Author: Amazing News Editor

Marquees and tents are a must for local festivals

Wednesday 07 May 2014 by Amazing News Editor

More and more towns and villages throughout the UK are putting on festivals, fetes and markets, especially in summer time. These events are a fabulous way to get communities together, boost local businesses and promote local talent (i.e. musicians, artists, crafters).

Planning one of these events can be a tricky business. You often have to work with a very limited budget, and there’s not always a clear idea of how many people will actually attend. Then there’s the weather to contend with….

Try a tent!

Unless you have a community hall or another indoor venue to fall back on, the best way to protect your event from the elements is to use tents. Event tents and marquees – available in different sizes depending on the scale of the event – are perfect for community events such as fairs, fetes and markets. They allow people to mill in and out, they can easily accommodate lots of stalls and they are great social spaces.

Tents also make great spaces for concerts, performances and readings, as they can be easily fitted out with lighting and sound equipment, and they also have great acoustics – especially if you go for specially designed festival stage covers.

In summer, people want to enjoy the outdoors. With a tent, the people who come to your event can enjoy the best of both worlds – the fresh air and sunshine as well as a cover to duck under in case it rains. Remember – you can’t control the weather on the day of your event, but you can prepare for it.

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Advice on kitting out an event tent

Tuesday 29 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Event tents can be the perfect venue for a whole range of different occasions, from conferences and exhibitions to comedy and music spaces at festivals. They come in many different configurations and can hold huge numbers of people, and due to their size, offer a great space for you to use. So making the best use of this large space can be very important to the success of your event.

So here are a few tips to help you get it right:

Draw up a detailed plan (or use a specialist in event tent interior design) – you have lots of space, so what are you going to do with it? A plan allows you to get everything in, play with the layout and decide where everything will go.

Get your essential systems in first – before you do anything else, make sure you have your lighting, wiring, power and any other essential systems mapped out and installed. You can then build the rest of the space around them.

Create a focal point – depending on the nature of the event, this may be a stage, a bar, a main exhibition space or even a central hub where people will gather. It’s important to have focal points, to orientate visitors and create a central feature that the rest of the space will be built around.

Think about seating – this is another practical element that you must get right before you do anything else. A table or seating plan will be a huge help here, as it will allow you to maximise the amount of seating you have.

Get creative! This is the fun bit, where you can decorate your event tent and basically have some fun with the design. Let those creative juices flow!

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Is your event weather-proof?

Friday 25 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

No matter what kind of outdoor event you’re planning, if you’re holding it in the UK then you better be ready for bad or at the very least changeable weather. You might be lucky and get a gorgeous sunny day for your event, but the best event organisers plan for the very worst to ensure that there are no nasty surprises on the big day.

Get under cover

Obviously, you can’t physically stop wind or rain from happening in the first place, but you can take steps to stop it from affecting your event too badly. The most important thing to do is to arrange some form of shelter in case it rains. This could be in the form of marquees or small tents which people can bob under if the heavens open.

Do you need to rethink your venue?

If you’ve got a large outdoor event planned and the weather forecast is looking like it will be bad all day, putting up a few marquees in case of rain simply won’t cut it. In this case, you might want to switch venues.

This doesn’t mean getting a new site – you can simply pop up an event tent on your existing site. This kind of venue, offering cover and shelter as well as having open sides and entryways if desired, lets the sunshine and fresh air in on good weather days and keeps everyone warm and dry if the bad weather hits.

Just remember to cover all bases and plan for the worst weather – this will prevent nasty surprises on the day!

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All you need to know about the fabulous Spiegeltent

Monday 21 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

If you want to hire a tent with something a bit special, the best option to go for is a Spiegeltent. Here’s all you need to know:

Why’s it called a Spiegeltent?

Spiegeltent is Dutch for ‘mirror tent’, which is what the first versions of these tents were called.

Where does this kind of tent come from?

The original Spiegeltents were made in Belgium as early as 1910. They were travelling entertainment tents that were toured around Europe. Most of the original tents are gone, but the design is making a resurgence!

What are Spiegeltents made of?

The original Spiegeltents were made of wood frames and canvas, with stained glass and mirrors providing the decoration. The new Spiegeltent designs are very similar, with the intention of recreating as much of the old-fashioned magic as possible. They have hardwood frames and canvas roofs, whilst the insides are decorated with leaded glass, bevelled mirrors and lashings of brocade and velvet. The only real changes are to meet modern health and safety regulations.

What are these tents used for?

Any event or special occasion where the organiser wants to put on something unusual and unforgettable! Spiegeltents are perfect as entertainment venues, so are often used at festivals and other outdoor events with a cultural, arts or entertainment focus. However, these event tents have also been used for product launches or as pop-up bars.

How many people can they hold?

Last but not least, we come to the capacity of the Spiegeltent. This depends on the tent, as there are a few sizes and designs to choose from. Generally speaking, these tents can comfortably accommodate between 250 and 450 people and can usually fit into an even, flat space measuring around 30m x 25m.

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Could a tent be the wedding venue of your dreams?

Monday 14 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Before you can plan any aspect of your wedding, you need to book a venue. This can be tricky, especially for those who want to do something a bit different for their big day. If you want a really memorable wedding and you’re going all-out with your plans, why not think outside the box and choose an event marquee or tent for your venue?

Event tents are perfect for couples who:

  • Are inviting lots of guests to their wedding – these tents are perfect for a big party for your wedding reception, but they are very roomy so you’ll need to invite plenty of people to fill one. If you have lots of friends and family and can’t find a venue to fit everyone in, this is the ideal solution.
  • Want to let a little of the outdoors in – if the weather’s great, nothing’s better than holding your wedding virtually outdoors. However, if the weather’s not so good, you’ll have all the protection of a tent
  • Want something that no one else has – why follow the normal rules when you can do something really exciting with your big day?
  • Are really going for it with their plans – these tents are a real spectacle, one that no one will forget in a hurry. You’ll need the budget, the vision and the space if you really want to make large marquee hire work for you.

So why be like everyone else? Make your wedding day the highlight of everyone’s year and get yourself a really unique venue – after all, you only get married once (hopefully!).

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Handy tips for holding a concert outdoors

Wednesday 09 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Are you planning an outdoor event? If you are, and the event involves music of any kind, you’ll have a lot of preparation to do. The logistics of setting up and holding a concert outdoors can be quite challenging, but you can make life easier by following these tips:

    • Choose your venue very carefully – and don’t forget your audience! You need a venue which has enough space for the performers and all the people you expect to attend and that you have permission to use. You also need to think about your audience and make sure everyone can see, so either set up a raised stage or have your audience on a slope looking down at the performers – avoid having performers and audience on completely level ground.

 

    • Prepare for bad weather with stage covers. It may well rain during your concert, so you’ll need to arrange some sort of stage cover for your performers. You can hire specially designed concert stage covers for a range of events large and small, and these should keep the weather out as well as providing excellent acoustics for your concert.

 

    • Power up. Unless you’re keeping things very small and acoustic, you’ll need to figure out how to get power to the stage area for your musicians. Microphones and amplifiers, as well as lighting, all require power.

 

  • Set up a backstage area. Ok, you’re not organising Glastonbury and your acts don’t all need their own dressing rooms, but they do need somewhere to get ready and to store their instruments. You can also use your backstage area to store other equipment out of sight.

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3 things a great exhibition venue needs

Monday 07 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Contrary to what some people think, you can’t hold an exhibition anywhere and expect it to be a roaring success. Both exhibitors and attendees have certain expectations which need to be met if an event is to really take off.

Here are just a few of the main criteria to look for when choosing a venue for an exhibition:

1. Space. This one’s obvious – great exhibition venues should have lots of space. This is not only to give exhibitors all the room they need to show products off to their best advantage and pull off elaborate stand designs, but attendees also need a bit of breathing room to take in everything.

2. Good transport links. Actually, make that great transport links. Exhibition venues need to be close to road and rail links so that as many people as possible can exhibit and attend – if it’s difficult to get there one year, people are not likely to come back again the following year.

3. Versatility. It’s important for a venue to be adaptable and versatile so that it can properly reflect the nature of the exhibition. For example, a garden event needs an outdoor venue or at least access to outdoor space – it will be out of place in a conference centre or hotel in the middle of a big city. This is where an exhibition tent can be a very good idea, as it allows access to outdoor space. An exhibition marquee or tent can also be far more flexible and versatile than a building could ever be.

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Events tents are perfect for pop-ups

Wednesday 02 April 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Pop-up bars and shops are all the rage right now, appearing in towns and cities all over the UK. These pop-ups are particularly popular in summer, especially when there are other events like music and food festivals going on at the same time.

If you’re planning a pop-up store in your local city, or perhaps even a chain of pop-ups all over the country, the ideal venue to choose is an event tent. Large tents and marquees are really good as pop-up bars, as there is lots of space for tables, chairs and people to mill about. As tents have open space rather than walls, they also allow people to come and go very freely. This creates a relaxed, informal environment – which is what pop-ups are all about, after all.

Tips for setting up a pop-up

If you want to set up a pop-up and make it a success, make sure you:

  • Choose the right location. You want somewhere that gets plenty of foot traffic, such as near shopping areas, but that gives you enough space. You should also think about the kinds of people you want to attract. Also, be creative when choosing a location – if there isn’t space in a particular location, try somewhere a bit unusual to launch your shop.

  • Get the paperwork right. You need to look into things like leases and licences before setting up shop, or you could fall foul of the authorities.

  • Keep it simple. To get the most return on the cost of setting up your pop-up, keep things like design and concept as simple as possible.

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3 tips for throwing an amazing launch party

Monday 31 March 2014 by Amazing News Editor

If you’re launching a new product or brand, the best way to get the word out is to throw a launch party. The most successful launch event is one that is not only fantastic for those in attendance, but that get everyone else talking about it for weeks afterwards.

To make your launch event truly memorable and kick off the marketing campaign for your new product, follow these tips:

1. Get your venue sorted before you do anything else. Before you even start thinking about guest lists or even colour schemes, get your venue nailed down. Not only this, but get the venue right. Choose somewhere that suits the product or the brand. For example, a launch party for a sporting event could be held outside, whilst an event for large products (i.e. cars) would be best held in exhibition tent with enough space to accommodate them.

2. Invite guests the right way. You could draw in hundreds of people with the promise of a free bar, but to get the right guests, you need to have a clear strategy. Make use of social media to spread the word (perhaps call in a social media specialist to help) and make sure that any invitations have a very clear call to action.

3. Don’t forget to entertain your guests. So many party planners think that playing music and providing a bar will be enough to ensure that everyone has a great time – it won’t. You need to provide entertainment for your guests, something unique, memorable and compatible with the product.

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3 places an event tent is better than a building

Thursday 27 March 2014 by Amazing News Editor

Sometimes the way to make an event truly memorable is to think outside of the box, especially when it comes to the venue. You might be considering hiring a building for your next event, but why not try something a bit different and go for an event tent instead?

Here are 3 different events for which a tent would be a far better venue than a building:

1. Music festivals. Music festivals are by their very nature, outdoor events, which makes event tents the only viable choice for gigs and performances. People often go to festivals to enjoy the good weather and the great outdoors, so why not let some of it in? However, you need the right tent, one that can accommodate all the light fittings and sound stages you need, as well as having great acoustics. SaddleSpan tents and festival stage covers are perfect, and they come in a range of different sizes.

2. Product launches. To really make a splash with a product launch and open it up to as many people as possible, the open space of a tent or marquee in a public place is ideal.

3. Corporate fun days and team building. Large companies often head out into the great British countryside to host family fun days or team building weekends. These outdoor events need meeting places and gathering points, as well as catering spaces. This is especially the case if the weather turns, and the cover of an event tent or marquee can be perfect.

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