It feels only right to address the elephant in the room and that is COVID-19. Last month we discussed the disruption some businesses were experiencing getting rental equipment due to the Coronavirus, but little did we know what just a few short weeks would bring to our industry nor could we have imagined the huge economic impact it has had and will continue to have on all industries. “Social distancing” has become the new buzzword when talking about any sort of gathering. Nearly all events have been canceled or postponed including weddings and big events. An article published by CNN Business stated that “the going assumption among planners and vendors…is that all weddings otherwise scheduled to take place in the next 60 days are going to be postponed.” For any business 60 days without income is tough, but the problem is that it is just a guestimate on how long it will take to get back to some sort of normalcy. That timeline is fluid and the daily news of the coronavirus and new findings reflects that very fluidity. So how exactly is a small business supposed to make it in such uncertain times? The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some simply won’t be able to overcome it.
The holiday parties are booked and soon your venues and rental companies will be abuzz with holiday activity. Before you even have a second to catch your breath after the last piece of holiday glitter is swept up, brides will be calling you for summer weddings. We did a little research about upcoming wedding color trends for summer 2020 and thought we would share a few of our favorite color combinations to give you a jump start on your wedding season.
Special Events posted an article around the end of February talking about how the event rental industry is suffering supply headaches due to Coronavirus. You can check out the full article here, but to summarize it stated that the rental industry is facing the challenge of “the breakdown of the supply chain from manufacturing powerhouse China.” In order to control the virus, China’s government has shut down factories in many areas. Although the government ordered the factories to reopen by February 10, many have not done so. This has suddenly become a big problem for rental companies that source all their chairs, tables and other rental items from China. Experts predict the recovery time for China to return to its normal production level is 18 months, that is, of course, 18 months from the time things get back to “normal”. One way to solve this problem affecting the rental business is to purchase products from other countries. One such company is McCourt Manufacturing located in the United States.
It’s not a party without a dance floor! Have you ever been to an event where there really wasn’t a designated dance floor? It seems like it’s hard to get the party started even with a great DJ or band. When people attend an event and have a great time, it stays with them. Whether your clients are wedding couples, fundraising organizations, corporations and everything in between, they want their guests to have a memorable and fun time and that starts with good music and a great dance floor. McCourt Manufacturing has the answer, the Ovation™ Portable Dance Floor. Adding this dance floor to your line-up is sure to become a popular rental item.
According to Social Tables (an event software company), event trends will shake up meetings and group business in 2020. Their study of trends reveals that meetings are growing and evolving at a rapid pace and in order to succeed event planners and venues must be flexible and in tune with their clients’ desires.
As an event venue space, you are deep into the holiday party season, but after the glitter settles from the last New Year’s Eve celebration how do you utilize the off-season? The off–season often finds event planners and venue owners exhausted and ready for a break. While breaks are necessary to take a breather from the business to refresh your mind and spirit, using the off-season after your break will help get things organized to make those busy seasons easier and more profitable. Here are a few off-season tips for your venue:
I came across an article from Entrepreneur the other day that I found very relevant to any business looking to set themselves apart by keeping it local. This particular article took a close look at Proper Hospitality’s business model and how each of their hotels reflects the particular city in which they are built. The company’s co-founder, Brian De Lowe, has developed an incredible way to localize each hotel although their corporate headquarters are located in San Francisco. Currently, they have four hotels in locations servicing different clientele — three are in California — San Francisco, Santa Monica, and downtown Los Angeles and the other is located in Austin, Texas. After reading the article, I couldn’t help but think that these are great applications for any business, especially those in the event business. I’ll recap on each area of importance to the Proper brand.
The temperatures are finally cooling down and that means fall has finally arrived. I like to refer to the period beginning with Labor Day to New Year’s Day as the holidays. Once Labor Day arrives there are very few weekends left during this time for consumers to host holiday-related parties. As a service provider, it is your time to capitalize on the parties by offering consumers a wide variety of products to assist in easy party planning allowing them to enjoy the event. Offering clients a variety of products also allows them to spend their budget dollars more efficiently by keeping them from shelling out their money to purchase party equipment like tables, chairs and other hospitality items.
Event hosts have really stepped up the cocktail hour game and it makes me very happy. I love the cocktail hour because it is a great way for guests to relax and talk amongst themselves at an event before the main event gets going. Pinterest is full of great cocktail hour ideas for all event types. Here are a few of my favorites:
All things in the event rental business continue to point to customization and personalization. Gone are the days of doing things just because that is how they’ve always been done. Clients are looking for anything from the rustic look and farm-style tables to minimalist and everything in between. The underlying theme is that they are looking for unique products to make their event personal and unique. McCourt Manufacturing offers many products to give you the ability to offer your clients those unique products.
A new decade is upon us, so what will be the biggest event trends in 2020? According to Michael Brenner of Marketing Insider Group, a bestselling author and globally-recognized keynote speaker on leadership, culture, and marketing, there are some exciting things to keep an eye on in the events industry. Two big event influencers will be sustainability and personalization.
Football season is upon us and that means tailgating! Tailgating has come a long way from the days of inviting a few friends over before the game and throwing some burgers on the grill. These days it is quite the event involving bringing out the big screen to watch all the pre-game festivities and lots of great table set-ups for 50 or so of your best friends. Sometimes the tailgate is more eventful than the game. Tailgating has also become big business for many rental companies expanding their business models to not only supplying the tables and chairs, but also setting the tailgate up for fans. If your rental company is looking for an additional income stream, this may be just what you’ve been looking for.
McCourt Manufacturing
1001 North 3rd St
Fort Smith, AR 72901
479-783-2593
800-333-2687
479-783-7608
479-783-7608
