Month: August 2014

Can you hold an outdoor wedding just about anywhere?

Friday 29 August 2014 by Amazing News Editor

If you want to do something a bit different with your wedding, you might choose to hold it outdoors.

Outdoor weddings can be really special, especially if the weather goes your way! The day is less formal, you have lots of space at your disposal and you’re in touch with nature, which is something that many couples dream of.

However, there are lots of things to consider and plan for with outdoor weddings, because they can go wrong quite easily. You might need a large marquee or tent, just in case it rains, you’ll need to choose somewhere accessible so that all your guests can get there and you’ll need to sort out toilets and other facilities.

Before all this, however, you’ll need to pick a location. One of the questions that most couples ask is – can we hold our outdoor wedding anywhere we want?

The answer, unfortunately, is no. Here are some reasons why:

 

  • Rules and permits. They aren’t romantic and shouldn’t be part of the process, but these legal obstacles unfortunately are. You need to check whether your chosen location is actually suitable for weddings, and get permission in writing before you start planning anything.

 

  • You might not be legally married. If it’s important to you that you are legally married on your wedding day (some couples are fine to go to a church or registry office the following day to legally tie the knot), you should find out whether your ideal venue has a wedding licence. This, again not a very romantic thing, is the legal document that will determine whether your ceremony is recognised in the eyes of the law or not.

 

  • You might need other licences. You might need legal permission to do other things on your chosen site, such as to play live music and serve or sell alcohol – these are other crucial things you need to check before booking and planning anything.

 

  • Space limitations. This one all depends on your plans for your big day. If you’re counting on having a big wedding with hundreds of guests and lots of entertainment, you’re going to need a venue that’s big enough. If you’re planning to put up any sort of structure, such as an event tent, you will need enough space for it, access to get it in and erected, and enough capacity inside for all your friends and family members.

 

  • Problems with privacy. The last potential roadblock involves members of the public wandering into your wedding day, which can happen if you choose an outdoor space which members of the public have access to. Even if you book the space for your own exclusive use, you may still end up with accidental gate-crashers. You should also consider whether your wedding will be intruding on the privacy of people living near your chosen venue (i.e. a public park).

 

If you’ve considered all of these potential problems and found a way around them, then you’re all set to pop up your marquee, have an emergency umbrella at the ready and have an amazing outdoor wedding to remember!

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Can SaddleSpan tents be used indoors?

Wednesday 20 August 2014 by Amazing News Editor

When you think of a large marquee or an event tent, you may well picture it outdoors, in a field or on a wide concrete surface. However, not many people know that you can also use SaddleSpan and other event tents indoors.

Why would you want to use event tents indoors?

It may sound a little wacky, but there are quite a few advantages of bringing a traditionally outdoor tent into your venue. Here are just a handful:

  • Use your tent as decoration. A structured tent like a SaddleSpan is perfect for defining and decorating a large, cavernous space. Many exhibition halls, concert and conference venues are absolutely vast, making them expensive and difficult to decorate. If you’ve got a big space to fill and want an eye-catching centrepiece, a tent, canopy or stage cover will definitely do the trick.
  • You can use your tent as a stage cover for musical and other performances. If you have a stage area in your venue, which will showcase musicians, performers or speakers, you’re going to need a cover for it. Having the right cover is important not only for acoustic reasons, but aesthetic reasons too – it just looks more professional to have your performers on a proper stage.
  • The element of surprise! The key to holding a successful event, one that will be and remembered for some time to come, is to do something surprising. To get people talking, you need to do something creative, unusual and unique – like putting up a massive great tent inside your venue, lighting it up and rolling out a red carpet underneath it!

Can all SaddleSpans be used indoors?

Not all configurations of this popular event tent can be used indoors – some are just far too large to actually fit into most event or exhibition spaces. The most commonly used option is the SaddleSpan S5000, which you may recognise by its recognisable ‘saddle’ shape. This tent, often used as a stage cover, can also become a branded canopy or an indoor stage cover, making it ideal for a range of different events. It’s a very flexible option, which can be branded with whatever design you like and can also perform whatever function you like. It can help form a stage area, VIP area, a pop-up bar, a meeting and networking area or a demonstration area.

The logistics

To actually get an event tent into your venue, there are a few practical wrinkles to iron out. For starters, you need enough space. This means both floor space and ceiling height.  You’ll also need appropriate access to the venue, which most exhibition, event and conference venues should already have. Make sure you plan out your space properly, so you know exactly where your tent will go. If you’re not sure whether an event tent in your venue will actually work, the best way to figure it out is to speak to one of the team at Amazing Tents.

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Branding and decorating the fabric of your SaddleSpan

Wednesday 13 August 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Hiring a SaddleSpan tent for your event gives you an abundance of space and a very impressive venue in which to showcase a product or schmooze some important guests. What it also offers, however, is a wonderfully blank canvas on which to add your own branding, decoration and other personal touches.

Put down the paintbrush…

You don’t need wallpaper or paint to decorate your SaddleSpan tent. There are lots of far easier and more effective ways to put your stamp on the walls and ceilings of your very own event tent:

Lighting effects

Lighting makes the biggest difference in the appearance and feel of your marquee’s interiors. Lighting effects create atmosphere, highlight key areas (i.e. product showcases) and add colour and depth to the space. You can also put on lighting shows on the walls and ceilings, with the canvas acting as the ideal backdrop. Fly your brand logo around the canvas using lighting, put on your own planetarium show, turn the lights down and create a disco-ball effect throughout the space or light up each of the panels in a different colour – it’s completely up to you.

Screen videos

As well as being a great backdrop for all kinds of lighting effects, SaddleSpan fabric also acts as an ideal projector screen. Using quite simple equipment, you can screen specially made marketing videos, product demonstrations or even play music videos. This is not only a creative way to use the actual structure of your event venue, but it can also free up valuable floor space (otherwise taken up by video and screening equipment) for exhibiting and accommodating more of your guests.

Banners and branding

The particular fabric of SaddleSpan tents works very well with banners, removable decals and other branding and marketing materials. You can add as much or as little (if you want to keep the focus on your products) as you like. In a matter of hours, you can effectively re-brand the whole of your venue and turn it into your very own space, while quickly and simply removing all the branding once the event is over.

Flooring

Flooring is another simple way to make a major change in your SaddleSpan’s appearance. You can affordably and easily makeover the floor space with vinyl tiling or ‘click-lock’ flooring, transforming it from grass or concrete into the kind of floor you’d find in any luxury venue. You can roll out the red carpet in the welcome area of your event tent and even add touches of pattern and colour where you think the space needs a little more decoration.

You can also use flooring to divide your space into different zones, from small enclosures for your products and demonstrations to larger ‘zones’ for talks and conferences. This is very important when you have a very large venue like a marquee tent, as you need to create focal points and separate spaces to help people find their way around.

 

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Making a splash – the 5 steps to a successful product launch

Wednesday 06 August 2014 by Amazing News Editor

An event of any kind takes a huge amount of planning, and product launches are no exception. It’s hard to know where to start and there is so much to do, from hiring an event marquee to putting on refreshments. And, of course, you’ll need to figure out how best to show off your exciting new product.

Here are a few essential tips to remember when planning your launch:

1.     Exhaustively plan, then plan some more

Poor planning at a product launch can seriously damage the reputation of the product, so you’ll need to be meticulous about every detail. Start with the venue and once you have your event tents or room hired (for outdoor and indoor events respectively), everything else can be added in from there. It’s also a good idea to try to predict every minor and major thing that could possibly go wrong, and plan how to avoid such eventualities.

2.     Whip up some excitement with a big build-up

To get people to attend your event and get excited about your product, you need to let them know about it! It’s never too early to start publicising your event and sending out invitations, so that people can save the date in your calendar. Use social media and local/national press to start building a buzz and run the odd competition or two to get people talking – then don’t forget to send plenty of reminders in the run-up to the big day.

 3.     Choose the perfect venue – don’t be afraid to splash out!

If anything is worth spending money on, it’s the venue and all the trimmings that make a product launch special. You want attendees to feel that you have complete confidence in your product, so much confidence that you’re willing to hire the very best event tent in a great location, decorate and furnish it fully and put on lots of refreshments and entertainment for your guest. If you skimp on the launch event, it will speak volumes about the faith you have in your new product.

4.     Get the right people on your guest list, and build a relationship with them

It’s very important to get the right industry movers and shakers on your guest list, as well as key members of the press and key consumer groups. Don’t just invite everyone, even if you do want to get your numbers up, but concentrate on getting these very influential guests there. You should also think about tailoring your event to your target consumer market, the people who will actually buy and use your product – don’t try to impress absolutely every possible market and consumer because you’ll never be able to do it.

5.     Show people a good time, as well as showing them the product

Of course, the product will need to be centre stage in your event tent or other venue, but don’t forget about hospitality and entertainment for your guests. Show them a fun and entertaining day, provide great quality refreshments and they will associate the enjoyable time they’ve had with positive feelings about your product. If you make the day too marketing based (even though it is a marketing event), you may only end up pushing your customers away.

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