Element Event Solutions provided this 15-by-20-meter double decker structure to house the beer garden for the women’s portion of 2024 Tennis Canada’s National Bank Open presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto. All photos courtesy of Tennis Canada.

Each summer at Sobeys Stadium, Toronto, Canada, Tennis Canada hosts the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (formerly Rogers Cup)—a tournament that hosts the world’s best tennis players from the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tours. And for at least the past 20 years, the team at Element Event Solutions (previously known as Chair-man Mills) has been the tent and rental partner providing tenting—and more—for the event.

The 2024 event for the women’s tournament again took place at Sobeys Stadium August 4-12 and welcomed a record crowd of more than 150,000 spectators. The event was a huge success, in part due to Element’s ability to flex and respond to changes as they arose. “We work alongside the customer to help design the tent layout and implement improvements year over year,” says Michelle McCulloch, vice-president, Tent Division, Element Event Solutions. “There is always a certain schedule/timeline that is originally in place. However, we have to be very adaptive because it’s a busy site with many different partners, large pieces of AV, staging and equipment being brought in at all times.”

For the past 20 years, Element Event Solutions (previously known as Chair-man Mills) has been the tent and rental partner providing tenting—and more—for the women’s tournament.

Planning to placement

After years of providing structures and support for the event, the Element’s crew typically finalizes the site plan and tent list by end of April. Installation begins the first week of July and is fully completed by the last week of July. “We have to have the entire site inspected and get building permits for every tent over 600 square feet, as per Ontario building code and city bylaws,” says McCulloch. “The permitting process starts very early in the project process and is a constant point of attention to make sure we make any changes as soon as they come in from the client, and to make sure we get the green light before the event starts.”

Once plans and permitting were in place for the 2024 event, Element provided a host of structures, featuring a 30-by-25-meter Losberger structure with glass walls for the retail store, a 15-by-20-meter double decker for the beer garden, and a 35-by-90-foot structure to cover the south end of the grandstands. The company also provided a 20-by-15-meter structure to house the entire kitchen compound for the stadium and suites, as well as a host of 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-meter support tents for everything from restaurants and food merchandisers to fan gear, first aid and guest services. “In addition to structures, we provided flooring (including the lay-of-the-land and leveling), lighting, draping in the VIP tents, kitchen equipment and tabletop rentals,” McCulloch says.

Element Event Solutions provided multiple structures for the women’s portion of the 2024 Tennis Canada’s National Bank Open, including a 30-by-25-meter Losberger structure for the retail store, a 15-by-20-meter double decker for the beer garden, a 35-by-90-foot structure for the south end of the grandstands, a 20-by-15-meter structure for the kitchen compound, as well as a host of 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-meter support tents.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Bringing the event through its conclusion required focus and collaboration by Element staff and all the vendors. The crew worked closely with all the partners on-site, including Tower Scaffold Services for scaffolding, Divine Furniture Rental for furniture and Sunbelt Rental for climate control and HVAC. The maximum crew on-site at any given time was a flooring crew of three to five and a tenting crew of six to eight. “All month, it was a combination of crews depending on the build schedule,” McCulloch says. “Modifying the daily schedule as we go and being closely connected to the client and other vendors on-site ensures a smooth install and removal timeline.”

Because the event takes place during Element’s busiest time of the year, trying to balance the importance of this event with the rest of the company’s summer business is a challenge. There are a multitude of things going on at the same time, such as court repainting, asphalt resurfacing, trailers being brought in and out, and clients changing their move-in date—all of which require crews to be nimble and responsive.

“There are always small changes to the schedule because the site is so large,” McCulloch says. “All of these challenges cause changes in scheduling and tent sizes. We have to be flexible enough to adapt to the last-minute changes on this project, as well as have these changes not affect our other business in the city during the very busy summer months. It’s a delicate balancing act mastered by our skilled operations departments.”

Takedown started the day after the finals, in a specific order, to maximize the space available for load-out for everyone else, and the crew was fully finished with the takedown by end of August. The record number of attendees who passed through the venue and appreciated its grandeur were marks of the event’s success. 

Sigrid Tornquist is a Minneapolis, Minn.-based writer and editor and former InTents editor.



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