A recession casualty, company picnics may be on the verge of a comeback. Fifty-five percent of U.S. companies plan to host a company picnic in 2013—a number that has held steady in recent years, and is down from a pre-recession 64 percent, according to a June report from the Society for Human Resource Management. On [...]

To pull off a glamorous event, start with a site inspection and logistics. By Melissa Paul Generally, any venue or property deemed “off-premise” is going to involve a tent. Or two or three or more. As an event planner, I cannot stress enough how important a site inspection or walk-through is to the success of [...]

Tent graphics distinguish outdoor events. By Holly O’Dell There are many techniques to dress up a tent: fabric swags, pendant lighting and LED light shows, to name a few. Add printing on tents to the list of ways to distinguish an event. Whether your client is a multinational corporation that wants to emphasize its brand [...]

Functional and aesthetic—tables and chairs provide structure and warmth to an event. By Amir Hussain Tables and chairs are the bones of an event. They provide the foundation upon which the rest of the event can be built. While glitz and glam still have their place, these important furnishings are trending toward natural and simple. [...]

Use interior design concepts to create intimacy in big spaces. By Melissa Paul Wide open spaces in tents offer extensive opportunities for expressing your creativity. But for many party planners, the qualities that make tents appealing can also create significant challenges. The event area may seem overwhelming and lacking in warmth. Yet, it’s absolutely possible [...]

Portable dance floors and event staging reach new heights of performance and creativity. By Danielle Beurteaux Staging and dance floors are integral to an event’s architecture. But in the past, function took precedence over form. As long as dance floors and stages did the job, no one really noticed them. Today, staging and dance floors [...]

Event planners expect to see more customization, exquisite tent liners, rich colors and a rebounding economy in 2013. By Kelly Treadway Every new year brings new and exciting trends in the tent rental and event industry. We’ve asked event pros to predict what tenting decor trends we’ll see in 2013—and which trends will fade away. [...]

Lighting trends that enhance colors and textures. By Maura Keller Lighting illuminates our surroundings and enables us to perceive color and texture. But tent lighting has not always had the decorative value that it has today. In the past, the choices were few and the styles limited. Today, tent professionals can easily offer unique lighting [...]

Bring event spaces to life with smart use of decorative accessories. By Melissa Paul It’s often the little things that make the biggest impression. Accessories add to the atmosphere of a party space and should always reflect the event concept or corporate brand. The subjective world of accessories is vast and varied but may include [...]

Shelter Co. brings luxury tent and event planning to the great outdoors. As creative director with Alison Events of San Francisco, Calif., Kelsey Sheofsky knows how to stage a luxurious event. Now, she and husband Mike are applying that knowledge to the “glamping” (glamorous camping) trend with a new company. In its first season, Shelter [...]