marquee hire Archives

Brexit – whatever happens, let’s party!

Posted on March 26, 2019 by James Mallinder

Brexit has been rumbling on now for nearly 3 years and we are waiting with bated breath – how is it going to affect the future for us all? The outcome is still pretty murky with none of us really knowing what’s going to happen.

As a business, we will be approaching it in the knowledge that we will adapt accordingly, whatever happens. As some clever person once said, ‘what will be, will be’.

We like to look on the bright side at Igloo Disco and we know that situations which throw up the biggest problems often throw up the biggest opportunities. The unknown is always scary but with it brings opportunity and growth.

If you’re with us in this thinking, now is the perfect time to keep morale high, whether that’s at work or amongst friends and families. We are offering some amazing discounts on Igloo Disco packages booked with us when you quote ‘always look on the bright side of life’. At Igloo Disco, we don’t need an excuse to party, but we’re happy to help you find one!

We are here to help with all of your party needs, big or small via our boutique events planning company providing unforgettable parties in our inflatable Igloos, offering the ultimate ‘wow factor’.

We’re your one-stop party shop, giving you the full party package and taking the leg work out of the organising by providing an events management service with it.

So who’s with us?! Let’s keep positive and remember to always find a reason to party!

Now You Know The Best Alternative To Marquee Hiring

Posted on September 20, 2017 by James Mallinder

If you spotted someone using a marquee for a celebration years ago, you’d have probably looked at it and said, “I want one of those for my party.” Fast forward to the here and now and the novelty has probably worn off a little, mainly because everyone seems to be using them for absolutely anything but don’t worry, there are great alternatives to marquee hiring.

Maybe it’s The Great British Bake Off moving to Channel 4 that put you off marquee hiring for good. Or factors like the build time of a marquee (and how long until the team comes back to remove it), the cost as well as the capabilities in bad weather, no wonder you’re looking for an alternative.

Luckily for you, there are plenty of different types of venues that can suit all of your needs. You want something you’ll never forget? How does a pop-up nightclub in your own garden sound? There are many fantastic venues available, so let’s go through them all and see which venue is the perfect one for your party.

Giant Structure

You’d have people talking about your party for the sheer size of the giant structure, making your traditional marquees look ordinary. You don’t need to worry about the horrible and unpredictable UK weather blowing it away either, and you’ll be having one serious party based on the size and the capacity.

These are the kind of thing you might have been in at a big country fair, racing meet or polo final. They’re sturdy and impressive.

Multi-Deck

You’d usually find the incredible multi-deck structures at car or horse racing events, but there’s nothing stopping you from hiring one for your party. The top floor is a frame marquee while the lower floors are temporary decking, and it all contributes to an epic night nobody attending will ever forget.

One floor could be the dancefloor and nightclub, whilst the other could be a place to relax and watch the action with a cocktail.

Nordic Tipi

Nordic Tipi’s have proven to be popular choices at parties, festivals and weddings, where the tipi-shaped tents can be attached to other tipis to create much bigger tents. The larger the tipi, the more guests it can hold, and the unique structure makes it very memorable.

They’re a popular and well-known alternative to marquee hiring at private parties.

Stretch Tent

If you want more freedom and creativity with your venue, then a stretch tent is a great choice. This structure is a large tent which uses stretchy fabric to give it a unique shape, so your exterior is one that will totally stand out and leave people seriously impressed, and it’s why you see them used frequently at public events and festivals.

Saddlespan

The saddlespan tent offers a lot more versatility because of the size and the style on offer. You see them at gigs, corporate events and parties because of how innovative the design is compared to other structures, and will definitely give you a music festival vibe in your garden.

If you’re in the middle of a heatwave and want the outdoor feel but with additional shade, these are perfect.

House Party

Hiring a venue isn’t a necessity, as you can choose to turn your own home into a nightclub where you don’t have to worry about things like the weather and heating or insulation. If you invest in unique decorations and transform your house into something special, you’ll avoid hosting another standard house party.

Just remember to lock away that heirloom dinner set and put some carpet covering down.

Inflatable Igloo – Yes, Inflatable Igloo

How often do you see turn up to a party and expect to see a massive igloo waiting for you? If you truly want to party in style and leave your guests gobsmacked, hiring an inflatable igloo is the latest trend you need to hop on compared to other structures.

You won’t even need to worry about keeping your neighbours up, thanks to the great noise retention. It also sets up in just a few hours. It has that wow factor you’d desperately want and has plenty of other benefits compared to other structures you might be considering – not least, the fact that each igloo comes with a team of experts who make sure you have a party you’ll never forget.

But We’re Most Concerned In Making Sure You Have The Perfect Party.

Do You Need a Comparison Guide to Help You Choose the Perfect Venue?

If the idea of a pop-up nightclub in your own garden is something you love the sound of, you need to make sure you’re picking the perfect venue that will suit all of your needs.

There’s a great deal to consider, so take a look at this helpful guide and see all of the pros and cons of all of the different types of structures in a lot more detail here:

3 Crucial Thoughts On Garden Party Gazebo Hire

Posted on July 28, 2017 by James Mallinder

Your special occasion is one that you’ll want to remember for the rest of your lives. Make sure it’s for all the right reasons, not because you didn’t consider these life-saving factors when deciding on your garden party gazebo hire company.

Stop, think and decide if the gazebo is the right choice for your garden party in light of these three points:

Think Of The Neighbours
Think Of The Weather
Think Of The True Setup And Removal Time

If you’re now having second thoughts about whether the gazebo is the way to go, jump to our comparison guide to see all the different pop-up venues you can use for a garden party.

If you’re still confident that the gazebo companies you’ve been comparing (and hopefully compared at least three of them and not just gone to Dodgy Dave’s Marquees and Gazebos, whose number you got off the Buy and Sell board in Waitrose) will give you everything you need, at least read on to see why these points are so important.

1 – Think Of The Neighbours

How forgiving will your neighbours be if the party ends up going on later than planned and they’re trying to get some rest, whilst you and your guests are just getting into the swing of things?

A few jugs of Pimms and bottles of fizz have gone down nicely and now your kids aren’t the only ones dancing around the sound system. The BBQ’s getting fired back up, and you and the other not-so-oldies are all ready to get on the shorts when the young ones head into town.

But Barbara from next door has sent Clive round to complain. He’s already unhappy somebody parked across the edge of his drive earlier in the day, even though he wasn’t going out, and somebody left the gate at the end of the lane open.

Now he’s annoyed some people are having fun. No wonder you didn’t invite him.

Either way, you’ve got two options: shut the garden party down and take it inside the house; or carry on regardless, with the sound emanating out from the sides of the gazebo, and have a very sour faced Clive and Barbara refusing to take your next Amazon delivery.

There are other options which mean your outdoor party can remain outdoors and your house can remain a non-party zone.

2 – Think Of The Weather

The other thing to think about when planning your garden party is the weather. I know you’ll have thought about whether it’ll be sunny or whether it’ll be raining, but what about the wind?

Under windy conditions, if you aren’t careful before you know it, the gazebo can go airborne. A strong gust can get under the structure and it’ll take off even if it’s pegged into the ground.

Besides the hired gazebo potentially getting damaged and costing you x-amount in repair bills, once it takes off the flailing legs could do some real harm to you and your guests.

Make sure your hired gazebo is well and truly secured with weights and factor these into your price calculations and comparisons.

3 – Think Of The True Setup And Removal Time

How long has your gazebo hire company said it’ll take to set up the gazebo, a few hours? And the same again to take it down? That’s great.

But, when are they coming to do both of these? If they aren’t setting up and removing the hired gazebo on the morning of the party and the morning after, respectively, the true setup and removal time is multiple days.

Once the gazebo is setup in your garden, it’s your responsibility. We were speaking to a cricket club recently who hired a number of gazebos for a big match. The hire company could only install them on the Thursday before the game, a whole three days and nights beforehand.

The club thought they’d secured them, but on Friday night, a little storm came in and destroyed all but two of the gazebos. They had to patch the rest up and have volunteers sleep in the clubhouse each night until the gazebos were back with the hire company. They ended up losing money on what was supposed to be some fundraising hospitality areas for the big match.

Make sure you find a gazebo hire company who is willing to install the structure on the morning of the party and remove it the morning after. Anything else runs the risk of you getting caught out by a rough half hour of weather.

Now, Consider All The Alternatives

Gazebos can be great for garden parties. They’re relaxed and offer a nice bit of shade. But they have plenty of downfalls.

Why not consider all the different temporary structures you could hire for your garden party that we have put into one handy comparison guide. Whichever you have any more questions about, be it a Nordic tipi, an inflatable igloo or a classic marquee; ask one of our party planners for some free advice.

You’ll only get one chance to celebrate this party, make sure it’s absolutely perfect.

Download our brochure here to find out how you can wow your guests

6 Epic 18th Birthday Party Ideas

Posted on July 25, 2017 by James Mallinder

Turning 18 is amazing. You are usually still at college or sixth form so are surrounded by your friends day in, day out, you still live with your parents so luckily don’t have to think about the boring stuff like bills and how to work a washing machine; plus it’s the age where you can finally go out, legally drink and get into nightclubs without worrying about getting in. Therefore, throwing an epic 18th birthday party is key to enter adulthood with something you’ll always remember.

Having a birthday party means you can celebrate with your friends and family all in one place, and everyone there has come to celebrate your birthday. The hard part though is figuring out how you want to celebrate your birthday, therefore we have thrown together a list of epic 18th birthday party ideas.

Throw Your Own Festival
Go Sky Diving & Supercar Driving With Your Friends
Party Like A Celebrity
VIP Shopping Trip
A Holiday With Your Friends
Hire A Pop Up Nightclub In Your Garden

Throw Your Own Festival

When Summer comes so does festival season. People love festivals, as they attract hundreds of thousands of people from across the world. There is a festival for everyone as each festival holds various artists from different genres in music.

If your birthday falls within the Summer season hosting a festival themed garden party could be one to consider. Festivals are a great place to let loose, listen to great music, have a drink and dance around with your friends. Having one in your garden can include all of that just minus the camping part.

Another great thing about a festival is the dress code. No need for high heels and tight dresses or for guys smart shoes and shirts, you can wear wellies, put glitter in your hair and use face gems, but don’t forget your rain coat as the British weather is unpredictable.

With a festival themed party how extravagant you go is up to you. You could keep it simple by just playing some music within your garden or you can hire a party planner who will sort out a DJ, bar area and decorations.

Igloo Disco presents : HYC in the Park 2015 (unique pop-up events) from Igloo Disco on Vimeo.

Go Sky Diving Or Supercar Driving With Your Friends

Not everyone is going to want a boozy birthday party with dancing, some of you may want to do something completely different. There are many places to go if you want to feel an adrenaline rush but some of these places you may visit more than once within your life. For something to really remember why not try a skydive with a few of your bravest friends. Skydiving creates such an adrenaline rush and it is a once in a lifetime experience.

If that is too extreme as you don’t fancy jumping out of a plane driving around a racing track in a supercar is also great at creating an adrenaline rush and will also be a very memorable experience. Here you can time your friends laps giving it a bit more of a competitive streak.

Party Like A Celebrity

Everyone on TOWIE and MIC does their fair share of clubbing, but they never slum it in the general area or even just a booked table. They go strictly VIP. Celebrities will hire out the VIP areas in clubs which will come with complimentary bottles of Vodka and Champagne. If you’re looking to party like your favourite TV star then hiring out a VIP section of a nightclub could be for you.

A VIP booth is a great way to stand out from the crowd as you can party the night away with your friends in your own private booth usually overlooking the main dancefloor. Within the VIP area you will be treated like royalty with drinks and mixers on tap, you will also have a private seating area just in case you want to take a break from dancing the night away.

This is a great way to experience what a nightclub is all about within the privacy of your friendship group, however you can bring people back to your VIP booth if you wanted. You can even hire pretend-paparazzi to capture your arrival at the club.

VIP Shopping Trip

If you are into shopping this one is perfect for you. Hire out a luxury Mercedes Jet Sprinter which can hold you, your friends and family members to take you around London for the ultimate VIP shopping trip. These Sprinter’s are used by celebrities like Kim and Kanye as they offer space and comfort as well as style, therefore making them the ultimate vehicle to use for your VIP shopping trip.

Within the Sprinter you can enjoy bottles of Champagne with your friends and family while you ride around from shop to shop. With a chauffeur driving you can relax and let them drive you around the city. No hiking around between the shops and no rides on the hot and sweat tube.

Birthday shopping is necessary even if it is only for an outfit for your party or night out, therefore why not make a day of it with your friends and enjoy travelling around in luxury.

A Holiday With Your Friends

Now you have turned 18, a summer holiday with your friends is on the cards, so why not go and enjoy some sun and sand for a long weekend now instead?If you are looking for the ideal party holiday, then Ibiza is the location for you. With celebrities partying it up in clubs such as Ocean Beach and Amnesia you never know who you might see. At clubs like Ocean, you can hire out a bed which includes bottle service.his is a great place to relax, enjoy the music and dance all day and on into the night. A holiday for your 18th birthday is something to remember and you can come home rocking a great tan.

If you aren’t too keen on the idea of a party holiday the world is your oyster as there are many places for you to visit all within just a few hours flight.

Simply head to your Sky Scanner app, find a city you like the look of and then get online to find a luxury apartment for you and your friends to take over for the weekend.A holiday can be whatever you want it to be but it is a great way to celebrate turning 18.

Hire A Pop Up Nightclub In Your Garden

When we say pop up nightclub, we don’t mean a bog standard marquee from DavesMarquees.com. But, if you are wanting to stay closer to home and celebrate with more friends and family in a very unique way, hire an entire pop up nightclub.

Hiring an inflatable nightclub will be remembered not only by you, but by everyone who came to celebrate your birthday. An inflatable igloo disco is the answer.

Hiring an inflatable igloo may sound like one of the craziest 18th birthday party ideas, but this is a very different type of marquee which can be set up in your garden. You only get chance to turn 18 once so you don’t want to do something ordinary.

The igloo is a fully functioning nightclub and depending on the size you can hold a vast amount of people within the space, come rain or shine. You can throw a party inside an igloo with a bar and DJ to make your night worth talking about. With an igloo you can break out of the ordinary marquee in your garden and have something different and unusual.

With an igloo in your garden you can have a winter themed party, or you can be ironic and use it along with other inflatable objects and create one wild party.

With an igloo disco the possibilities are endless as you can use it for so many different themes. Our igloos are hired for use at big festivals so we can help you use one for that if a nightclub isn’t your favourite option..

An 18th birthday party is a great time to be creative and different. You only turn 18 once. You want it to be memorable so make sure you let an expert plan your party.

Get your free party planners handbook today

How To Hire A Pop Up Nightclub

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Danny Savage

Just imagine. An actual nightclub in your own back garden. What an incredible way to celebrate your child hitting an 18th or 21st birthday. You’ve probably noticed more people are hiring pop up nightclubs in their gardens for anniversaries and birthday parties. It’s a truly special way of celebrating. If you’re considering a pop up nightclub for a landmark birthday, here’s how to hire a pop up nightclub that will impress everyone who sees it.

Where To Start? Decide What Type Of Venue You Want To Use

Firstly, you need to choose the type of venue for your nightclub. As it will be located in your garden, you may be limited on size. Measure your garden to determine how much space you have to play with.

Then you can consider the types of structures to hire in order to create this one-off venue.

There are many different types, each with their pros and cons:

Traditional Marquee: A popular choice and holds many guests but the tent poles cause some serious damage to the ground. Let’s be honest, marquees have been over-done, they lack the WOW factor.
Nordic Tipi: A Nordic tipi is an unusual and visually-striking place to celebrate a birthday but again, the giant wooden poles will leave some lasting damage. They are very cool though.
Stretch Tent: A stretched tent can be shaped to complement your event, it can stand against high winds too.
Inflatable Tent: Inflatable tents offer lots of benefits. They provide excellent cover from the weather, they contain a lot of the noise made inside and they’re UNIQUE.

There are lots of venues out there, you just need to find the right one that will suit your budget, space and needs. Most importantly, it needs to have the wow factor as well. If you’re planning a surprise birthday party, the venue must look spectacular.

Choose Your Vendor

When it comes to hiring a pop up nightclub, this is a major step. At this stage, you know what kind of venue you want to hire, you just need to find the right vendor you can rent from. Take some time to search online to see what options are available and compare at least three quotes.

Look at what sizes and styles they have available and find out what the set up options are.

Ideally, you want to have a venue that can be set up in the morning of the party and then dissembled the next day. That’s what we do here at Igloo, we set up our inflatable igloos in the morning of the party and then take it down the next day, we clean everything up too so you don’t have to.

With Igloo, We Guarantee: From nothing to nightclub in under 5 hours, whatever the weather!

To help you find the best venue vendor, start by looking at their social media. Checking their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is an effective way of seeing what kind of parties the vendor has catered for in the past and if they create the same nightclubs you have in mind.

It’s no use hiring a marquee company to create a nightclub for an 18th birthday if all they specialise in is country shows and summer fetes.

Don’t forget to read their reviews. Reading reviews will provide you with an excellent insight of what previous customers have thought about them. Did the birthday girl enjoy her party? Were other parents happy with the results? What did the guests think about it? We recommend looking at Google Reviews for unbiased reviews from previous customers.

Decorating And Lighting

After you’ve picked your venue, you will need to organise lighting and interior decorating.

You can hire nightclub lighting or purchase cheaper alternatives you don’t mind using for one night then throwing away or storing until Christmas/your next event. Before you buy, just make sure you’re hiring/buying from registered and recommended retailers to ensure you’re buying safe lighting. Many of the cheap disco lights you find on Amazon & eBay may look good on the picture but they’re cheaply made and don’t meet EU regulations. Do your research before you buy to avoid disappointment.

With decorating, start by choosing the theme of your nightclub. Do you want to go with a standard nightclub vibe or choose a fancy dress option? Do her or him and his friends have a particular club they talk of going to, like Pacha or Ocean Beach? Then decorate accordingly.

Hire A DJ

The next important task is to find a DJ. As the DJ is central to a successful nightclub party, choose your DJ wisely. One of the best ways of finding a DJ is asking people for recommendations. You can also look online and in directories, but it’s beneficial if you can approach a DJ who is highly recommended. Ask your child to pass you any playlists and artists they love, you need to make sure the DJ plays music they like.

It’s important you book your DJ in advance. DJs are booked up for weddings, corporate events and birthday parties so booking a DJ on a Saturday night can be difficult if you’re leaving it last minute to book.

Hire A Bar

Another important feature of any nightclub is the bar. Bars are available for hiring at weddings and events. You will need to compare quotes and make sure the bar will fit in your venue. When it comes to hiring a bar, you will need to pay for bar staff and drinks too.

But the beauty of the nightclub being in your own back garden, you’re in full control of who can and cannot access the alcohol.

Security

And, on that theme, you need to think about how you will manage security on the night. If word gets around that there’s a pop-up nightclub and a party at so-and-so’s house, what will you do if an uninvited group of possibly drunk teenagers arrive?

Letting them in when they’re in a good mood is one thing, but what about later into the night? Professional help who knows how to run a guest list and nip any problems in the bud might be the best plan here.

Wish There Was A Simpler Way Of Planning Your Pop Up Nightclub?

If you’re concerned about hiring lighting, decorating and finding the DJ, check with the venue vendor you are hiring from because they might be able to offer you a complete package so you don’t have to worry about anything else.

Here at Igloo, we offer complete and tailored party packages with our inflatable igloos. That means, along with our unique igloo venue, we bring the DJ, sound systems, non slip flooring, all the technical equipment and supplies you need, even a fully staffed bar. We manage the event too, which means you can enjoy the party and leave everything to us.

Need A Hand Planning Your Party? We’ve Got A Free Guide You Can Use

When you’re organising a party to celebrate your child reaching an important milestone, it’s obvious you want to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. That’s why we’ve created the essential guide to party planning. ‘The Party Planner’s Handbook’ has all the important steps you need to follow (along with insider advice from our own team). Enjoy!

Download your free guide here

The key questions to ask when you hire a marquee

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Site Admin

You have to make sure all angles are covered when you come to hire a marquee because they can literally hold your party together. Maybe it’s a 40th birthday party you are organising or a wedding reception you’re thinking of hosting in a marquee…whatever the occasion, here’s what you need to ask before you sign up.

What sizes do you offer?

This usually depends on the hirer having a rough idea of numbers because you don’t want people to be squashed into a tiny space nor do you want an empty marquee, so choose your size wisely. The most realistic estimate you can give them is the best you can do, after all, closer to the time you can’t predict people dropping out or coming on board at the last minute.

Which kinds of marquees do you have?

There are lots of shapes to consider in your hunt for the perfect marquee. Traditional, tipi, yurt and stretch tent are just some of the styles out there so, depending on the atmosphere you want to create, it’s worth shopping around to pick the best shape for purpose.

Are your marquees insured?

Check if the marquee hire company has public liability insurance and damage waivers in place, and whether you need to get any further insurance to protect yourself. Even better, if they are members of MUTA, it means they must follow MUTA’s industry-leading Best Practice Guide and be legal, decent, honest and truthful.

Will you be able to sort out the practicalities for me?

Toilets, electrics, heating, catering and refrigeration…someone needs to make sure it’s looked after. The question here is: will you be able to let the marquee company take these issues off your hands or is it something you have to arrange for yourself? Either way, make sure you know before you proceed.

What extras will you need?

It depends entirely on the occasion but you need to consider what extra items you’ll need to entertain guests. A marquee for a wedding will need a good supply of tables and chairs; it’s worth looking into sorting a dance floor for an 18th birthday and corporate events require a good sound system for speeches. If you know what you need, ask if they can take care of this for you.

How do we choose a site?

Find out what is and what isn’t possible for the site you choose. If you don’t have a site in mind, the company should be able to find one for you in your preferred area. One typical problem you might encounter along the way is the issue of uneven or sloping ground. Most companies will be able to provide a range of options to cater for your needs, for instance, a raised platform can get around the problem of a slope.

This is a great starting point for anyone thinking about the first steps of hiring a marquee, and there are many more points we could cover. If you’d like to contact us about about our inflatable domes as a quirky alternative to a marquee, a member of our team would love to chat to you or give you a free quotation.

4 reasons you should hire an inflatable dome rather than a marquee

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Site Admin

So you’re planning an outdoor event and you need to decide on the right structure to accommodate guests. There are so many advantages to installing an inflatable dome for your event or promotion and we’re going to share some of them with you here .

1. They’ve got the ‘wow’ factor

If you want something that is guaranteed to give your guests something to remember, look no further. Our inflatable domes are so much more interesting than your standard four walls of flat sheets: they’re fun, striking and look incredibly inviting. In fact, ours resemble igloos (hence our name), and it’s not everyday you see an igloo at a function or event, is it?

2. Quick and painless installation

Forget hanging around for hours or even days while the team fiddle about with various bits of lining and ugly guide ropes; our domes can be inflated in minutes no matter what size you go for. When you need to create something impressive and time is short, domes are ideal because all they need is pumping up with air and it requires fewer people for installation before you’re good to go. Typically, de-rigging is as quick as setting it up, and takes comparatively less time than a standard marquee. The most complicated full set up will be built by the team here in no more than five hours, and can be deconstructed in about half that time.

3. Make a splash

Picture the scene: on the day of your event, it’s raining and your guests are huddled inside the marquee, staring at the drab weather and wishing they weren’t outside. It’s not an ideal situation for anyone. Tucked inside a dome that’s 100% waterproof will means your guests forget the fowl weather outside, and concentrate on having the best time in the igloo.

4. Comfort is key

One other thing to consider in your search for the perfect place to entertain guests is their comfort. All our domes are designed in a way that allows you to keep the warmth in the structure thanks to the large air cavities between the two fabric skins. This means you get the added advantage of thermal insulation in the colder months, and in the summer, you can make sure your guests don’t get too stifled in the heat.

Are you interested in inflatable dome hire now that you’ve read our top four reasons to opt for something a little different to the bog standard marquee? We can provide you with a quote or you can get in touch by calling 01132 270800 and emailing [email protected].