Renting a Tent? Smart Move. Here’s How to Do It Responsibly.
Tents are a multifunctional addition to any event. They protect guests from sun and rain, create a designated space for gathering and add to the ambiance of the event. But, turning a tent’s parts and pieces into a functional structure is a major undertaking. Tenting done incorrectly can put guests in harm’s way and put your event on hold. Thankfully, there are ways to ensure the tent gets set up by professionals who are trained, experienced and vetted.
1. Use the Rental Store Locator
Our number one piece of advice is to find a rental store through the Rental Store Locator. The tool provides a list of rental stores near you that are trusted members of the American Rental Association (ARA). As members, they have exclusive access to training opportunities and educational resources, making them better equipped to serve you.
2. Vet Potential Partners
Choose a few options, get in touch and ask about their tent installation training and experience. Here are a few sample questions to ask:
- How many tents do you typically set up each week? (The more tent work they do, the better.)
- How long have your tent installers been with the company?
- What type of training do they have?
- How do you ensure a tent is set up correctly?
- Can I see photos of previous setups you’ve done?
3. Attend the Site Visit
Once you choose a rental store to partner with, they’ll likely initiate a site visit. This meeting is essential to ensuring your investment goes as planned. Seeing the event space beforehand helps the rental store plan appropriately and avoid complications on the day of.
4. Be Present
Make sure you’re on-site during tent installation. Regardless of if you know how to install a tent, you can raise concern if anything looks unstable. That way, any issues can be addressed in a timely manner and before the event begins.
Safe Tenting Standard Program
The ARA has always been an advocate for safety in tent installation and beyond. With the Safe Tenting Standard program, the association is doubling down on safety and working to educate and train as many tent installers as possible. There are over 20,000 tent installers in the labor force and more than 1 million tented private events that occur in the U.S. every year.
“The Safe Tenting Standard is an unrivaled program,” says ARA CEO Tony Conant. “What tent installers do is a craft, a trade, and it is our job to protect them.”
Backed by research, the Safe Tenting Standard program includes information on ballasting calculators, ground testing tools, emergency evacuation plans, site assessment forms, online and hands-on training and more. All of this ensures tent crews operate safely and precisely, protecting not only themselves but also their customers and communities.
The program was created to be a self-regulation standard for the tent industry. The information is free and available to everyone, members and nonmembers.
If you already have a preferred tent rental partner, see if they’ve completed the program. If they haven’t, encourage them to take the step. For those searching for a preferred partner, find an ARA-backed rental store today.