If you’re investing in a marquee you’ll definitely want to read this article - we share as an industry insider why you should be buying an environmentally friendly marquee.
By now I’m sure you’ve typed the keyword “marquee” into the search engine - and there are hundreds of results. A little overwhelming - we know!
Let’s look closer at how you can make the best investment possible, while making an environmentally conscious decision also.
Why buying once is buying right
There are lots of options on the market now when looking to buy a marquee, and just like a sofa at your local furniture store, they’re not all made equally.
We highly suggest to anyone who is buying a marquee to become educated at the same time, that’s why if you’ve spoken to us on the phone, we take an education approach, and it’s ultimately up to you to decide what product is right for you.
Understanding what you’re buying and what it’s capabilities and limitations are so important. No-one likes to be disappointed in what they buy after using it and realising it’s not what they want, or, it can’t do what they need.
We regularly receive calls on Monday mornings saying “we wish we purchased from you, our marquee collapsed an hour into the event”.
We hear this all too often, and it makes us sad. For lots of reasons - you’ve just spent $199 of your hard earned money, the product you bought was pushed well beyond its limits and is now going to be hard rubbish, potential damage to your inventory and potential danger to the public at the event.
How do you know that you’re buying an environmentally friendly marquee
There are lots of things to look out for, and yes, it can require a little research on your behalf.
Ultimately, regardless if it’s for one event or many, you want to buy something of good quality. We’ve put together a top 5 list of things to look out for when researching which brand or product is for you.
Top 5 things that set environmentally friendly marquees apart:
- The frame can be repaired if something goes wrong.
- Should you need a new roof, you can purchase a new one - unbranded or printed.
- Everything that makes up the marquee has spare parts available to purchase
- You can order spare material to patch repair your roof / wall(s) if they were to incur small damage
- Is the frame designed from aluminium vs steel - aluminium won’t rust and is a more durable material when used in the Australian conditions.
Marquees that don’t answer yes to all of the above questions will eventually end up in a skip bin or side of the road for the local council hard rubbish collection. It’s a hard truth.
This is not putting down other brands' marquees, it’s actually the users which push the products well beyond their limits which results in damaged products which cannot be repaired.
What to look out for
There are some finer details that you can look for when investing in an environmentally friendly marquee, as they say the devil is in the detail.
Ask the supplier for a specification list:
- How thick is the frame?
- What material is the frame?
- What materials are the connectors?
- How long should the frame last?
- How long should the fabric last?
If we look a little deeper at the above questions you can learn if this product is right for you. How thick the frame is - did you know that some frames have a thickness less than 50% of what we use! Pair that with a steel frame, it is very prone to bending and breaking in strong winds.
Through our research and development, we have seen that aluminium with a thickness of 2mm is a great combination for strength, durability and usability.
Connectors made from steel or extruded aluminium are prone to rust and corrosion and also damage the roofs if their left on when closing the marquee. A nylon or composite material are not only durable, they also reduce the damage that can be caused when leaving the tops on the frame during transportation and storage. We back our connectors with a 20 year warranty.
A frame with replaceable and repairable parts are essential in an environmentally friendly marquee. Things happen, strong winds and rains can catch anyone by surprise, people can damage the marquees by incorrectly using them, accidents happen. If you can access spare parts or repair your marquee, you’ve prolonged your investment.
Depending on how often you’re looking to use your marquee, the location and climate you’ll be set up in, investing in a durable fabric will not only protect you from the elements it will protect your stock and goodies that are underneath. Additionally, over long periods of time, you may need to patch repair your top rather than buying a new one. Does your supplier offer patches and waterproofing tape?
False economy of buying a cheap marquee
Most people will discuss price and cost - but they’re not always using them correctly and a cheap marquee is almost always a false economy.
Price is what you pay today. Cost is what you pay over the lifetime of the product.
You can pick up a marquee off the shelf for $199. These marquees are built to a price point, not commercial grade quality.
The difference, you’ll pay $199 for a year or so’s use (depending how often you use and how well you look after it), But your expectation is you want to use the marquee over 5 years at local markets every weekend well if the materials used and your heavy usage you’d expect to last 1 year, that’s $199 x 5 = $995 over the lifetime of the product(s).
We sell a commercial grade marquee which is wind rated to 108km per/hr and has a 5 year no fade guarantee for $795. It’s designed to last you 10+ years and even a lifetime if you take care of it. It’s also serviceable, so all parts can be replaced, meaning if you don’t need to throw it out if something goes wrong.
By choosing to invest in an environmentally friendly marquee, you’re actually making the best investment for yourself and the environment. Reducing your carbon footprint too!
Conclusion
Practicing the notion of buying once and buying right, instills a sense of responsibility into our purchasing. We choose to make the best decision within our budget and for the environment.
As a recap, here’s how you can support a sustainable future by purchasing an environmentally friendly marquee:
- Make the best investment for your budget.
- Become educated in what you’re buying - is it fit for purpose as to how you intend to use the product?
- Ask questions - can the frame be repaired? Do you have spare parts? Can I order a patch to repair my fabric roof / wall? Can I buy a new top?
- Price vs cost - what are you actually paying over the lifetime of the product, AND it’s intended use lifetime.
Should you have any questions feel free to call us, email or live chat us during business hours. Always happy to help!
