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It’s time to take stock of inventory and anticipate what your clients will want in the 2010 season. InTents asked tented event pros to predict what trends will come on strong in 2010 and what will be left behind in 2009.
Becky Harris, CSEP, director of sales
Event Lab LLC, Minneapolis, Minn.
Ring in the new year: Middle Eastern themes are strong—the Sahara Desert-feeling, luxurious fabrics, draping, oversized pillows, floor seating, Bedouin tents, Arabian nights.
Leave behind in 2009: Probably the ’80s theme.
Ann Evans, business development
Marquee Event Group, Austin, Texas
Ring in the new year: We are coordinating tent liners with colors in linen, furniture and pole draping—all of which we manufacture in-house.
Leave behind in 2009: Standard lighting. We are using LED and home-style chandeliers more and more in our custom decor rather than the standards.
Dion Magee, event and wedding expert
Dion Magee Co., N.J. and N.Y.
Ring in the new year: Lighting, special effects, and projection—Special effects such as rotating logos, shapes and images help to create a 3-D effect. In addition, the biggest way to create a unique experience is to dress tents (inside or outside) with [projected] images of scenic landscapes. This is ideal for clients looking to explore a particular theme such as jungle, casino or luau.
Leave behind in 2009: Traditional decor. Clients are opting out of traditional rental items such as large columns, Christmas decor and scenic sets.
Melynda Norman-Lee event and design consultant
J J L Events Inc., Toronto, Ont.
Ring in the new year: People are keeping it simple. Elegant when that is what they want, but still simple. Sometimes it’s because of budget, but also because people want to focus on the fact that since they are outside, they want to work with their natural setting as much as possible, rather than hiding it.
Leave behind in 2009: The over-the-top decor, with lots of draping and large florals.