The ABC of Choosing a marquee for corporate events (an Event Professional's guide)

Ian Mackenzie [email protected]

07966 462460 / 01329 833950

http://www.beesmarquees.co.uk/

http://www.beesmarquees.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

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What we do & what we have

Site work, management & support

Size guide – how big is just right?

And how strong is it? (how much weight can the frame support)?

Ballparks & fag packets (couple of budget examples)

How much will this COST?

Anchorage – almost any surface but stake-able grass is by far the cheapest

Floors – a range of options up to a raised & levelled cassette floor

PVC covers – a range of more affordable external covers to the frame

Hard panel walls and glass are so much better (also for branding)

Doors

Lining – a wide range of styles & finishes to dress the inside

Lighting – ambient/room lights, stage lights on trussing, flood lights…

Furniture – basics from stock or anything you like sourced in

Internal walls – make it modular

Incorporating a prominent feature

Pagodas – receptions, annexes, catering, chilling…

Walkways – a narrow addition with a wide appeal

Heating – even for princesses with frosty toes

Toilets – cabins, trailers, modular

Accessories - generators, fencing etc

A bunch of frilly pictures – showing various features you might like

What’s next - and how about some event visuals?2

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Enquiry%20after%20seeing%20your%20ABC%20guide


http://tinyurl.com/bdbxohv

There are many types of ‘marquee’ (and we can source any of them), for example….

But we own (meaning we can negotiate the price, under the right conditions) clearspan marquees: (some call them multi-spans or pavilions but they’re all the same; aluminium structures with A-framed roof s & PVC covers)

Saddlespans Stretch tents Big Tops Domes….

We own 25m, 20m, 15m & 10m spans (on a 3m/4m leg, building in 5m bays) and 12m, 9m, 6m, 3m, 2m & 1.5m spans, which come on a 2.3m leg & build in 3m bay sections – but we have many different size extensions to make odd sizes too

Oh and lots of Pagodas & walkway too!See http://slidesha.re/IWOsGF

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Big events need (and get) onsite dedicated project management and then during-event onsite support.

Generally speaking, when you spend more than £25K on large structures or a complex setup we’ll include dedicated hands-off site management (a quick easy-to-find interface for your site manager) and have guys there onsite for the duration of your events, in case you need anything, for fast reaction. (That service is available for other conditions but we’d charge)

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How many people, doing what, at what sort of event?

• Standing buffet, standing concert or sat theatre style

= ¾ m2 per person

• Seated to dine (or dancing) only = 1 m2 (min)

• Dinner/dance & bar area = 1 ½ m2 per person (min)

The grid on the right shows some sample sizes, allowing for catering and entrance areas but we can build anything


Meters Feet

Dinner or

dance

only

Dinner &

dance/bar

Standing

buffet or

theatre

seating

12m x 24m 40 x 80 200 120 250

12m x 30m 40 x 100 250 160 340

12m x 42m 40 x 140 400 280 530

10m x 30m 33 x 100 200 100 200

10m x 50m 33 x 167 350 230 500

15m x 25m 50 x 82 220 150 320

15m x 30m 50 x 98 300 200 400

15m x 35m 50 x 114 350 250 500

15m x 40m 50 x 130 400 300 600

15m x 45m 50 x 146 500 350 700

15m x 50m 50 x 162 600 400 800

15m x 55m 50 x 178 650 450 900

15m x 60m 50 x 194 750 500 1000

15m x 65m 50 x 210 800 550 1100

15m x 70m 50 x 226 900 600 1200

20m x 25m 66 x 83 300 200 400

20m x 30m 66 x 100 400 250 500

20m x 35m 66 x 117 500 300 600

20m x 40m 66 x 134 600 400 750

20m x 45m 66 x 150 700 450 900

20m x 50m 66 x 170 800 500 1000

20m x 55m 66 x 180 900 600 1150

20m x 60m 66 x 200 1000 650 1300

20m x 65m 66 x 220 1100 700 1400

A marquee’s dimensions should be given as width (at “gable end”) x length. So “20m x 40m” means the gable (triangle that’s the end of the roof), is 20m. It’s important to consider orientation as entrances on the gable end generally protect guests from rain fall (due to the slope of the A-frame roof to the sides). And the wider the span (gable end) the more expensive the marquee

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(Cos we want to do something like that!) (With something like these)

Truss suspension points and weight-bearing strengths of 4 popular marquee frame sizes



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With the budget examples (above) in mind, let’s be honest that you choose a marquee (like this) because you want one or because it gives you an advantage, rather than beinga cheap alternative. Some advantages could include:

Bespoke venue on demand – as you like it, where you like it, when …

Customised/branded to your heart’s content (it needn’t be white & flappy!)

Ensures privacy – it’s all yours

Flexibility – as basic or fancy (comfortable, lavish, equipped) as you like

I’m sure you know, but proper marquees aren’t cheap. Here’s a couple of recent event examples:

1) Company party for 350 in a resort hotel’s grounds

15m x 40m marquee with adjoining bar, dance & chilloutFully dressed except no built floor (carpet on flat grass)Trailer toilets, generator & furniture included£16K 4) Lavish 70th birthday party in Regents Park for 500

20m x 35m main marquee – dinner/danceMany pagodas and catering satellite areas£34K

3) Winter programme of corporate seminars

Mini complex of well heated, insulated & presented structures in the New Forest for a fortnight’s events. £45K http://tinyurl.com/lyfxybv

6) Lavish charity fundraiser

30m x 60m main marquee with bespoke branding design and unique approach and several supporting structures including an ice rink cover, all VIP grade£75K http://tinyurl.com/a6rwclv page 4-6

5) Company gala awards evening

Main dinner/dance in 20m x 55m with adjoining complex, toilets & approach£75K http://tinyurl.com/a6rwclv page 9-10

2) Canteen for 250 at Silverstone

15m x 35m main marquee –basic setup, on hard standing (concrete ballast)£9K

http://tinyurl.com/lyfxybv

http://tinyurl.com/a6rwclv




So what are those “right conditions” to negotiate the price?

You’d be surprised at the price variation for the very same structures, setup in different places at different times in different ways…. It needs a quick explanation so you don’t think we’re making up the numbers.

Our best case (and therefore most flexible on price/conditions) is a short event with a long/flexible build that’s booked well in advance and entirely sourced from our own (available) stock, out of season (so no conflicting events) but with good weather, based close to us in Hampshire, sited on flat level & well drained stake-able grass with unimpeded truck access right up to the build location. Happy days!

If you take the same structures/setup and reverse all those conditions (high season, sourced stock, complex build at distance, on unlevel hard standing at a protected site with impeded vehicle access…) the price (due to our costs) can easily be >10 times higher, i.e. £80K rather than £8K. So the devil really is in the detail!

Land type & gradient?

Date?

Location?

Site & access details (after survey)

Event nature, size, setup/style

Rushed build?

Meticulously prepared or many unknowns

needing project management?

Confirmed well in advance?

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Using own stock or much of it sourced in?

Branding?Accessories like HVAC?



People just love ball park prices don’t they

With a whole bunch of assumptions, here’s a rough guide on summer prices - but please, do check for each individual event as it could well be cheaper…. And hmmm, depending on those things I listed on the last slide, it might be more expensive too

• ‘Low leg’ (2.3m) marquees (bare tent setup) £5.50/m2

• ‘High leg’ (3m) marquees (bare tent setup) £7.50/m2 – upto 20m in span

• Extended leg (4m) – extra £5/m2

• 25m in span – from £10/m2; 30m in span – from £14/m2

• Timber floor and carpet - from £6.50/m2 ( for the board & batten system; levelled/cassette costs more)

• Lighting and lining – from £7/m2

• = Approx £23/m2 for a ‘dressed & furnished’ party grade marquee

• = Approx £40/m2 for a corporate grade setup (solid walls, glass, higher standard

lining, lighting & dancing etc, furniture, more spacious, power, toilets etc) – but on a

level surface and upto 20m span booked in advance 9


A 30m x 50m, for example, area is rather expensive via a single-span marquee (as a ‘corporate grade’ setup that would be around £70K) but we could achieve the same area by joining together two 15m span marquees (at least £10K less). The main disadvantage would be having ‘legs along the middle’; specifically at 5m intervals. Here are some pictures to give you an idea…

Externally you clearly see the two gables at each end and internally the legs are clearly an issue, though for most functions could be made a feature of and boxed and/or lined in, if the budget is a key issue. 10




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Marquees come in all sorts of sizes and can be put up in most locations. The width of the structure and type of ground/surface sets the method of anchorage and can have a major impact on the price. Those horror stories about marquees blowing away – they got the anchorage wrong (or used a cheap marquee).

Staking in to grass is the easiest (so cheapest) and ‘self repairing’ of the small holes that remain after removal.

[BELOW] Otherwise, for the larger structures or longer events or ‘less summery’ weather, we need heavier weights, such as concrete blocks or water-filled IBC tanks (1 tonne each), tensioned-strapped to the legs, as ballast, which can look ‘prominent’

[ABOVE] On a hard standing/surface, the best (safest) is to drill and bolt down (holes can be capped or filled in) but most folk don’t like that, so for a narrow marquee where there won’t be much wind we can use leg-attached steel block weights and/or chain it to a nearby sturdy fixture.


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Some of the side walls (and their corresponding roofs) need strengthening by the use of bracing bars or wires. These are highlyvisible and will affect the choice of whether particular areas are ‘open’, glass or clear PVC (unless we try hard to hide them).

For the 5m bay structures at least 1 in 5 bays (5m every 25m) need such reinforcement. For the 3m bay kit it’s at least 1 in 7 (3m every

21m), but if the weather is bad or the structures will be out for more than a few days, more strengthening should be used.

3 quick diagrams of large and/or reinforced structures which illustrate this:

To hide these outside (and allow the walls to be clear or off, unimpeded) we need to fit portal beams; thick metal reinforcing bars at eave level - this costs more and must be ordered in good time. Hiding inside would need very thick

linings or perhaps false walls/panelling (or branded posters etc) to cover them.

They are prominent, both inside and outside!

Even on a reasonably level surface, a built timber floor can cost the same as the marquee itself (much more if the floor is to be levelled) but there are several advantages:

1. Protects against the weather-the floor stays dry and it helps insulation too2. Ladies in heels3. Superior underfoot feel (or rather, anything else feels cheap)4. Can create a level surface on uneven ground


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Our REGULAR, interlocking board-and-batten timber floor system is a series of 50cm wide (1m, 3m or 5m long) treated timber planks which slot in to an aluminium extrusion system around the perimeter of the floor area to keep them together. The underside of the planks are fitted with and/or laid on supporting joists (bearers/battens) and additional timber offcuts are used as packing under this to “spot level”, i.e. fill in, as best as possible using this technique, any dips in the ground to be covered. So this floor runs with the gradient of the underlying land and, due to bumps/dips, can be a little ‘bouncy’ in places (but extra packing can usually find a nice compromise). The floor raises the event about 2” from the ground and is absolutely ideal for 99% of most “respectable budget” events. It’s strong enough to support vehicles (if we know in advance to sufficiently pack it!) hardwearing and gives a great under-foot feel. It usually costs as much as the bare marquee itself (because it requires at least as much resource to transport & build…); as a general quick-calc guidance, allow for about £7.50/m2 with a carpet cover.

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In situations where our floor won’t fit, for example the space is small, fiddly or you need a particular bespoke shape (in the shape of a heart if you insist ), we can build a made-to-measure PLY AND BEARER FLOOR, intended for indoor use and usually with OSB (pictures here show ply), from £18/m2 (with carpet) or part thereof:

A “DECKING” area is similar but designed for outdoor use so more presentable and made with ply wood (sometimes a slatted finish) and varnished/treated. From £24/m2 (uncovered)

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A RAISED FLOOR is appropriate for uneven ground when a nice and level, consistent, event floor is required. A

sub floor/support, usually made from scaffolding or concrete blocks, is constructed to provide a flat & level surface

and then the floor built on that, according to the size required and conditions. Bespoke staircases and ramps are

almost always needed for these floors. This is a significantly more expensive option (approx £25-£80/m2) because

it represents a significant construction project and usually at breakneck speed!

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Plastic tiled floor (Rollatrac) Minimum (but still some) weather protection Functional but not beautiful, so guest areas need covering Great for catering tents (and walkways) Also for building up small shapes cheaply

No floor at all – a “bare tent” The marquee’s just a big umbrella really! Fine as storage, outdoors/picnic style, country show, field kitchen... Or country fairs etc But not for the VIPs & aspiring Princesses

Just carpet on the ground Any colour and, if you like, grade/thickness/texture So looks like a nice floor without the expense Feels like it is, but good for rustic theme or ‘tenty feel’ Good budget option (only) when the weather is nice –

otherwise you risk a soggy memory Especially on uneven or poorly drained ground

Hessian / Coir matting Good for rustic theme, but this is used stock

whereas carpet is always supplied new Actually quite a good carpet underlay




But could be clear PVC instead

Or black PVC (or any colour you like) or a combination

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Usually white, soft, lace-up

Or no walls at all



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Single skin solid wall (ABS panel)

Double thickness, cladded, cavity/strip walls

Or just glass with PVC


In fact even the roof can be solid (steel shown here)



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For best quality & full colour branding, we’d apply an all-round vinyl wrap

Well the cheapest is to brand onto a vinyl sheet with eyelets to be hung by wire anywhere you like, inside or out

Or that vinyl (or PVC) branding can be designed/cut to size to fit /affix onto our PVC covers (roof, gable, valance, walls, leg boxing, even on internal fabric linings) but as that’s effectively a permanent brand, we need to charge for new sheets/covers too. Recent examples: Southampton Boat Show, Windsor Triathlon

We use a combination of these external branding techniques at West End Live, for example, in addition to intricate internal fabric lining & styling



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Without adding a “proper door” to your marquee, you can simply have an entrance/exit anywhere you like by just opening up one or more of the PVC curtain walls (removing, pulling back, rolling up…)

But things look (and perform) a lot better when we install glass double doors




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No lining = you see the PVC and frame. Agricultural?

Pleated lining

Flat white lining

Blackout lining (or any colour you like -it just costs more)


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Chandeliers Up-lights; LED or with coloured gels Paper globes Fairy lights, rope lights, festoon lights And external – flood lights, sodium up-lights...


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As you can hopefully see from this floor plan excerpt, using internal partition walls we can create (lockable) ‘rooms’, to eave height or roof height, with an extra gable

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Staircases, flowerbeds, fountains, pergolas & trees can usually all be incorporated if the will is there!

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Or maybe just a gable-less bay to a building entrance or an open sided small marquee

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We stock 5 types of heater:1. Very high capacity gas heater (with ducting unit to pump warm air in) with 4 x 47l gas bottles £7502. High capacity gas heater (with ducting unit to pump warm air in) with 2 x 47l gas bottles £4503. Diesel heater (with fuel and ducting unit) £4504. New, high standard patio heater (indoor/outdoor) £185 each including gas

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We source in any manner of portable toilet –from the simple, classic cabin portaloo to a complex of luxury toilets, showers and changing rooms in a bespoke marquee


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And of course we’d be delighted to source in all the other bits you might need – generators, fencing, trackway, stage, signage…

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Site survey, free expert advice and an accurate quotation, scale diagram of the site and proposed marquee with seating plan, maybe a set of visuals and/or 3D virtual tour CAD –“the movie of your marquee before it’s made” (the other marquee guys don’t have that)

Please contact [email protected] or 07966 462460 for an initial chat! 49


Here are some links to other useful articles & case studies we’ve made

http://tinyurl.com/a6rwclv Our portfolio in pictures – examples & categories of our work (conferences/seminars, live events, festivals, hospitality/corporate, trade shows, CAD examples)

http://tinyurl.com/mj5edeh * Trade shows & exhibiting, sponsors & sports events…

http://tinyurl.com/cocf8sx * Festivals etc

http://tinyurl.com/bdbxohv The ‘consumer’ (weddings, parties etc) ABC guide

http://tinyurl.com/lyfxybv * Corporate Internal Communications / workshops

http://tinyurl.com/cq2q4cb * What we can do for Conferences

http://tinyurl.com/dxuqp5q What we can do for Schools, for example

* Some content of the above guides are contained, superficially, in the portfolio

http://slidesha.re/JOF03H Example of CAD planning: Company HQ event

http://slidesha.re/IWOsGF Just pagodas

http://slidesha.re/JiISKM Quick guide & setup ideas for stallholders

http://tinyurl.com/c9zggdf Our event rentals’ service basic flyer (mostly consumer)

http://tinyurl.com/boybo4z Our general structures’ basic flyer (includes warehouses)

There’s lots more so please just ask!50


Our link to online photo folders on G+



http://tinyurl.com/mj5edeh

http://tinyurl.com/cocf8sx

http://tinyurl.com/bdbxohv

http://tinyurl.com/lyfxybv

http://tinyurl.com/cq2q4cb

http://tinyurl.com/dxuqp5q

http://slidesha.re/JOF03H

http://slidesha.re/IWOsGF

http://slidesha.re/JiISKM

http://tinyurl.com/c9zggdf

http://tinyurl.com/boybo4z

Thank you for looking!

We hope this guide helped/helps when it’s marquee time for your events!

We’d like it to be as useful as possible, so please get in touch with any suggestions for the content…. Drop me a line at [email protected]

Same address if you’d like to ‘stop me and buy one’




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The ABC of Choosing a marquee for corporate events (an Event Professional's guide)