Friday, December 3, 2010
Planning a Wedding in the Pittsburgh Area?
Windswept has been providing brides to be with the knowledge and wedding rentals they need to make their wedding fantasies a reality since 1991. Let the staff at Windswept use their wealth of wedding planning experience to guide you through the planning of your wedding. Whether you are planning a tented wedding, or having your wedding in a banquet hall we have the rentals you need to take your wedding to the next level. Choose from our thousands of different linen, tent, dishware, chair, and entertainment options to ensure that your wedding is uniquely you. If you would like to learn more about how Windswept can help you give us a call at 724-539-1009, or visit it us on the web at www.windswept.com
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Proper Tent For Your Event.
So you have decided to have an outdoor event for 250 people. You know you need a tent but have no idea how large of a tent you will need for 250 people. This is a very common problem that customers come to us with here at Windswept Entertainment & Events. When customers ask us how big of a tent they need we figure it out by asking them questions about what they will be doing under the tent and then plugging that information into the formula below to get a square footage size of the tent they will need to accommodate their guests.
How many guests will be at the event?........................ 250
Seating:
Theater (chairs in rows)= 6 sq ft/person .................... No
Classroom (tables and chairs in rows) 6 sq ft/person......... No
Banquet Seating:
Rectangle Tables 8 sq ft/person.............................. No
Round Tables 12 sq ft/person................................. Yes
Cocktail Parties:
All Standing 6 sq ft/person.................................. No
Some Seated 8 sq ft/person................................... No
Activities:
Dancing 2-4 sq ft/person..................................... Yes
Bar 100 sq ft................................................ Yes
Buffet 100 sq ft per table................................... Yes 4 tables
DJ 100 sq ft................................................. Yes
Band 240-400 sq ft........................................... No
Now that all of our information is in the tent sizing formula all we have to do is add up the total sq footage. In this example the total sq footage would be as follows:
250 people seated at round tables 250 x 12=...................3,000 sq ft
250 at the event with dancing 250 x 3=........................ 750 sq ft
Bar .......................................................... 100 sq ft
Buffet 4 x 100=............................................... 400 sq ft
DJ............................................................ 100 sq ft
Total sq footage needed=......................................4,350 sq ft
Now that we know that the total square footage of tenting we will need for your event is 4,350 ft we can pick a tent that is the right size. The style of this tent will be determined by the size of the property it is going to be put on, and the budget you have allowed for your tent.
So how do you determine how many sq ft a tent is considering they are not listed by square footage size? To get square footage we multiply the length times the width of a tent. Most rental companies tents will be listed in sizes like 20' x 20' or 40' x 60' so if you multiply those numbers together you will get the square footage of a tent.
Example: square footage for a 40' x 60' tent is 40 x 60 = 2,400 sq ft.
For our example event of 4,350 sq ft we will need to go with either a:
50' x 100' clear span tent = 5,000 sq ft
40' x 120' frame tent = 4,800 sq ft
This formula is a great way of getting an estimate on the size tent you will need, and the cost of the tent, but we recommend having a trained professional come out to look at the site before booking a tent. If you would like to schedule a site consultation please give Windswept a call at 724-539-1009.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Confetti Cannon
We just got our new wireless confetti cannon in and decided to create a video of it in action.
We chose this confetti cannon over the competitors because it is so versatile. What makes this cannon so versatile is it shoots 3 different size loads. So if you have a small venue with 8' or 10' ceilings you can use the small confetti cartridge without having to worry about blowing the ceiling out. If you are in a large banquet hall with 20' to 35' ceilings the medium cartridge will be your best option. And if your outside the large cartridge will shoot confetti over 55' in the air. You can also choose the color of confetti you want, the style you want (streamers, or square confetti), or you can order an empty cartridge that can be stuffed with items like popcorn. If you would like to learn more about our confetti cannons you can visit our website at www.windswept.com or call us at 724-539-1009.
We chose this confetti cannon over the competitors because it is so versatile. What makes this cannon so versatile is it shoots 3 different size loads. So if you have a small venue with 8' or 10' ceilings you can use the small confetti cartridge without having to worry about blowing the ceiling out. If you are in a large banquet hall with 20' to 35' ceilings the medium cartridge will be your best option. And if your outside the large cartridge will shoot confetti over 55' in the air. You can also choose the color of confetti you want, the style you want (streamers, or square confetti), or you can order an empty cartridge that can be stuffed with items like popcorn. If you would like to learn more about our confetti cannons you can visit our website at www.windswept.com or call us at 724-539-1009.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Corporate Event Planning
This video is a great tool for anyone planning a corporate event. It will help you decide on what type of venue, catering, and entertainment is right for you next corporate event. If you are in need of a corporate event planner visit our website or give Windswept a call at 724-539-1009.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Confetti Cannon
Friday, March 5, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Planning a Company Picnic?
So you have been put in charge of planning the company party this year, now what? Well there are a couple of questions you will need answered before you even start planning the event.
1. What is my budget?
2. Is the party going to be for employee's only, or for employees and their family?
3. Is the party adult only?
Once you answer these questions you will need to determine what kind of party you want to have. Do you want to have a formal, or casual event? The answer to this question will help you choose the proper venue, and caterer for your event. If you choose to do a formal Party that is adult only, you may consider holding your event in a hotel banquet hall or in an elegantly decorated tent, and book entertainment like a jazz band.If you choose to have a casual event where children are welcome you may want to look into a local park or consider bringing tents and entertainment to the parking lot of your business.
We have found parks are very popular, especially parks that have a pool. Most of the time these parks can be rented out so that you will not have to share them with the general public. Not having to share the park with the general public is what makes this option so much better than renting a pavilion at an amusement park. The problem with holding your party at an amusement park is you hardly see your guests because they are mixed through the park with thousands of strangers. The other nice thing about holding your event at a park rather than an amusement park is it is normally much closer to where your employees live. This eliminates the need for your employees and there families to travel long distances to attend the party.
Once you have chosen a venue you will have to select a caterer. If you choose to hold your event at a banquet facility they will most likely be doing your catering so you will only have to decide what food you would like them to serve. If you are going to hold your event at a local park you will need to find a caterer. When you start calling caterers it is important that you tell them where the event will be held, and that you ask them if they are capable of providing food to the number of guests you are having at an outdoor venue. You will also need to find out what power and space requirements they require, often you will have to provide the caterers with a tented preparation area and power. BBQ is always a popular choice at outdoor company parties, because it is affordable, it serves large numbers of people, people love it, and it typically cuts down on the power and set up area the caterer will require. BBQ is also a good choice because most caterer's that do BBQ menus bring a large variety of meats and side dishes plus a vegetarian alternative to your event so there will be many different options for your guests to pick from, this ensures all of your guests will be satisfied with there meal.
After the catering is booked you will need to consider shelter in case of inclement weather. This really only applies if you have chosen an outdoor venue for your event. If you have rented a local park for your event you will typically have a pavilion that can be used, but you will have to decide if it will be large enough to keep all of your guests and food dry in case of rain. If the pavilion is not large enough you will need to rent tents for your event. Most good rental companies like Windswept Entertainment & Events will try to set your tents up a couple of days before your event and then tear them down the day after your event is over. Before you tell your rental company that this delivery and tear down schedule is ok you need to check with the park, because they may have other events in the park the day before or the day after your event. If you find that your tents need to be set up and torn down on the same day as your event Windswept and other good rental companies will meet those installation deadlines for you, but you can expect to pay an additional set up fee. Along with tenting you will need to consider the sites facilities, is there enough bathrooms to meet the needs of your guests? If there is not you will have to decide if you want to rent port-a-johns or restroom trailers that give you all the amenities of your home bathroom.
Now that you have the venue, shelter, food, and sanitation taken care of you will need to decide on what you are going to do to entertain your guests. If you have chosen an indoor venue you will want to consider entertainment like balloon artists, face painter, caricature artists, and magicians, for the children and a band to keep the adults entertained. Casino set ups are also very popular at these events and can keep both the children and adults entertained considering they wont be playing for real money. If you have chosen an outdoor venue such as a park, mixing inflatable rides in with the same entertainment used at an indoor event is a very popular way to keep both children and adults entertained. A good amusement ride company will have a variety of inflatable rides available for all different ages. When choosing an amusement ride company be sure to ask if they are ensured, that they will deliver, set up, and staff all the rides, and that there ride operators are all state trained. Using a professional amusement company will keep your employees and there families safe and make you look like a hero.
If you are planning a corporate event and would like the help of an event professional please give our offices a call at 724-539-1009.
1. What is my budget?
2. Is the party going to be for employee's only, or for employees and their family?
3. Is the party adult only?
Once you answer these questions you will need to determine what kind of party you want to have. Do you want to have a formal, or casual event? The answer to this question will help you choose the proper venue, and caterer for your event. If you choose to do a formal Party that is adult only, you may consider holding your event in a hotel banquet hall or in an elegantly decorated tent, and book entertainment like a jazz band.If you choose to have a casual event where children are welcome you may want to look into a local park or consider bringing tents and entertainment to the parking lot of your business.
We have found parks are very popular, especially parks that have a pool. Most of the time these parks can be rented out so that you will not have to share them with the general public. Not having to share the park with the general public is what makes this option so much better than renting a pavilion at an amusement park. The problem with holding your party at an amusement park is you hardly see your guests because they are mixed through the park with thousands of strangers. The other nice thing about holding your event at a park rather than an amusement park is it is normally much closer to where your employees live. This eliminates the need for your employees and there families to travel long distances to attend the party.
Once you have chosen a venue you will have to select a caterer. If you choose to hold your event at a banquet facility they will most likely be doing your catering so you will only have to decide what food you would like them to serve. If you are going to hold your event at a local park you will need to find a caterer. When you start calling caterers it is important that you tell them where the event will be held, and that you ask them if they are capable of providing food to the number of guests you are having at an outdoor venue. You will also need to find out what power and space requirements they require, often you will have to provide the caterers with a tented preparation area and power. BBQ is always a popular choice at outdoor company parties, because it is affordable, it serves large numbers of people, people love it, and it typically cuts down on the power and set up area the caterer will require. BBQ is also a good choice because most caterer's that do BBQ menus bring a large variety of meats and side dishes plus a vegetarian alternative to your event so there will be many different options for your guests to pick from, this ensures all of your guests will be satisfied with there meal.
After the catering is booked you will need to consider shelter in case of inclement weather. This really only applies if you have chosen an outdoor venue for your event. If you have rented a local park for your event you will typically have a pavilion that can be used, but you will have to decide if it will be large enough to keep all of your guests and food dry in case of rain. If the pavilion is not large enough you will need to rent tents for your event. Most good rental companies like Windswept Entertainment & Events will try to set your tents up a couple of days before your event and then tear them down the day after your event is over. Before you tell your rental company that this delivery and tear down schedule is ok you need to check with the park, because they may have other events in the park the day before or the day after your event. If you find that your tents need to be set up and torn down on the same day as your event Windswept and other good rental companies will meet those installation deadlines for you, but you can expect to pay an additional set up fee. Along with tenting you will need to consider the sites facilities, is there enough bathrooms to meet the needs of your guests? If there is not you will have to decide if you want to rent port-a-johns or restroom trailers that give you all the amenities of your home bathroom.
Now that you have the venue, shelter, food, and sanitation taken care of you will need to decide on what you are going to do to entertain your guests. If you have chosen an indoor venue you will want to consider entertainment like balloon artists, face painter, caricature artists, and magicians, for the children and a band to keep the adults entertained. Casino set ups are also very popular at these events and can keep both the children and adults entertained considering they wont be playing for real money. If you have chosen an outdoor venue such as a park, mixing inflatable rides in with the same entertainment used at an indoor event is a very popular way to keep both children and adults entertained. A good amusement ride company will have a variety of inflatable rides available for all different ages. When choosing an amusement ride company be sure to ask if they are ensured, that they will deliver, set up, and staff all the rides, and that there ride operators are all state trained. Using a professional amusement company will keep your employees and there families safe and make you look like a hero.
If you are planning a corporate event and would like the help of an event professional please give our offices a call at 724-539-1009.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The QB Blitz
Everybody loves to throw a football and pretend they are an NFL quarterback. Whether its a birthday party, post prom, or corporate event your guests won't be able to help themselves from throwing the old pig skin at the target and pretending they are completing a long touch down pass to win the big game. To learn more about the QB Blitz or any of our other equipment visit our website or give us a call at 724-539-1009.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Projection Screens
We are now offering both indoor and outdoor projection screens and projectors. The Outdoor system is perfect for holding a movie night or having a gaming tournament on the huge 25' x 14' screen. The indoor screen can be used the same way but is often utilized for power point presentations or showing short videos or slide shows at weddings and corporate events.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Is this Snow ever going to stop.
I feel like all we have done for the last week is shovel snow. We do the best we can to keep our parking lot clear for our customers. our product of the week is the photo booth, our photo booths are popular for all types of events from corporate events to weddings. If you would like to learn more about our photo booth give us a call at 724-539-1009.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Where do our Inflatables come from?
Windswept purchases all of its large inflatable rides from cutting edge creations. Cutting Edge Creations is known as the most expensive inflatable ride manufacturer but Windswept believes their products are worth the extra money, because they are also known as the industry leader in safety and innovation. Since Windswept's number one concern when running an event is safety it only makes sense that we would buy CEC's products.
Aside from purchasing the safest rides in the industry Windswept trains and tests all of their ride operators before they are allowed in the field to operate a ride. This training takes place both at our facility, and at the state training facility in Harrisburg. This is another step that we take to ensure the safety of our clients. Not only have Windswept's ride operators been trained in ride safety, our sales staff has been as well. Because are sales staff is trained they are able to pass all of their knowledge onto our customers and help them decide which rides would be appropriate for different age groups and size events. This allows us to ensure your event is not only safe, but that it will be as fun as possible because you will have the right rides to fit your crowd. If you would like to learn more about our inflatable rides visit our website , or give us a call at 724-539-1009.
Aside from purchasing the safest rides in the industry Windswept trains and tests all of their ride operators before they are allowed in the field to operate a ride. This training takes place both at our facility, and at the state training facility in Harrisburg. This is another step that we take to ensure the safety of our clients. Not only have Windswept's ride operators been trained in ride safety, our sales staff has been as well. Because are sales staff is trained they are able to pass all of their knowledge onto our customers and help them decide which rides would be appropriate for different age groups and size events. This allows us to ensure your event is not only safe, but that it will be as fun as possible because you will have the right rides to fit your crowd. If you would like to learn more about our inflatable rides visit our website , or give us a call at 724-539-1009.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Magic Bill
"Wow!" The word heard around the room after a performance by Bill. He is one of Pittsburgh's premier magicians! Perfect for parties, assemblies, and corporate events! As one of the most talented young magicians in Pittsburgh, Bill's magical abilities to amaze and astound the audience are uncanny. Cool illusions that feature participation from the audience will have everyone smiling and having a good time! The audience is a big part of the show and help the magic happen! Just try to keep track of what disappears and re-appears! Funny too!. Click here to see a video of Magic Bill at work. If you are interested in booking Magic Bill or any of Windswept Entertainment & Events other children's entertainers for your next event give us a call at 724-539-1009.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Maintenance Time
January and February are very slow months in the Party rental industry, so what do we do to keep busy you might ask? This is the time of year where we maintenance all of our inflatables, tables, chairs, and simulators. Our trained ride operators will go over all of our equipment sanitizing it and checking it for areas that are showing wear. Any equipment that is showing wear is either fixed in house or sent back to the manufacture to be fixed depending on the severity of the problem. This is also the time of year were Windswept Entertainment and Events sales team gets to go to the IAPPA show to look at all the new inflatables that the manufacturers have came out with, and purchase any new rides that they feel will be popular with our customers in the following years. This year we purchased the Boulder dash obstacle course, a new mechanical bull, and a lot of new tents. One of the most important things we do at this time of year is go over all of the industries ride safety procedures with our ride operators and test them on these procedures.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Post Prom's
As schools look for more fun activities to give students to due on prom night to avoid them going to post prom parties. They have turned to Windswept Entertainment and Events services. We offer a wide range of activities that are great for entertaining high school students. Some of our most popular post prom items are Hypnotists, and inflatable rides such as obstacle courses, human foosball, mechanical bulls, and our boulder dash.
Other trends that Windswept is seeing our building lounge areas for students to hang out in and either watch movies, or play different gaming systems. These Lounge areas are normally furnished with couches, book shelves, and ligthing. Casino nights have also been popular for years for post proms and continue to be popular today. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you plan your post prom give Windswept a call at 724-539-1009.
Other trends that Windswept is seeing our building lounge areas for students to hang out in and either watch movies, or play different gaming systems. These Lounge areas are normally furnished with couches, book shelves, and ligthing. Casino nights have also been popular for years for post proms and continue to be popular today. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you plan your post prom give Windswept a call at 724-539-1009.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Stuff-A-Bear or Cow.
Stuff-A-Bear is great for birthday parties and corporate events. Pick from over 30 different animals. Click Here to learn more about Stuff-A-Bear.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Bob the Juggler
Click here to see a video of Bob the Juggler at a corporate event put on by Windswept Entertainment and Events in Johnstown Pa.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
School Fun Days
It is getting to be that time of year where PTO groups start calling to book inflatables and entertainment for their children's school fun days. The questions that are always asked by PTO groups are:
Q. Is your company insured?
A. Yes we are fully insured so if there would be an injury on any of our rides the liability would be on us (injuries rarely happen).
Q. Do we have to set the equipment up ourselves.
A. No, we send state trained operators to set up the equipment and supervise the volunteers you provide us to run the rides. Most schools choose to use volunteers but we will provide ride operators for all the rides at an additional cost. Certain rides like the Mechanical Bull, Trackless train, Surf Simulator, and Bungee Trampoline will always be operated by our state trained operators.
Q. Why is there no pricing on your website for the inflatable rides.
A. We create a custom quote based on the number of rides you are renting, and the number of ride operators you require.
If you have any questions about planning a school fun day please give us a call at 724-539-1009. We do over 100 school fun days a year and have experts that can help you pick the equipment that will be right for your fun day.
Q. Is your company insured?
A. Yes we are fully insured so if there would be an injury on any of our rides the liability would be on us (injuries rarely happen).
Q. Do we have to set the equipment up ourselves.
A. No, we send state trained operators to set up the equipment and supervise the volunteers you provide us to run the rides. Most schools choose to use volunteers but we will provide ride operators for all the rides at an additional cost. Certain rides like the Mechanical Bull, Trackless train, Surf Simulator, and Bungee Trampoline will always be operated by our state trained operators.
Q. Why is there no pricing on your website for the inflatable rides.
A. We create a custom quote based on the number of rides you are renting, and the number of ride operators you require.
If you have any questions about planning a school fun day please give us a call at 724-539-1009. We do over 100 school fun days a year and have experts that can help you pick the equipment that will be right for your fun day.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Caricature Artist
Carictures Drawings are a great way to entertain guests. Not only does it give them an activity for your event but it gives them something to take home with them. You can check out Windswept Entertainment & Events Caricture Artists and other Children's entertainers at www.windswept.com
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Chaos Obstacle Course
great video of the Chaos Obstacle course in use at a birthday party in Latrobe. This video was actually created by one of the people at the birthday party. Thanks for the video Josh. Click the link below labeled cool video to watch the video.
Cool video
Cool video
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Boulder Dash
The Boulder Dash is one of our newest obstacle courses that was designed in the image of an American Gladiators event. Three people stand on either side of the Boulder Dash swinging large foam boulders on ropes at two contestants inside who have to make it from one end of the ride to the other without being knocked off of the platforms that are placed about 3 feet apart by the foam boulders. This is a great ride for ages 12 and older. Click here to learn more about the Boulder Dash.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Bungee Trampoline
Great picture of two children on Windswept Entertainment and Events bungee trampoline. See our full line of products at www.windswept.com
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