Cutting costs with care

December 1, 2009  |  Features, Management

Think like your customers before making cost management decisions. By Marc Hequet Getting a grip on how to emerge from difficult economic times is challenging even for the most seasoned business people. It may be tempting to fiddle with prices and expend significant resources in scrounging for new b…
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The advantages of forming partnerships with lighting vendors

October 1, 2009  |  Features, Management, On the Job

Even if you stock lighting equipment, a relationship with a lighting vendor will help you take advantage of everything fabric has to offer. By Jon Weingarten A continuing trend in the tent rental industry is the “one-stop shop” business model in which rental companies offer party rental …
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Strategies for backyard bashes

October 1, 2009  |  Event Production, Features

Customers are still throwing parties in their backyards, but tent renters may need strategies to do more with less. By Jamie Swedberg Everyone’s working a little harder for their money these days, and that includes tent renters who do backyard parties. It’s not that customers aren’…
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Winning government contracts

October 1, 2009  |  Features, Management

The U.S. government is big business and contracts for thousands of products. Your business could be taking advantage of these bidding opportunities—if you just know how … By Teresa Bouchonnet On January 9, 2009, the U.S. government’s Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia (DSCP) awa…
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Tent markets trend: a more competitive environment

October 1, 2009  |  Features, Industry News, Trend Watch

By Jeff Rasmussen The impact of the recession on tent fabric suppliers, tent manufacturers and event rental professionals has been profound. Sales for 2009 are down 15-20 percent for tent manufacturers through April, tent orders from event professionals are down and many event operators are in a wai…
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Using perfect timing and flawless communication to create successful events

August 1, 2009  |  Event Production, Features

Successful tented events require that rental companies, event planners, crews and vendor-partners communicate and work according to a shared timeline. By Holly O’Dell At Made In The Shade Tent Rentals in West Sacramento, Calif., breakdowns in timelines and communication are rare. But when they…
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Spotting tent quality

August 1, 2009  |  Event Production, Features, Safety & Codes

Knowing how to spot superior shelters can save the day. By Barb Ernster John Crowley can spot a quality tent just by looking at it. “You get a feel for a good tent when you see it. It looks structurally superb,” says the general manager of ProEm Distinctive Tents in Denver, Colo. He sums…
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Maximizing showroom space

August 1, 2009  |  Features, Markets

Use your showroom space to wow your clients and partner with other event vendors. By Julie Young Americans have come to expect choices and customization in every detail of their lives: their toothpaste flavor, their morning coffee, their mp3 playlists. Tented events can take that desire for a unique…
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Practicing sustainability in the tent rental industry

August 1, 2009  |  Features, On the Job

Tent renters benefit the environment—and their own profitability—when they get the most use possible out of their tents. By Peder Engebretson Hybrid cars, compost piles and recycling bins are signs of the times. But what does sustainability mean in regard to event tents? On the one hand,…
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The benefits of branding tents

June 1, 2009  |  Event Production, Features

Tented events maximize clients’ branding needs. By Elizabeth Kephart Reisinger Derek Stagner knows branding. As a managing director for Relay Worldwide, an experiential marketing and sponsorship consulting firm headquartered in Chicago, Ill., he and his colleagues create branded environments a…
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