InTents August/September 2019 - 26

W

hen Traube Tents and Structures
entered the double-decker market
this past spring, the Columbia,
Ill.-based rental provider had exactly
one contract for the two Losberger
Emporium multistory structures it had added to its inventory.
But owner Steve Traube knew that his client base wouldn't let
those shiny new structures hang around the warehouse. In their
"inaugural year," the structures have already been installed for multiple
sporting, corporate and large fair and festival clients, Traube says.

Shaffer Sports & Events provided a
variety of tents for this golf event,
including a double-decker situated
at the 16th hole (upper left of photo)
that offered multiple hospitality suites.
Each suite was enclosed with glass
and ﬂame-retardant walls and offered
tiered seating with glass railings for
unobstructed views. Photo courtesy of
Aztec/Shaffer LLC.
26 intents

august-september 2019

"We have other potential clients who
have shown interest in the past, and
we expect to be able to rent to a few
existing clients looking to take their
events to the next level," Traube says.
With their eye-catching pro iles,
multistory structures up the wow quotient for any event. The bene its these
structures offer tent rental companies
can also prove attention-getting.
Based in Kansas City, Kan., Liri Tent
US supplies engineered clearspan
structures and accessories, including
two styles of double-decker tents.
Because multistory structures are
usually installed for large public
gatherings such as sporting events
and brand activations, they can give
tent rental companies entry into
markets previously out of reach, says
Liri Tent US president Nate Brancato.
This was the case for Aztec/Shaffer
LLC, says Ryan McMinn, CEO. The
Houston, Texas-based company
consists of Aztec Events & Tents, which
provides party rental for corporate
and private events, and Shaffer
Sports & Events, which specializes
in hospitality tents and temporary
structures for major sporting events.
Shaffer has offered multilevel
structures since 2012, including doubledecker and triple-decker options with

tiered seating and modular designs
that allow for multiple con igurations.
For the 2015 Breeders' Cup, the
company designed and installed its
irst triple-decker. (According to
McMinn, this was also the irst use of
such a structure in the United States.)
Shaffer's multistory structures appear
in about 30 golf tournaments in
North and South America annually.
"Almost every customer and venue
is looking for new exterior and interior
concepts," says McMinn. "Having
multilevel structures has allowed
the company to expand into other
sporting and non-sporting events and
has added to our revenue base."

MARKET GROWTH
Demand for multistory structures
is continuing to grow, says George
Smith, president and CEO of Mahaffey
Fabric Structures. Based in Memphis,
Tenn., Mahaffey's party and tent rental
division serves the Mid-South, while
its clearspan structure division travels
nationally. Smith attributes the growing
market to better engineering and
design, which has made the structures
easier to erect. He also credits the close
quarters where many events take place.
When space is tight, the only way to
go bigger is to go up, he explains.
InTents August/September 2019

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