The Spring TRD Boot Camp was held at Made in the Shade Rentals in West Sacramento, Calif. The event kicked off on March 14 with a welcome reception hosted by the owners of Made in the Shade—Nancy and Donald Vasquez—along with new TRD board member Kevin Vasquez and his brother Donny.
The following day saw the official start of the event with over 60 attendees traveling from as far away as Hawaii. The focus of their training was on safety, both during installations and public usage, so it was no surprise that the day’s events began with an overview of basic safety in the workplace, the required protective safety equipment needed and what items should be included in a basic first aid kit.
Next was a session led by TRD Vice Chairman Nick Deninno on ballasting for engineered and non-engineered tents. This subject was particularly timely as there is a growing need to properly secure tents without the use of standard staking. The process of calculating the needed ballast amounts for specific sized engineered and non-engineered tent products was also demonstrated in the field later in the day.
Attendees were then given the opportunity to ask a panel of experienced tent professionals their most pressing questions as well as discuss the unique concerns of this industry. The panel was moderated by Alex Kouzmanoff, Aztec Tents, and comprised of Kevin Vasquez, Tommy Wilson from All Occasions Event Rental, Kyle Richardson with L&A Tent Rentals and Nick Deninno with B&R Innovations.
After lunch, it was time for the real, hands-on portion of the event. Training was focused on the proper ballasting of traditional frame tents and structure installations, including interior and exterior rigging, and alternate anchoring. The session concluded with a demonstration from a Hilti representative on anchoring as well as the new silica standards.
“Training like this is crucial to attend to grow your business, install and take down tents safely and to train your crews on the safety needs in the field and warehouse,” says Vasquez. “My company, Made in the Shade Tent Rentals, has always pushed forward with new techniques, safer ideas and better processes in our company. When it comes to safety and training, we love to keep pushing to new heights and making sure our staff goes home to their families at night the same way they came in.”
That concluded the 2023 Spring TRD Bootcamp and the attendees returned home armed with an incredible amount of valuable knowledge and hands-on experience. The TRD’s goal of providing education and training on industry best practices is vital to ensuring the safety of event attendees as well as tent and event rental employees.
Be sure to join TRD for training and networking at Tent Expo, January 16-18, 2024, at ONE DAYTONA in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more details, visit textiles.org/tentexpo.
Leave A Comment