August 1, 2020
The secret is in the challenge. I once heard a local Minnesota meteorologist refer to -10°F January temperatures as being “character-building.” Since that time, I have on numerous occasions found myself using the phrase “character-building” when faced with challenges and less than ideal situations: character-building traffic, a character-building flat tire, the character-building year of 2020. …
June 1, 2020
Through uncertain times, InTents remains committed to keeping you informed. I am the new editor of InTents magazine, but I am not new to Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) and the textile industry. I began my editorial career at IFAI in 2015 working on Specialty Fabrics Review, IFAI’s flagship publication, covering numerous textile markets, suppliers …
April 1, 2020
There’s never been a Tent Conference like this before. By Jill C. Lafferty I have a theory that people drawn to the tent and event rental industry tend to be extroverts who enjoy working on teams that create awesome experiences for their customers. Viewed in that light, the 2020 Tent Conference at Westgate River Ranch …
December 1, 2019
Can you afford not to attend Tent Conference 2020? The best reason I can give you to attend Tent Conference 2020 in January comes courtesy of an awning fabricator. At IFAI Expo 2019 in Orlando, Fla., I had the pleasure of sitting in on an educational session on graphics for the small- to medium-sized awning …
October 1, 2019
As I’m contemplating this editorial in mid-August, my kids are making the most of the final days of summer. While neither is champing at the bit to go back to school, they started asking about school shopping weeks ago. There’s just something about all those new pens, backpacks and notebooks that signals a fresh start …
August 1, 2019
The bad news (and some good news) about career paths and aging. It was on the eve of my birthday, while sitting in rush hour traffic, that an NPR segment gave me the really bad news: My professional decline has already started. The interviewee, social scientist Arthur C. Brooks, was discussing his personal research project, …
June 1, 2019
As space tourism becomes a reality, the wedding industry won’t be far behind. I’m going on record with an out-of-this-world prediction: The cover photo of the June 2035 issue of InTents will show a tented wedding on Mars. Let me explain. I’ve had two topics floating around my head recently: tented weddings and space exploration. …
April 1, 2019
Ideas and inspiration from Tent Expo 2019 Sunny Orlando, Fla., and cozy flannel shirts don’t seem like they go together. But that’s how Tent Rental Division (TRD) Steering Committee members and IFAI staffers honored our friend Tom Markel, who passed away in December (see page 10). Tom and his flannel shirts and baseball caps were …
December 1, 2018
Tell InTents about the inventory, tools and services your business depends on. I love to cook, but I’m not a fan of most kitchen gadgets. If I’m going to make room in my kitchen for a new tool, it has to serve multiple purposes, not take up too much space and help me perform tasks …
October 1, 2018
The tent and event industry may be male dominated, but it offers exceptional opportunities for women to succeed. The wedding industry tends to garner a lot of negative headlines and jokes. (Bridezillas! Ugly bridesmaid dresses! Cheesy wedding songs!) But in a recent column in the Washington Post, essayist Gretchen Comcowich summed up one of the …
