibly because of the lack of 3D content – but definitely because of those silly glasses. Vizio is attacking the price problem, while Nintendo and Toshiba are making headway in developing goggles-free 3D viewing. And James Cameron is going to make two more Avatar flicks!

We follow the technology wherever it goes, and new products that prove themselves will enter the CRE inventory. In the meantime, we have state-of-the-art equipment for your media production needs, as well as convention rentals and great advice across the board. Call or e-mail an Account Executive, or fill out the online Quick Rental Quote form, and we will find the right solution for you – right now!

1. The right kind of session

Obviously, the session topic needs to relate strongly to the conference theme. In a recessionary economy, you may need to focus on the one or two most important conferences rather than spread yourself thin covering “second-best” venues. The “right kind of session” also means the appropriate delivery method – video on LCD monitor rentals, presenter with slides, interactive, discussion panel – and compelling content. Experts note that attendees need to feel that the material they are receiving will resonate with them and be filled with concrete and practical advice.

2. Pre-session promotion

In most cases, you can buy the e-mail list of last year’s conference to promote your breakout session at the current one. You can also do some promotion via trade journals, newspapers, blogs and the Web newswire services. Don’t forget that interactive kiosk rentals can serve as “robot PR people” at the conference. The kiosks can run promotional spots as attendees walk by or showcase additional information on the spot. You need to get people to your session, so drum up some excitement!

3. All-important follow-up

Whatever the audio visual requirements are, CRE has audiovisual rentals and the broadest selection of LCD monitor rentals to fill the bill. Add  great content, and you could have a real hit.

Unfortunately, there is no way to speak with every attendee individually, so post-session and post-conference follow-up is essential. Collect attendee contact info with an old-fashioned sign-up list. Or, try polling attendees during the session using an audience response system rental. Not only will you gather feedback about the session but you can also collect attendee contact information.  Once the conference is over, you can start following-up.

Remember, whatever your situation with conventions or digital workloads, CRE is your premier solution provider. Call or e-mail an Account Executive today, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and get moving with state-of-the-art speed and capabilities!

TechRepublic is a great Web site, full of real experts that dispense a bounty of wisdom. In September 2007, the site ran an article on the IDF conference entitled “Tech Sanity Check,” which noted “four important trends that IT professionals should keep an eye on over the next two years.” Since we all engage in a bit of prognosticating now and then, we look back (in a 2-part blog) on the 2007 predictions to remind us not only how difficult it is, but how creatively unpredictable human beings (and progress) can be.

1. Cleaner and greener

An entire section of IDF’s 2007 Technology Showcase was devoted to planet-friendly technologies, from “energy-sipping CPU chips [to] technology recycling programs.” Improvements in power management are already on board in many of CRE’s LCD Monitor Rentals , and display technology is leading the way in energy saving and green design. Among the other trends mentioned were small, disposable and recyclable fuel cells. We’d carry around small power packs for our phones and digital gear, perhaps even enjoying wireless charging.

Some progress has actually been made in these areas, but fuel cells are still in the future somewhere. Still, there is momentum building. Producers of “green events” and managers of green convention centers use tons less paper now, and recycle with near-religious zeal, while PCs and other devices use less and less power to do more and more things. Battery technology is another bright spot, and Apple has joined the ranks of firms with enviro-friendly policies and manufacturing techniques.

2. The pocket PC

At the 2007 IDF, pundits ventured that laptops would surpass desktops in revenue in 2009. This prediction came true – and a whole year earlier than predicted. TechRepublic concluded that the glory days of “the big, ultra-powerful tower are definitely over, unless you are a gamer or a graphics professional” (like the entertainment industry pros that use CRE’s “ultra-powerful” Mac Pro rentals). If not wholly realized yet, this is a trend that the IDF got right. The market is awash in teeny PCs, along with small wireless pads and tablets. Sylvania is set to debut a “commodity netbook” at a ridiculously low $99, with Windows CE, built-in Wi-Fi, a rechargeable battery, high-contrast color display, browser and productivity apps. In this category, predictions aren’t being made fast enough to keep up with reality.

Predictions #3 and #4 will appear in Part 2 to post Thursday, October 7th.

In the meantime, if your business isn’t keeping up with reality, CRE will help you get up to speed. Whether you need interactive kiosk rentals for a conference, or a full array of audiovisual rentals for your breakout session or company meeting, we’ve got you covered. Fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll help you make your “prediction” a reality!

The NCE pre-conference event, “Pediatrics for the 21st Century,” will key on Health Information Technology (HIT) and quality. Speakers will explain the importance of HIT for improved patient outcomes, while the newest technology will be displayed in a “Pediatric Office of the Future” exhibit.

If you are exhibiting, consider adding an all-in-one desktop touchscreen rental to showcase your products and services or rent an interactive kiosk to capture attendee information for later follow-up.

AAO 2010 is the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s annual meeting taking place at Chicago’s McCormick Place from October 16-19 with Subspecialty Days on the 15th and 16th. In addition to pre-conference programs ranging from exhibits and product demos to seminars, there will be plenty of discussions in the mini-lounges, as well as 100+ hours of free scientific sessions.

Free Wi-Fi access from the AAOasis booth allows attendees to get program info, view on-demand videos and visit the Virtual Exhibition. Real exhibitors of all kinds will be on hand so, grab their attention with a plasma rental to display product demos, infomercials and other presentations using various devices.

ASTRO 2010, the 52nd annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology, is being held at the San Diego Convention Center from October 31 to November 4.  The theme this year is “Gathering Evidence, Proving Value,” inviting participants to consider the changing realities of modern oncological medical practice and take part in the world’s premier educational radiation oncology event.

The Presidential Symposium will address the many challenges of medicine in an era of evidence-based practice. The meeting will highlight the latest advances in both research and practice. Of course, exhibitors are also an important source of information about new devices, technologies and practices. To make your most dramatic impact, CRE has an array of LCD monitor rentals and other displays that will stop people in their tracks.

Consider promoting your “green-ness” by incorporating some of these green ideas at your next conference. When you need to put your best foot forward as an exhibitor, CRE can help — we have decades of experience and can help you strategize an effective trade show floor presence. Simply complete our  Quick Rental Quote form and get a speedy reply.

We’re headed toward Fall, which means it’s time for Oracle OpenWorld, being held September 19-23 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. As the most important meeting for Oracle users and experts, Oracle OpenWorld is the premier place to meet business leaders, researchers and innovators from all kinds of industries and scores of countries around the world. If you want to master the Oracle technology stack with which your run your business, then more than 1,800 sessions, a full Saturday of MySQL offerings, 400+ exhibits, scores of Oracle demos and keynotes from global tech leaders will make the event a surefire winner.

For years, CRE has been providing solutions for presentations, breakout sessions, networking and everything else you need to do at conferences. We have Oracle OpenWorld plasma rentals for dramatic displays and signage if you will be exhibiting, and tablet PC rentals to ensure your conference team captures all the information your firm needs. Our wireless gear will help you take control of session notes, manage downloadable conference materials, save prospects’ contact information – and get maps to find your way around The City by the Bay if you don’t know the lay of the land. Oracle promises “five days of education,” with insights and connections that will “transform your business.” Don’t miss it!

Interbike 2010

Interbike 2010, set for September 22-24 at The Venetian & The Sands Expo in Las Vegas, is North America’s largest bicycle trade show and a key event for the entire global cycling community. There will be over 1,000 top brands represented, showing wares and sharing insights with some 22,000 attendees from 60+ countries. Industry leaders, R&D innovators, parts suppliers and bike enthusiasts will mingle and converse at breakout sessions, following keynote speeches and around the hundreds of exhibits.

If you’re exhibiting at this year’s show, CRE has special Interbike plasma rentals to help you make your best impression to buyers, first-tier retailers and product experts from around the world. Get some laptop rentals and you will be equipped to fill an array of monitors with your PowerPoint presentations, Flash animations and digital signage to make booth your a surefire hit.

Make sure your team members have the tools they need to interact with the hundreds of journalists expected at the event, like digital recorder rentals for audio notes and office equipment rentals to print, fax or copy press and marketing materials. Whatever you need to succeed at this important venue, which is co-located for 2010 with the Health and Fitness Business Expo, CRE has it, ready to go.

Digital Video Expo 2010

Digital Video Expo 2010 will be “Delivering the Digital Video Industry” to some 6,500 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center from September 28-30. Digital video professionals from around the world will discuss current issues, network with experts and check out the latest and greatest processes and products. If you are attending in any capacity, you have to put your best foot forward, because this is the number one must-attend event for production, post-production, storage and IT experts.

The 2010 event dedicates more hours to “show-floor time,” scheduled and ad hoc meetings for building newpartnerships, hands-on product demos and educational sessions right on the exhibit floor. Representatives from the leading publications, blogs and Web sites in the digital video marketplace will cover all that’s new and exciting in videography, broadcasting, digital video, TV and film, computers and display technology.

Last year’s Digital Video Expo 2009 made a big upgrade by moving to the state-of-the-art Pasadena Convention Center, a comfortable and classy destination for So Cal’s (and the world’s) legions of digital pros. Among the top focuses this year is networking, so consider both presentation technology (LCD monitor rentals) as well as two-way technology like interactive kiosk rentals that can both make presentations and capture prospects’ contact information.

Whatever event you are planning to attend, and whatever you need to accomplish, CRE is ready to support you with a iPad rental or a thoroughly outfitted exhibit area. We’ve got you covered from iMac rentals for your digital control center to audio visual rentals for making a powerful impact. Contact one of our experienced Account Executives today and see what kind of power and control CRE can put in your hands for conquering a convention or two.

You could present the PowerPoint show from your connected laptop – or from a CD or DVD containing the presentation and the standalone PowerPoint Viewer application – but PowerPoint is notorious for its propensity to stutter and crash. The most dependable playback format is a universally supported video format like AVI, where you will have a smooth, flawless presentation with no glitches. With an AVI file of your presentation, you can then leverage the power of a neat piece of equipment we found in a rather unexpected place.

Convert PowerPoint presentation to video

Literally scores of applications, from freeware and shareware to commercial packages, can convert PowerPoint presentations to AVI. Most allow a trial period before buying, although they might watermark your video, so find out about that. PowerVideoMaker Professional, for example, converts PowerPoint files to AVI , MPEG or WMV formats, while PPT To Video Scout will convert to AVI and over half a dozen other formats. There are plenty of converters to choose from, and several Web-based conversion sites, as well.

Mention “karaoke” and most people think of rolling carts full of audio equipment. You can still have a big rack of karaoke gear if you want, but the high-powered, handheld Acesonic PK-6000 Pocket Karaoke Entertainment System can replace all of it. If it didn’t have “Pocket Karaoke” stamped on it, it could just as easily be called the “Presentation Player with Voice-Over.” The PK-6000, an iPod-ish media player with a 2.8-inch color LCD screen, stores 2GB of MP3 and MP3+G files in internal memory (plus up to 16GB more on a MicroSD card). It also has native support for AVI video files – and fits in your pocket.

Flexible power with AVI movie

Convert your PowerPoint file into an AVI movie and load it on the PK-6000 via USB. A touchscreen with great navigation tools offers intuitive control, and the PK’s mini-gooseneck microphone lets you speak over the program material as it runs. The device has a built-in FM transmitter so you can use it as a PA, but you won’t need to if you connect it via the included RCA cable to one of CRE’s LCD monitor rentals or other big displays. In addition to its presentation chops, the PK has a digital mixer for tweaking mic volume, echo level and tone settings.

You can make an honest case that the Acesonic Pocket Karaoke was made for presenters as well as singers. There’s nothing in the manual that says you can’t talk instead of sing, or play business presentations instead of Toy Story. At CRE, we don’t let any obstacles get in the way of working smarter as well as harder, and can offer you creative solutions to even the most daunting audio, video and post-production challenges. If you need meeting rentals,  simply fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you what you need to capture the meeting presentation on video.

Design Automation Conference (DAC)

The 47th Design Automation Conference (DAC) is set for June 13-18 in Anaheim, California. DAC is the world’s premier technical conference and trade show covering electronic design and design automation. It is where the many members of this technological niche gather to learn, network and conduct business. CRE can help you stand out in this milieu, as we are intimately familiar with it, providing more rentals to DAC exhibitors than anyone in the business.

There are a number of different ways to showcase your company and your product, from the exhibit/suite space and the IC Design Central Partner Pavilion to special promotional opportunities and scores of customer meetings, Exhibitor Forum Presentations and social functions. From plasma screen rentals displaying your company presentation in the exhibit area, to all the audio-visual rentals you need for breakout sessions, CRE can get you set up for success.

Whether you’re leading a workshop or making a special invitation-only presentation, CRE has the projector rentals and every other presenting aid you need to keep your audience focused. To “stir the pot” and get the creative communication flowing, DAC increased the number of User Track sessions, workshops, discussion panels and co-located events. For electronic design and design automation, DAC is definitely the place to be.

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games, plus related products. It is being presented in Los Angeles on June 15-17 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. group that supports the business and public affairs needs of member companies that publish games for video game consoles, personal computers and the Internet. With such members (and 2010 exhibitors) as Activision, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Sega, Sony, Disney, LucasArts Entertainment, Nintendo and Warner Bros., the E3 will doubtless be full of new product releases for the 2010 holiday buying season.

In addition to leveraging both presentation and info-collection tools – from mac rentals to interactive kiosks – a conference team would be right in the spirit (and the “spec”) of the event by getting some high-end desktop rentals and hooking these gaming-grade PCs to some nice, big, bright monitors (LCD monitor rentals or the ever-popular plasmas). What better way to hawk your visual wares than to make a bold visual statement? But remember, too, that a big part of the thrill in electronic gaming is from the “sound design” – not just the composed music, but the tight, story-enhancing arrangement of crashes, booms, glissandos and orchestra hits that give life to the animation and action. So some capable, decibel-bangin’ audio-visual rentals would combine with your big screens for a dramatically effective company display. CRE really does know how to make your E3 appearance a hit.

Cisco Live 2010

Cisco Live 2010 take place this year from June 27 to July 1 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. With over 400 technical breakout sessions covering four groups of (overlapping) roles – Networkers, IT Management, the Cisco Developers Network and Service Providers – attendees can formulate customized educational experiences that will pay off handsomely on the job. If you are exhibiting, CRE has vast experience with Cisco events and can ensure a successful presence.

Various Super Sessions will highlight how Cisco works with its partners to advance technology and deliver innovative solutions, while you can capture contact info from the swarms of sessions participants as they pass by one of your interactive kiosk rentals on their way to and fro. The World of Solutions Expo is where your conference team can avail yourself of plasma rentals and other tools CRE has specifically tailored caching peoples’ eyes at this event. Finally, the breakout sessions include model-specific instruction – Cisco Catalyst 3750 Switch Architecture, for instance – as well wide-ranging discussions on innovative approaches to social media and Web 2.0.

CRE has long-term, intimate experience with these trade shows and can set you up to be a powerful presenter and exciting exhibitor. Send an e-mail, make a call or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form online and we will get you “trade show ready”!