Rain or Shine Tent Blog

Hi All,
I have moved our blog location to www.rainorshinevt.com/blog

That is where I will be posting new entries from now on.  See you there!

How to size a tent for a cocktail party

Cocktail parties are great fun. They are an informal mixer that lacks any schedule and enables your guests to just have a good time.  The topic of this post is how to size a tent/event space for a cocktail party.  The rule of thumb is that you assume 6-8 sq ft/person for "roaming" space.  This number will create the "feel" of the event.  If you want it tight and have your guests be closer together, then you reduce this number.  If you want your guest to be able to spread out, then increase the number.  You must also add the amount of space the furniture takes up and the amount of space for the food stations and bars. The area that a piece of furniture takes up is a function of it's size and the amount of space you want around it for guests.  The amount of space for a bar is typically about 250 sq ft per bartender.  (if you have a two-bartender bar, then about 500 sq ft)  It really is that simple.  If anyone has any questions or comments, then please let me know.

New Chairs in Action

Here is a camera phone photo of our new chairs in action at The Catersource

Back from Vegas

Hi All,
So we are back from Las Vegas.  It is the first time that I have ever stayed for any length of time there.  In the past, I was just passing through or only stayed one night.  I am not a gambler and I am more of an outdoorsy person (hence living in Vermont), but I have to say that I had fun.  I took it for what it was and enjoyed some things that Las Vegas had to offer.  The sushi was delicious and Cirque du soleil was amazing.  On top of that, there are a bunch of new ideas that we got at The Rental Show and at Catersource.  Let me know if anyone has any questions.
Pete

The Rental Show

I am leaving in a day for Las Vegas.  It is this years location for the American Rental Association annual convention. http://www.therentalshow.com  I look forward to these to see some new products as well as some fellow rental professionals that I have met at previous ARA events.  Going to these helps us stay current and learn from all the other rental companies.  While we enjoy thinking outside the box and going in new and unique directions, we also do not to waste time re-inventing the wheel.  There is so much to learn at these events.    We also visit the construction portion of the rental show and see if there are any new and unique items that will help us create more sophisticated events.  After all, we do BUILD new wedding venues every weekend. Anyway in which we can set-up and take down quicker and more efficient will translate into savings for our clients.
P.S. Yes, i did have to shovel about 12-14" of new snow today, so 50 degrees in Las Vegas is looking pretty good. 

Sailcloth tents

We have sailcloth tents!  I have posted this on our facebook page and also on our website.  I have pasted a couple of photos.  The sizes that we have are 20x27, 33x60, 42x83, 51x91.  We will also have some period lighting as well as all hardwood poles.  Please contact us for more information

Christophe Chef Services

I want to point your attention to a great husband and wife catering team for events.  They do a great job bringing in all the food and cooking fresh right there on-site.  They have done some great events in the past and I am told they are adding different styles of food their menu.  They are Chris and Carolyn Sailer and their company is called Christophe Chef Services.  Their website is http://themoonshineinn.com/chef-services/  the best way to contact is to call them. I understand they are re-doing their website.