InTents April/May 2022 - 32

HOW ONE RENTAL
COMPANY SEES ITS ROLE
N
eed a nice, concise defi nition
of what a rental company
provides for a wedding? We
asked Jack Hawkins Jr., president
of A Classic Party Rental in
Indianapolis, Ind., for his thoughts:
" We're a full-service event
rental company. When hired by a
future bride and groom, we have
a dedicated representative of our
company that walks the couple
through the entire rental process.
A tent rental company must focus
on all the potential hazards to
ensure a successful event.
" We start by doing a site visit to
ensure the vision the client has of a
specifi c style of tent will work in the
space provided. We measure the site to
ensure the tent fi ts and then determine
which method of anchoring will be best
for that specifi c site. Once the type of
anchoring is determined, we follow all
local laws on ballasting and calling in
underground utilities. Once we have
all the preliminary work completed,
we shift our focus to the actual event.
We help the client by providing a
layout of the tent with a diagram of
all rental equipment for placement
and fl ow of their special day.
" If you have been a part of
someone's special day or even
your own, we know from experience
the last thing a client wants to
worry about on their wedding
day is setting up/tearing down
equipment. We can help the client
by offering labor services to help
ensure a smooth and special day! "
32 intents april-may 2022
the day of the event, " she says. " For
example, if we see that the proposed
site is very low lying, and we think it's
likely to be very muddy or wet, that's
something we're going to bring up-
even if that's something they might not
want to hear. We like to discuss those
types of challenges up front, and I think
our clients do respect that we will
watch out for their interests and try
to see some of those things that could
become an issue. "
LIMITED RENTAL CHOICES
One of the issues Leo faces in working
with the rental companies is limited
choices. " The biggest challenge is
not having a lot of variety to choose
from at the local rental companies, "
she says. " People see these really
amazing rentals that come out of
Los Angeles and New York and Las
Vegas and don't realize we don't
always have local access to those
speciic items here in Utah. Our
options are somewhat limited. "
In addition, she says, " Popular rental
items get tired really quickly. Certain
items are in a constant rotation,
coming in and going out, and the wear
and tear shows. I've executed events
where the tables show up dirty and
I say, 'I wouldn't eat off that table.' It
probably got picked up the previous
night, put in a truck and delivered to
us that morning. When stuff like this
happens, I have conversations with my
sales reps-it's not acceptable. "
It's important for planners to be in
contact with their rental companies to
solve prominent issues, she says. " We
went to a meeting with a vendor team
I work with frequently and we chatted
for about three hours regarding what
new rentals to bring in based on what
clients are asking me for, what looks are
trending in industry publications and
social media, and what local items need
to be retired.
" Roles need to be defi ned in event planning,
but wedding planners tend to be the liaison
for the client, " says Jack Hawkins Jr., president
of A Classic Party Rental in Indianapolis, Ind.,
which did the work for this event.
Photo courtesy of A Classic Party Rental
" I appreciate the opportunity to
have these types of conversations with
my vendors, and I know they value
my feedback, " adds Leo. " We're one
of the top planners and event designers
in Utah, and our opinions (and the
demands of our clients) carry a lot of
weight with the vendors we choose to
do business with. "
InTents April/May 2022

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