Revolution's Bumper Tables debuted at Fish Tales in Ocean City, Maryland.Photo: Courtesy of Revolution Event Design & Production
As bars and restaurants around the world begin to reopen, the owners, managers, and operators are being challenged to adhere to new physical distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And folks are getting creative.
There are six-foot-wide cardboard crowns at a Burger King in Germany. Tiny personal greenhouses in Amsterdam. Vintage mannequins serving as seat fillers at the Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia. And bumper tables at Fish Tales in Ocean City, Maryland.
The inner tube-like contraptions from Baltimore-based Revolution Event Design & Production became a bit of a viral sensation in recent weeks. But could they be popping up at future in-person events?
“Bumper tables were a by-product of brainstorming how to get the cocktail party back,” said Revolution owner Erin Cermak. “For us, that portion of the event and the dance floor is where we see the most fun and laughter. Events are about so much more than a seated dinner at a five-foot round. But how to cocktail while maintaining the six-foot distance?”
Similar to the table ladies concept that’s been a popular fixture at events, the bumper tables feature a flat surface with cup holders surrounded by a giant rubber inner tube, all resting on a wheelable structure. “We wanted to be able to be fully social while still maintaining the social distancing recommendations. The bumper edge adds a fun element as when you are in one you can’t help from bumping into your fellow tables,” Cermak explained.
Revolution's social distancing pillows are customizable.Photo: Courtesy of Revolution Event Design & Production
Like other event design and rental vendors, Revolution has begun to develop a line of products—air scrubbers, hygiene stations, plexi dividers, and even social distancing pillows—to meet the anticipated demand. “It is a work in progress as we try and stay nimble with the changing restrictions and the resulting needs that arise,” Cermak adds.
The company has already received inquiries from venues, planners, restaurants, museums, major league sports teams, and private individuals about the different products, says Cermak. “Everyone is interested in taking the baby steps that will lead to getting events back on track, but want to do it safely and compliantly."
Read on to learn about more event decor ideas and products that are designed for guest safety.
“The typical 60-inch and 72-inch round or eight-foot banquet table may give way to more unorthodox floor plans, with different-sized tables and groupings so that guests can be seated with immediate family and those they have been quarantining with,” predicts Amy Shey Jacobs, founder and creative director of Chandelier Events. “And, as such, rentals themselves may now have lots of different sizes and shapes for tables of two up to tables of 12.”
Pictured: At Disney's premiere for The Jungle Book in 2016, held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, jungle-like vines, instead of traditional velvet ropes, connected to stanchions.
Lindsey Saxon, account executive at The Event Source and Panache Events, a member of the American Rental Association (ARA), echoes that thought, saying that “on a more scaled-down note, room dividers are something planners should look out for. This doesn’t have to be your typical stanchion. It could be a partition wall or boxwood hedge that can still divide a designated area but will add a decor element to your event.”
