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AAble Rents created a controlled environment for some precious Packards.
By Janice Kleinschmidt
When organizers at the National Packard Museum wanted to recreate a 1937 Packard dealership showroom for the automobile’s 110th anniversary, they went online and found AAble Tents, Events & Party Rentals of Euclid, Ohio.
A phone call and a discussion of options made it apparent that a clearspan from AAble would solve the museum’s biggest concern, that of protecting the classic luxury vehicles, all originals, on display at the July event.
“Instant contact, a site visit a year prior, inventory product selection and partnering services are what clinched the deal for us,” says AAble president, Bernie Hyland.
Packard sold 122,593 vehicles in 1937, the automobile company’s best year ever, so the museum wanted to display the more than 40 models available that year in an authentic setting. AAble installed the structure with a front porch and a recessed clear vinyl gable end to give show attendees the experience of window shopping at a Packard dealership.
“Hanging on the interior were replica showroom banners, and staff dressed in the customary yellow jackets, but it was the cars themselves that provided the setting,” Hyland says. “The show cars were valued between $15 and $20 million.”
After the event, museum organizers noted to Hyland in a letter that the process went “amazingly” smoothly and the setup crew worked like “a well-oiled machine.”
“Our lighting partner, Ghostlight Productions, did a great job of illuminating the tent and pin spotting important areas,” Hyland says. “We also had our power/HVAC partner, Ohio Cat, take care of climate control and power distribution.”
In addition, event attendees from other car groups expressed interest in the tent setup.
“This job enabled us to put the structure in a new market and educate people in that market about the potential uses of this high-end tent,” Hyland says. “The organizers of the event told me the tent itself was the talk of the town for the two weeks it was up; people were just so impressed. We received numerous leads for the tent from both attendees and passersby. We hope to have a few of those leads turn into jobs.”