As regular readers to the Neptune Bar Hire Co blog will know, we also offer a marquee hire service for all types of events. Neptune Marquees supply clear span marquees to schools, colleges, universities, large corporations, small businesses, event hire companies and also for private parties.
Now, ordinarily, we wouldn’t put up a blog post on the Neptune Bars site that relates to marquees, because Neptune Marquees has its own website in development. However, often the two things go hand in hand and lately, we are seeing a trend in booking a mobile bar and a marquee together. We’ve also noticed that the marquee bookings are getting later and later, which is causing some issues. Let us explain why:
- Trade supply issues – at present, a lot of people are holding outdoor events, due to the COVID restrictions, which in itself has been a bit of a challenge; most marquee events would be classed as ‘indoor’ unless at least three of the sides can be removed. This has resulted in supply issues for those in the trade; thankfully, Neptune Marquees has a fairly large, clean stock of marquees that are ready to go and we book carefully to avoid overlaps. But, if we do need to purchase or hire in extra equipment for your event, there will be a lead time and at present there is a supply shortage.
- Increased costs – Leaving a booking until the last minute will probably mean a higher cost for you. This is not because we are greedy; it takes a team of people to transport and assemble a medium to large sized marquee and if you leave it to the last minute, we have to pay staff accordingly, particularly when they are part time. It is not just a case of throwing a big tent up and leaving you to it – there are procedures to follow when erecting marquees and we also have to ensure that they are clean, damage free and that the floor is correctly laid. Nobody wants to have an issue with the dancefloor when the party is in full swing!
- See numbers 1 and 2! We cannot stress how important it is to book early; not only does this give you peace of mind, but it will keep your costs down and it will allow us to plan in advance so that your event runs smoothly, without any last minute drama.
Lastly, we will leave you with an invaluable piece of advice about booking a marquee for more than one night. When you are finished for the evening, please do ensure that you secure the doors properly when it is not in use. We have had some horror scenarios over the past few months where marquees have been left open and wild animals have managed to get in. Not only can they ruin the expensive flooring, but they will damage the walls of the tent and leave some unpleasant gifts behind. You will know by now that not much phases us at Neptune, but frankly, we would rather not have to clear up behind the local wildlife party and we are sure that you won’t want to pay for an expensive replacement floor!
If you would like further information on hiring a marquee (or a mobile bar, for that matter), please contact Mat at info@neptunemarquees.co.uk