New beginnings

June 1, 2020  |  Editorial

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…
Industry team building

April 1, 2020  |  Editorial

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 Conferenc…
Tent Conference 2020: Worth it!

December 1, 2019  |  Editorial

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 mediu…
A fresh start that will set your company apart

October 1, 2019  |  Editorial

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 tha…
Innovators and instructors

August 1, 2019  |  Editorial

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 p…
Cosmic wedding trends

June 1, 2019  |  Editorial

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 hea…
The memory business

April 1, 2019  |  Editorial

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 fl…
Gadgets and widgets and thingamabobs

December 1, 2018  |  Editorial

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 … <div>…
Cheers to women

October 1, 2018  |  Editorial

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, es…
Not a TRD member? Read this!

August 1, 2018  |  Editorial

Why you should stop subscribing to InTents and join TRD. If you are a member of IFAI’s Tent Rental Division (TRD), you have my permission to turn the page and dive into the rest of this issue. If you own or work for a tent rental company that subscribes to InTents but isn’t a TRD … <div><…