Many of our clients have a need for large tents that can be used for temporary storage.  American Pavilion specializes in the rental and sale of clear span tents for both short and long term uses. These clear span style tents provide extra storage and have been installed in parking lots and grass fields next to office buildings as well as next to production and manufacturing facilities.  American Pavilion is often called on to install a rental clear span tent at a construction site for things such as foundation work and equipment storage.  American Pavilion's commercial rental tents can be installed in as little as one day and with no need for foundations or site prep work.  These large tents are modular and can be installed in almost any size, from 1,000 square feet to over 100,000 square feet. 

A clearspan tent is the best option for almost any use and is designed for rentals that last for as little as a few days to 12 months or more. Clear span tents don't require the use of any interior supporting tent poles which is ideal for any use where interior supports could hinder storage or the movement of heavy equipment.  American Pavilion's large clear span tents are designed to meet all national building codes and are the most weather resistant type of temporary tent structure available.  These big tents require little ongoing maintenance and can be fitted with overhead doors, lighting, flooring and even a temperature controlled environment. 

There is a tremendous swell of interest in American Pavilion's latest product introduction; a heavy duty, portable tent floor.  Manufactured from High-Density Polyethylene, this floor is designed to support not only pedestrian traffic but also the use of vehicles including cars, trucks and even forklifts.  The following are a few of the features that this floor offers:

1. 30,000 lbs. sq/ft static load suitable for all but the heaviest of uses.
2. Modular design which offers the ability to make the floor fit in ANY sized tent.
3. A diamond-plate finish for added slip resistance along with drainage holes to prevent water build up.
4. Grass protection by utilizing a moisture canopy, ventilation holes and support ribs to allow distribution of weight over a wider area.
5. A surface height of almost two inches which allows for the floor to be elevated above damaging rain, mud and water run-off.

This new tent floor may also be carpeted with American Pavilion's wide variety of rental carpet for that added touch.  Some other uses of our new portable tent floor have included walkways between tents, temporary roadways over grass, sand or dirt, temporary flooring at military bases and the protection of lawns and grass during concerts and other outdoor special events.

American Pavilion is proud to add this new flooring to its inventory of portable tent floors.  This new floor, along with the other types of tent floors in our current inventory gives American Pavilion the ability to offer the right floor at the right price for each and every client's event.  

There are dozens of different styles and types of rental tents and thousands of tent rental companies.  You may need a rental tent for a party, a corporate event or a sporting event but there are some questions that you must ask before you sign a contract to ensure that you receive the best experience possible.  The following are just a few of the questions that need to be asked before your next rental:

1. How long have you been in business?  You are looking for a company that has been in business for a long period of time.  Companies that survive for twenty or more years must be doing something right and since events are growing increasingly complicated you want a company with a great deal of experience.  American Pavilion has been in business for 107 years, making it one of the oldest and most experienced tent rental companies in the U.S.
2. How long has the salesperson that you are dealing with been in the business?  You might have chosen a company with many years of experience but if you get a new salesperson that lacks event management experience then you could be putting your event in jeopardy.  It is best when you can deal with the owner or a member of the management team since they have a vested interest in keeping you happy.
3. How old is the tent that I am renting?  Tents don't last forever and whether it is a party tent, clear span tent, commercial tent, large tent or any other type, the fabrics can become dull and damaged over time.  Some companies turn over their inventory every couple of years while others stretch out their replacement cycle over many years.  Newer is better.
4. Will my tent be clean?  Sounds pretty basic but you would be surprised at the number of tents that have mold, mildew or dirt on them because of time or money pressures on the rental company.  You have a right to a clean tent so ask about its condition (and get it in writing)
5. Is my tent engineered?  Smaller tents are not yet a major concern, but in many jurisdictions all tents, especially larger ones, are coming under increasing scrutiny from building and fire inspectors.  The IBC codes are the most recognized for tents but depending on your location, other applicable codes might govern your rental tent.  The last thing you want is an event that is not permitted because of a lack of engineering for your tent.  Good companies that inventory quality tents will have this engineering on hand so ask to see it.

As a fourth generation owner of a family business, I am often asked how my company has survived for over 100 years. Only 12% of family businesses make it to the third generation and fewer still to the fourth generation.  A constant ingredient for success over generations is the ability to embrace change in the marketplace.  American Pavilion got its start making Conestoga wagon covers, but had my great-grandfather stuck to that business model I would not be here today blogging about the tent rental industry.  American Pavilion adapted to a changing marketplace that evolved from a local custom canvas manufacturer to a nationwide leader in the special event rental industry.  American Pavilion rents clear span tents, portable flooring, carpeting, lighting, HVAC, generators and provides event management across the country.  None of these products and services existed in 1902 but over the years previous generations adapted to changing customer tastes and requirements and today we boast a rental inventory that is second to none.

    While strong leadership is an obvious requirement for long term success, more than anything, it is the business itself that provides the opportunities for transformation of family as well as the operating business model.  It was Seneca that said that luck is when "preparation meets opportunity" so I must give luck its due as another ingredient of our long term success.

     Have you ever made a single phone call that saved you or your business over $100,000?  American Pavilion was recently able to save a new client over $100,000 just on portable rental flooring alone.  A Hospital in Minnesota holds an annual fundraiser and in the past another rental company had advised the hospital that the only way to floor the 164' x 214' clearspan tent structure was to install a raised floor that would cover the large decorative planters on the front lawn where the clearspan tent structure was to be installed.  After a site visit prior to the installation, American Pavilion was able to suggest a "lay down" plywood floor that was slightly elevated but would incorporate the planters inside of the clearspan tent instead of covering them with flooring.  The client loved the idea and was ecstatic that this option would save over $100,000 compared to the floor they used last year. 

     American Pavilion provided the clearspan tent, flooring, carpet, lighting and entry glass doors which required seven semi-truck loads.  The site was a challenge since American Pavilion's crews had to work their heavy equipment around sidewalks, soft grass and a sprinkler system.  After an eight day installation the work was completed and the hospital held the most successful fundraiser in its history.  Plans are already in the works for 2010 and American Pavilion is happy to have helped in their success.

       What is a clear span tent structure?  Well, answers.com defines clear span as an open area (height) with no physical obstructions.  What does that mean to an individual or corporation that is interested in renting or buying a clearspan tent structure?  Clear span tents don't have any interior support columns to interfere with sight lines, which means that you won't have a large tent pole inside the tent to get in the way of stages, tables, equipment and anything else that is regularly placed inside.  The entire clear span tent structure is supported by large, aluminum box beams which are then covered with a heavy duty and long lasting flexible vinyl fabric.  The fabric is tensioned to the aluminum support structure in such a way that the clear span tent can be installed for months or even years with very little in the way of maintenance.  Most clear span tents are "staked" to the ground with long steel tent stakes and therefore don't require the use of ropes or "guy-lines" like you would see on a typical circus style tent.  Also, most clearspan tent structures are designed to withstand severe winds and meet all national building and fire codes.  

     When referring to clear span tents, another often asked question is why is clearspan spelled differently by so many people?  The correct spelling is two words, "clear" and "span", which you will see spelled many different ways, such as clear span tent, clearspan tent and even clear-span tent.

     How do customers thank you for providing the products and services that you have been contracted to provide?  At American Pavilion we have always felt that payment is thanks enough for a job well done.  Often times during follow-up phone calls with clients that have utilized our portable structures or other special event rental equipment, I receive a compliment for a job well done and I consider this the icing on the cake.  It might be a compliment for something an employee did, or the way we handled a particular challenge or even something that I did personally that caught the attention of someone involved. 

      I have had the opportunity and pleasure to develop lasting relationships with many of our clients over the years and it is easy to understand how these relationships develop. When you consider that I might be interacting with a client all year long during the planning stage and then spend anywhere from a few days to a month or more on the job-site overseeing the installation of our clearspan portable structures, portable air-conditioners or any of the other special event services that American Pavilion supplies.  Payment is nice but a little icing from the cake always gives me a smile and it's what keeps me coming back into my office excited and ready for the day's challenges.

I am often asked by clients what the biggest change in the tent rental industry has been since my great-grandfather founded American Pavilion in 1902.  One major change has been the growth in the use of rental tents over the past 100 years.  In the early 1900's, while some tents were used for social events such as weddings the biggest tent renters were county and state fairs and Chautauqua's.  While we all know about fairs and festivals, Chautauqua's traveled the country in the late 19th and early 20th century providing speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day, all under large canvas tents.  Rental Tents are now used for a wide variety of events such as corporate meetings, sporting events, fundraisers, graduations, weddings, military training and disaster relief.

The second major change in the tent rental industry is the type of fabric used in rental tents today.  Canvas tents are long gone and extremely strong, flexible vinyl fabrics have taken their place.  Vinyl tent fabrics are generally manufactured to be flame resistant, mildew resistant and have UV light inhibitors impregnated into the vinyl to resist degradation from the sun.  It doesn't matter if the tent is a clearspan, tension, frame or pole style, it will probably use one of two types of vinyl; laminated or coated.  The vinyl laminate is manufactured by sandwiching two layers of vinyl over a polyester or nylon mesh and using heat or pressure to fuse it together.  Coated vinyl, the type that American Pavilion uses, is manufactured by covering a polyester mesh with liquid vinyl on both sides and then letting the vinyl cool and harden. 

While the coated fabrics are usually more expensive to purchase (up to double the cost of laminates) they are superior in many respects for the tent rental industry mainly due to their strength and ability to resist pin holes.

There is a tremendous swell of interest in clearspan tents.   American Pavilion specializes in this type of tent structure and travels nationwide to install them for many types of events.  Corporate meetings, product introductions, trade shows, shareholder meetings, sporting events, construction, environmental remediation and disaster relief are just some of the many types of uses for clearspan tents.  A clearspan tent is the strongest, most weather resistant tent structure on the market and because of these features clearspan tent structures are quickly becoming the preeminent rental tent on the market.  

Clearspan tents may be rented for as little as a few hours or for years at a time.  Some recent examples of events that have utilized our clearspan tents are a fundraising event in North Dakota, a college graduation in Maine and a wedding in New York.  Corporations that produce meetings are a popular renter of clearspan tents; using them for everything from product displays to shareholder meetings.  American Pavilion is often called on to provide extra meeting space for corporate meetings and with an inventory of well over 500,000 square feet we have the ability to cover even the largest company meetings.