<p>An outdoor structure can completely transform the dynamic of an event. Not only does it offer a practical solution to Britain's unpredictable weather, but it can also wow visitors as a work of art and create a different, more intimate atmosphere to a permanent building.</p><p>Perhaps this is why outdoor structures companies have continued to see demand for their designs this year.</p><p>Amanda Dove, manager of Top Marquees, reveals that sales are up slightly at the company this year, while Steve Haddrell, director of The Amazing Tent Company, says his firm has seen 20 per cent growth compared to last year.</p><p>"We're cautiously optimistic at the moment that in some ways maybe the recession has helped us because people are looking more at selling themselves and their wares in a much stronger way," explains Ms Dove.</p><p>This is echoed by Mr Haddrell: "I think we're quite fortunate in that people still want something different."</p><p>He agrees with Ms Dove's comments that businesses are looking for something that makes them stand out from the crowd.</p><p>"They definitely want something that looks different from an A-frame marquee. If they've got a special event they want something that looks special and I think that's where our tents fit the bill because they are so unique," he asserts.</p><p>The Amazing Tent Company certainly offers something special, living up to its name. Its structures have a futuristic feel due to their geometric shapes, although they retain a look of elegance.</p><p>It offers four designs - saddlespan, duospan, trispan and quadrispan - which can be extended or mixed and matched to create a structure which meets the client's specific needs.</p><p>The company's tents have recently featured at the Download, Leeds and Reading festivals.</p><p>"Our single saddlespan structures are being used as stage roofs a lot at events," Mr Haddrell explains.</p><p>"I think they see the single saddlespans as a cost-effective way of covering a stage and also they're great looking structures," he says, adding that the company has got 40 bookings of this sort this year.</p><p>The modernity that characterises The Amazing Tent Company is something which Top Marquees is also trying to achieve.</p><p>"We are looking at trying to update our accessories to make them look a lot more inviting, a lot more - I hate to use the word, but - sexy, because what we've found is we've been a very traditional marquee company and we now want to push things forward by making sure that everything looks trendy," Ms Dove reveals.</p><p>She says that practicality is also a key consideration for Top Marquees' designs, making sure that they are neat, tidy and all fit together efficiently in bags so that they are well-presented for the client.</p><p>The firm is continuing to consider how it can improve its structures, she adds.</p><p>"At the end of this year, we'll look again at what we're doing. I think you always have to look at what you do and see if there's any way to make it better, even if you're not going to extremes of totally changing the style and shape," Ms Dove comments.</p><p>The Amazing Tent Company will also be looking to stay ahead of the pack, having just produced a groundbreaking 3,500 sq m tent for Kent University, thought to be the largest saddlespan structure ever built.</p><p>"We're just looking at ways of making our tents provide larger amounts of cover," he concludes.<br/><img alt="ADNFCR-1753-ID-19288777-ADNFCR" src="http://feeds.directnews.co.uk/feedtrack/justcopyright.gif?feedid=1753&it..." /></p>

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