Event Umbrellas

The promise of an event can draw hundreds of people to an area and chances are that the event will either be partially or completely outside in order to accommodate the crowd. In Australia, this means that they will be exposed to the sun and the heat that goes along with it, and the less shade that they have access to, the more unhappy they will become and the quicker they are likely to leave. The best way to create shade for guests during an event is with a portable shade solution like an umbrella, which can be easily set up and taken down daily, or at the end of the event. The most suitable type of umbrella for this is a centrepost umbrella – these are sturdier and will perform best should there be wind. It is not recommended to use a cantilever umbrella as these umbrellas are not centred and therefore are more likely to fall over if it is not constantly supervised and closed correctly.

Centrepost umbrellas, also called market umbrellas, are available in a wide range of styles and features and these ranges can be broken up into the categories of ‘budget’, ‘mid-range’, and ‘premium’ quality. These umbrellas can also be printed with logos or text to create branded event umbrella which on top of creating shade, will add a level of professionalism to any event. The umbrella is going to be there anyway and event guests will be glad for the shade, so any sort of branding is not going to look out of place or stand out.

To sum up:

• The best way to create shade during an event is with a portable shade solution
• Umbrellas can be easily set up and taken down daily, or at the end of the event
• Centrepost umbrella is most suitable
• Cantilever umbrellas are not recommended
• Market umbrellas are available in a wide range of styles and features
• ‘Budget’, ‘Mid-range’, and ‘Premium’ quality
• Can be printed with logos or text to create professional branded event umbrellas.
• Advertise branding without looking out of place

The best budget level umbrellas are those that have the essential features such as a sturdy post and a reliable opening mechanism which will most likely be a rope and pulley system. They may also have additional features such as a tiltable canopy and usually have the ability to be printed on – but this is not always the case. Budget umbrellas will usually have an aluminium frame but can also be made of timber, but one of the most important things to note is that the canopy will likely fade fairly quickly. Two examples of good quality budget event umbrellas are the Shelta Rio and the Shelta Como.

The Rio is an aluminium centrepost umbrella which features a tilting canopy however it is not able to be printed on. It comes in a collection of bright colours which can be mixed and matched to create a fun atmosphere for guests. It has a winding opening mechanism which