

Ledbetter to retire from Herculite
February 1, 2023
Herculite Products Inc., an innovator and manufacturer of high performance and custom fabrics has announced that Rand Ledbetter will retire after thirty years in the textile industry. For over 20 years, Ledbetter has served as a well-known, and well-respected member of the Herculite team, and has been a leader in the larger industrial textile community …
Standard Event Rentals sells business to employees
January 27, 2023
Standard Event Rentals, Hayward, Calif., a full-service event rentals and tenting company, has been a family-owned and operated company since 1984. After nearly 40 years, the company has announced the sale of the business to two tenured employees — Isabel Galindo and Malina Jacobs. The company serves the San Francisco Bay Area, with an additional …
Chameleon Chairs partners with DBD Las Vegas
January 23, 2023
Chameleon Chairs, Los Angeles, has entered into a new partnership with Las Vegas-based event design and production company, Destinations By Design (DBD), as the exclusive vendor of The Chameleon Chair Collection for the greater Las Vegas region. The Chameleon Chair Collection is a luxury line of chair seating solutions popular for weddings, galas, and various special events. …
Penalties for OSHA violations increase
January 16, 2023
The U.S. Department of Labor is increasing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for violations based on cost-of-living adjustments for 2023. OSHA’s maximum fines for serious and other-than-serious violations will increase from $14,502 per violation to $15,625 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $145,027 per violation to $156,259 per …
Goff Tents & Events achieves Inc. 5000 status
January 12, 2023
Goff Tents & Events, Nicholasville, Ky., achieved a prestigious first — inclusion on the annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies from Inc. magazine. “This is the first time we have received this recognition, which is based on revenue growth by percentage over previous years,” says Ian Goff, CERP, owner. “I have followed the Inc. …
Aggreko acquires Resolute Industrial
January 9, 2023
AE Industrial Partners (AEI), Boca Raton, Fla., a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense and government services, space, power and utility services, and specialty industrial markets, has signed a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company Resolute Industrial to Aggreko, Glasgow, UK. AEI entered into an agreement to sell all the outstanding equity interests on a cash-free, debt-free basis …
Speak at Advanced Textiles Expo 2023
December 19, 2022
The call for presentations is now open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2023! Share your expertise, cultivate valuable new connections and give helpful advice to your market by presenting at Advanced Textiles Expo Oct. 31–Nov. 3 in Orlando, Fla., USA. What is Advanced Textiles Expo? Advanced Textiles Expo, formerly known as IFAI Expo, has been regarded as …
Jim Reyen retiring from tent industry
December 15, 2022
After 35 years of service, Jim G. Reyen, Business Director at Johnson Outdoors/Eureka! Tents is retiring at the end of December. Following his retirement, Jim plans to focus on the Greater Binghamton community as the first-ever Director of Placemaking Initiatives with the Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. A second generation member of the Eureka! Tent family, …
Rainier Industries announces Michael Tharpe retirement, welcomes Paul Buser to Tent Division
December 14, 2022
Michael Tharpe has announced his retirement from the Commercial Tent Division of Rainier Industries. His last day with the company will be January 16, 2023. Michael joined the Rainier team in July of 2015. Michael settled in immediately as a teammate, mentor, leader and friend of Rainier’s Commercial Tent Division. His knowledge, relationships and participation …
ARA Rental Hall of Fame inductees announced
December 12, 2022
Each year, the American Rental Association (ARA) honors individuals for outstanding service to the association and the rental industry. This year, two longtime rental industry leaders will become the newest inductees into the Rental Hall of Fame and will be honored at The ARA Show™ 2023 in Orlando, Fla. Doron Broadfoot, The Rent-It Store, Saskatoon, …

Supplier Spotlights
IFAI Expo 2022 call for presentations
December 20, 2021
The Industrial Fabrics Association International is now accepting proposals for presentations at IFAI Expo 2022. IFAI Expo will take place Oct. 12-14, 2022, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., with education Oct. 11-14. IFAI is accepting proposals for 50-minute classroom sessions in several categories: Advanced Textiles Shade & Weather Protection Specialty Fabrics Marine …
IFAI Expo: Leveraging rental tents during and after the pandemic
November 4, 2021
Jim Reyen, business director at Johnson Outdoors Inc./Eureka! Big Tents Division, presented the campfire session “Leveraging Rental Tents During and After the COVID Pandemic” at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tenn. During the session, Reyen explained the changing demands for tents throughout various stages of the pandemic. “The first wave of tent demand ran from March …
IFAI Expo: How to outsell your competition
November 3, 2021
During the education session “Outselling Your Competition: Four Activities Your Sales Team Must Be Doing Post-COVID” at IFAI Expo 2021 in Nashville, Tenn., James Auerbach, vice president—event segment for the American Rental Association, shared four measurable and respectable pillars that all salespeople must excel at in order to outsell their competition. Referred to as the …
IFAI Expo: Shade sail engineering software
November 2, 2021
On Nov. 2, 2021, at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tenn., Timothy Akes, representative for the Americas, MPanel Software Solutions, and Andrew Askwith, senior software developer, MPanel Software Solutions, presented the education session “Shade Sail Engineering—It’s Not Just a Bunch of Numbers.” According to Akes, there is a tendency for shade sail engineering to be relegated …
Messe Stuttgart’s Sun Shading Expo North America moves co-location debut with IFAI Expo to 2022
July 7, 2021
Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …
Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021
May 10, 2021
Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …
Standard for active illumination developed in Europe
November 16, 2020
In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries. Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries …
Rapid prototyping = faster market launch
November 16, 2020
A presentation at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, titled, “Rapid Prototyping and Textile Product Development” urged attendees to use “sticks and glue … whatever method you have to get your idea out there.” The presenter, Dr. Andre West, director of the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE), Wilson College of Textiles, NC State University, may not have meant …
Textile industry leaders call for policy changes to support U.S. production of PPE
November 13, 2020
The U.S. textile industry has stepped up to meet the demand for face masks, medical gowns, wipes and other products necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but it needs policy changes from Washington so that the U.S. is not caught off-guard again in a future crisis, according to association leaders speaking at Industrial Fabrics Association …
The larger issues in respiratory protection
November 12, 2020
Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, …

Supplier Spotlights
Growing demand for tent graphics
December 1, 2022
While ushering the world into a new digital era, the COVID-19 pandemic also rekindled a desire for bigger, bolder in-person connections. This change couldn’t be more welcome across event services—especially within the tent industry. “It’s amazing what people have done with tents over the past two years,” says Bryan Bolt, technical solutions manager at TopTec …
On-trend bar and food stations
December 1, 2022
After the past several years where holiday parties were decidedly low-key and restrained—if they happened at all—this year’s celebrations have been positively giddy. This is an exciting change for event planners who of course welcome not only the business but also the chance to let their imaginations run free, creating events that keep people engaged …
Making events more sustainable
December 1, 2022
Customers across the globe are starting to put their money where their mouths are when choosing eco-friendly products and services. In fact, one IBM study in 2022 found that 49% of customers worldwide have recently paid a premium—an average of 59% more—for a product branded as sustainable or socially responsible. What does that mean for …
Outside the box
October 1, 2022
Back in the day, ordering a tent for a special event meant you could pretty much expect one thing: a basic, boxy structure that did its job to temporarily shelter inhabitants from the weather. Call it a canvas coup, but these days tents come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and materials and are commonly …
Warehousing Know How
October 1, 2022
Today’s warehouses are no longer just for storage. From being a showroom of products to providing a space for drying operations to housing all facets of inventory, they have become multipurpose spaces that require well-defined organization and management to keep processes streamlined and efficient. Dan Farrell, general manager at Marquee Event Rentals, Chicago, Ill., says …
Premier Product Showcase 2022
October 1, 2022
Customization, fast installation, easy handling and style—these are the qualities that tent and event rental companies demand. For the annual InTents Premier Product Showcase, we asked our contributors to send us information about their latest products and services that help save tent rental companies time and labor, perform safer installations and turn a profit. This …
Leaders under 40
August 1, 2022
We asked our readers for nominations of individuals who they feel are showing leadership and actively working to improve the industry. As you’ll see on the next several pages, the results were truly impressive! Despite their age, many of the nominees have several decades of experience already, having grown up as the second or even …
The return of festivals
August 1, 2022
People are shopping, dining out and going to movies. They’re heading back to schools and offices. Milestones are being celebrated, “I do’s” are being said, and along with all this return to near-normal life, festivals big and small are once again part of the entertainment landscape. For tent and event rental companies supplying this market, …
Sticker Shock
August 1, 2022
Even as COVID-induced cancellations recede, vendors must now deal with spiking costs resulting from rising demand, geopolitical instability, supply chain breakdowns and other economic trends. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that recent consumer prices are the highest in 40 years. Companies across all industries are facing rapidly rising costs for …
Long-term rental success
June 1, 2022
When certain types of emergencies happen—think hurricanes, earthquakes, fires—tented structures often become an essential part of the response plan. In the case of COVID, several short-term rentals ended up as long-term rentals, becoming subject to permanent building codes. For the tent rental industry, considerations for when short-term installations become long-term must always come down to …

Supplier Spotlights
Ledbetter to retire from Herculite
February 1, 2023
Herculite Products Inc., an innovator and manufacturer of high performance and custom fabrics has announced that Rand Ledbetter will retire after thirty years in the textile industry. For over 20 years, Ledbetter has served as a well-known, and well-respected member of the Herculite team, and has been a leader in the larger industrial textile community …
Standard Event Rentals sells business to employees
January 27, 2023
Standard Event Rentals, Hayward, Calif., a full-service event rentals and tenting company, has been a family-owned and operated company since 1984. After nearly 40 years, the company has announced the sale of the business to two tenured employees — Isabel Galindo and Malina Jacobs. The company serves the San Francisco Bay Area, with an additional …
Chameleon Chairs partners with DBD Las Vegas
January 23, 2023
Chameleon Chairs, Los Angeles, has entered into a new partnership with Las Vegas-based event design and production company, Destinations By Design (DBD), as the exclusive vendor of The Chameleon Chair Collection for the greater Las Vegas region. The Chameleon Chair Collection is a luxury line of chair seating solutions popular for weddings, galas, and various special events. …
Penalties for OSHA violations increase
January 16, 2023
The U.S. Department of Labor is increasing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for violations based on cost-of-living adjustments for 2023. OSHA’s maximum fines for serious and other-than-serious violations will increase from $14,502 per violation to $15,625 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $145,027 per violation to $156,259 per …
Goff Tents & Events achieves Inc. 5000 status
January 12, 2023
Goff Tents & Events, Nicholasville, Ky., achieved a prestigious first — inclusion on the annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies from Inc. magazine. “This is the first time we have received this recognition, which is based on revenue growth by percentage over previous years,” says Ian Goff, CERP, owner. “I have followed the Inc. …
Aggreko acquires Resolute Industrial
January 9, 2023
AE Industrial Partners (AEI), Boca Raton, Fla., a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense and government services, space, power and utility services, and specialty industrial markets, has signed a definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company Resolute Industrial to Aggreko, Glasgow, UK. AEI entered into an agreement to sell all the outstanding equity interests on a cash-free, debt-free basis …
Speak at Advanced Textiles Expo 2023
December 19, 2022
The call for presentations is now open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2023! Share your expertise, cultivate valuable new connections and give helpful advice to your market by presenting at Advanced Textiles Expo Oct. 31–Nov. 3 in Orlando, Fla., USA. What is Advanced Textiles Expo? Advanced Textiles Expo, formerly known as IFAI Expo, has been regarded as …
Jim Reyen retiring from tent industry
December 15, 2022
After 35 years of service, Jim G. Reyen, Business Director at Johnson Outdoors/Eureka! Tents is retiring at the end of December. Following his retirement, Jim plans to focus on the Greater Binghamton community as the first-ever Director of Placemaking Initiatives with the Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. A second generation member of the Eureka! Tent family, …
Rainier Industries announces Michael Tharpe retirement, welcomes Paul Buser to Tent Division
December 14, 2022
Michael Tharpe has announced his retirement from the Commercial Tent Division of Rainier Industries. His last day with the company will be January 16, 2023. Michael joined the Rainier team in July of 2015. Michael settled in immediately as a teammate, mentor, leader and friend of Rainier’s Commercial Tent Division. His knowledge, relationships and participation …
ARA Rental Hall of Fame inductees announced
December 12, 2022
Each year, the American Rental Association (ARA) honors individuals for outstanding service to the association and the rental industry. This year, two longtime rental industry leaders will become the newest inductees into the Rental Hall of Fame and will be honored at The ARA Show™ 2023 in Orlando, Fla. Doron Broadfoot, The Rent-It Store, Saskatoon, …

Supplier Spotlights
Join the National Safety Stand-Down May 6−10
May 1, 2019
Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 366 of the 971 construction fatalities recorded in the U.S. in 2017 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data). The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country to stop fall fatalities and injuries. What …
Codes set for adoption
December 1, 2016
Code revision process reaches final voting stage. A proposal to regulate outdoor events regardless of the presence of tents or special event structures was approved at the Public Comment Hearing of the International Code Committee (ICC) in October. This proposal (F310-16), submitted by the Fire Code Action Committee, had been disapproved at the code committee’s …
Site survey equals site safety
December 1, 2016
A thorough site survey communicates event needs and flags potential safety issues. Ensuring the safety of tented event participants and the tent installation crew starts at the beginning of the job. Before a single rental item is loaded onto the truck, a site survey should be completed by a qualified professional with set-up experience. A …
TopTec training goes on the road
December 1, 2016
TopTec Event Tents, Moore, S.C., is taking its long running tent installation and safety training program on the road in 2017. The first Tent School On The Road session will be held at Rent-E-Quip in Colonial Heights, Va., March 7–8. “Our goal was to make Tent School more accessible to our customers across the United …
Tent inspections before events ensure safety
October 1, 2016
Inspections will help avoid disaster and add years to the life of a tent. The tent is up and the event is underway. But there may still be work to be done. Especially for installations that will be up for any length of time, inspection and maintenance are top priorities for keeping the tent as …
IFAI’s Tent Rental Division works toward standard
October 1, 2016
IFAI’s Tent Rental Division looks to write an industry standard for tent anchorage. With final voting on tent-related code revisions for the 2018 Model Code set for late October, IFAI’s Tent Rental Division (TRD) is looking ahead to writing an industry standard that could be taken up in the 2021 code cycle. “As the 2018 …
Moving on up with multiple locations
August 1, 2016
Expanding to multiple locations offers numerous benefits, if the timing is right and both will and cash flow are strong. Delores Crum didn’t see that she had a choice. Sure, her party, tent and wedding rental store in south Austin, Texas, opened in 2000, was doing well. But up in north Austin, another rental company …
OSHA fines increase
August 1, 2016
New law directs U.S. Department of Labor to “catch up” penalties to inflation. Fines assessed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) increased by 78 percent as of Aug. 1. OSHA’s top penalty for serious violations rises from $7,000 to $12,471, and its top penalty for willful or repeated violations rises from $70,000 to …
Collaboration yields successful code revisions
August 1, 2016
F-CAC work group is a key factor in the code revision process for tents, membrane structures and outdoor assembly events. The International Code Council (ICC) Committee Action Hearings were held in Louisville, Ky., in April. During the International Fire Code (IFC) hearings, stakeholders representing IFAI’s Tent Rental Division (TRD), the ICC Fire Code Action Committee …
Ballasting for safety and safety when ballasting
June 1, 2016
Learning to ballast with concrete? Follow these steps to ensure safe and efficient jobsite practices. My crew has forgotten how to use a sledgehammer. Well, not really, but it could happen. In my local tent rental market, ballasting is common. So common that the top priority for my management team has been to figure out …

Supplier Spotlights
Igloo marquees in Edinburgh
December 1, 2022
When the 2021 Edinburgh International Festival asked Worcestershire, U.K.-based Fews Marquees to provide structures for three of its performance areas, the company had no hesitation in recommending its Igloo marquees for the event. And while the job may have been more than Fews bargained for, it was a challenge worth accepting. “Back in August last …
A whimsical wedding
December 1, 2022
All Occasions Party Rental, based in Eighty Four, Pa., staged this gorgeous June wedding under a 50-by-50-foot Anchor Industries Clear Navi-Trac® tent at a private residence in Washington, Pa. “The bride had a very energetic personality with an eclectic taste,” recalls Whitney Demchak, creative director at All Occasions. “The wedding planner, Tim Komen with TK …
Miami Open 2022
December 1, 2022
The legendary Miami Open returned to its home at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla., in the spring of 2022. Eventstar Structures, based out of Medley, Fla., was tasked with redesigning and building an upgraded hospitality experience that thousands of fans would traverse during the multiweek event. The Terrace at the 2022 Miami Open contained …
Tented Teamwork
October 1, 2022
Tent and event rental people know—every event holds surprises. But for Party Reflections Inc. LLC, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., a recent fundraiser proved to be more challenging than most. The company had handled the annual Charlotte fundraiser for nearly 10 years, so one might expect the event would be less than challenging. But as it …
Holding Court
October 1, 2022
This was an autumn wedding in the Sand Canyon area of Santa Clarita,” explains Stacie House, director of business development for 24/7 Events. “The couple really wanted to embrace the outdoors.” The event was held under a 40-by-80-foot Aztec frame tent, using the frame only with pole socks and drapery to allow the fall sky …
The Enchanted Forest
October 1, 2022
An over-the-top 21st birthday celebration staged by Oasis Events, based in Gloucestershire, England, was at the crest of a winding hill, through a wood, overlooking a lake on a private estate. The event was themed as an enchanted fairy-tale forest for 260 guests, with drinks, dinner and dancing, and the late-night reveal of a secret …
Tenting the Barrett-Jackson car auction
August 1, 2022
As Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. entered its 50th year of producing live collector car auctions, it secured a partnership with San Antonio, Texas-based National Structures Events & Services to ensure the tenting structures supporting the Scottsdale Auction were as phenomenal as the event itself. Awarded in July 2021, the five-year partnership kicked off in …
Inspired
August 1, 2022
This wedding was held in Toronto, Ont., Canada under a 30-by-95-foot Legacy Tent Structure with the roof panels removed to allow unobstructed views of a clear, starry night. Installation was completed by Premier Event Tent Rentals. Photo courtesy of Premier Event Tent Rentals.
An Olympian Task
June 1, 2022
It would have been a tall order for a less adept company. After all, the job wasn’t only extremely high-profile—the Beijing Winter Olympics—it involved providing and setting up more than 30 structures under extreme conditions and on some less-than-ideal terrain, all while adhering to strict COVID protocols. But as one of the largest installers in …
Montreal General Hospital Trauma Center
June 1, 2022
As the pandemic swept across Canada in 2020, Fiesta Tents, located in Saint-Laurent, Que., received many requests to help the Canadian health system cope with the influx of patients. The company would ultimately be involved in several projects ranging from remote Indigenous facilities to testing clinics in downtown Montreal. But one project stood out from …