InTents April/May 2023 - 23

properly. Additionally, certain materials
and substances may be prohibited
from being stored or used in certain
areas due to their potential fire risk. "
Galley emphasizes the importance
CONCEALED SUPPORT
O
of having certified fire-resistant brands
of fabric as well as fire extinguishers.
Pulling the proper permits beforehand
can help things run more smoothly and
safely, and will dictate what fabric type
and style can be used, she adds.
Hall points out that special event
laws/regulations can vary tremendously
between local governments and can
even be in conflict with intersecting
geographic areas, such as a city
imposing more restrictions than
a county, in which case the city
requirements would win out.
" Some locations are very loose with
their special event rules or don't even have
any permitting requirements for special
events, while there are others with very
specific guidelines, " he continues. " We've
run into some that have restrictions as
specific as mandating minimum spacing
distance between pipe and drape
components with the sidewall on a tent. "
DISTRACTING AND DIVERTING
Watson employs a variety of techniques
to hide less-appealing elements.
One is covering metal poles with
white chiffon linens to take away
their coldness. Another is dropping
chandeliers from the ceiling.
" [This] adds elegance but also helps
the ceiling fade into the background,
making guests feel like they are dancing
under the stars, " she says. " When using
tents that have hard lines or metal
poles, like a Century or a frame tent, it's
important to make the ceiling feel almost
translucent or fade into the background. "
Hall likes tent liners, describing these
as mid-priced options and the " easiest
and most effective " technique when it
comes to camouflaging.
f all the elements that go into a tented event, ballast
and other forms of anchoring are among the most
critical, and yet, these essentials are expected to remain
as unobtrusive as possible. Depending on the tent, the
surface and the ballasting/anchoring required, this can
prove challenging, says Nicholas Deninno, founder and
chief operating officer of B&R Innovations. The company
is located in Bethpage, N.Y., and serves clients in the U.S.,
Canada and in some international locations. Its flagship
product is the Block and Roll® Tent Ballast Solutions®.
Among the hardest to conceal are uneven
amounts of stacked ballast, Deninno says.
" Let's say you need 1,500 pounds of ballast and you're using
300-to-500-pound blocks, " he explains. " If you were to place
all three on the ground in a triangle or two on the ground and a
single one on top, it would create a difficult disguise. Or, you would
need to make a larger cover to 'square' off the ballast. Equal
number of ballast in the same size offers an easier solution. "
Another challenge is ensuring access isn't obstructed
by using ballast too wide for the space between
the tent's legs, a problem ballast coverings could
exacerbate if the wrong approach was taken.
The company offers simple vinyl covers for hiding ballast that
can be used on individual blocks or to cover clusters of blocks,
says Deninno. These can be made with printed designs, for
example to look like wood or even brand or marketing logos.
" There are so many ways to disguise ballast and no end to
the creativity, " says Deninno. " One of my favorites and easiest
is to cover ballast in artificial turf or artificial box hedges. It
gives the ballast a natural look and blends in easily.
" Another way is to create wood boxes or planters, " he
continues. " Planters are great because you can actually
leave an open area on the box to put in dirt and plants
or simply just add plants in pots close together. "
One install Deninno remembers from the time he
owned a tent company was an event that had multiple
connected tents. In certain areas where the tents were joined
together, the client didn't want to see any ballasting.
" Our solution was to use heavy steel plates and
place them below the temporary flooring that was to
be used, " he recalls. " This completely camouflaged
the ballast, as it was hidden below the floor. "
InTentsMag.com 23
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