Organizers Call ‘All-Access' Show the "Biggest Ever" Held by Nationwide Marketing Group.

Photo RTO Online

Artist Michael Israel puts the finishing touches on his Refrigerator Art at last night's kickoff of the 2008 PrimeTime! Buying Show. See a photo gallery of Kickoff Events here.

Thousands of attendees were on hand to kick off the semi-annual RentDirect PrimeTime! buying show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Programming note: Continuous LIVE Video feed from the RentDirect show floor will be available beginning at 1:30pm EST (10:30 PST)  today with three viewing options:

- On the RTO Online homepage
- New-mini player embedded on every page so you can watch while you surf.
- Windows Media Player

"Thank you for making this night the biggest event Nationwide has ever had," Nationwide Marketing Group Executive VP Robert Weisner told the audience. He continued by emphasizing Nationwide Marketing Group's commitment to aiding the independent dealer, and talked about the ways the group has brainstormed to help their dealers get more customers in the door during what Weisner characterized as "turbulent times".

"We need to make sure we continue to drive the business because our vendors need us, our employees need us and our children need us."

Weisner likened the dealers in the audience to true stars, and explained that was why they were given the star treatment as they entered the auditorium for the evening's kick off presentation. Before the main program took to the stage, dealers were welcomed onto an oversized red carpet where they were greeted by swarming, screaming fans and paparazzi. A spot-on Joan Rivers impersonator provided entertainment by grabbing and interviewing dealers who did not realize their red-carpet interviews were being broadcast to the audience already inside.

Headlining the evening was performance artist Michael Israel and famous sportscaster Roy Firestone. Israel performed at the most recent RentDirect show to rave reviews that earned him an invitation back. Only this show, Israel shifted his focus from painting canvas to painting and adorning three stainless steel refrigerators that will be sent to the National Building Museum in Washington DC to commemorate Nationwide Marketing Group's second ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence in Performance and Outreach.

Following Israel was seven-time Emmy award winning sportscaster Roy Firestone. Firestone presented a program that blended inspirational and anecdotal stories from his years in sports journalism with impersonations, observations and – surprisingly – some very good singing. Firestone's earnest and entertaining program earned three separate standing ovations from the crowd.

RentDirect Executive Director James MacAlpine was very pleased with the show turnout, saying "We have more RTO dealers and RTO companies than we have ever had." When the buying show portion of the event opens Monday morning at 9am, dealers will view the latest furniture, appliances, electronics, computers and more spread over a 250,000 square foot showroom – the largest display space RentDirect Nationwide members have ever had. The display space is a 38% increase over the most recent show in Dallas. Before dealers visit the showroom floor, two hours of RentDirect meetings will be held featuring a legislative update from Rent-A-Center's Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Dwight Dumler.

RTO Online will provide a continuous live streaming video feed from the show floor and will also update readers no less than three times daily during the two-day buying show with exclusive interviews, video, photos and more from the largest rental buying event in RTO history – the RentDirect Nationwide Marketing Group 'All Access' PrimeTime! Show.