USING AN EVENT TENT TO DRAW PROSPECTS

JUNE 21, 2022| SpeedPro of Denver

Setting Up Your First Event Tent

In-person events are a great way to connect with customers and prospects to grow your business. Festivals, fairs, sporting events, trade shows, big meetings and conferences are all perfect venues to interact with customers and increase your brand awareness. An eye-catching and inviting event tent can be a great visual tool for attracting prospects. You can create a custom display revolving around your tent—much of it reusable—that represents your business visually in an interesting way.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TENT

Event tents provide shelter from the elements and define your brand’s display area at an outdoor event. An engaging event tent will attract customers to come try a sample, sign up for a drawing, pick up a free pen, scan a QR code to see your company website and watch a one-minute video. Choosing the right tent is the first step to creating a captivating event space. Ask yourself these three questions to help you make the right decision:

1. HOW BIG OF AN EVENT TENT DO I NEED?
Depending on which type you choose, sizes range from 5 to 20 feet wide. Pop-up canopy tents are ideal for smaller vendor spaces. Frame event tents are often bigger and more suitable for large outdoor gatherings. The large sizes must be staked into soft ground to support the frame, but you can use smaller versions on hard surfaces like concrete. Consider which events you plan to exhibit at and how much space you will have at those different venues. With the right design and proper planning, you can make a big impact with any sized tent.

2. WHICH TYPE OF TENT IS RIGHT FOR MY VARIOUS EVENTS?
There are two distinct tent designs that you can choose from:

• Pop-up canopy tents: A pop-up tent folds open and closed for easy assembly (and for taking down to re-pack and re-use). They consist of four legs with a canopy roof. It takes only a few minutes to set up with no tools required. They are available in a square or dome shape. Canopy tents come in various configurations as full fabric panels or partial walls around the sides. Your tent can be fully open or partially enclosed depending on your preferences, but the front is open by design so guests can approach.

• Frame event tents: Constructed from a more robust frame, these event tents are available in a wide range of sizes. Their sturdy frame requires more time and effort to build compared to a pop-up. They have four or more legs and a canopy roof with the option of adding side panels. Some versions include metal poles that are driven into the ground for added stability.

So, you know the location of your booth within the overall event space and your booth size, you’ve attended events and taken photos of tents you thought worked well and evaluated how much content and what type of content had an impact from a distance (logo with without tagline if it’s not readable, bullet points or a few short, declarative statements, WIN XX HERE!,). That homework done, you’re ready to start the creative part of event planning.

3. HOW MUCH CUSTOMIZATION IS NEEDED?
Once you’ve chosen your ideal tent style in the proper size, you can make it your own with custom graphics. A branded tent will help you create an attention-grabbing display that looks cohesive and professional. SpeedPro can help you design vibrant graphics for a showstopping tent.

a. Choose to order a tent that is your company’s primary color with your custom graphics permanently screened on (logo, key messages, key offers).
b. Choose to order a plain, stock color tent and add sticker graphics of your logo and event-specific offers that can be removed then changed out for the next event.

SETTING UP FOR AN EVENT

If you’re attending your first event or using an event tent for the first time, you may feel nervous about preparing your space. With the proper planning and the right supplies, setup can be quick and easy. Follow these steps leading up to your event so you can focus on interacting with customers and prospects when the day arrives

ORDER AHEAD

With any event tent, hardware and some level of customization are generally involved so there’s bound to be more lead time needed. We recommend putting choosing and designing your tent at the top of the event to-do list since it’s a key component.

When you get to this stage, be sure to include the time for these essential tasks:

• Plan your display and order the supplies you need.
• Create a packing list so you remember to take everything to the event.
• Make sure you pack any tools required for setup.
• Consider what kind of transportation you need to accommodate your team, the tent, supplies and the materials for the event.
• And plan the reverse for an efficient tear-down.

PRACTICE SETTING UP THE TENT

Setting up a frame tent or pop-up may be easier than you may think, but it helps to try it once or twice before the actual event so the crew is comfortable with the weight and bulkiness of the tent. Practicing will help you learn how to get it up so you can do it quickly and efficiently (and, again, practice taking it down and packing for an efficient tear-down).

GIVE THE CREW EXTRA TIME

If you’ve taken the time to practice, you will have a good idea of how long it will take to set up at the actual event. However, sometimes unexpected challenges can cause delays when there are how many vendors with the same show deadline?  Being aware of how many other companies are exhibiting and showing up at the same time is part just part of event planning.

All the planning and preparations will be worth it when you’re confidently setting up that tent and quickly able to shift your focus to engaging with the customers and prospects that your tent draws in.

CONTACT US FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT TENT & OTHER SIGNAGE!

SpeedPro Denver can design, print and deliver these branded essentials:

• Backdrops
• Banners
• Booth Graphics
• Feather flags
• Posters
• And of course, TENTS!

Our graphic designers will help you create a custom design that will work across all event pieces to promote your appearance; then we’ll print and deliver your new tent.

Great. Big. Graphics. It’s what we do. Give us a call at 303.426.4199, email denver@speedpro.com or visit www.speedpro.com/denver to connect with us about your event graphics. We provide free estimates and will come to you. To see and read about countless print jobs we’ve done, check out our Studio News, read some glowing reviews and browse our impressive, extensive portfolio!