Blog posts from October, 2013

National Event Supply (NES), a leading factory-direct wholesaler to the party and event rental, foodservice and hospitality industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie Heathcote, who will join the NES team as Senior Marketing Operations Manager. Stephanie's proven background in planning and executing brand awareness and corporate marketing campaigns will help ensure NES continues to grow at record pace and further its leadership position within the party rental, hospitality and foodservice markets. "With more than 20 years of experience supplying Canada's party rental industry, and a customer service team focused on providing quality products, fast shipping and great service for our clients, National Event Supply is ready for rapid growth." Stephanie Heathcote went on to say, "I'm really excited to be a part of the NES team and hope to contribute towards their future growth."

Stephanie comes to National Event Supply with 6 years of experience in B2B marketing in the high-tech software industry. Most recently, she was Manager, Marketing Programs at Asigra, an enterprise cloud backup and recovery software company, where she managed a team of 3 inside sales and marketing professionals, planned and implemented corporate marketing promotional programs and co-managed the creation, planning and execution of the company's annual customer conference for up to 500 attendees. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Ontario Institute of Technology with a specialization in Marketing.

Stephanie's appointment comes at the conclusion of another year of very good growth for the company thanks to its loyal customer base. "National Event Supply is experiencing significant year-over-year growth and great customer interest in the wake of the launch of our new English and en français website," said Dennis Heathcote, Co-President at National Event Supply. "Stephanie's experience implementing a wide variety of B2B marketing campaigns, track record of success, and business acumen are exactly what the company needs for its next phase of growth."

To learn more about National Event Supply, visit: http://www.nationaleventsupply.com

Follow National Event Supply on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NatlEventSupply

About National Event Supply

Trusted since 1992, National Event Supply is one of Canada’s leading factory-direct wholesalers to the party and event rental, foodservice and hospitality industry. At National Event Supply, we’re focused on delivering commercial-quality products, superior customer service, and forming positive, long lasting relationships with our customers.

National Event Supply is a family owned and operated business with locations including a showroom and warehouse in the greater Toronto area and a warehouse in Vancouver, BC.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, now is the perfect time to look at your large serving piece inventory. For more than 5 years now, National Event Supply has offered a range of large melamine platters and bowls to complement our great selection of porcelain platters and bowls. While platters and bowls are nothing new to the hospitality/party rental/catering industry, Melamine has gained popularity for use in platters and bowls as it is durable, light weight, and has the same look and feel of porcelain serving pieces without the worry of breakage! Because of the high customer demand, we are now stocking three new melamine pieces just in time for Thanksgiving!

Our first new piece is also National Event Supply’s first melamine plate. The 11.5” x 7” White Melamine Rectangular Plate is great for use as a salad plate or luncheon plate. It can also be used for appetisers or to simply present three amuse bouche samples on (as seen below).

NES Item: M0962

Description: 11.5" x 7" White Melamine Rectangular Plate
Price: $12.95

With the popularity of our 16” White Melamine Square Bowl we decided to add a second square bowl to the mix. Large enough for a family style salad, the 10” White Melamine Square Bowl is perfect for serving close friends and family or integrate into a buffet at larger event functions.

NES Item: M1338

Description: 10" White Melamine Square Bowl
Price: $25.95

Lastly, we present our very first round melamine bowl! The 10” White Melamine Bowl gives you a more traditional look compared with the 10” White Melamine Square Bowl. Mix and match, with the square to create your own perfect arrangement.

NES Item: M1120

Description: 10” White Melamine Round Bowl
Price: $25.95

Corporate holiday parties have been a source of networking and good employee morale for decades. With the downturn in the economy, it was thought that the corporate holiday party would meet its demise. Special event planners, party rental companies, caterers, restaurants, and hotel venues can breathe a sigh of relief-with BizBash and Seamless surveying more than 1,500 event professionals, it appears corporations still have reason to celebrate. With answers to burning questions such as when the parties are held, and where the food is from, check out this infographic on the BizBash site to get an idea of the event rental needs you should be stocking up on.

Source: BizBash

The impending United States Government Shutdown has far reaching impact on tourism, first time home buyers seeking government backed mortgages and IRS taxpayer services to name a few. What most may neglect to see is the effect the shutdown will have on events such as political fundraisers.

While I wish I had better news on this issue, this unfortunately is not a pleasant post to write. With the government shutdown, fundraising events put on by both the Democratic and Republican parties will come to a standstill.

So what does this mean to caterers, party rental companies and event venues such as hotels, golf courses and banquet halls?

Politico, a publication focused on tough, fair and fun coverage of politics and government, interviewed a Democratic fundraiser that stated “The caterers are still going to charge for food and possibly labor – some could charge 100 percent of estimate if you cancel less than 72 hours. They have already ordered the food by now and in a union shop the staff has likely been scheduled so depending on the cancellation policy they likely will get paid”. The same should ring true with event venues, and party rental companies – assuming they have contingency plans built into their contracts such as cancellation policies and non-refundable deposits.

To read more on Politico regarding their thoughts on the impact of the government shutdown on events, click here.

Much like my previous post, 5 Problems with Plastic Folding Tables, this post will focus on the 5 most common problems with Wood Folding Tables. Chances are if you have ever considered purchasing a Wood (or Plywood) Folding Table, you have also considered the difficulties that you may experience with this particular type of table. Without any further ado, here are the 5 most common problems you can experience with Wood folding tables.

Wood Tables Can Split and Splinter When Dropped

Plywood tables unfortunately can splinter. This typically occurs if they are dropped; the area that sustained the impact will show damage similar to the picture. If you have the facilities to turn a damaged table into a smaller table (8-ft into a 6-ft) then this risk may not affect your purchase decision. If you do not have the facilities to make a fix you will likely need to purchase a new table.

The Table Feet Fall Off

Okay so apparently this is a problem with both wood and plastic folding tables! Again like the plastic folding table feet, the wood folding table feet generally don’t just fall off, they are pulled off unintentionally. The most common culprit is still the soft ground. While not a major issue by any means it certainly can be an annoying one. To solve this issue you will occasionally need to buy replacement feet so the tables won’t scratch or mar the floor surfaces where they are being used.

Table Legs Don’t Stay Folded in Place

Unlike plastic folding tables that use clips to hold the folded legs in place, wood folding tables use friction from the folding mechanism to stay folded. With time, wear and tear causes there to be less and less friction meaning the legs can start to unfold while the table is being moved.

Wood Tables Do Not Survive Well Outdoors

If you have spent some time checking out our blog, you will have seen our long term Plastic Folding Table and Wood Folding Table outdoor durability test. In this test we have taken things to the extreme, absolutely nothing has been done to either table since they were set up months ago. From the blog posts you can clearly see that if the table is going to be spending very much time outside exposed to the elements, you will probably want to purchase plastic folding tables.

Maintenance Can Be Tedious

Unlike plastic folding tables that require a quick wipe down and little else, wood folding tables can require additional maintenance. While not required and generally dependent on the use, many wood folding table owners opt to refinish their tables every year or two. This process involves sanding, staining (if desired), and a final varnish coat. If done correctly the table can look just about like new but keep in mind there is significant effort involved in this process.