When planning a children's birthday party, hiring a marquee can be a great way of providing extra space for your guests, whilst keeping your home safe from damage. However, once you’ve sent out the birthday party invitations it’s important that you give consideration to how safe the party marquee is.

Use a reputable, licensed equipment hire company

Only use a proper, licensed marquee hire firm who have adequate insurance and a good reputation. Check out online reviews and look for a proven track record of customer satisfaction and safety.

Carry out a risk assessment of the site

Before the marquee is set up, ask the hire firm to carry out a risk assessment of the site you have chosen. It is a good idea to do your risk assessment a couple of weeks before the event in case you need to reconsider your original choice of site. The site should be flat, not prone to becoming boggy in wet weather, and not too windy.

Accessibility and emergency evacuation

The safety of your young guests at the birthday party is paramount. Your hired marquee should have easy access and emergency evacuation features, including clearly signed emergency exits. If the marquee has a raised platform floor, it should have ramps or handrails leading to it, especially if any guests have mobility issues.

Choose sturdy construction

When you have children running around at a birthday party, you must make sure that the marquee can accommodate them and their potentially boisterous behaviour. The marquee should be robust and of good quality so that it won’t be easily damaged or knocked down. It should not have low profile legs that could easily be broken.

It is very important that the marquee does not have exposed poles or ladders that adventurous kids might try to climb. Any internal support poles must be well-padded up to adult head height. If you’re having lighting inside the marquee, make sure that any trailing cables are securely taped down so as not to present a tripping hazard.

Now that you’ve ensured your guests will be safe during the birthday party, you can set about deciding on a theme and designing some suitable party invitations. For help and inspiration, contact us today.