SmartSource more than just an equipment provider

Computer & AV Rental companies are often viewed as simply being nothing more than equipment providers. While this might be true with many companies, SmartSource Rentals has distinguished itself as being a full service technology solutions company committed to providing consistent high quality service and support in addition to hardware and equipment rentals. This not only sets them apart from other computer or av providers, it allows them to maintain longstanding customer relationships across a variety of diverse industries.

One prime example of their commitment to a higher level of service is the longstanding relationship with Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) - a world leader in the design, manufacturing, sale and service of instruments and consumables for the scientific laboratory. Specifically, SmartSource Rentals has been providing a full range of Information Technology (IT) and audio-visual equipment and related support services to Waters Corp.’s local events in Massachusetts, as well as national events in other states across the nation, including New York, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Georgia, Florida, California and others. The equipment involved ranges from laptop & computer rentals, copiers, plasma & LCD displays, audio visual and lighting, video walls, digital signage and more.

A relationship that started with SmartSource Rentals providing one single plasma display rental for a trade show booth in California has grown to now utilize all of the 23 full service branch locations for national trade shows such as PITTCON and ASMA, as well as other events such as Anniversary Gala’s, media events and product launches. SmartSource Rentals values this relationship along with the trust that Waters Corporation has in the company to provide direction & expertise alongside high quality products and services.

This end-to-end approach to event solutions is not the exception, but rather the rule when it comes to customer relationships. SmartSource has a great deal of pride in maintaining this high lever of quality service throughout the United States and in a variety of different industries.  Its high standards have enabled the company to maintain a leadership position, grow steadily, and continue the corporate culture of service and quality that is reflected in its well-known customer pledge, “No Excuses, Guaranteed!”

Click here to read more on SmartSource’s relationship with Waters Corporation or visit the Waters Corporation website.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tips on Medical Show Rentals

A recent study released at the 2010 Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association Healthcare Convention Marketing Summit in January found out some interesting things relating to medical tradeshows - mainly what doctors want to see at these shows and how it’s still important to see everything in one place at one time.

An overview of the study from MeetingsNet.com gives some important information for exhibitors at these tradeshows regarding what the doctors want. If you plan to attend a medical tradeshow or are currently renting equipment for these shows you may want to make sure the rentals you have are what the doctors are looking for.You may also find some good tips on what type of staff or members you want in the booths at these shows.

In addition to the usual lounge, food, and space mentions, other items mentioned included Wi-Fi, Interactive Kiosks, and Clearer Signage. All of these items can be rented from SmartSource Rentals, and we currently provide rental services and equipment for conventions, tradeshows, and events all over the nation. Based on the overview of the study you might want to try renting some of the following for your next medical show -

	Trade Show Internet- Our Trade Show Internet solution is a great way to avoid the high in-house fees and get your own ‘Internet-in-a-box’ solution
	Interactive Touch Screen Kiosk - Interactive Kiosks are a great way to provide information to visitors at your booth. We have branding options as well as green solutions like our Digital Document Library that can provide booth visitors with all the documents they need.
	Plasma & LCD Monitors - Just about every tradeshow is flooded with Plasma Displays or LCD screens showing everything from videos, to images to camera feeds. We have a huge variety of brands and sizes including 3 X 3 seamless video walls.

HCEA members can see the study here.

Popularity: 1% [?]

SmartSource Careers Page - Open Job Listings

SmartSource has added a new careers page to the website where we will be posting current job listings and positions available at all of our branch offices. This is a great time to start a career at SmartSource Rentals as we are poised grow in the rebounding economy of 2010 and beyond. Click to see the career listings page at SmartSource and be sure to follow the directions on how to submit your resume to the proper person for each open position. You might see these positions posted in a few other places as well such as CareerBuilder or Craigslist, but we thought it would be a good idea to create a dedicated page within the website to list them all.

Currently SmartSource Rentals has 23 technology rental locations across the U.S. and is a leading national supplier of technology rentals and services. At the time of this post we are accepting resumes for open job positions in:

• Long Island,
• Boston
• Los Angeles
• Washington D.C.
• Chicago

Please do not call the local offices regarding the positions and you will find all of the information you need by viewing or downloading the job descriptions. For more general information be sure to visit the SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals home page.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Happy Holidays from SmartSource Rentals

We would like to thank everybody we have had the opportunity to work with this year and are looking forward to a wonderful 2010! Happy Holidays from all of us here at SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals!

In the spirit of the season we have made a contribution to Feeding America. Feeding America supplies more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products annualy through their network of more than 200 member food banks across the country.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Chicago all about Video Walls this October

SmartSource Rentals Chicago had a busy month this October with a large Audio Visual rentals job involving 60 plus conventional lights, 8 moving lights, 2 10k projectors, 2 cameras, a circular stage and a hard stage set. Just the equipment alone illustrates what a challenge this was and as usual SmartSource Rentals rose to the occasion and delivered big on the Audio Visual.

SmartSource Rentals Chicago also set up a 3×4 Seamless Plasma Video Wall. You can see a video wall slideshow or get some details about renting video walls on the SmartSource Rentals website but in a nutshell these things are awesome. Imagine 12 panels fitting seamlessly together to form one enormous wall of video! These panels can be controlled independently or act as one large monitor and work together. Our technicians set the whole thing up and show you how easy it is to control the video feed right from your laptop or computer.

The Smartsource Audio Visual team of professional technicians is just as skilled in Chicago as they are in the other national rental locations. Clients regularly comment that they can trust SmartSource to deliver on Video Walls for multi-city installations and perform without a hitch. If you are interested in renting a video wall in Chicago, or anywhere else in the Nation, give SmartSource Rental a call or submit a free Video Wall Rental Quote online from the SmartSource Website!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Florida AV Rentals & PC Rentals heat up

Fall is quickly turning into winter in most parts of the country but it always seems to be warm and sunny down in Florida. Florida AV Rentals and Computer Rentals seem to be as hot as the weather this October and SmartSource Rentals has seen a lot of activity this month from businesses renting AV and Computer equipment in Florida.

SmartSource Rentals has physical offices in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale and both of these branches have been extremely busy this month providing AV Rentals and Computer Equipment to various businesses and events throughout the state of Florida. The most popular rental item (at least for now) seems to be plasma screen rentals and many of our popular plasma screen monitors are literally flying out of the warehouse.

SmartSource Rentals stocks a variety of different Florida Plasma Screen Rentals in addition to LCD Monitors, PC Rentals and just about any other kind of technology rental you can imagine. SmartSource has highly trained in-house technicians that are on the road every day making sure our Florida AV Rentals are delivered on time, setup, and working properly. This combined with a huge inventory of Plasma Screen Rentals and other AV Technology is the reason Florida businesses keep choosing to rent from SmartSource Rentals.

Popularity: 5% [?]

SmartSource job postings for October

SmartSource Rentals continues to thrive and currently has open position in a few of our nationwide Computer & AV Rental offices.
If you’re looking to work for the biggest Computer & AV Rental company in the U.S. then look no further that SmartSource. Below is brief summary of the current job openings at SmartSource along with the locations. For more information and directions on how to apply for these positions, check out the full SmartSource Rentals listings on CareerBuilder.com. These are some great opportunities to start working with a well respected industry leader in technology solutions.

• Technical Services Manager Computer, AV, and Event Technology Rentals exclusively for Corporations Location: CA - San Diego         Date Posted: 10/13/2009

• Senior Account Executive-Trade Show Services SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Location: CA - Los Angeles         Date Posted: 10/13/2009

• Senior Account Executive-Trade Show Services SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Location: CA - San Diego         Date Posted: 10/13/2009

• Senior Account Executive-Trade Show Services SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Location: CA - Anaheim         Date Posted: 10/13/2009

• Audio Visual Technician
  Location: FL - Fort Lauderdale         Date Posted: 10/12/2009

• Account Executive
  Location: TX - Dallas         Date Posted: 10/7/2009

• Audio Visual Technician
  Location: TX - Dallas         Date Posted: 9/28/2009

• Field Service Representative / Computer Technician
  Location: VA - Fairfax         Date Posted: 9/24/2009

• Account Executive
  Location: DC - Washington         Date Posted: 9/22/2009

• Government Sales Account Executive
  Location: DC - Washington         Date Posted: 9/22/2009

• Associations Account Executive
  Location: DC - Washington         Date Posted: 9/22/2009

• Accounts Payable Representative
  Location: NY - Hauppauge         Date Posted: 9/15/2009

Popularity: 10% [?]

SmartSource upgrades Boston & San Diego Offices

SmartSource Rentals is continuing to thrive despite the tough economic climate and recently made some moves to improve and grow facilities on both the east and west coast. The company has recently combined some Boston offices into a new 14,000 square foot facility in Westwood, MA. SmartSource also made some improvements to the San Diego facilities, upgrading the lab and workspace areas.

14,000 square feet is a tremendous amount of space and moving out from multiple offices as well as relocating our inventory of Computer & AV Rental equipment in Boston was no easy task. What makes this more impressive is that through the careful coordination of a team of SmartSource employees in different departments, the Boston facility was setup and ready to take new rental orders on the afternoon of the move! The interior of the new SmartSource Boston facility was designed and built out specifically to meet the needs of SmartSource and allows us to continue to provide the highest service to all our Boston area clients.

In addition to moving to a new Boston facility, SmartSource also completed some medium level renovations to our San Diego Computer & AV Rental Facility. This involved re-designing and improving the computer lab, streamlining workspace, and creating some larger areas for staging and equipment preparation (reports on a surfboard repair area have yet to be confirmed!).

Popularity: 6% [?]

Bright Future for SmartSource Rentals

Despite historically hard times, SmartSource Rentals continues to make strategic investments company-wide and put down building blocks for a solid future as the leading Computer & AV Rental provider to Businesses Nationwide.

Being the Top IT Rental Company has certainly helped to get us through some tough economic times, but like most industry leaders - being #1 is never enough! This past summer SmartSource chose to be pro-active in offering advanced training to employees from almost all 22 Computer and AV rental offices around the nation. This training was designed for our existing representatives to gain further insight surrounding Trade Show Rentals and the unique challenges presented at various conventions centers and exhibition venues around the nation.

Trade Show Services and Rentals are something SmartSource has been providing for years and is planning to expand. We have the unique advantage of having trained personnel and rental equipment physically located in most major Convention & Trade Show destinations. This is a huge advantage to some of our clients for some of the following reasons:

• Local Techs familiar with the area
• Backup/Extras Gear readily available
• Ability to duplicate orders in multiple cities
• Last minute changes/upgrades no problem
• No 3rd party vendor confusion
• One point of contact for your entire show

These are just a few of the reasons SmartSource is well positioned to become one of the leading Trade Show Rental providers, just as we are the Top IT Rental Company. We realize exhibitors, associations, and venues have a lot going on at any given show and having one point of contact, local equipment and pros on the ground in the city, and techs familiar with a show site makes things easier on everybody.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Freelance AV Techs Wanted in Boston

SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals is seeking Freelance Audio Visual Technicians to assist with the staging and operating of Audio/Visual and IT events in the Boston, MA area.
Update: as of 11/16/09 we are still accepting resumes!

We are a leader in the event technology services business with more than twenty years of experience working with some of the most recognized associations and event exposition organizations in the industry. All applicants must have knowledge and working experience within the Audio Visual field.  Excellent customer service is a must.

How To Apply

Please send your resume to bmarch@smartsourcerentals.com with the subject title ‘Freelance AV Tech’.

Mandatory: Please List Hourly Rates / Service Rates in your resume or email message.

This is a great opportunity to work with a National leader in Computer & Audio Visual services in the Boston area. We consistently handle a high volume of projects involving Audio Visual services for meetings, trade shows, and corporate events. At this time are accepting new resumes from qualified AV Technicians and professionals in the Boston area. Formerly known as ADHandy, SmartSource is committed to providing a wide range of high quality customer service and technical services across a wide range of events.

For more information please visit us online - SmartSource Computer & AV Rentals or ADHandy.com

Popularity: 100% [?]

Robert Lind’s article in MPIGNY Metrolines

Robert Lind wrote an article that was recently published in MPIGNY Metrolines Magazine regarding sound quality and venue location. This article originated on his blog and gives some good advice on what things to take into consideration as you work with a sound vendor for your next event. These often overlooked steps can make a huge impact on the success of your next event and ensure that your audience hears what the speakers have to say. Congratulations & thanks goes out to Robert for writing the article and having it featured in Metrolines!

The Greek Shall Inherit the Earth
By Robert Lind, SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals

There is a very funny scene in Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” where Jesus is giving the Sermon on the Mount, and the characters in the back have trouble hearing him. Instead of “the meek shall inherit the earth,” they think he says the “Greek,” and proceed to get into an argument as to “who is this Greek?” and “why does he deserve to inherit the earth?” As a meeting planner, how many events have you been to where you couldn’t hear the speakers? Meetings are about transmitting a message to the audience. If your audience can’t hear the message, what good are great speakers?

Rather than going into a technical explanation of what makes good sound
and how to get it, I’d like to give you a few ideas to take along with you
when you talk to your sound vendor. With these, you might be able to
improve the sound at your next meeting or event.

Sound systems are designed with three factors in mind:

-The size of the audience–People absorb sound. The more people
in a confined space, the louder the sound system will need to be
to compete with not only the absorption from the audience, but
also the general crowd noise.

-The physical space –Acoustically speaking, there is a large
difference between providing sound in an all-glass atrium and in an
outdoor amphitheater. Although those are extremes, knowing the
size of the room, including the ceiling height, is a good start. It
would also be helpful to know about wall and floor coverings.

-The ambient sound levels–Once again, I would supply two very
different sound systems to a meeting in an office vs. a meeting on
an airport runway. What is the background noise level with which
the sound system will need to compete?

The best idea, of course, is a site inspection. Taking the extra time to walk the venue with your audio vendor will benefit you immensely. At the very least, you should take the time to speak with your audio vendor, making sure all these important sound factors are understood.

Popularity: 4% [?]

3-Part Webinar Series on Social Media

Learn why Social Media matters in business and what you need to know to use it to your advantage. This three-part webinar series from Meeting TechOnline offers high value workshops presented by social media experts, show managers and Meetings Industry professionals. These are industry professionals that will share some of knowledge and tools they have learned. Best of all, this three-part Social Media webinar series is free!

Schedule:

Session 1: Harness the Power!
Thursday, August 13, 1:00-2:00 EDT
* Defining the social media tool suite
* Building relationships through viral marketing
* Traditional marketing versus new media marketing
* Using social media to recruit attendees and exhibitors
Speaker: Shawn Pierce, Vice President of Divisional Operations, Hanley Wood

Session 2: The Great Marketing Shift:
Leveraging “Pull” Social Media Strategies to connect Buyers and Sellers
Thursday, August 20, 1:00-2:00 EDT
* The effectiveness of community, content and conversation
* Supporting purpose and passion
* Six rules for viral marketing
* Easy-to-use relationship tools
Speaker: RD Whitney, President, Tarsus

Session 3: Proven Strategies for Stimulating Traffic and Loyalty
Thursday, August 27, 1:00-2:00 EDT
* Generating viral marketing results
* Myths and truth on social media
* Designing for long term community growth
* Real world examples
Speaker: Chris Brown, National Association of Broadcasters, Executive Vice President, Conventions and Business Operations

SmartSource Rentals is proud to be sponsoring this event and look forward to participating in the webinar as well. We will  be posting some more general information on each of these free three-part Social Meida Webinars a few days before each event, along with a wrap up afterwards. Click on the button below to register for the webinar, or view more information on the series.

Popularity: 3% [?]

2009 Company Softball Game

Players from four different SmartSource branches in the New York/New Jersey area turned out for the 2009 SmartSource Softball game in Queens, NY last Saturday. A good time was had by all and the rain managed to hold off until the late afternoon allowing plenty of time to play. There was a relaxed and casual atmosphere at the game and it was a good chance for people to see each other outside of the work environment, have some fun, and enjoy a Saturday afternoon. We hope even more people will turn out for the game next year and thank everyone involved this year that helped organize the game, bring equipment, food and drinks to share. Good Times!

Here are a few shots from the game -

Popularity: 4% [?]

Lead Retrieval at International Pow Wow Conference

Lead Retrieval from SmartSource Rentals was used at U.S. Travel’s International Pow Wow Conference this year in Miami. This is the first time the conference has decided to offer lead retrieval to exhibitors and the show was a huge success. It is estimated that $4 billion worth of future business was booked in Miami at the Pow Wow conference this year, which underscores the importance for vendors in getting as much information as possible from attendees.

Lead Retrieval units from SmartSource rentals gather information by scanning the badge issued to conference attendees. This data is usually stored on a USB thumb drive or SD memory card, and can be imported directly into a spreadsheet immediately after a conference, tradeshow, or convention. This gives vendors the power to access relevant data about visitors to their booth quickly and conveniently.

The International Pow Wow Conference is the travel industry’s largest business marketplace, and it was a natural fit to work with the nation’s largest computer & AV rental company, SmartSource Rentals.

Click here for more detailed information on Lead Retrieval and Attendee Tracking systems from SmartSource Rentals.

Popularity: 4% [?]

SmartSource Acquires A.D. Handy Company

SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals (SmartSource Rentals, Hauppauge, NY), the nation’s largest provider of computer rentals, audio-visual equipment and related technology, has announced its acquisition of A.D. Handy Company (Allston, MA), a leading audio-visual company serving the Boston area for over 100 years. The acquisition is the 17th for SmartSource which completed its first acquisition 20 years ago.

Popularity: 4% [?]

SmartSource Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Founded in 1984 by Julian Sandler, SmartSource Rentals celebrates its 25th year in business. The company started as one location in Hauppauge, New York, and was known as Rent-a-PC, Inc. for many years. Rent-a-PC focused on providing premium-quality computer rental solutions to the corporate and professional community.

In 2007, recognizing that our business had grown well beyond that of just “renting PC’s”, we changed our name to SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals to better reflect the breadth and depth of our service offerings.

In our first 25 years of business, we have expanded dramatically through both internal growth and corporate acquisitions. The company has acquired 17 companies and has grown to 22 locations nationwide. In addition to corporate headquarters in Hauppauge, Long Island, the company has offices in the following cities:

Popularity: 3% [?]