Party Plus Tents + Events, has been manifesting magic for brides, businesses, festivals and event planners for 25 years. It takes more than tented dreams and twinkle lights to create events that push the imagination and fulfill visions for exacting clients. Twenty-five years of growth and success takes a particular kind of care, and attention to detail, to create outcomes that keep clients happy and guests immersed in every event experience.
Today, Party Plus Tents + Events boasts 30,000 square feet of studio and warehouse space combined, housing $2 million+ in rentable inventory available to every form of event from festivals to formal galas. From a variety of chairs and bar stools to tables, dance floors, staging, bleachers, china, glassware and flatware to lighting, linens – even climate control when Mother Nature is uncooperative – Party Plus Tents + Events is the Mary Poppins of warehouse inventory.
When owner Leroy Dixon purchased a local franchise 25 years ago, under a different name, the company focus was on outdoor events, such as picnics. Inventory consisted of a couple of tents, tools and backyard necessities and he had three employees. Dixon identified a niche for rentals in the special event industry, and as he continued to expand his inventory, so did the company’s capabilities to bid on larger projects like festivals and galas.
“The diversity of our clients is ever-growing, as are their needs” says Leroy Dixon, president. “If you’re a hotel or a recreational center, you need mini-refrigerators, rollaway beds or patio heaters, or if you are a bride-to-be and want to create an enchanted environment for your guests – that describes the evolution of Party Plus.”
Along with their inventory growth, the company needed to find a home to house it, so in 2014, Party Plus Tents + Events acquired their own property in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on the water where their 17 full time employees (year-round), another 20 during the busy season, do everything from design, plan, inventory, restore, catalog, and deploy any manner of special event from packing dinnerware and fine china to tying ribbons on lanterns for a summer outdoor wedding.
Vice President and General Manager, Lauri Dixon, recently named Glen Burnie’s 2018 Small Business Person of the Year, says “Party Plus isn’t ‘just’ inventory.”
“Our consultants work with each client to help craft the precise vision they have for their event or party – our team of designers and logistics experts help to identify needs and transform average spaces into engaging, fun and magical destinations,” she says.
Lauri says that over two decades of working in the special events industry, from picnics to non-profit galas, her best advice to event planners is “Details matter. Know your audience – who are they? What type of event will they most respond to? When are they most likely to attend? Will they want to stand or sit? Will everyone be able to see if there is a program or ‘aha!’ moment? Consider the perspective of the guest and we help do the rest!”
Party Plus Tents + Events is an expert party rental/event design firm focused on quality execution of small to large scale events. From their repertoire of working on Chesapeake Appreciation Days and the Volvo Ocean Race, to brides-to-be, baby showers, commencements and Fortune 100 events and trade shows, Party Plus provides tents, power, HVAC, staging, lighting, accent décor, linens and tableware. Their clientele includes wedding, private, and corporate event planners, special event venues and hotels. They most recently produced two marquee events, the ship commissioning for the USS Sioux City at The US Naval Academy for 6000+ guest and Fleet Week in Baltimore. For more information go to www.tenting.com or call 410.768.1933.
