May 2013 - Busy, Busy, Busy!

May usually kicks off our busy season and this May has been no different. O'Neil Tents has had the pleasure of working with many customers from years past but also have worked on some new projects along the way.

One of the new projects this month was the Spring Commencement at The Ohio State University. Spring Commencement is held at Ohio Stadium but this year's festivities had a bit of a twist to them. The seating area normally used by most of the graduates is under renovation so the University decided to seat the graduates on the field.

Once the entire field was covered by terraplast flooring, our team delivered and set up 10,000 folding chairs. This was no easy task. Each row had to be spaced very precisely and the seating plan had to be followed to perfection or the whole ceremony would be thrown off. We are happy to say that it only took 2 days for delivery and set up and a day and a half for tear down and load out. If it weren't for our experienced installers, this could've been a logistical nightmare.

President Obama was the keynote speaker for the event, which meant close work with the Secret Service to deploy tents for all sorts of functions including security checks and other tasks.

The day after the OSU Commencement ceremony install was completed, our crew took their talents on the road to Cleveland to set up an event structure for a Graduation Ceremony. The structure set up in Cleveland was 98' wide and 298' feet long with a couple of smaller structures set off to the sides.

Our installers were able to complete this mammoth structure in 14 hours.  We are confident in saying that there aren't too many crews who can install over 30,000 sq. ft. of temporary space in such a short amount of time. Our guys also decided to try a new method for installing the large structure that surely added to their time savings.

Cleveland 2012 Commencement

The middle of May also kicks off Festival/Fair Season for us at O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies. This year we have about 20 Fairs or Festivals on the books. We will provide tent, table and chair rentals for all sorts of events from the Susan Komen Race for the Cure, County Fairs, State Fairs, and Festivals celebrating cultural heritage like the Asian Festival at Franklin Park at the end of the month.

In addition to Fairs and Festivals we are happy to team up with another local rental company on a major music event in the Columbus area. We will be providing the structures for the event and they will install flooring for the structures as well as other items. It's a great partnership that we've been able to forge throughout the years. It really shows that a lot can be accomplished when you're willing to work together rather than fail separately.

 

The Super Bowl Shuttle

Four 33'x33' heated temporary structures with glass double doors at the Indianapolis Airport. Photo by Indianapolis Airport Authority.

O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies was in Indianapolis last week for the Super Bowl. Although we didn't provide any of the big party or event tents, we helped the city in another way. We worked with the Indianapolis Airport Authority to bolster their existing infrastructure.

Normally, when travelers arrive at the airport they take a shuttle to the car rental depots and are on their way. With the extreme influx in passengers looking to rent cars during the week of the Super Bowl, the Airport had to supplement existing drop off and pick up locations. In addition to needing more, covered space, the Airport also needed temporary structures that were strong enough to stand up to the 40 mph winds that would blow the week of the event.

We erected a couple of 20'x20' heated structures complete with glass entry doors as waiting areas for shuttle pick ups. After the shuttle would pick up passengers, they were then taken to one of four 33'x33' heated structures where they could wait for rental car service (pictured above). These structures allowed the Airport to better handle the increase in traffic as well as providing a safe, warm place to wait.

'Tis the Season

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
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Off to the Races!

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

St. Patrick's Day

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.