Open ended

Stretch-tent companies tout their limitless options

“With consumers being bombarded by the latest and greatest marketing techniques, companies are always interested in ways to capture their audience’s attention,” says Stuart Johnstone, owner of Stretch Marquees & Fabric Structures in Sydney, Australia. “New designs are always a hit.

“The exciting thing about working with stretch tents is that they can become part of the architecture. No longer do event planners have to work around stiff structures,” he adds. “The tent itself acts as a foundation for providing other creative elements.”

“Style is the biggest benefit,” says Bradley Morris, owner of Nomad Tents in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “You can mold it; it doesn’t have to go up the same way every time. You can put the poles in different locations, and you can move those poles in a matter of minutes.”

Because they lack drop sides, stretch tents are not ideal in very cold climates. But they can be shaped many different ways by setting poles at staggered lengths; and they can be rigged over, under, and around other structures, points out Michele Upton, owner of Maverick Tents in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.

Another plus: “Because of the natural contours of the tent, abstract graphics look stunning; and color makes the tent ‘pop,’” Upton says. “We have even had clients who run cinematic film using the tent as a backdrop.”

“Nontraditional shapes mean that companies can use tents as part of their own marketing and design,” Johnstone notes. “Various shapes provide the opportunity for structures to blend into the environment, while making it easy to adapt to unusual spaces. The shapes and configurations of stretch tents are truly up to the imagination of the customer.”

Janice Kleinschmidt is a freelance writer and editor based in San Diego, Calif.