Downings Marquee Rentals is celebrating a major milestone, as the company turns 20 in 2020! Meetings talks to the Downings team to understand what it takes to deliver an exceptional service offering that has stood the test of time and become a market-leading marquee infrastructure company.
Starting out with just one small marquee tent in the year 2000, Richard Downing launched Downings Marquees. The company has since grown to be a leading marquee infrastructure supplier in South Africa, owning some of the largest temporary structures to exist in the country. This includes a structure that – at 50 m x 220 m โ is larger than two rugby fields, and then some.
โIn 1998 after I had finished studying civil engineering, I worked abroad for a marquee company. On returning to South Africa I saw the potential in the events industry for tents and started Downings with a traditional peg and pole marquee tent. During my time in the UK I was exposed to the use of aluminium frame marquee structures and their advantages for events. Using my technical drawing knowledge, theory and practical experience, I designed our first aluminium marquee structure, which we manufactured ourselves and installed in 2001,โ explains Richard Downing, CEO and founder of the Downings Group.
“Using my technical drawing knowledge, theory and practical experience, I designed our first aluminium marquee structure, which we manufactured ourselves and installed in 2001.”
The capacity and know-how to fabricate its own structures in-house have been part of the business from the get-go. By the time it was established as a fullyfledged business, Downings Marquees was able to design, develop and deploy a solution for any temporary structure. This included the frame structure, tent, glass marquees, flooring, level interlocking decking system, solid and glass sides, doors and more.
“By the time it was established as a fullyfledged business, Downings Marquees was able to design, develop and deploy a solution for any temporary structure.”
โI found that the best way to meet my clientsโ demands and high expectations was to design and manufacture in-house,โ Richard explains. The success of this manufacturing and fabrication initiative lead to the founding in 2005 of the groupโs manufacturing company, Speed Structures.
Inception
Richardโs love for metalwork and creating structures was nurtured from an early age. โMy dad had an equipment and tool hire business that he started in the 1980s, and every weekend I would be involved in some sort of metalwork project, whether building or welding. Iโve always been innovative and proactive in finding and creating the best way of doing something,โ he says.
Innovation is what excites the team at Downings the most and, although heโs been with the company for less than half a year, having been part of the Downings story has been an interesting journey for the new group COO, Gerald Steyn.
โHaving come from a range of industries โ from services to IT and manufacturing โ and seeing how Downings is at the forefront of innovation is massively exciting,โ says Gerald.
The marquee business certainly presents an interesting growth opportunity, with some of Downingsโ most recent projects including the recent wedding of our former Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh, and her husband Tim Tebow, as well as the Match in Africa between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that took place in Cape Town.
“Some of Downingsโ most recent projects include the recent wedding of our former Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh, and her husband Tim Tebow, as well as the Match in Africa between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that took place in Cape Town.”
โThis saw a new world record being achieved with 51 954 fans attending the tennis match and we provided the hospitality marquee and infrastructure for 1 800 VVIPs,โ says Francois Marais, branch manager at Downings Cape Town, proudly.
One of a kind
Downings Marquee Rentals works hard to ensure the materials it uses are of the best quality available to the market. This has also enabled the company to provide some of the most creative and beautiful structures in the country.
โWe donโt accept the norm โ we want to offer our clients and their guests something unique and memorable while making it something that is proudly South African. That is not something you can put a price onโฆ I knew when I started working with Downings that I would be aligned to an industry-leading marquee company in South Africa,โ emphasises Richard Mons, branch manager at Downings Johannesburg. Downingsโ marquees are at the cutting edge of the offerings available to the market in South Africa, Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Operating to European standards, Downings offers structures that exist nowhere else in these territories.
“We want to offer our clients and their guests something unique and memorable while making it something that is proudly South African.”
โOur marquees are really architecturally distinct and just about everything we do is different to what is available, which, I can assure you, goes a long way in enhancing the overall experience for our clients and their guests,โ says Richard.
Setting the bar
At Downings, the training and the upskilling of its team are important, especially where health and safety is concerned.
โWe adhere to the highest regulations in safety; the way in which we train our staff to work at height and with scaffolds is an aspect that we cannot overlook,โ says Richard Mons.
To ensure its reach extends as far as possible, Downings Marquee Rentals has branches in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth, allowing for delivery and installation nationwide. From its impressive range of marquee infrastructure options and exceptional client service, to the management of its marquee staff and all the finishing touches, it is no surprise that Downings has distinguished itself from its competitors.
To find out more about Downings Marquees, visit their website:ย downingsmarquee.co.za
