O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies

Out with the old, In with the new.

2012-01-27T16:28:00.002-05:00

We're currently going through a rigorous inventory assessment right now which the result is scrapping a whole pile (see picture) of our tent inventory. From frame tents, canopy tents, and pole tents our rental inventory is getting a major upgrade this winter.

Our manufacturing team starts the process by opening up tops in our facility and assessing their quality. Those deemed to be unfit to rent have all of the reusable hardware removed and the vinyl is scrapped.

Please know that once the vinyl is scrapped, we do not take it to the dump! We donate the used tents to local farmers and others to be used as tarps, covers, etc... We care about the environment we operate in. It's awesome to be able to help out those in our community and the environment at the same time!

When we go through old inventory, we look at rental trends and see if the tents are worth replacing or not. For example, 15 years ago, a customer would ask for 60' wide tents and we would automatically set up a pole tent. Anymore, tents of great size must be engineered. We won't be replacing too many of those pole tents as O'Neil has been on the front lines of clear span structures and engineered pole tents.

It is important to keep our inventory as fresh and new as possible in order to remain relevant in the tent rental market. As discussed in a previous post, our manufacturing capabilities give us a competitive advantage. We can replace our inventory cheaper than our competition and we pass those savings directly to you, our customers.

Web Site Updates

2012-01-25T14:23:00.001-05:00

We've recently updated the layout and functionality of our website to make it more user friendly for our current and prospective customers.

A look at the newly revamped website!

O'Neil is proud to be the rental destination for tents, canopy tents, tables, chairs, etc... in Columbus, OH. We just wanted to make our customer's online experience as stream- lined as possible.

Our team made it so all of the content on our www.oneiltents.com homepage is visible when the page loads. This means if you're looking for tent, table or chair rentals you can more easily navigate to your destination.

In addition to making the page easier to navigate, we've added menu's for our sale items. This allows us a unique place to offer the market great deals on our used inventory.

Speaking of deals, we're giving our customers a chance to opt-in to our mailer. We will send email campaigns to those interested in event equipment rentals offering sales and discounts, as well as keeping folks up to date with industry trends.

Take a minute to go over to our site and let us know what you think about the recent changes made in the comments section. We're thrilled to hear feedback!

New Clear Span Inventory

2012-01-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

We are happy to announce that we have added the ability to create hex ends to our 10 meter wide structures. These ends add to the design element of clear span structures.

Rather than the flat gable end that we our currently offering our customers, the hex end can create interest as an entrance (as used in this application).

We can custom fabric the roof panels to be standard white or any other color or stripe that you desire. When want something out of the ordinary, or when you want to dress up an entry way, think of a hex end.

Please reference the CAD drawing below that illustrates the difference in our product offering:

'Tis the Season

2011-12-16T11:28:00.001-05:00

Columbus Commons opened this past Spring with the mission to bring more green space and a family friendly environment to the downtown landscape. They have thus far delivered on this plan quite successfully.

Before the park opened, there were many people who complained that this type of green space should not be built in a down economy. People were worried that the city and corporate investors were wasting their money.

After a full season of events and people flocking to the space for recreation, I would think that the people who were complaining before can see the merit in putting a green space like this in the heart of downtown. From food truck festivals to flag football, the Commons has hosted a wide variety of events. We are proud to have worked with the Commons on several of their events this past year. We are also happy to take part in the Holiday Fair this weekend.

We erected a 66x82 clear span structure on the Grand Lawn complete with heat, 2 double door units and lighting. Usually, this size of a structure isn't much of a challenge to our experienced installation crew but this project was not without its own challenges. Because the park rests on top of the old City Center parking garage, we cannot drive stakes into the lawn to secure the structure. Our solution was to bring in 60,000 pounds of concrete ballasts to ensure that the safety of our structure was not compromised (If you check my post a few weeks back on the Indiana State Fair tragedy, you'll understand why safety is our primary concern.)

There is something exciting about a project that challenges your professional abilities. Challenging projects test your logistical planning skills, the creativity of your installation professionals, and your ability to change your game plan on the fly. If every project we did was the exact same this industry would get boring after a while. Its because of these unique challenges that I think you have so many Tent and Event Rental professionals and families who stay in the business for generations like our family has.

The Holidays a season for gift giving and being with your family. The Columbus Commons has given the Central Ohio community a gift in this park that can be enjoyed year round.

Happy Holidays from O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies
!

Getting Ready for Winter

2011-11-14T15:08:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when the weather is taking a permanent turn towards the cold. In full disclosure, as I am typing this, we're having a 70 degree day in the middle of November. We call days like today "bonus days" as they are an extra chance to sneak in one more round of golf before it gets too cold. Without fail though, every year it is going to get cold and windy.

We've worked on some pretty interesting projects for customers in preparation for the cold weather to arrive. In the end, each of the projects I am going to discuss have one goal: block as much of the winter weather as possible.

One common Winter project we work on year in and year out is to help local bars and restaurants enclose patios. Enclosures can be custom fabrications or we can use tents to cover patios. This year, we fabricated 14' tall, clear wall panels for Milestone 229 on the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus. The clear wall enable the restaurant to offer more capacity to service diners in an environment closed off from the harsh winter elements. For customers who have open patio space, like Coaches off of Bethel Road, a tent or clear span structure may be the answer.

Another industry bracing for Winter is the construction industry. We recently fabricated several 2,000 sq. ft. panels that will temporarily close the sides of buildings as work is completed. Our covers will serve as a wind break on the higher floors of the new building, allowing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing to be installed without the harassment of brisk winds. Outside of enclosure covers, some construction companies are going the route of putting clear span structures over their entire job site to fully protect their workers from wind, snow, and cold (as our structures can be heated).

Another use for our products is newer to us this year. The new application is temporary storage facilities. Whether its a shipping company needing more space to work out of over the Holiday season, or a large scale manufacturer protecting finished goods, our clear span structures have been employed with much more frequency this fall into the Winter.

As featured in...

2011-10-24T13:42:00.000-04:00

We are proud to contribute to the Tent Rental Industry in any way possible. We are sometimes asked by the folks at InTents magazine to share our knowledge and expertise in certain areas. Clicking the photo's below will take you to the InTents articles we contributed to.

Bob Evans Farm Festival

2011-10-21T10:16:00.004-04:00

The Bob Evans Farm Festival has been a great customer of ours for several years. As the Festival has grown, the type of tents they have used have become much larger and much more sophisticated. When Ray McKinnis, manager of Bob Evans Farms, approached us to discuss this year's festival, we thought they might want to change their order a bit; But, we were suprised when they said they wanted to re-design the site layout and almost complete change how the Farm Festival would operate.

Change is to be expected in the rental industry, but a change this large called for a complete re-thinking of the event. Brian Ritchey, our President, worked with Ray to re-configure the grounds and tenting to substitute clear span structures for the numerous large pole tents that the Farm had been using. From those planning meetings came the new Bob Evans Farm Festival. 14 uniquely colored structures would be set up in a horse shoe shape for vendors to operate out of. In addition to each tent being a different color, all of the gable triangles would be clear, to let more natural light in. Each of those structures would be lighted by our 400 watt high bay tent lights. There would still be some smaller frame tents used for general purposes, but the new Festival design created a significant manufacturing challenge.

As soon as the plan was finalized, our manufacturing team went to work on creating 64 new roof panels of varying color stripes, 28 new clear gable triangles, and several new lights were assembled to complete the order. All of this production was to be done while projects for other manufacturing customers were being worked on. The results: one of the most technologically advanced, beautiful set up's that we've done in recent years was created.

Please see the pictures below, and check out our facebook page for more images. You can also get more information regarding manufacturing capabilities on our website @ http://www.oneiltents.com/.

Michigan Irish Music Festival 2011

2011-09-13T10:47:00.005-04:00

We showed up Thursday, left on Sunday afternoon and set up 4 clear span structures, 2 40' pole tents and about 20 frames in between. The 7 hour drive up to Muskegon is well worth the results achieved by our crew. The setting at Heritage Landing is absolutely beautiful and a great place to have a festival. In addition to the Irish Music Festival, the park hosts Summer Celebration each year (a gigantic festival/concert series).

The spec's of the job changed a little bit this year from last. The Festival requested that we change one of the 40' frame tents to a 15m clear span. Its interesting to me that once a customer uses structures, they tend to not want anything else. The functionality of the new structure should be great for the Festival. They now have a tented area with a taller side height than the frame, and our structure can stand up to just about anything that mother nature can throw at it. Other than the changed tent, the project was very similar to the last couple of years.

We wish the folks at the Irish Music Festival nothing but the best of luck with this year's event and we look forward to working with them in the future.

2011 World Jet Masters Photos

2011-08-24T10:27:00.004-04:00

Photos by: Model Airplane News, Model Aviation and TJ Rohyans.
20x20 Vendor Tent Row:

20x20 Frame for Flight Judges:

Airplane Evaluation 10m Structure:

Airplane Storage/Prep Area 25m Structure:

More Airplane/Prep Area:

Foreground, 10m Evaluation Area. Middle, 25m Storage/Prep Area. Back, 80 Pole tent.

Why Google Analytics Helps our Business

2011-08-23T10:09:00.003-04:00

After a major overhaul of our website last winter. One of my jobs as the sales and marketing manager is to make sure our customers are getting the content they need from our website. Without knowing every single one of the thousands of people who visit our site in a months time, its hard to call them and get feedback. I started doing a little research and found that Google Analytics was the right tool for the job.

Not only can I see where traffic is coming from (direct traffic, search engines, referring sites, etc...), I can see what is important to our customers as they make decisions about their equipment rental. I can see what types of content our customers value like pictures or information about our company and I can see how our customers navigate our site to get where they want to go.

Google does not give personal information like addresses or emails, but I can see where people are checking us out from at a city level. This helps me to target certain markets that have shown interest in our company. I can tell google to show me the content that matters most to the people who visit our site from Lexington, KY. I can see if they are interested in tables, chairs, structures or frame tents. I can see how much time visitors stay on each page and at what point in navigation they clicked out of our site (this is called a bounce). Action can be taken on the highest bounce rate locations by modifying the content on those pages to keep prospective customers on the site longer.

There is a ton more that Google Analytics can do for you, but the best part of all of these metrics and the information is that its completely free. If you don't use google analytics to track your webpage content, you're missing a serious opportunity to give your customers what they want.

Safety and Peace of Mind

2011-08-16T10:10:00.002-04:00

As city state and local governments begin stepping up their enforcement of safety in event equipment like tents, staging, production rigging, festival rides, etc... It reminds of me the big leaps in safety our industry has taken in recent years to protect the attendees of our events. Long before certain standards were set in place, manufacturers created tents that were engineered for various wind loads, snow loads, and hanging loads. Our structures (which we started renting in 1982) were engineered to stand up to 90 mph winds in certain exposures and can hold a static weight of 1,000 pounds per arch safely. Before engineered tents came along, customers didn't necessarily have the peace of mind that they now find. They can now rest assured that only an "act of God" will effect their event.

Unfortunately, that is what we saw at the Indiana State Fair this past weekend when a freak wind gust blew through the fair grounds, killing 5, injuring almost 50 more, and mangling production rigging. This tragedy serves as a reminder that when the general public, or any one for that matter, attends an event, the highest level of precaution must be taken to ensure their safety. To be clear, I have no idea if the set up the equipment was safe or not, or if it was installed properly or not. Sometimes these things are beyord our control, but they need to be considered when planning an event.

Initially, our customers balked at the increase in price to add higher levels of safety to their events. Slowly over time though, they have seen the benefit of covering their assets and guests with structures that will do a much better job of protection from the elements. We recently wrote about a large pole tent going down at an event. I was personally on site to monitor the tents in case of emergency. I was able to see the instability take shape and we shut the tent down so there wasn't a chance anyone could enter a potentially unsafe position (also with the help of the National Guard, vendors were prohibited from entering the tent).

It is now my position as an event professional to make sure this situation doesn't happen again. It is my job to plan a safer alternative for my customer. After all, I'm the one with the expertise as to what can make the situation safer for him, his guests, and his vendors. Once I make the proposal though, its up to the festival and organizers if they will act upon my suggestions. Hopefully they see the merit in using safer structures in a position that is potentially dangerous based on the weather.

To sum up, some companies are complaining that the cost of safer materials are too expensive and prohibitive. Some customers are worried that they will not be able to afford the additional costs. All city, state and local governments do not care about those concerns. Their only concern is the safety of the event attendees -- and rightfully so.

* A note to the tent companies on the fence about purchasing structures or engineered tents: While the newer tents do cost more, they are extremely durable (we still use some of our original frame work that is almost 30 years old), the tents are easy to install (our crews can set up a 20,000 square foot structure in less than 8 hours), and your insurance company will love you for cutting your liability.

Ichthus Festival Follow Up

2011-06-23T16:15:00.003-04:00

Lessons Learned:

1. Pole Tents don't do well in 40 mph winds.

2. Stakes don't have the same holding power in Rock as they do in normal soil conditions.

3. The guys at Goff Southeast Tents are real pros.

Over all, the event went very well. There were some minor complications during the week due to weather (i.e. guy ropes loosening, stakes pulling, etc...) but the event was still able to go on. There were a couple of instances that we erred on the side of safety that we closed a couple of the tents until they could be re-secured.

Then the morning of tear down arrived. The grounds of the Ichthus festival (as described in our previous post) were a little challenging. Between the situation of staking into rock and the largest tents being on the top of a hill, we faced an overall losing battle. The weather on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service, boasted 30 mph winds for about 6 hours with gusts up to 40mph as well as steady rain. This combination of factors caused the pole tents we had on the top of the hill to be knocked down. Fortunately the tops weren't severely damaged and they will be repaired. One of our center poles wasn't as fortunate and was folded in half. This pole must be scrapped. If you've never seen a piece of steel 6" in diameter bent like play dough, please see below (now you might appreciate the precaution in shutting down the tents while they were re-secured).

We got a call from the folks at the festival, as well as our tear down crew, to let us know about the issue. Fortunately, like vendors at every other festival we work with, all of the vendors were packed up and out of town the night the festival was over. Also, no one was allowed on the grounds as the festival had closed. No one was injured other than our poor tops and center pole.

Finally, my comment about the guys at Goff Southeast Tents. When we had issues with stakes pulling from the rock bed and ultimately a tent coming halfway down in a storm, I called them to see if I could use their hammer drill and jackhammer to resecure the stakes and help put the tent back in the air. Without hesitation, they sent a crew of guys to help me out. Ian Goff, their manager, made sure I had all of the resources I needed to make sure the job was done and done right. Thanks to them, the Ichthus Festival could go on as planned. I hope one day to be able to return them the favor they gave me. Its nice to know that in the competetive industry that we are in, there are guys out there who will lend a hand, no questions asked. Those guys are real pros and we are certainly in their debt.

Moving forward, we have a few more crazy weeks of installs ahead before we get to catch a break after July 4th. After that break we head into the Ohio State Fair and the Dublin Irish Festival installs. With what we've learned at the Ichthus Festival, we'll plan to be as safe as possible for the foreseeable future.

Ichthus Festival - Wilmore, KY

2011-06-13T10:12:00.003-04:00

I'm told that this event is called the Woodstock of Christian Music. I know it as the event with the hardest surface to drive stakes that we've ever set up. The folks at the Ichthus Music Festival in Wilmore, KY (just southwest of Lexington) do a tremendous job putting together all of the elements that make a great festival.

Starting with the setting, farm land tucked away in horse country, the 360 degree views from the event space are only of nature and are quite awe-inspiring. The festival space has nothing but plenty of room to enjoy about 100 different bands on 4 stages. Across the acreage of the farm we set up several large, traditional pole style tents from 60 to 100 feet wide. These tents should give ample coverage from the sun for the tens of thousands that are anticipated to arrive later this week.

I was personally impressed that, even though this farm is seemingly in the middle of no where, the facilities on site are just as impeccable as the land they sit on. They have huge restroom and shower facilities for the concert goers, running water in dozens of locations around the grounds, and very well laid out electrical service at all parts of the farm.

In terms of the installation, we arrived last Tuesday afternoon and began to work immediately. Before the end of the day, we had both 100'x200' tents in the air. We then started working on the rest of the tents on Wednesday, first laying them out, then circling back around to actually put them up. Rather than devote all of our guys to one tent at a time, we worked in an assembly line fashion where a handful of guys were responsible for lacing and laying out stakes. The next group of guys would come in and put in side poles and center poles. The final group of guys would come through and tighten everything down. The teams would move on in shifts from tent to tent until the entire install of the large tents was done. I found this method to be extremely efficient.

One note on tent installation in Kentucky: ALWAYS BRING A HAMMER DRILL TO PRE DRILL ALL STAKE HOLES. A regular jackhammer will not drive re-bar or steel stakes through the Kentucky rock. This is a lesson we learned very quickly and I am happy to pass it on to any other tent company installing tents in that area.

All in all, we finished our installation in 3 and a half days. That was what we scheduled for the job so I'm pleased in that regard. I think we could've moved a bit quicker if we were better prepared for the staking surface. Our part of the event is now complete and the folks at Ichthus are setting up the rest of their staging, lighting, sound equipment, etc... I wish them nothing but luck with set up and the event.

2011-06-06T07:43:00.004-04:00

Its been a while since we've posted anything as we're in the middle of our busiest time of the year. To show the craziness we go through to complete graduation parties, please check out this article from the Columbus Dispatch this past weekend. On top of the 160 graduation parties we set up last weekend, we also provided tenting for events around the Memorial Tournament, a fundraising event for St. Jude's at the Columbus Zoo, the Columbus Arts festival, and the OHSAA State Championship Track meet at OSU. Our guys have been working serious overtime for the last 3 weeks. This week upcoming looks to be just as busy as the last couple but we should be returning back to normal and our crews will be happy to finally get some rest! Photos of those events listed above to come.

Decorator's Show House

2011-04-25T08:38:00.003-04:00

O'Neil Tents had the pleasure to set up tenting for the Decorators Show House, an event benefitting the Columbus Museum of Art. This job features a 30x45, a 20x20, an 8x8, and a 15x15 frame tent lashed together on an odd shaped drive way to create the maxium amount of usable event space. This special event also features a pretty special 33x33 clear span structure. The structure was built on biljax stage to level out the sloping yard between landscaping beds and carpeted to help aid in the finished feel of the structure. Please see our facebook page for the images of the event.

March, St. Patty's Day and More.

2011-04-01T14:02:00.010-04:00

Well, as today is the first of April, a couple of things have happened recently. First, We're starting to get past some of the cold weather that we've come to know and love in Columbus. Second, our installation crews are starting to see more time on the road working on projects (which, believe me, they prefer to inventory maintenance). Third, we've had another St. Patrick's Day weekend. Everyone knows that the biggest St. Patrick's Day party in the state is at Flannagan's in Dublin. We've worked with them to cover their sand volleyball courts with 25mx50m clear span structure. Using structure, we're able to almost make the volley ball court area an extension of the building itself because of the proximity to the building that we can achieve. This is an awesome event that the local morning zoo broadcasts from and thousands of people attend throughout the day. This year we added another new comer to the St. Patrick's day mix. The Tilted Kilt in Polaris is a pretty interesting bar/restaurant to say the least. Its basically the child of an Irish Pub and Hooters. The concept apparently works due to the success of their inaugural St. Patrick's Day Party. The Tilted Kilt took over the parking lot in front of its restaurant and we set up a 15mx30m clear span structure complete with event deck flooring, staging, lighting, tables and chairs. In addition to these services, we took care of heating the event space, generator and crowd control fencing. This job was not without challenges, but it shows how awesome planning and execution can make an event feel seemless. After the initial site visit and quote acceptance, O'Neil achieved the temporary building permits, hired contractors, and delivered positive results for our new customer. We took care of the details so all they had to worry about was traffic into the event. Some of the pictures below are credited to the Tilted Kilt Columbus' Facebook account. Check out their page for more images of events at the pub.

Deadly Game of Follow the Leader

2011-03-01T11:06:00.004-05:00

Today, a friend of mine brought an interesting video/concept to my attention. Ants are blind and when they travel to collect food, they follow a leader based on scent. This gets a little dicey as the leader isn't a designated ant, its just the one who happens to be walking in the front of the pack. So, a major problem can arise when an ant from the middle of the pack veers off course and suddenly moves to front of the group. The effect is that the pack doubles back on itself and the result is thousands of ants marching in a spiral until they die of starvation. The article is from NPR and can be found here. There is a pretty neat video on there too.

In terms of a small business, this idea of playing a deadly game of follow the leader is a little scary. Not having a clear reference point to your goals and not having the right person leading the way can be catastrophic. If your vision for your company isn't clear and you are easily taken off track, much like the ants, productivity will cease until your company eventually starves to death.

Home and Garden Show

2011-02-25T09:14:00.003-05:00

If you're looking for something to do this weekend to escape the winter blah's of Columbus, check out the home and garden show at the State Fair Grounds. You can get some really great ideas for improving your landscape from some of the top professionals in the area. The event will take place in two different buildings on the Fair Grounds. You may ask if you'll need to brave the winter weather when walking from building to building and the answer is NO!

O'Neil Tents set up a 50' wide clear span structure between the buildings that covers the walkway and will hopefully make your day a little more enjoyable.

For the show schedule and a list of presenters that includes an HGTV host, please check out their website at http://dispatchevents.com/events.html.

Giving Back

2011-02-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

O'Neil tents is a firm believer in supporting our local community. We recently donated a custom equipment cover to the Canal Winchester marching band and they were kind enough to senda thank you email to all of their boosters. Check out the letter on our web page at: http://www.oneiltents.com/pages/testimonials.aspx

Video of Tents in the Storm at the Expo

2011-02-03T11:24:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of the IFAI Tent Rental Division website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO065J1PYuE

IFAI Convention: Days 3 & 4

2011-02-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

(Just getting around to posting after the conference, but I was writing drafts the whole time)

Day 3

The morning was spent at industry meetings. Unfortunately the ballasting presentation was pushed back a day. I am really anticipating this presentation to see what industry peers think the right and wrong ways are to ballast tents. Hopefully the presentation doesn't get cancelled all together.

The tent vendors are busy setting up their structures in the parking lot outside of the hotel. There isn't too much new in terms of physical structure but the accessories look like they could be pretty cool. The Celina folks have started incorporating walling tracks on their uprights. There is a massive storm brewing off the coast set to hit in the afternoon, it should be interesting to see who is confident enough in their products to leave them out in the wind. After the calamity of tents going down in last year's storm in Phoenix, I wouldn't be suprised if some people halted their set up.

Aside from the tent set up, there were some presentations about thinking outside of the box, using social media and technology to your benefit and being a part of the winning team. The social media presenter was in Phoenix, but brought some really good, new ideas to the table (more on those later).

Between presentations and the welcome reception, I'm sitting in my room waiting on this storm. Should be a doozy.

Day 4

The storm came and went and miraculously, no tents had issues. VERY impressive. Even Aztek's pole tents that seemed pretty lightweight stayed up. WOW! I did not see that coming.

The ballasting presentation was moved to this morning and it was interesting to see what some people consider to be enough weight. After seeing what some people are up to, I feel confident that we are on the leading edge of the industry in terms of weighting down tents (that or we over-load our tent legs to be safe).

It was good to get out and see the tents, like I mentioned yesterday, there wasn't too much new in terms of revolutionary products. Either way, its good to be out and seeing what the rest of the industry is up to.

The big presentation that everyone was waiting on in terms of commissioning a ballasting study was discussed at length this afternoon. There was very spirited debate over whether or not to hire a firm to look into what the appropriate amount of weight is to hold down different styles of tents. Some companies seemed to think that putting an industry standard out there could hurt their business because they would have to radically change the way they operate. My personal feeling is that there is no price on safety at an event. If we can come up with a way to make sure our customers are more safe, I'm all for it (I also voted to commission the survey).

As part of the closing day, an awards dinner was held and after that, Losberger threw an awesome party on the beach. I got some great ideas for tent lighting from the party that would dramatically go to improve an area that we are a little behind in. More to come on that as well!

IFAI Convention

2011-01-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

Day 2:

The golf outting was a lot of fun. Our team (me, my dad, Mike from Snyder, Linc from Versaidag) finished 3 under par. We had a blast and most importantly, we were able to get out and golf for the first time in about 3 months.

Following the golf outting, members got together for a meet and greet. It was a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to new members and to catch up with old friends. The event was held at the Tiki bar on the premises of the Tradewinds Hotel and Resort. Pretty intimate location and a great spot for the networking event. At the meet and greet they handed out the awards for the golf tournament. I was disappointed that we didn't win (the winning team was 11 under par), but I was thrilled that we weren't awarded the last place consolation prize either.

The day was capped off by a nice dinner and conversation with friends, both new and old.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow where the exhibition tents will be set up in the parking lot in front of the resort. A pretty heavy storm is supposed to blow through the area. It will be interesting to see which companies feel confidently enough about their products to leave them up in the high winds.

IFAI Tent Convention

2011-01-25T16:16:00.000-05:00

Day 1:

Every year the IFAI puts on a conference for its members to convene for discussions about industry trends, recent successes as well as opportunities for the member companies to respond to market challenges. There is also a very important day of golf.

Any business convention of sorts is anticipated to include a handful of scheduled items. For example, informational sessions in which experts dictate the proper way to analyze business. There are always awards portions of these events where people are recognized for outstanding achievements and projects in the past year. After the daily sessions are over, the hotel bar is usually the final meeting room of the day where each company representative tells tall tales about his year and the jobs he’s worked on.

Taking most of these stories with a grain of salt is important but its important to not tune them out all together. Filtering out the more fantastic and unrealistic of the details can shed light onto the underlying base of work your competitors and peers are working on. Most companies generally tell the truth about who they are working with and what products are installed at events (as these details are generally easy to prove). The matter in which these products are set up and are used is where stories start to get a little out of hand.

The ability to sift between the bravado and the basics is where the real learning happens. You can easily benchmark yourself against other companies of similar size. Figure out what types of business you need to do to compete with companies twice your size. You can learn what investments must be made in product offerings and employee training.

After I arrive in Tampa and depart my plane, pick up my golf clubs from the baggage check, hit up the rental car counter and make my way to the Tradewinds, you’ll see me cozied up to the bar doing some market research.

Sliante!

Mark

Cultural Celebrations

2011-01-17T13:50:00.000-05:00

As long as cultures have had reasons to celebrate, they have used tents in those celebrations. Tents have been used a way to protect from inclement weather, or to celebrate religious customs, or even to create a unique event space.

For example, in the Jewish culture, the wedding ceremony is held under a chuppah as a symbol of the new home the couple will build together. All sides of the chuppah are left open just as Abraham and Sarah left their tent open to show unconditional hospitality to their guests.

Seen in a great amount of Indian weddings are tents called shamianas. Shamianas are decorated lavishly in grand colors like Red and Gold to show the great esteem in which the bride and groom are held. Along with amazing colors, tents are generally decorated with patterned fabrics and lighted with lanterns and candles. Usually incense is burned as well. All of your senses are stimulated to help create a memory that will last a lifetime.

O'Neil has had the fortune of working with communities like the Indian community, as well as several others, in central Ohio for several years. We try our best to learn the intricate customs that make each culture special in their celebration. It is this reason that we are proud to take part in Ohio's first ever South Asian Bridal show on February 20th of this year.

We are planning a display tent that will show off varying colors and patterns. We hope to show that O'Neil is ready, willing and able to work with the many diverse cultures in the central Ohio area.

For more information on the bridal show, please visit http://www.osabridal.com/index.html

Industry Trends

2010-11-30T08:56:00.001-05:00

When it comes to tent events in the state of Ohio, O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies does our best to stay on top of what is current. We strive to offer what it is our customers need to make their events as successful as possible. We do this through attending various trade group meetings as mentioned in our previous blog post, but also through trade publications.

One of the best tent rental publications available is called In Tents magazine. In Tents is a comprehensive source for all aspects of the rental business. From sales ideas to best accounting practices, In Tents covers it all. One piece we always look at though is the project spotlight (please follow the link at the bottom of the page to view). The project spotlight section shows what our peers have been working on and shows the direction the industry is headed.

Another great section is the Trend Watch. Whether its how to get the most out of you tent liner, or creative ways to light a canopy, the Trend Watch keeps O'Neil Tents on the cutting edge of tented events in Ohio.

Project Spotlight: http://intentsmag.com/events/projectbriefs
Trend Watch: http://intentsmag.com/events/trendwatch

Why Join Trade Associations?

2010-11-10T12:10:00.001-05:00

Whether you work in manufacturing, insurance, or some other area, chances are that there is an association of trade professionals for your field. These groups meet sometimes monthly, other times annually to discuss current events, trends and issues that may affect your company or the way your company operates. They aren't cheap to join and the meetings are definitely not free. So why join?

O'Neil is a member of 3 rental related groups. We are members of the International Special Events Society (ISES), the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) Tent Rental Division, and the American Rental Association (ARA). We join these groups for a couple of distinct reasons.

First, trade groups help keep us on the cutting edge of the event industry. Groups like ISES pull together professionals representing many disciplines like production companies, party planners, caterers, photographers, etc... When all of these people get together they talk about what's next in their profession. They let us know where the direction their markets are heading. This is helpful to O'Neil because we can take their feedback and see how or if we should change our product offering to accommodate the newest trends.

Joining a group that is more industry specific like the Tent Rental Division in IFAI still provides cutting edge information. The main benefit here though is that we can judge if we are up to par with other companies that we may or may not be competing against. By comparing our operation with other industry specific companies, we can benchmark things like:

1. Do our installation practices need improvement?
2. Are our safety precautions are up to date?
3. Is our manufacturing operation as efficient as it should be?
4. Is there equipment that we should be using that we currently are not?

Different than the first two organizations, the ARA brings together rental companies from all aspects of industry. Where the Tent Rental Division only includes tent companies, ISES only involves event planners, the ARA includes companies that rental heavy equipment, furniture, heating and cooling, and many more. This group helps to offer perspective into the way our business is structured, the way we work with end users as well as other companies, and different ways to look at the rental process from a business perspective.

Each of these organizations is important to the way we do business. Over all, they help us to make sure we're on our game in terms of what we're doing. But when you break down the individual benefits from each group, they are each rewarding in unique ways for O'Neil.

Don't over-sell or under-sell; Just sell.

2010-10-27T13:34:00.000-04:00

One thing that will make any event a success is getting the details just right. It's one thing to take an order from the customer and deliver their goods on the agreed upon day; However, it's a completely different thing to avoid coming up short of customer expectations.

Each customer has an image in their head about how everything should look once a job is finished. It is the job of the event professional to make sure we get as close to that image as possible with our installations. The best way to meet expectations is to develop strong communication before the job even takes place. If we can communicate what our equipment looks like and what its capable of doing, the customer will more than likely be happy with the results upon delivery.

There may come a time that a chair or table may have picked up a little dirt and needs to be replaced. Those things happen. This is when strong communication comes in most handy. It's easier at this point to let the customer know that you will replace the item and make everything right. The customer will trust that you'll fix the problem because you've been able to deliver on what you've promised so far. There is no reason, in their mind, that you won't be able to fix a little problem. You haven't promised them the moon and not delivered anything.

Some people are of the opinion that you should sell your capabilities a little bit short to the customer. This way when you over deliver, you look amazing. To O'Neil though, it just seems like you're telling the customer: "We aren't that great. Don't expect too much." This is no way to develop a reputation as being reliable.

When I go on sales calls representing O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies to our customers, I try to give them the most realistic expectations as possible. I have no problem highlighting areas in which we've surpassed expectations. This isn't over-promising or over-selling. Its being honest about our experience and what we're capable of. Because we've surpassed expectations time and again, customers know we will go the extra mile to make their upcoming event a success.

September Recap

2010-09-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Long time no post. We're coming back from our busiest time of the year, and we've been a part of some pretty fantastic events. O'Neil was a part of the New Albany Classic, Delaware County Fair, the Michigan Irish Music Festival, the Country Living Expo, the Bob Evans Farm Festival, corporate events for Columbus companies, tailgate events for The Ohio State University Alumni Association, as well as hundreds of other events and parties.

It used to be that the end of our busy season was setting up and taking down the Fairfield county fair. Anymore we're pushing full steam ahead into October with tailgates, weddings, and other corporate events. Its great seeing an empty lot next door when its normally full of trucks waiting for a job to deliver.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp

2010-08-27T11:36:00.005-04:00

The weather in Ohio is starting to change from the harsh heat and humidity of August to cool nights and pleasant days. This can only mean one thing: Fall is upon is. Not only is fall here, but that means its time for football. If you live in Ohio, you probably root for the Browns or the Bengals.

For the last couple of years, O'Neil Tents has partnered with a Cleveland affiliate to set up tents and structure for the Cleveland Browns training camp. We set up areas that allow the fans to experience the players up close and personal and really see what its like to be on the sideline for a pro game. The biggest of the tents we erect is a 15m wide structure on a 3 foot tall stage to help create unobstructed views of practice. What's even nicer than the view is the fact that our structure has an indoor area sectioned off and air conditioned for catering. Because of the versatility of clearspan structure, its no problem to create a carpeted area that has a refrigerator, seating for 50, buffet service, and a great view of practice.

In addition to the catered area, we a handful of smaller frame tents used for vendors and autograph signings. If you're a customer like Cleveland Browns, not just any tent will do. Our manufacturing teams created tent tops color matched to the Browns logos.

Clearspan structure with covered "patio" area and interior

Air conditioned catering area.

Orange tent on the right end is a custom O'Neil Tent.

Know where you came from.

2010-08-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

Every week, the administrative team at O'Neil has a staff meeting during lunch to discuss upcoming jobs, challenges we might face, or new opportunities that we are working on. This week, Marianne Ritchey, one of the original owners of O'Neil Tents, stopped in.

As we sat and discussed business, I couldn't help but think about the great start Marianne and her husband Jim gave O'Neil when they took over operations. Jim (called doc by just about everyone) and Marianne first became involved with the company as an investment, but later assumed control of operations when they realized the potential of the tent rental industry.

Early on, the company consisted of a small office in front of a 2,000 square feet of warehouse space. With a focus on festivals and fairs, O'Neil quickly earned our name as an up and coming player in the rental market. Over the years, O'Neil has built our reputation as a top event rental provider as well as our physical footprint. We now operate out of 5 warehouses in Canal Winchester with an onsite manufacturing facility.

I am the third generation in the Ritchey family to work for O'Neil Tents. While it is exciting to look towards the future of the company and all of the opportunities on the horizon. It is important for me to not forget where the business came from: Two people who wanted to provide high quality products and service to their customers.

While technology may change our equipment and how the company operates, the hall marks of quality products and services will always be the cornerstone of our operation.

- Mark Ritchey, Sales and Marketing Manager

Pickerington Violet Festival

2010-07-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

The Pickerington Violet Festival is going on right now. O'Neil Tents crew leader Kyle Waller was recently featured in a piece by the Pickerington Times Sun as he was pounding stakes for one of the many pole tents at the festival. To read the story, please click here.

We are proud to take part in so many festivals around the central Ohio area. We enjoy helping the community celebrate and make lasting memories!

Gearing Up

2010-07-21T17:14:00.001-04:00

Sailors call it the calm before the storm when the weather gets eerily calm but you know a rough patch is on the horizon. That's kind of where we are right now. We're staying consistently busy but getting ready to ramp up into the horizon of the summer.

On the slate for this week is the St. Matthews festival in Gahanna, the Jazz & Rib Festival in downtown Columbus, the Cleveland Browns training camp, and to ice the cake we've started setting up the Dublin Irish Festival (the largest event of its kind in the US). Next week is more of Irish Festival, MOPAR Nationals, as well as the Violet Festival in Pickerington, OH. I'm not even going to get into September (it gets messy, but messy in a good way).

Believe me, I'm not complaining. Its good doing all of these big jobs as well as the smaller residential parties during the summer. Its also a good feeling knowing that we have a team of experienced professionals to handle the pressure of the upcoming months.

Side note to this posting: We remodled our offices last year. A complete gut was completed by DJ Builders out of the London, OH. area. They did a fantastic job. I've posted some pictures to our Facebook account here.

Rent what you need, not what we have.

2010-06-28T12:47:00.000-04:00

Often times, companies will push customers into certain products due to what they have in stock. While this makes some sense, in the fact that you can't sell what you don't have. It's not right for the customer. Customers should buy (or in our case rent) what they need, not what we have.

Talking a customer into a certain product because its the only one you have is wrong. Leading the customer to believe that they are getting exactly what they need, then delivering a product that does not meet expectations is dishonest.

For example, Mrs. Smith asks for a quote on her daughter's upcoming wedding reception. She tells me the number of expected guests, the details of how the event should be laid out and what style of tent she is looking for. I take all of those important details and tailor a solution customized to her needs.

Everything should be spaced appropriately so they don't run into a situation where Uncle Jim and Aunt Marianne aren't eating dinner on the dance floor. There will also be more than a half of a foot between the buffet and the edge of the tent to allow for traffic to flow through easily.

After laying out all of the appropriate space requirements on my CAD software, I then choose an appropriate tent size, not the other way around. I would never say, "The largest tent I have is 40'x60'. Now let's figure out how to cram everyone in." Sometimes, this means that the reception will cost a little more, but as they say, you pay for what you get.

Over the years, O'Neil Tents has been able to build our tent and rental inventory to include almost any possible tent size. This means that we don't have to push you into something because its the only one we have. We can look at what works best for you and your event and plan accordingly.

Customers: If you don't choose to rent with O'Neil, make sure you end up with what works best for you not what works best for the rental company.

Time for Reflection

2010-06-18T09:33:00.001-04:00

Graduation season has passed. We're seeing a couple of residual parties this weekend, but they are done for the most part. First, congratulations to all of the grads! Second, thank you all very much for choosing O'Neil Tents to provide your rental equipment needs.

Now that the craziness of the last three weeks has died down, we have had some time to reflect. While O'Neil does provide tents and party rentals for some of the Midwest's largest festivals, fairs and events, we cherish the opportunity to serve the families of the Columbus area. The last couple of weeks have been a fantastic reminder of a few key thoughts:

1. O'Neil is a business driven by the needs of our customers. While many graduation parties may include very similar elements (20 foot frame or pole tents, tables, chairs and linens), each is unique in their own way. The Jones family doesn't care that we've done about 200 parties similar to their's in the last 3 weeks, all they care about is that their party is as special as it can be for them. We respect this desire and try to focus our service accordingly.

2. Cleanliness of our equipment is one of the best ways to service each individual customer. Our wash crews were thrown into the crucible over the last couple of weeks. Needing to turn high levels of inventory over with relatively short lead times, means more operational strain. Consistent rain over the last 3 weeks added one more complication as nothing ruins a tent top faster than mud stains in the stitching and webbing. Because of our experience in tent rentals, we know to use tarps while taking down tents to protect them from stains and mud. Applying our experience in the simple things like using tarps positions us to not only serve our customers next week, but it also makes happy customers in one month and one years time.

3. Growing your business means pushing your operating capacity. While all of these graduation parties were going on, we also erected over 100 tents just for the Asian festival, wedding tents, the Park Street Festival, massive clearspan structures in Cleveland and countless other corporate functions. We're moving right into the Pride Parade in downtown Columbus, the Gahanna Jazz festival and setting up the Tattoo event at Wright Patterson Air Force Base all this week. That's quite a lot, and that's ok. We'll never know how much we can do and how good of an equipment rental company we can be without pushing ourselves. After the last couple of weeks, a little breather in the action is nice, but its good to know that we are capable of some pretty great things.

4. Without the right people in place, none of our recent successes would have been possible. Some of our delivery crew members have been with O'Neil for well over 10 years. Some have joined us in the last couple of months. No matter what the duration of experience is, each member is vitally important to our success. With a lot of training and solid operational support, our guys on the road are confident they have the skills necessary to accomplish any task presented. It is this confidence that our customers see. It is this confidence that leads to a job well done.

It has been a rough couple of weeks but they have shed light on what is truly important to our customers and how we can better give them what they expect.

Thanks again for reading the blog. Let us know what you think in the comments section. (Next week we'll be back to posting lots of awesome pictures of events O'Neil is working on. We promise.)

The Right Stuff

2010-05-24T15:18:00.001-04:00

There is a lot that sets O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies apart as a tent rental company from our competition. We've previously discussed how our manufacturing capabilities give O'Neil a competitive advantage. This week, we started construction on an amazing project that, after a little reflection, we wouldn't have been able to do without our decades of experience.

We have come a long way from the early days of frame and pole tents at festivals to where we are now. Our most recent major project is the construction of a 30 meter clearspan and two 40' x 60' frame tents on the field of Ohio Stadium for the Make a Wish Foundation's Big Wish Gala. To say that this project is awesome is an understatement.

Back in the early 80's O'Neil Tents made the decision to get into the world of clearspan structure. At the time, this was a pretty risky venture. The only tents that our customers were renting were pole or frame tents. Looking at European trends, and preparing for the day that all tents would need to be inspected and permitted by the government made our a decision easier. Clearspan structures would be the wave of the future.

Luckily, this bet has paid off. More and more, State and Local governments are requiring safety inspections on tents over a certain size. Because clearspan structures are engineered to withstand wind and snow loads, they meet and exceed safety requirements. While other companies are scrambling to shift their inventory over to structures, O'Neil has been there and been doing that for over 20 years.

Back to the work we're doing for the Make a Wish event. The structure for the Make a Wish event is 30 meters wide and 60 meters long. We custom manufactured clear panels and gable ends for the structure as well as installing solid white wall on the sides. The side wall was custom cut to marry up to the 7 large HVAC units used to heat and cool the structure.

The synthetic surface of the field was our main challenge for this job. Because we were not able to stake into the ground, we had large plates fabricated to hold 10,000 pound concrete blocks at each upright in order to meet engineering codes. Aside from the staking issue, there was constant rain for 3 days straight. Weather forced us to slow down the install to ensure that our crews were able to safely erect the heavy parts that go into a 30 meter structure. Again, experience tells us when to slow down and when to proceed full speed ahead.

The results of this project were amazing due to our experience, quality manufacturing, well maintained inventory, and partnership with a dozen other vendors. O'Neil is happy to have been a part of such an awe-inspiring job and we look forward to more like it in the future.

To view a complete photo gallery of the event set up, visit our facebook page by clicking here.

Off to the Races!

2010-05-07T11:31:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, Churchill Downs hosted one of the oldest and most repected thoroughbred horse races in the world, the Kentucky Derby. People from all around the world flock to Louisville, Kentucky to witness the "fastest 2 minutes in sports". For those of us who couldn't make the trip to Churchill downs, there were several opportunities to view the races elsewhere. However, if you wanted to view the race in style, you were at Beulah Park in Grove City, Ohio.

Beulah Park is Ohio's first thoroughbred racing track, built in 1923. It was also the first track in Ohio to offer simulcast wagering on the Kentucky Derby. Each year Beulah Park hosts a derby party as a celebration for the end of their racing season. O'Neil Tents erects a 25 meter wide by 35 meter long clearspan structure right next to the track as a hospitality area for VIP's. O'Neil provides a tent for the buffet line attached to the main structure as well as the tables and chairs for patrons.

To make the experience one to remember, Beulah Park puts its VIP's right next to the track. Being 20 feet away from a thoroughbred horse as it races past you to the finish is an experience like any other. Rain or shine, Beulah wanted their patrons to be a part of that thrilling moment. O'Neil used clear wall for the side panels to keep everyone on top of the action. Luckily, the weather held off during the races and Beulah was able to unfasten the panels, creating open area between the structure and the track.

Whether their bets were winners or losers, everyone at Beulah park was treated to a one of a kind day of fun. Check out some more of our pictures from the day on our Facebook fan page by clicking here: Derby Pictures

Columbus, Ohio ...

2010-04-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

Columbus Ohio has many reasons to celebrate. Columbus is consistently ranked by major publications as one of the top cities to live, learn, or let your hair down in. The city is among the nations most diverse in terms of urban, suburban and rural residences. Its citizens work in diverse markets balanced between manufacturing and service industries. Columbus is a center of higher education. Schools range from the very large like The Ohio State University, the nations largest public university with an enrollment of over 60,000, to Ohio Dominican University, a smaller school with 3,100 students, but still an integral part of the community. Columbus does a fantastic job of helping its citizens enjoy their down time with a thriving downtown nightlife, professional sports teams, or with festivals and fairs. Columbus has many reasons to celebrate. That's why O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies is proud to serve the party rental needs of Columbus, Ohio whether it be where the people live, learn or play.

O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies made our name a long time ago by providing the best tent rentals in the state of Ohio. Several years ago, we set up tents for county fairs or local festivals exclusively. We were the best at showing up to an empty field, setting up tents, tables and chairs and turning it into a festival by the end of day. We still are the best, as evidence by our work with the Dublin Irish Festival, the Asian Festival, and the Ohio State Fair. Around 1960 though, our focus started to expand.

Columbus Ohio needed party equipment for their residential and corporate events. Doing what any good business does, we satisfied the need demanded by our market. Our inventory expanded to include tents that were more suitable for the Morgan's wedding as well as MOPAR Nationals race course. We added specialty items like linens, dish and barware rentals to accompany our tent, table and chair rentals. The combination of our developed skill in tenting and growing specialty items made O'Neil a great fit for corporate events and universities alike.

Regardless of job size, O'Neil recognizes that our results must be exceptional. We deliver the same results for large Ohio State University tailgate parties as we do for back yard graduation parties. The reason for this is simple: Our goal is to give you the best event experience possible. Because the Columbus market is diverse in its needs, O'Neil has made our inventory equally as flexible. Our inventory can be as big or small, elaborate or simple as our customers need it to be.

When you go out and see our tents or event rentals, whether its in the Arena District, the Short North, the Campus Area, or its to your local Festival or Fair, you can be comfortable knowing that over 100 years of knowledge and experience went into that event. O'Neil Tents has grown with the City of Columbus over the years and we have been happy to help it celebrate its many occassions large or small.

Advertising Campaign Kick-off

2010-04-21T10:21:00.000-04:00

O'Neil Tents is happy to announce that our advertising campaign has just kicked off. We have spots playing on 610 WTVN throughout the week. We are excited to reach more potential customers than ever before!

Click the links below to listen to our spots:
15 second ad
5 second ad

Graduation Season

2010-04-19T09:27:00.004-04:00

As Spring turns into Summer, graduation season is approaching and O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies is moving into our busy season. This time of year, O'Neil takes hundreds of calls from people looking to plan their son or daughter's graduation party and we are more than happy to help.

Some customers know what they would like for their graduation parties like tents, tables and chairs. Some customers need a little more help. At O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies we pride ourselves in helping you find the right rental equipment solutions for your specific needs. O'Neil recognizes there is no "cookie cutter" party. Each party is unique and is treated accordingly.

O'Neil Tents offers free site evaluations to all of our customers. Sending our professionals to your site does a couple of things. First, we can help you plan out your event space. We can find potential problems like low hanging tree limbs or sprinkler systems that might interfere with setting the tent up. Second, we can help you think of items you might have overlooked like coolers, trash cans, or linens.

Graduation Party Planning Tips from the Pro's:

Think about the drive way as a tent location.

All too often, we send our professionals out to a job site to measure for a party and the slope of the customers yard is not conducive for a tent. If you have this same problem, don't be discouraged! Most drive ways are big enough to accommodate tents. Another benefit of the driveway is that they are very flat. Tables and chairs can sit on drive ways without wobbling like they do in the grass sometimes.

Plan to seat about half of your expected guests at one time.
One of the first questions we will ask our customers is how many people will be attending your celebration. This serves a couple of purposes: First, it helps determine necessary tent size; Second, it helps to figure how much seating is needed. During high school graduation season, there are typically a handful of parties on the same day and guests will be coming and going throughout the day. In our experience, you shouldn't need seating for more than about half of your guests at any one time.

Call before you dig.
The utility companies have been using this slogan for years to warn their customers about the dangers of digging without knowing what's under the ground. We ask that you use do the same thing before we install our tents. Some of our tents require staking into the ground for tensioning. Our stakes sink roughly two and a half feet into the ground. This is deep enough to reach irrigation, electric or cable lines. Save the head ache and call before we stake. Click this link for the correct contact info for Ohio customers.

Keep the hot stuff hot and the cold stuff cold.
Our customers are pretty good about remembering coolers for events. All too often though hot food is over-looked. We've all been to parties where the hosts are serving light hors d'oeuvres and they taste fantastic right when they are hot out of the oven. After some time though, the hot food gets cold and loses flavor and texture. Most times, a good portion of the appetizers get thrown out because they've become un-appetizing. Avoid this common trip up and think about renting chafers for your function. Chafing dishes will help keep the quality of your food consistent over a longer period of time.

Keeping these tips in mind as you plan your next function might help you avoid some headaches down the road!

The History of Tents

2010-04-09T15:21:00.014-04:00

Tents have been around as long as people have needed temporary shelter from the elements. From the early nomads roaming the plains in search of food to catered corporate luncheons, tents have a storied past. Over the years, tents have been made from animal hides and various fabrics like cotton, nylon, felt or vinyl. To waterproof early models, the cotton was covered in paraffin wax. This was a great idea until people realized that paraffin is EXTREMELY flammable. After experiencing a steep learning curve with cotton, lighter materials like nylon were employed because they didn't absorb as much water as the cotton would. Nylon was the material of choice for a number of years until plastics and vinyl were introduced to the market. These materials were light weight and water tight, making them ideal for shelter coverings.

Shape and styles of commercial tents have changed with technology just as much as the materials used from their coverings. Larger tents that aren't usually used for sleeping are commonly known as marquees. These are the tents that you would see at company functions or for large gatherings. There are several types of marquees like bail-ring tents, pole tents, or frame tents.

Bail-ring tents were usually larger than 100 feet wide and you would generally see them at an old circus or exposition. Set up of these tents had to be very precise. First, center poles were erected and tensioned out to stakes using guy lines. Next, the entire tent top was spread out and attached to shackles. These shackles attached to ropes and pulleys on the center poles. Upright poles were installed on the side of the tent to give the crews just enough room to work. They would crank the pulleys attached to the shackles raising the tent top (circus elephants were also used to raise the tops). Further tensioning of the sides was completed and the tent was ready for use. Bail-ring tents were labor intensive and faded in popularity when heavy machinery became more readily available.

Very similar to bail ring tents are traditional pole tents. Pole tents are usually smaller than bail-ring tents, with the tops weighing a great deal less. Pole tents are set up very similar to their predecessor with one major difference. Companies got rid of the bail-ring and shackle system in favor of their crews manually pushing the center poles up. The large holes in the top of the tent created by the shackles were all but eliminated, leaving a small hole for the center pole to be guided up through. These tents are still commonly used today and hold up great in the wind and rain when they are tensioned properly.

As time progressed, customers weren't happy that so much of the tented area was consumed with the center poles of the traditional pole tents. Manufacturers listened and developed frame tents. Frame tents are constructed out of pre-engineered aluminum or steel tubes that are arranged to create the shape of the tent top. The top then slides over the assembled frame and is fixed to the frame by strapping. The legs are connected and you have a tent in no time. Because of the strength of the assembled frame, no center poles are needed and customers can enjoy the whole tent without obscured views. Less staking is required for frame tents than traditional pole tents. Less staking is a benefit to customers as there is less of a tripping hazard.

The future of marquee tenting is heading the direction of clearspan structures. Clear span structures are generally available from 10 feet to 150 in width and are lengthened based on a modular design system. Engineered to withstand harsh snow and wind conditions, clearspans are as smart as they are strong. Frames are assembled in place and raised into the air. As arches are formed and connected, tops are pulled through kedered runs, making the structure water tight. Construction is simple, but what you can do with a structure is worlds beyond any other tenting system. Flooring can be installed in structures. Glass or insulated walling units are available as well as doors. Liners, lighting and sound systems can be attached to the high strength rafter beams. The list of possibilities goes on and on.

Since our founding in 1886, O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies has been on the leading edge of tent technology. O'Neil listens to what our customers want and reacts accordingly. O'Neil was one of the first companies in the country to introduce structure to the marketplace. O'Neil's early adopter stance on tent technology gives us immense experience in what's next. We look forward to moving forward with you!

... & Party Supplies

2010-04-02T13:20:00.011-04:00

Sometimes its easy to leave off the "...& Party Supplies" from our name. It makes sense. We do tents extremely well. O'Neil has over 120 years experience constructing tents and temporary structures in the Midwest. It's safe to say we've been around the block a time or two. Leaving off the rest of the company name is easy, but incorrect. O'Neil is so much more than just tents.

Rather than force our customers to work with a handful of rental shops around town for their event, its logical to offer as much event equipment as makes sense under one roof. Some people use the cliche, "One stop party shop", to describe their business. While this saying is somewhat true of O'Neil it doesn't really capture all of our capabilities. Full service event equipment rental shop is much more accurate (although it doesn't rhyme or sound as catchy).

If we were to tell you that we provide equipment for events like the Dublin Irish Festival. The assumption would be that we provide tenting. That would be true, but its not the whole story. The Dublin Irish Festival has grown over the years to become the largest gathering of its kind in the country. O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies has been there every step of the way to accommodate the expansion. Because of our wide variety of rental inventory, we provide hundreds of tables, thousands of chairs, staging for performance areas, and much more. We are a proud sponsor of the Dublin Irish Festival and can't wait for this August when it opens again!

Another illustration of the importance of the party supplies are fundraising events like the one held annually at Columbus Bishop Hartley High School. Every year, Hartley holds its fundraiser to support its tuition assistance fund. O'Neil provides hundreds of chairs and dozens of tables for the event. On top of the tables and chairs, we provide a full table service of dishware, barware and silverware. Along with those food service items, O'Neil also helps with setting up bars and skirting, pipe and drape to hide the bleachers, and linen service. When it's all said and done, Hartley is able to raise funds for its programs and we help them do it in style!

Surely the"...& Party Supplies" portion of our company name is important.While it may be over-looked sometimes, these are the services that allow O'Neil to be a "full service equipment rental shop". We doubt that tag line will catch on. It's okay with us though, just so long as our customers know we can handle all of their equipment rentals without a problem.

Manufacturing is Our Advantage

2010-03-25T14:59:00.020-04:00

In 1990, Michael Porter (world famous Havard Business School professor on strategy) published a theory called Competitive Advantage. Porter said that a company creates a competitive advantage when it develops goods or services that allow it to provide an advantage of differentiation over its competitors, ultimately creating higher levels of value to the consumer. Smart guy, but a little long winded. Here it is in a nutshell: When a company can do something of value for its customers that its competitors can't, that company has an advantage.

O'Neil Tents is a study in competitive advantage for one simple reason: Manufacturing. O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies has manufactured our own tent tops, side wall and other custom pieces for over 50 years. Our 2,500+ square foot on site manufacturing facility is complete with welding and sewing machines - this means production is handled in house with short turn around times. All of our space, capability and experience would be meaningless though if we couldn't translate them into benefits for our customers.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an important fundraising event held annually to promote breast cancer awareness and research. Thousands of people participate in the race each year in Columbus, all wearing pink ribbons and shirts as pink is the awareness color for people suffering from breast cancer. Before the event in 2004, we were approached by the Race for the Cure staff on the possibility of having pink tent tops at water and first aid stations to reinforce the theme of awareness. Because of our manufacturing capabilities, pink tents weren't an issue. It's small details like the tent tops that help make events unique.

Our manufacturing was also put to the test this year by the Wendy's Chili Open, an event held at the Columbus Zoo supporting Central Ohio charities. We custom-made a clearspan structure to create an unobstructed seating area that connected local restaurant vendor space to the performance stage. We covered an area that could be comforably heated where guests could enjoy the delicious food and listen to live music. Was it a challenge? You bet. Was it worth it? Absolutely! To see how the tents came together check out this video on youtube.

Manufacturing at O'Neil supports everyday applications as well. Many bars and restaurants have begun using enclosed awning spaces for their patrons to use. We help those establishments meet local code by supplying tear away emergency exits for the enclosures. This creative solution keeps the area walled in for heating but allows quick exit in case of emergency.

Whether its an item for everyday use, or adding elements that will help to make your event special, O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies has the expertise to manufacture exactly what you need. We like to think that the only limit of what we can do is your imagination.

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-12T08:50:00.019-05:00

The snow is finally gone in Columbus, OH and that means one thing: It's time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And celebrate we did! There were events all over town from the parades Downtown and in Dublin, the Irish Family reunion at Veterans Memorial, and several celebrations at bars and restaurants. O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies was there to help the city celebrate in style.

The biggest celebration in town is at Flannagan's in Dublin. O'Neil erected an 18,800 square foot structure to accommodate the thousands of people who came out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We specially manufactured Green panels for the top which added a special flare to the event.

This event really goes to show why clearspan structures are great for events. Flannagans was able to heat the structure, construct a full stage complete with lighting for the band, roll in a couple of beer carts and a food cart and they weren't too tight on space for their guests. They wouldn't have been able to do nearly that much with a tradional pole tent or frame tents.

O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies also had tents up at various other locations through town. We covered patios at O'Shaughnessy's Public House in the Arena District, both Brazenhead locations, Patrick J's, Callahan's and we helped Lounge 62 in Gahanna celebrate its first St. Patrick's day.

These events can sometimes be challenging to set up, each with their own special needs. For example, the Brazenhead location in Grandview required 10 foot tall sides. Another special need was setting up O'Shaughnessy's tent after the downtown work crowd had cleared out at 8 pm. O'Neil is always willing to work with our customers to meet any unusual request they may have as our primary goal is helping them to host the best event possible.

Now that Spring is in the air, our busy season is coming up. We're looking forward to the Weddings, Graduation parties, 4th of July celebrations, fairs, festivals and numerous other special events in central Ohio.

Getting to Know O'Neil Tents

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In 1886 several important events occurred: Karl Benz patented the first gas powered automobile; Coca Cola was invented; and the Statue of Liberty was dedicated, ensuing in the first ever ticker tape parade. That same year, in Columbus Ohio, O’Neil Awning and Tent Company was founded. Since 1886, changes have affected all of those events: Almost everyone drives a car; Coca Cola now competes with Pepsi globally; New York’s skyline is now dominated by skyscrapers instead of a lonely Lady Liberty; O’Neil Awning and Tent Company has grown to become a Tent and Party Rental industry leader.

Buckeye Tent Products Circa 1922:

O’Neil Tents and Party Supplies, as the company is known today, is really the combination of two companies: O’Neil Awning and Tent Company and Buckeye Tent Company. Buckeye Tent Company was established in 1909 in Columbus, Ohio. Buckeye was purchased by the Ritchey family in 1960. Three years later, the Ritchey’s acquired O’Neil Awning and Tent Company. For a couple of years in the early 60’s the two companies operated independently of one another until they were merged into the same business under the O’Neil name. After about five years, the Ritchey family decided to specialize in tents and non tent rental items and the awning portion of the business was spun off.

O’Neil now provides a wide range of rental products with tents as their primary focus. In addition to tents, rental products also include tables, chairs, linens, dishware, barware, silverware, staging, dance floor, and dozens of other accessories. All of these elements combined allow customers to meet their rental needs all in one location. O’Neil has developed its manufacturing capabilities over the years and makes their own tent tops and related vinyl products. The demonstrated strength in manufacturing is leveraged to respond quickly to customer needs.

Both rental inventory growth and expanding areas of service to include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Michigan and Kentucky have made O’Neil a leader in tent and party rental.

O’Neil realizes that their customers rely on them to make their events successful, no matter the size. O’Neil is committed to helping its customers make each event the best it can be.