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Last year, we started making videos where we stressed tables and chairs to the breaking point. We've tested our 6-ft NES Reliable Rectangular Plastic Folding Table and our 8-ft NES Reliable Rectangular Plastic Folding Table. We've put an 8-ft NES Rectangular Wood Folding Table to the test. This year we hope to test some of our round tables to show just how strong they are. We're also going to be testing some of our competitors' table to see how they stack up against the tables that we offer.

Today we're going to be putting a Lifetime Table to the test. Lifetime manufactures and sells tables, chairs, and a host of other products. We're going to be testing the Lifetime 6-foot commercial plastic folding table and comparing it to our NES Reliable 6-foot Rectangular Plastic Folding Table. On paper, the Lifetime Table looks to be the stronger table as it is rated for 2000 pounds of weight evenly distributed across the top, while our NES Reliable 6-foot Rectangular Plastic Folding Table is only rated for 1000 pounds. However, in a previous stress test, the NES Reliable 6-foot Rectangular Plastic Folding Table managed to hold over 2500 ounds before failing. How will the Lifetime folding table stack up against our 6-foot commercial plastic folding table? Let's find out!

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With any company dealing in the foodservice industry – whether it be catering, banquet halls, golf courses, restaurants trying different plating options, hotels with meeting space or party rental companies – picking the right platters for food presentation is important. You want to ensure you’re presenting aesthetically pleasing food while ensuring your inventory / material costs for the platters doesn’t affect your bottom line. Add in the breakage, potential stacking or transporting issues and it can be a bit overwhelming.

This article presents an easy to view list of the pros and cons of melamine platters vs. porcelain platters.

Melamine Platters:

• Durable
• Break resistant
• Can scratch with use of sharp objects on the surface (like knives)
• Commercial dishwasher safe
• Lightweight
• Can withstand temperatures from 32°F to 220°F (0°C to 120°C) – ruling out baking / food preparation in them
• Non-microwavable
• Potential long term health risks (jury still out)
• Easy to stack
• More expensive to purchase due to material cost

Porcelain Platters:

• Durable
• Breakage occurs more frequently due to the nature of the material
• Scratch resistant
• Commercial dishwasher safe
• Heavy in comparison to melamine
• Oven safe to 400°F
• Microwave safe (unless porcelain contains metal detailing)
• Can become cumbersome to stack
• Less expensive to purchase than Melamine
• Can look better longer

As you can see, porcelain platters and melamine platters both have their place at a buffet or party; neither one can be ruled out as “better” than the other – it generally comes down to how the purchaser plans to utilize the platter and personal preference.

A Guide for First Time Attendees

Anyone in the know in the Rental Industry – both in the United States and Canada – recognizes that The Rental Show is THE conference and trade show to attend. By now, I’m sure you've justified your trip to your boss and registered for your ticket for the 2014 Rental Show. You’ve booked your tickets to Orlando International Airport (or Google mapped directions to drive) and are starting to get pumped to rub elbows with the best and the brightest in the industry. As you get ready to pack your bags, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind as you gear up for the 2014 Rental Show:

1. Be Prepared

Conferences are first and foremost the premiere way to get a read on the industry and step outside your everyday business to learn how other rental companies across the continent operate. With more than 24 educational seminars on everything from employee retention strategies to eight must-haves for a successful rental store, you need to take advantage of all this learning! Know what sessions you want to attend and start mapping out your schedule now.

If you plan to carry your laptop/tablet/smart phone or all three during the event, make sure you keep a charger handy to make sure you don’t lose your ability to take notes!

Wear comfortable shoes. It’s a big convention center and you’ll be doing plenty of laps on both the trade show floor and walking to sessions. Do yourself a favour and plan to wear shoes that make you feel like you’re walking on air.

Carry business cards. Exhibitors will no doubt have badge scanning systems, but what about other individuals in special events, general tool, equipment rental or construction that you meet? Bringing business cards gives you the ability to network with other entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals and bounce potential ideas off them.

2. Network, Network, Network

Proactively engage with different people. The contacts you make at the Rental Show will provide you with valuable information on different ways to run your business. There are speakers, exhibitors and attendees who have been in the industry for decades and have a wealth of knowledge to share with you if you’re willing to strike up a conversation. If you’re an introvert (which let’s face it at least half of us are) try to challenge yourself to break away from your co-workers, or friends while you’re at sessions, during breaks, meals and networking events. One of the events that looks promising for attendees between the ages of 18 to 40, is the Young Professionals Networking Event happening on Sunday February 9 at 5:30pm. To refresh your networking tips and tricks, check out this article to rejuvenate your skills.

3. Have Fun (but not too much)

It has to be brought up – the elephant in the room. The Rental Show puts on a ton of awesome networking events that brings together the entire industry to mix and mingle in the very best of Orlando scenery. But there’s always that group of people that take the fun too far. Just remember you’re on a business trip and this really is THE place for rental industry education. It’d be a shame to miss it because of one too many drinks the night before. To take advantage of all the fantastic networking events, be sure to view the full line up here and make sure to sign up for the Regional Networking event for Region 10 (Canada) taking place Monday February 10th from 5PM – 6:30PM.

4. Take Advantage of the Show Specials (if you can):

The Rental Show has a helpful app available on iTunes and Google Apps store that is perfect for you to keep track of the exhibitor booth’s you plan to swing by. Not only that but on their website, the American Rental Association lists all the exhibitors who will be offering show specials (special discounts and offers for those who attend the show and stop by their booth). If you have the time, it makes sense to scope those out to see what discounts you can take advantage of. National Event Supply will be holding a draw for a chance to win 10 FREE 6ft folding tables (your choice of wood or plastic) and offering show special pricing on our White Resin Folding Chairs, plastic folding tables, wood folding tables, new line of Linens and all our tabletop collection including dinnerware, platters & bowls, glassware and cutlery.

5. Follow up

This might be the most important tip. You’ve made some key connections, learned a ton of new knowledge and tactics and are ready to execute your ideas back into your business. Leverage the relationships you’ve made with your peers and rental industry experts to ensure you keep the connection and dialogue going.

One of the first questions a party rental, event rental, hotel, banquet hall or caterer asks themselves when they begin the process of buying chiavari chairs wholesale is: How much does a chiavari chair cost, and what are the expected prices for different kinds of chiavari chairs? Unfortunately many Canadian companies run into road blocks when they research online as to how much chiavari chairs are really going to cost with few in the industry posting prices online. This article will attempt to answer this important question – just keep in mind that chiavari chair prices vary drastically between the United States and Canada – buying from US companies may look like a better deal but with the exchange rates, duties and shipping – your end cost generally is higher than if you’d bought from a Canadian company. As the different types of chiavari chairs have different price points, this article takes a look at what a Canadian company buying from a Canadian event equipment sales supplier can expect in terms of pricing.

Wood Chiavari Chairs:

Wood chiavari chairs are the least expensive chiavari chair option. This is mainly due to the fact that the cost of materials for a wood chiavari chair is cheaper. There are numerous pricing components when purchasing wood chiavari chairs that influence the cost – the type of wood being used, if cushion is included, the volume you want to buy at, whether the chair is sold on volume discount levels or at a set price, and whether the chair is shipped assembled or knocked down. The average wood chiavari chair will cost between $39.00 to $65.00 CDN, depending on the quality of the chair and whether it is assembled or knocked down. Typically with all types of chiavari chairs, the larger volume of chair you buy, the lower the cost of each chair. That being said, the quality of wood, and if the chair is preassembled, drives the price higher but the chair will also last longer.

Resin Chiavari Chairs:

Resin Chiavari chairs cost more than wood Chiavari chairs because resin is a higher cost material than wood. Resin Chiavari chairs can also have steel support frames built into the chair that provides a stronger, more durable product for higher turnover businesses. The average resin Chiavari chair ranges in price from $40.00 – $70.00 CDN depending on whether it has a steel support frame, cushion included, volume discounts, and whether it’s shipped knocked down format or preassembled.

Crystal Chiavari Chairs:

In most cases, but not always, crystal Chiavari chairs will have the highest initial cost, and will again vary greatly depending on if the cushion is included, the volume you want to buy, whether the chair is shipped assembled or knocked down, and the cost to ship. The reason why crystal Chiavari chairs tend to cost more is due to the higher cost of polycarbonate material used to create the clear look. In the majority of cases, crystal Chiavari chairs will cost between $50.00 - $70.00 CDN.

Shipping costs on Wood, Resin & Crystal Chiavari Chairs:

The shipping costs of chiavari chairs usually run $2.00 – 29.00 per chair depending on the size of the order (shipping costs tend to decrease based on volume) and where it is shipping from. Keep in mind that due to the bulkier nature of preassembled chairs, the shipping costs can be higher upfront (depending on your volume) however preassembled chairs are easier to maintain and tend to hold up better in high turnover businesses. The shipping costs do not vary based on the type of chair purchased but solely on volume, weight and shipping location. Nationally based suppliers to the hospitality industry will have multiple warehouses across the country to provide better shipping rates coast to coast.

Restaurant critiquing can be thought of as a profession of duality: the dream profession for everyday diners in love with food and a profession that incites anxiety, boasting, tears of joy and tears of happiness for restaurateurs. Part of being a notable restaurant critic means remaining anonymous to ensure their readers get the same dining experience. With so much cloak-and-dagger antics, the world of restaurant critics is riddled with more questions than answers. What is ideal service? How does a restaurant critic choose the restaurants to review? How does one go about assigning stars or ratings to the restaurant? It’s enough to make any restaurateur overwhelmed.

New York Times released a fascinating video series interviewing 5 of their past and present restaurant critics to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into creating a review, what a restaurant can expect when being reviewed and the tactics used to produce said review.

Check out the full video series here.

It goes without saying that the makings of a good restaurant is one that is consistent, has kind, hospitable and prompt service, and produces great food. Behind the scenes, an efficient restaurant is one that is able to partner with a restaurant supplier of dishes, cutlery, and stemware able to quickly and effectively meet your equipment needs while providing you great value – so you can focus on creating culinary masterpieces to make revenue. National Event Supply would like to be that restaurant supplier partner for you. Check out our Tabletop Catalogue for more details on our porcelain dinnerware lines, platters and bowls and cutlery.