The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

If you are planning an event to be held at the Boise Depot, Idaho Botanical Gardens, a city park, and certain other locations and you plan to use a canopy or tent, you will now have to purchase a permit. The requirement has been on the books for several years, but has been enforced only for public events. Now, however, the fire marshall is requiring anyone holding a private event who plans to place a canopy or tent in a publicly owned space to purchase a permit (one more way to add funds to the City's coffers?). A permit is not required to erect small canopies less than 400 square feet (20x20) and tents less than 100 square feet (10x10). Permits are purchased from the City Clerk's office at 333 N. Sailfish, Boise 83704 and cost $90. The person I spoke with, who was new to her job, was unsure whether a permit is needed for each tent or canopy or whether one permit will cover multiple tents/canopies. The process works like this: 1. A permit is applied for...

Last week the Powerhouse Event Center announced their closure after ten years in business. A couple weeks before that a venue in McCall closed and another McCall venue announced foreclosure proceedings. The Powerhouse is the latest in a series of local businesses to fall victim to the economy. In addition to the economy, the owners cited increased competition from several sources as a primary reason for the closure, though all the sources mentioned, except one, were in business before the Powerhouse and continue to thrive. Historically, economic downturns refine the market, allowing stronger businesses to survive and weeding out the weaker ones. In the last several months we have seen florists, caterers, photographers and other event-related businesses close their doors. Some were financially over-extended; others failed to understand the importance of customer service in a down economy (and any economy for that matter). Others were still trying to find their niche in the ma...

Problems with tuxedos seem to be one of the most frequent issues we encounter when planning a special event. We rent tuxedos for proms, weddings, quinceaneras, formal parties and other events. When a tux is rented, it usually needs alterations. When it is returned, it has to be cleaned. Both put wear and tear on the tux, shortening its lifespan and sometimes affecting how it looks. Because of the constant turn-around from one renter to another, things happen, sometimes creating a minor crisis. At a wedding last week we had more problems than usual. When the groom's father, who performed the ceremony, dressed, he found that a side seam in the pants had been unstitched, presumably for alterations, and had not been restitched. He wore the pants with safety pins holding the seam together. Fortunately, enough pins were available to make an emergency repair and the jacket covered most of the problem area and kept his "unmentionables" from showing...