Silver Back Muzik

The Stretch Tent market place has seen tremendous growth in the last few years as marquee hiring companies, event organisers, restaurants/bars, the movie industry, corporations and even home owners start to see the enormous benefits, ease of use, dynamic functionality and good looks of these stretch fabric structures.

These Free Form style of tents (these tents are also known as, Bedouin Tents, Shade Canopies, stretch marquees and Shade Sales depending on the region), first appeared in the late 1990's in South Africa and since then, are a common sights around South Africa and Australian events and social gatherings, where they add their own gravitas.

One of the main factors driving this growth is the ability of stretch tents/ marquees to transform and re-invent a space. This is a big departure from the traditional rigid marquees which tend to be block like and intrusive. Stretch tents have a natural organic look, even sexy compared with the old marquee styles. This in turn has opened up a wide range of new uses and benefits that where unheard of 10 years ago.

One of the key benefits that small businesses and companies have picked up on is capital expenditure (CAPEX), especially for the eventing and tent/marquee hiring companies, who are finding that their returns on initial investment are returned quicker than traditional marquees which run at higher entry costs. This is in turn leads to the tents turning a profit far earlier than traditional marquees.

Stretch tents are also producing revenue generating areas that were not previously available. The ease and ability to put up anywhere are providing hiring businesses with a quick return on capital investment, which is music to any businessman's ears.

Adaptability has been another strong selling point. The final use of the product is factored in early, in the design and manufacturing stage, allowing for erection of the tent in previously inaccessible areas. So not just exclusively for events, they can now be found on yachts/boats, to tricky balcony situations for restaurants and clubs, to providing shade solutions around home premises and playgrounds, there just are no other tenting solutions that come close.

No matter what their final usage is, the styling and organic looks of stretch tents make them enhance any environment, adding an extra dimension and sense of occasion.

The ease of use is another big plus of these tents; a tent of 270 m2 (18m by 15m) that can seat 135 seated guests, can easily be erected by a team of 4 in fewer than 2 hours. Smaller versions of under 60m2 can be erected in an hour or less by a team of two. This helps in keeping both labour costs, event costs and storage costs to a minimum.

Combined with ease of use, is the tremendous marketing and branding afforded by these tents. Often overlooked in the past, stretch marquees offer a massive branding surface that is visible from a distance. The actual fabric of the tent can also be colour coded to a company's brands identity and allows home owners to match the tent to the overall feel of their home.