Accessorizing

In the fashion world, they say that accessories make the clothes. In the realm of fabric structures, accessories are even more critical because they aren’t just aesthetic options. Multilevel tents are particularly demanding. Railings are needed for balconies and stairs. And the stairs themselves are complex systems.

“We build a staircase that can be put on the inside or outside, on the gable or long side,” says Mike Crews of Anchor Industries. “We build one that does a 90-degree turn and one that does a 180-degree turn. If you buy the 180-degree stairs, you also can do straight and 90-degree turn versions.”

Additionally, more than one set of stairs may be needed to satisfy fire exit requirements.

“It depends on the occupancy,” Crews says. “The size of the building will dictate the amount of egress you have to have.”

In some cases, public events also require an elevator.

“Great, this is what we want to add to our inventory,” quips Dennis Birdsall of TentLogix.

As Jacob Berardi of Hank Parker’s Party & Tent Rentals notes, the need for accessories may continue to grow.

“Once [your clients] get a double-decker, they want to do it again,” he says. “They also want to change it up. That’s where you have got to dig deeper into your pockets and buy more components.”