Do you enjoy working with a team? How about working in the fresh air and seeing new places? What about parties? A career that gives you these on a weekly basis can be fun and exciting! Working for Celebrations, a party event rental company, keeps you active as you travel to set up for special occasions. Creating all the charm and comfort of a grand party onsite takes pre-planning, problem solving, teamwork and heft. Wedding receptions, awards banquets and company dinners all dazzle the eyes with matching chairs, sleek tablecloths lit by chandeliers under a tent draped with sheer fabric. Somebody has to bring it all to the scene. It’s a job for those who enjoy being physically active and working with others, and it’s a job for which Celebrations is looking to hire more people.
For 40 years, Celebrations has been providing equipment rentals for a variety of occasions. Some events require sections of flooring to make a stage, and some events call for tent structures measuring 40 feet by 100 feet with yard upon yard of exterior fabric, support framing and electrical wiring. Crews load up the trucks and hit the road to deliver the big stuff as well as the small stuff—the fine details that make a party comfortable. They bring shades and ceiling fans to provide relief from the sun, portable heaters to warm the guests and 110-cup coffee makers to serve the crowd.
Transporting and setting up for events is very physical, a real workout. It takes strength and stamina. Even working at the warehouse and store keeps employees on the move. Celebrations has customers picking up rented equipment from the store with sometimes 50 to 70 transactions per day. Deliveries can number 11 to 15 trips in a day. The drivers for those trips must be 21-years-old and have a good driving record. Non driving employees must be 18, and most training and learning is done on the job. The tasks are ever changing with the variety of requests that come in as well as the fluctuation that comes with seasonal demands. “People are not in the same place every day and appreciate the seasonal overtime,” says manager Dave Light. “It’s a pretty physical job. You don’t have to go to the gym after a day on the job.”
Events range from backyard family reunions and weddings to small music venues and Saint Martin’s University graduations. Or rarities like the 2017 Canoe Journey to Nisqually, which required setting up a small city of tents, 2,000 chairs, a stage and an electrical system. The crew really got to shine setting up portable kitchens and a long list of comforts and necessities for such a venue. Celebrations utilized most of their inventory for the grand Nisqually event that served around 20,000 people. It sounds like an uphill in the snow both ways kind of story that would be legendary if it weren’t already true.
A workday may start off at any certain point in these processes, but planning starts at the Celebrations home base in Lacey. “I like how it’s not monotonous,” shares Dusty, who has been with celebrations for 20 years. “You are always doing something different. A stage one day, a tent another. Going to the different locations is nice. It’s also gratifying to make someone’s event memorable. It’s gratifying to see work you’ve accomplished that makes a difference and makes people happy.” An on-site process might be to assemble a floor for a tent on day one. The next day, the tent is erected. Tables and chairs are delivered the day of the actual event. And, when the whole show is over, down it all goes, back in the truck and back to Celebrations.
Jobs take employees all over the local area and often beyond. Sometimes they make a call on unique destinations, and such client work has taken the crew to Ocean Shores, Long Beach and up north to Port Townsend. “Generally, you are going to nice places, scenic, maybe out on the bay,” explains Dave. “The customer is happy to see you. They are planning a big event. It’s usually pretty festive.” The crew has also traveled as far south as Oregon and to northern Washington. Crisscrossing the state makes for an interesting work calendar.
Employees report of a rewarding atmosphere, one in which everyone works together, gets along and they get to see the results of their hard work. It’s a win-win situation. The customer has the infrastructure for their special event, and the Celebrations employees walk away with a great sense of accomplishment.
To apply, come into the store and fill out an application. Bring your resume or email it to celebrationsstore1@gmail.com. The store in Lacey, located at 4614 Lacey Boulevard Southeast, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Celebrations can also be reached by phone at 360.754.RENT (7368).
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