Blog posts from September, 2013

The BC Connect Show is a brand new trade show combining the successful BC Foodservice Expo and the BC Hospitality Industry Expo into one big show! Everyone here at National Event Supply is excited at the prospects of the new show and we want you to be just as excited about the BC Connect show as we are. Here's our top 5 reasons that you should attend this year’s BC Connect Show in Vancouver.

The BC Local Food Pavilion

Everyone knows that fresh is better. Many restaurants, hotels, and caterers have turned to sourcing local ingredients to maximize the quality and flavour of their food offerings. British Columbia is lucky to have many great local products prefect for your spring menu. Are you interested in seeing what local flavours are available right here in British Columbia? If you are, the BC Local Food Pavilion is a must see at this year's BC Connect Show.

It’s in Vancouver

Okay, so I realize if you live in the lower mainland area of British Columbia, the prospect of traveling into or around the Vancouver area may not seem like a great idea to you. If that is the case consider this, not only is Vancouver one of Canada’s largest cities, it is also one of the world’s most livable cities. That's right, coming in just ahead of Toronto (4th place), and Calgary (5th place, tied), Vancouver was ranked as the 3rd most livable city in the world by The Economist. Don’t you just love to beat out the folks in Toronto and Calgary! Still not enough? Add in that the fantastic selection of restaurants, cafés, world class hotels, and fantastic setting and visiting the BC Connect show becomes a pretty exciting proposition.

Free Attendance

That’s right! CRFA members get to attend the BC Connect show for free. Compare that to the Toronto CRFA Show which costs $50 to attend and it is a no brainer! The BC Connect show gives you a great opportunity to visit with new and existing suppliers, talk to others in the industry, and maybe even learn a few things.

The Industry Lunch

The Industry Lunch features a keynote speech from Kevin Brauch, an Iron Chef America personality and Food Network Star. Kevin, on his TV series The Thirsty Traveler, explores food and drink in exotic locations. Having spent years in Toronto’s hottest night life establishments and restaurants before making the jump to TV, Kevin has extensive knowledge of the Food and Beverage industry.

The Beverage Showcase Pavilion

Looking for a new British Columbia based craft beer to serve? What about an award winning British Columbia wine? If you are, you have found the right spot! The local craft beer scene across Canada has been a hot market for a few years now. Most restaurants and hotels are offering at least 1 local craft beer with many more offering 5 or more. If you are not offering any craft beer selections you are missing a great opportunity! You will want to be sure to check out the Beverage Showcase Pavilion at the BC Connect show to sample a variety of beverages that you may want to add to your menu.

Now that we have convinced you to attend the BC Connect Show, it only seems reasonable for you to visit our booth # 340/441. We look forward to seeing you October 27th and 28th, 2013 at the BC Connect Show in the Vancouver Convention Centre!

"Vancouver Skyline And Stanley Park" courtesy of Rosemary Ratcliff / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

At National Event Supply, we offer 3 styles of cushions for Chiavari chairs; the traditional fabric Chiavari chair cushion, a vinyl cushion and a plywood base cushion. Each of the three cushion styles is available in White, Black and Ivory. Custom special order colours are available for the Chiavari cushions but can take 120+ days to source since not all the same custom colours are available from our suppliers.

Fabric Chiavari Chair Cushions

This are the traditional style of Chiavari chair cushion that is secured to the chair by Velcro tags at the back of the cushion. This is the most popular style of Chiavari chair cushion that is used extensively and gives the classic Chiavari chair look. The fabric cushion is available for $5.95/cushion or included free of charge when you purchase a Chiavari chair from National Event Supply.

While the fabric Chiavari cushion is the most popular style of cushion, it also comes with the highest maintenance costs as the fabric will need to be washed on a fairly frequent basis. The fabric is also more susceptible to staining and discolouration. This is more problematic with the white and ivory coloured fabric coverings versus the black fabric coverings. And while the washing effort is not all that difficult, putting the foam cushions back inside the fabric coverings can be quite time consuming and challenging to say the least. The other issue that can occur with the fabric Chiavari cushion is occasionally the Velcro tie tags will pull away (and off) from the back of the cushion. To fix this the Velcro tags either need to be re-sewn into the cushion or the fabric cushion needs to be replaced with a new cushion.

Vinyl Chiavari Chair Cushion

The vinyl Chiavari cushion has the same shape and classic look as the fabric style Chiavari chair cushion only the covering is made of vinyl. Vinyl Chiavari cushions are available at a cost of $8.45 each or a $2.50 upcharge if you are buying Chiavari chairs from National Event Supply.

The vinyl Chiavari cushions will perform dramatically better than the fabric cushions and will be more resistant to staining and discoloration. With that said however they do occasionally become stained or discoloured (particularly from red wine, tree saps and bird droppings). In addition, since the vinyl Chiavari chair cushions have the same Velcro tie tags as the fabric cushions; these will also need to be repaired.

Plywood Base Chiavari Chair Cushion

The plywood base Chiavari chair cushion comes with either a PU (Polyurethane) covering or a vinyl covering and cost $9.45 each or an upcharge of $3.50 if you are buying Chiavari chairs from National Event Supply.

The Plywood base Chiavari chair cushions have a Velcro strip on the bottom of the plywood base which helps to secure them to the seat of the Chiavari chair and creates a very elegant, finished look for the Chiavari chair. As a result, this option has become a very popular choice for customers looking to upgrade the cushions on their Chiavari chairs.

Day 88—September 4, 2013

The last time we looked in on our long-term table test, our 4-foot NES Rectangular Plastic Folding Table was going strong while the top layer of our 4-foot NES Rectangular Wood Folding Table was starting to peel badly. Now that summer is over, we thought it would be a good time to look in on our table test and see what August’s heat and humidity has done to both of the tables. We were really curious to find out if the peeling had progressed on the wood folding table, and whether the weather was starting to deteriorate the plastic table. So after almost 90 days, how are the tables holding up?

As you can see from the picture, the layers of the plywood have continued to separate with the top layer curling and the layer below starting to buckle and form waves. The tabletop continues to discolour from exposure to the elements. However, while the wood deteriorates, the metal hardware on the table has not begun to rust and the powder-coated table legs are still in pretty good condition.

The plastic table is still showing no ill effects from its time out in the elements. One would merely need to wipe the table off and it would be suitable for use at an event. Again, the metal hardware on the table has not taken any damage from the moisture in the air, or the rain storms that we have had.

After the last check in on the tables, I was wondering if we would see more peeling on the top layer of plywood or if it would completely separate as the glue holding the layer together weakens. The top layer has continued to separate, but it is still firmly attached to the table. The buckling of the second layer sort of surprises me. I didn’t expect that we would see deterioration of an inner layer simply because it is somewhat protected by the top layer of plywood.

I’m not surprised by the lack of deterioration of the plastic table-top. I was sure that if anything was going to survive a test of the elements, it was going to be thee plastic top. I am very happy that they metal table-legs on both tables are coming through this test in with flying colours. It will be interesting to see what happens to them as the temperature decreases this fall, and what effect snow will have on the tables.

Chances are that if you have ever considered purchasing a Plastic Folding Table, you have also considered the possible problems that the table may have. We have compiled a list of the top 5 most common problems with plastic folding tables.

We’re back with another jam packed post of interesting articles sure to spark your business into a busy fall event season. To showcase what National Event Supply has been up to and in preparation for any permanent or temporary classroom setting, we featured our wood folding training tables and plastic folding training in a Back to School training table blog post. We also posted about the Top 5 Restaurant Dinnerware Manufacturers, their differentiators and what makes them leaders in the restaurant dinnerware supply industry. Around the blogosphere, fall trends have been making their way onto the scene.

Event planners can struggle with finding the perfect centerpiece to top off the event. There’s only so many times flowers, candles and vases can be used. Next time you’re struggling for ideas, why not call on your catering contacts for a dose of something unique? Check out Special Events Magazine’s inspirational photo gallery of salad centerpieces, edible herbs and dessert courses sure to spark a whole new variety of event plans.

In the restaurant business, success can be a far-fetched goal. With lots of moving parts in a restaurant, it’s hard to pinpoint what to focus on to ensure your restaurant’s success. Restaurantcentral.ca put together a fantastic article on the top 20 factors for success in the restaurant business including but not limited to location, quality food, and flawless execution. Check out the rest of the article for additional ways to succeed in the foodservice industry.

With school already started, it seems like we’re on the slippery slope downhill. Before we know it, Christmas will have come and gone and that means everyone’s favourite trade show, The Rental Show will be upon us. To help with everyone’s planning, Rental Pulse put together Orlando attractions to plan now for your February trip. Perhaps a team building event is in store before you hit the show floor.

Big charity benefit galas can bring out the brightest and best in fall decor trends. BizBash has pulled together what to expect for this fall’s upcoming season of big-name fundraisers and what’s in store in decor, entertainment and more. Check out this article on the trends in technology-driven events, Latin American flavour and more.

That’s it for the last favourite finds of Summer 2013. We hope you’ll check back here to see what we loved when we saw it this month! And if you need anything for you fall events, why not contact National Event Supply for a quote?