TURNING CHALLENGE INTO OPPORTUNITY - A New Era for Events

by Kait Burgan

A recent walk-through of the Black & White Event Rentals warehouse—with its impressively organized tents, tops and poles, hundreds of chairs and tables, thousands of plates and heaters—became unexpectedly nostalgic for me, as it’s impossible to experience a sneak peek at what goes into hosting an event without imagining attending one. When was the last time we have been able to attend a large event: a music festival, wedding, or conference?

Since COVID-19 hit, these once familiar events, even smaller ones, have been mostly non-existent. So, it might be natural to assume a business built on providing equipment and support for massive music festivals, corporate trade shows, boat shows, sporting and food events, and large outdoor weddings, would be struggling or even closing given the last two years of upheaval. After meeting Dave Willie, owner of Black & White Event Rentals however, those assumptions disappear quickly.

“Pivot is probably a word I hate right now, after two years of doing just that,” Dave says. He was in New Zealand in February of 2020, just before the full impact of the pandemic reached Vancouver Island. “But I realized very quickly that this could be a problem, so I guess there’s an advantage to going through a few other challenges over the last thirty years in business.”

Dave and his business partner and wife, Jayne, bought the land at 1143 Franklin’s Gull Road in Parksville in 2008 and built a permanent home for Black & White Event Rentals shortly after. He was in a more comfortable position than many small businesses in early 2020, he says, but by the end of February, had decided that he wasn’t going to take any chances. “You’ve got to look at everything. I got rid of trucks, a one-ton, trailers, and whatever else I could, to save staff positions.”

The Black & White facility, including 40,000 square feet of tent structures, organized and ready for the return of in-person gatherings and large-scale events.

He got on the phone and started calling around to see what Black & White Event Rentals could do for people. As it turned out, the Vancouver Island Health Authority was pivoting too.

“We were here answering the phone when VIHA’s call came in. They wanted something up the next day for a testing station in Gold River. So, we had the guys jump in a truck and go to Gold River. After that, we set up tents in Tahsis, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, and Sointula on Malcolm Island. It just kept going, all the way down the island.”

The need for testing stations, vaccination centers, and a lot of what used to happen indoors was moving outside. They equipped Salt Spring Island, Duncan and Oceanside. In fact, one of their tents still stands at the Oceanside Health Centre in Parksville. The team at Black & White was able to apply their knowledge and experience to a new client base, and while the reasons to engage the company changed, how to service clients did not.

At first glance, the party and event rental business might seem like a random line of work, but it was an evolution for Dave and Jayne Willie. In 1997, they sold their Qualicum Beach restaurant (that later became Lefty’s) but kept the catering end of their company, including the rentals associated with it. Eventually, they moved their focus exclusively to equipment rentals.

Wandering the warehouse in early 2022, reflecting on past events and wondering if they’ll ever be a part of everyday life again, was a reminder of just how much has changed over the past two years. While the pivot so expertly directed by Dave and his team was necessary, going back to exactly the way things were before COVID is unlikely. A good business plan rarely moves backwards.

Dave continues to adapt, with fresh starts taking place in real time in the form of strategic moves to solidify Black & White Event Rentals’ position as an essential part of pulling together a successful event. A decade ago, they had a large showroom floor where brides and their parties would choose linens and place settings. Today, customers don’t visit in person, which for Black & White meant re-investing in their website and bringing all their products into an extensive online catalogue. The site now showcases everything from tents, dance floors and chandeliers, to tables, chairs and their latest offering: luxury, heated (or air conditioned) restroom trailers. Staying on top of industry trends—they recently added Tidewater Sail Cloth tents to their offerings—requires a bit of finesse, if you’re also intent on setting new standards for events on Vancouver Island.

“You have to consider what your goals are,” Dave says. “Then you get into what you need to survive. There is business out there. What is it? What will it look like? What is tomorrow going to bring? That’s why we got the restroom trailers in.People are happy having an 80-person wedding in their backyard, in their family home, but they sure don’t want 80 people going through their house to get to the bathrooms.”

Luxury, air conditioned and heated outdoor restroom trailers stylishly appointed and equipped with sink, flush toilets, mirror, and lighting.

Having a close-up look at what has been going on behind-the-scenes in a small company like Black & White is a good reminder that life may have changed because of COVID-19, but the adaptability and the forward-thinking of business owners like Dave and his team at Black & White is reassuring. And being able to manage the challenges of the last two years means we can look forward to celebrating together in style and comfort for many years to come.

Elegant Chivari chairs for a romantic wedding table