So, you’ve decided that you want to hire equipment for your upcoming event, which is certainly a good start! We’ve plenty of other blogs talking about the benefits of hiring instead of buying, so you are definitely on the right track!
That said, it might be with a degree of nervousness that you are looking to place your order. Why? Well, certain events such as exhibitions and corporate hospitality events need a certain level of quality equipment hire, rather than run-of-the-mill equipment. It’s all well and good hiring equipment, but if it’s not the right quality, then this is going to reflect badly on you as the event organiser. The last thing you want to receive is scratched chairs and tables, faded seat pads, battered literature racks or ripped sofas, for instance.
So, instead of just ‘taking a punt’, why not read our article below which provides you with 5 tips to help you hire equipment of the best quality, and how to avoid hiring event equipment from a company which has the makings of potentially you – and your event – down.
For the best event equipment rental companies, reputation is everything. A good reputation takes years to build, but seconds to destroy, and this is something that the leading companies are always protective of. One of the best ways you can learn about a certain company’s reputation is by asking fellow professionals in the same industry. What is their experience? How did that company perform for them? Would they use the company again?
Ultimately, word-of-mouth recommendations are valuable when you need to hire equipment, as they give you a first-hand feel for the quality of a company. If the answers to all the above questions is yes, then it’s a good start. The reputation for an event hire company will be built in product quality, service and price. All three need to be right. Therefore, if you need to hire equipment of the best quality, then you need look no further!
Whilst this might not seem an obvious way to help you ensure quality event hire equipment, it’s definitely worth noting. It’s simply a numbers game! The more product lines that a rental company offers, the more range there is for customers to choose from, and the chances are that the equipment will be hired out, individually, fewer times.
Just think about it – if a company has limewash Chiavari chairs, round tables and tablecloths for hire, these are going to be continually out on hire, getting scratched and worn on site. If a company offers lots of different colours of Chiavari chairs, tables such as round, oval and trestle tables, and different colours of cloths, then these will be hired out less frequently as a collective group.
That said, here at Event Hire UK, with our 650+ product lines, it often seems as though all our hire equipment is continually out on hire! But rest assured, we have our own in-house respray and refurb facility to ensure that we provide all our equipment with the necessary TLC in between hires to ensure that our clients receive the very best equipment quality.
Put simply, if there’s lots of newly launched product lines, the chances are that these will as new when you hire them, if you get in there quick! The best event hire companies are continually investing in the latest on-trend equipment to help their clients produce fantastic events. Indeed, Event Hire UK works closely with major clients on the procurement process to ensure that we are providing them with the product range they need – and in many cases, this is very specific!
Without doubt, you can glean a lot of information and a good impression of stock quality by visiting a company’s location. Is stock well maintained? Is it orderly, segregated and easily accessible? If they have a showroom, pay them a visit and see close-up what the hire equipment looks like in person.
And finally, it’s always worth building up a long term relationship with your event hire company, whether this is with the sales team or with the operations team, or both – especially for large scale events which take place year after year.
Trust is important in the events and hospitality industry – you need to have faith in the fact that your equipment is going to arrive in the right quantities, in the right location and at the right time! If you’ve got a long-standing relationship, you can always request a premier level of equipment for a certain event you are laying on. And, you never know, you might also be able to get a small discount!
Hopefully, these 5 tips have helped you along the way when it comes to ensuring that you choose a hire equipment company that is going to provide you with equipment hire of the best quality for your event. When the time comes, of course, we hope that you will choose Event Hire UK.
In the meantime, however, there’s nothing stopping you arranging a visit to our Midlands showroom, where we’ll be delighted to show you around and talk about your specific requirements for event hire equipment rentals over a coffee. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
