Tag: saddelspan

Host a Glitzy NYE party with a theme everyone will love

Wednesday 29 November 2023 by kava_content

If you want to give 2023 the send-off it deserves, make sure you do it in style. Here are seven theme ideas that will get everyone in the spirit. 

Throw it back 

Whether it’s the roaring 20s or the swinging 60s, choosing a decade as your theme can transport your guests to another period. They’ll also love embracing the costumes, food, and music of the time. 

Simple, yet effective 

If you’re looking for a classy affair, look no further than the black and white theme. It’s simple yet chic and will help you to create a cohesive event with everything in only two colours.  

Roll out the red carpet 

Hollywood knows how to do glamour, so why not put on a show, and ask your guests to dress up as their favourite celebrity? You could even present an Oscar to the best dressed. 

Pop the champagne 

You could theme your whole party around the glitziest drink there is – Champagne. Think glitter, gold balloons, and sparkly dresses.  

Around the world  

Be inspired by other countries and divide your space into different places in the world. You could decorate each country with its flag, famous landmarks, and signature dishes.  

Mad Hatters’ tea party  

From teapots hanging from the ceiling to centre pieces of delicious, iced cakes – a magical tea party can capture the imagination of all ages.  

Good riddance 2023 

Welcome the year with everything 2024 themed. Hand out branded 2024 hats and glasses and display fun prediction boards for the upcoming year.  

We hope these themes inspire you to have an unforgettable NYE extravaganza. Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and X – @Amazingtentco and share your party pics with us. 

If you’re looking for a temporary structure for next year’s NYE soiree, head to our website to find our full range of Saddlespan party tents. We’ve got you covered whether you’re having a small get-together or a large shindig. And don’t worry about the cold winter air – our tents can accommodate heaters of your choice, keeping it nice and snug for your guests. 

 

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A few of our favourite festivals

Tuesday 24 August 2021 by Amazing News Editor

We all love a good festival, whether that be music, food, arts or otherwise. We’ve seen our fair share of fantastic festivals over the years in both glorious sunshine and pouring rain, and we’ve certainly missed attending them.

After cancellations across the board in 2020 due to the pandemic, we had all hoped for a return to normal this summer, none more so than the entertainment and events industries. The government decision for restrictions to end on 19 July was music to our ears, but unfortunately it was too late for many of this summer’s festivals, and some have found insurance and other challenges too insurmountable for this season. We are delighted to see that some festivals are managing to run again this summer and are looking forward to a return to the full festival season next summer.

We decided to take this opportunity to look back at the festivals we’ve provided our Saddlespan event tents for over the years, and to celebrate some of our team’s personal favourites.

 

WOMAD festival imageWOMAD

More than just a festival, WOMAD is an experience, bringing music, workshops and cuisine from around the world all to a little corner of Wiltshire. The festival is inclusive in every way possible and that is part of why we love it, as well as its commitment to the environment. We’ve provided the event tent for what our team think is the best part of the festival ‘Molly’s Bar’ named after a beloved dog. A few of our team are very disappointed that WOMAD won’t be running again this year, as they like to attend with their own families – only once our Saddlespan stage covers are all in place of course!

 

Creamfields festival image

Creamfields

This huge festival is the biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in the UK and is always an exciting event to be a part of. The Creamfields festival brings the biggest names in EDM to Cheshire for a four-day event over the August bank holiday, with 70,000 people attending each day. For a number of years, we have provided two saddlespan tents for the VIP area for the festival. We are delighted that this festival is due to go ahead this year.

 

Latitude festival image

Latitude

A family-friendly festival set at Henham Park, in the Suffolk countryside, Latitude is a definite favourite of a few of our team. With a range of entertainment from top musicians to poetry, dance to comedy, art to theatre, there is something for everyone and all the family. We’re proud to have supplied our Saddlespan event tents to house the Lake Stage for the last several years, which has played host to the likes of Wolf Alice and Clean Bandit.

 

Electric Castle festival image

Electric Castle – Romania

Set against the backdrop of the 15th Century Banffy Castle in Transylvania, Romania, Electric Castle is an exciting festival, that brings an eclectic mix of music, technology and alternative arts. What truly makes the festival unique is that organisers donate a percentage of the profits from ticket sales towards the restoration of the historic castle. So far this has helped restore the roof and build flooring. We first supplied our Saddlespan tents to the festival in 2018, where it housed the festival food hall, which boasts an impressive variety of cuisines and even fine dining options.

If you are lucky enough to be attending a festival this year, we hope you have a fantastic time. And if you are an event organiser planning a festival for autumn or next year, then get in touch with us if you need to get it covered!

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Tips for planning a party for friends and family

Thursday 15 July 2021 by Amazing News Editor

From 19 July COVID19 restrictions are due to be relaxed, allowing larger gatherings.

For over a year we’ve all stayed away from large gatherings and missed out on celebrating those big birthdays and milestones with friends and family. From 19 July 2021, when restrictions are due to be lifted, we can look forward to getting our family and friends together to make up for lost time. Planning an event for a large number of people can be daunting, especially after a year of lockdowns and limited social contact, so we’ve put together a list of things to consider to make your catchup celebration one to remember for all the right reasons!

Plan for the British weather
At Amazing Tents we supply event structures for large festivals, but our smaller configurations are perfect for family parties and weddings too. These provide much needed shade and rain cover to keep your party going whatever the weather, and save needing to find an indoor space large enough.

Arrange catering
Preparing food for a large gathering can be quite a feat, so hiring in outside catering can be a great way to reduce the stress of organising a party. There are plenty of options to suit every budget from supermarket food platters to hiring a personal chef! If you bring in outside caterers to work at the party we can provide marquees and tents to accommodate food preparation areas.

Keep your guests hydrated
Its easy to get carried away thinking about alcoholic options like wine and cocktails for parties, but don’t forget to plan non alcoholic drinks for those avoiding alcohol, children and to keep guests hydrated between alcoholic drinks too. Jugs of water with fruit and ice are a great option to keep guests hydrated but also look great and can add to your decoration.

Provide entertainment
Music and other entertainment can be a great way to get the party atmosphere started. It doesn’t have to be expensive, a mobile phone or tablet connected to a speaker is a great option. You could also consider a local band or musician to bring that special touch to your gathering.

Think about the kids
Many family parties will include children, and keeping them entertained means a well-earned break for their parents! Bouncy castles, garden games such as croquet, and organised activities like scavenger hunts are a great way to keep them busy. You might also want to consider a separate marquee or tent to give children a covered space just for them.

A small saddlespan tent configuration for garden partyParty with a saddlespan tent

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Have your people call my people

Friday 30 September 2016 by Amazing News Editor

When it comes to creating the event of the year, you need to work with the best people, the best venue, the best interior, the best entertainment. Unfortunately, it’s not what you know it’s who you know and starting out alone, or trying something new, can be hard.

Perhaps you’ve been commended about the fantastic event you put on this year, and now you’ve out-done yourself and you’re struggling to work out how to go one better. There’s always the easy option of repeating the same formula, tweaking minor details and hoping that you get the same results, but you know you’re going to be expected to deliver an event that’s bigger and better.

We’ve got all the right contacts in all the right places and we know you’re busy, so if you know what you want, but not who you want, the chances are we’ll have the answers. We won’t recommend you anyone we don’t fully trust, so you’ll be in safe hands.

If you’re looking for something to really make the delegates’ jaws drop, why not try videomapping onto one of our SaddleSpans? Here’s video mapping in Prague on NYE to give you an idea of its potential https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQxAv6zg9o

Or if you’re looking for a fantastic themed interior, we’ve got the contacts too! Give us a bell if you get stuck, or have your people call our people…

See some of our suggestions below: 

Talk to you soon,
The Amazing Team

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7 top tent tips for running a successful event

Thursday 11 August 2016 by Amazing News Editor

Without sounding big-headed, we’re pretty much experts at this stuff. We can empathise with you on the jaw-clenching, huffing and puffing process of organising events, but don’t you worry, we’re here to help!

Here’s 7 tips, for a happy client:

  1. Safety first – we all want to have a great time at a party, but tripping over a loose cable, flying 3ft across the room and splatting on the floor is not just embarrassing, but dangerous. Where there’s a blame, there’s a claim – don’t let it be against you.
  1. We all talk about how organised we are on CV’s and in pitches, but when it comes down to it, sometimes doing comes before planning. This may seem like the right thing to do at the time, but you’ll always be left with the dreaded ‘I feel like I’ve forgotten something’ feeling in the run up to the event. Make lists, spreadsheets, plan the event as a series of interlinked projects – whatever works for you. Stay on top of deadlines and deposits, as well as managing your budget closely. However, at the same time, try to be flexible, some things are going to occur that aren’t in your spreadsheet or on your ‘to do’ list. Make a note of everything you’ve done for this event and in what order, to give yourself a checklist for next time.
  1. Treat the guests, give them something different, something special they haven’t seen before. Something they’d want to share on Instagram! Consider standout features to create the all-important wow factor. This could range from incorporating a funky feature like an ice bar, a photo-booth or even just creating an exciting atmosphere by lighting up your SaddleSpan with different coloured vibrant lighting. If your guests are dining, try changing the light colours throughout the different courses.
  1. Keep calm and take control. It sounds like simple advice, but if you’re able to stay calm then this will keep your team at ease and will reflect positively to your client. By establishing friendly relations, even in the midst of a crisis, you’ll build goodwill and help create positive energy at your event.
  1. Expect the unexpected. The beauty of being an event organiser, is that you’re the most sheer resilience of facing unexpected problems. Don’t keep these unexpected hiccups to yourself, sometimes they’re out of your control, keep your team in the loop, one of them might have a solution you haven’t thought of.
  1. Switch off. This doesn’t make you non-committed to your job or the event, it allows your brain to get the rest it needs in order to make the right decisions. You’re better off using all of your brain power some of the time than using some of your brain power all of the time!
  1. Utilise your suppliers. Don’t do their work for them, if you’re paying for a service, trust them to be able to deliver that service effectively. Don’t be guilty of thinking ‘if you want a job done properly do it yourself’ leave it to the professionals – like us.

 

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#SpotOurSaddleSpans

Tuesday 26 July 2016 by Amazing News Editor

It’s been great to get feedback through our beloved Twitter and Facebook about how much you all enjoy seeing our beautiful SaddleSpans out and about. We’ve been enjoying some of the snaps you’ve shared online and thought we’d take things one step further.

We’ve launched an ‘Upcoming Events’ section on our website to let you know where you can #SpotOurSaddlespans – we’ll be popping up all over the country so look out for us soon at an event near you! If you’re thinking of booking one of our lovely tents, why not take the opportunity to come along and look at them in person. Or if we’ve not listed anything in your area, drop us a line – it may just be that we are around the corner but are unable to publicise our attendance. We do guard our clients’ confidentially seriously, but if we can tell you, we will!

And don’t forget, if you do #SpotOurSaddleSpans then don’t forget to hashtag us – we love seeing your snaps!

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The wow factor venue: dress to impress

Tuesday 12 July 2016 by Amazing News Editor

One of the easiest ways to create a memorable event is by doing something unique and forever memorable. Create a magical, bespoke venue, which will immediately excite your guests. Once you’ve sorted the venue, it’s time to dress it to impress!

We know more than most folk about the importance of your venue matching the theme of your event. It’s the first thing people see when they walk into a venue and we all know first impressions are extremely important. Why not try some spectacular effects? After all, you want your guests to have the wow factor when they walk in!

So what are our trade secrets?

  • Choose your venue wisely. It needs to work hard to meet all the demands of your agenda. Whether it’s a historic house, a hotel or a custom venue such as one of our SaddleSpans, it needs to reflect the ethos of your event.
  • Think about how you’ll make your venue into a show stopping event to convey your theme. The beauty of our structures is that they allow your branding to be showcased onto a blank canvas. If you want to fully brand inside and out, you can! Or you can have a light show, projections…the only limit is your imagination (and the budget!)
  • Think big. Imagine your venue buzzing with your guests. Smaller or lower decoration won’t necessarily be visible when you’ve got a roomful of attendees – unless they are going to be sitting down to dinner or to hear conference speeches. Given the height of our SaddleSpans, branding effectively is easily achievable – you can create extremely effective results with lighting which won’t cost the earth.
  • Innovative technology definitely has a place in bringing an event to life. Motion graphics, glassless 3D screens, live streaming video, augmented reality and other techniques such as video mapping can all help your event have the wow factor.
  • Sometimes less is more. You might want to showcase one particular logo or use one lighting theme to create a spectacular backdrop – the large area of a SaddleSpan means you have the space to play with to create the look and feel you’re aiming for.

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SaddleSpan stage covers confirmed for Charlie Gillett stage at WOMAD 2015

Wednesday 28 January 2015 by Amazing News Editor

Amazing Tents is proud to announce that the SaddleSpan S5000 will once again be the stage cover for the BBC Radio 3 Charlie Gillett stage at WOMAD 2015 festival.

Many internationally renowned artists have performed under the S5000’s protective roof in previous years, including last year’s extensive line-up. 2014’s festival saw Caci Vorba, Yaaba Funk, 9 Bach, Elemotho, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys, Cigdem Aslan and The Chair all take to the Charlie Gillett stage.

The stage is named after the celebrated British radio presenter and musicologist who died in 2010 following a highly successful career promoting world music (and, incidentally, discovering legendary bands such as Ian Dury and Dire Straits).

What to expect at WOMAD 2015

The organisers of this year’s world music festival, held in Charlton Park in the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury, are so far keeping the details of the 2015 line-up under their hats.

Tickets are now on sale for the summer event, but the only act confirmed so far is the Australian blues singer-songwriter C.W Stoneking. We eagerly await more line-up news, but at least the S5000 is primed and ready for a bumper selection of talented world musicians. Around 40,000 music fans are expected on each day of the event, taking place on the last weekend of July, so if you’re one of them – look out for the SaddleSpan stage cover. You should be able to spot it by its unique ‘saddle’ shape.

Why are SaddleSpan tents so popularly used as stage covers?

There are quite a lot of reasons why so many of the UK’s top festivals, music and performance events make use of SaddleSpan S5000 tents as stage covers.

The first of these is obvious – the tent’s unique shape makes it the perfect frame for a live performance act. It shelters acts and crew from the elements, specially designed to withstand winds of up to 60mph, and provides the audience with the ideal focal point. It is also perfect for rigging lighting, sound and other effects –whilst still retaining a very modern, almost futuristic look. You could even go so far as to say that the S5000 is stylish, especially when branded with festival colours, logos or lighting effects.

The SaddleSpan S5000 is also very versatile, which is perhaps why so many festivals – including WOMAD – choose it. It comes in a canopy form, where both ends are open, and a canopy configuration, where a back wall is added. It can also be enclosed, when it instantly becomes a large marquee suitable for all kinds of special events. As well as being modular, so you can connect it to other SaddleSpan configurations, the stage cover is also safe and easy to build, saving festival organisers some valuable installation time.

Just as importantly – audiences seem to love the SaddleSpan stage covers, which get a fantastic reaction every time they grace a festival field during the day or when night falls. Long may it continue!

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