Ideas for mixing up standard inventory

By Barb Ernster

One way to change a standard banquet and reception room scene is to use long tables or square tables instead of the standard round, and put some tables on a stage to create height or in small groups for conversation. It is also becoming popular to hang boards or metal sheets from the tent ceiling, says Ami Cervin, event planner for the Greater Twin Cities United Way, allowing an unusual, functional tableplatform that doesn’t call for skirting. “People just want to walk in and see something different,” she says.

Barb Ernster is a writer and marketing communications consultant based in Fridley, Minn.