Rain Rain Go Away…
Rain rain go away and come again another day……Unfortunately sometimes that is not the case and we have to plan for the event to go on rain or shine. Fortunately there are some things you can do to help prepare yourself and your items for inclement weather.
1. Stating the obvious here, but have a strong tent with weights. Double check that there are not any obvious holes for water to get through and weights are a MUST HAVE! 40 pounds per tent leg is a good recommendation. Make your own with 4 or 8 gallon water jugs and zip tie them to the base of your tent legs. Do not just set the weights on the ground, that will not do any good.
2. Help prevent rain from pooling on your canopy! The weight of the water can cause the canopy to sag and leak, and when trying to get it off you can soak your neighbor and yourself in the process.
NOTE: If your event is multiple days. it’s best to pack up your belongings between show days and actually take the top off of your tent if you see rain or storming forecasted between show days. When you’re not there to watch for pooling, it doesn’t take much to break your tent if a little pooling begins and isn’t dealt with.
**In the event that your tent does pool with water, please be aware of your neighboring booths when you attempt to push water off your tent and do not push it into others.
Take a look at Accessory Alchemy’s booth tips for rain:
And check out this pool noodle hack to help prevent sagging.
3. Bring extra tarps/shower curtains and trash bags in case you need to cover your display in a hurry. Tent walls are also a great way to help prevent rain from getting into your display.
*You can try to place the shower curtain between your tent fabric and the frame to help avoid any leaks that might appear.
4. Make sure your display is weighted down. Have tall shelves? Maybe incorporate some heavier items into your display, but make sure to place them on the bottom- you don’t want to make the display top heavy. Think cinder blocks, cool stones, heavy potted plants etc.
5. Close up your walls. Make your tent have a single opening. That way, water from neighboring booths will less likely slosh into your space on accident.
6. Don’t put all of your product out. When you can tell rain is on the horizon, it’s a good time to not have EVERYTHING out. Be more selective about what products you have displayed and keep the majority of your work secured from the rain,
7. Bring an umbrella, change of clothes, rain boots and towels…lots and lots of towels.
8. Host a rain sale- maybe offer a special rainy day discount to entice shoppers!
9. Keep a positive attitude. Rain is not an ideal scenario for any of us but we are in this together. A sour attitude won’t make the rain go away any faster :)