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Tim Verwey: Could you start by introducing yourself and explaining what Northdown specializes in?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Sure. Northdown Marquees has been in the marquee and events hire industry for over 40 years. We provide everything from marquees to furniture, dance floors, stages, generators, and toilets.
We've also recently launched a new initiative called The Event Cup—a reusable plastic cup scheme in Belfast. So, we have a lot happening at the moment.
I’m a Senior Project Manager at Northdown and have been with the company for almost six years. I primarily handle marquee and furniture hire. We are heavily involved in various events, including those organized by Belfast City Council, Balmoral Show, private events, corporate gatherings, and sporting events. We also operate outside Northern Ireland, taking our Orangery structure to the mainland and working on large weddings in the South of Ireland. Additionally, we have a bamboo structure alongside our traditional clear-span marquees.
We have a wide range of stock and a team of about 35 staff members.
Tim Verwey: Tell me more about your new Event Cup business—I haven’t heard much about it yet.
Margaret McNair-Robinson: It’s an initiative to eliminate disposable plastic cups typically used at bars and concerts.
Tim Verwey: Sounds interesting!
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Yes, instead of using flimsy single-use plastic cups, we provide reusable ones. If you attend a concert, ice hockey match, or football game, you’ll receive a reusable cup with a £1 deposit. You can either return it for a refund or exchange it for a clean cup with your next drink. This helps significantly reduce plastic waste.
Tim Verwey: That makes perfect sense—great initiative.
Tim Verwey: I’ve seen your Orangery structure—the black metal one—it’s amazing. But I haven’t seen your bamboo structure yet. What’s it like?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: The bamboo structure resembles a traditional tent but has massive bamboo stanchions in the center. It features champagne-colored covers, similar to classic tents, but includes a steel subfloor with integrated wooden floorboards—so no matting is needed.
Tim Verwey: That sounds epic!
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Yes! It’s a secure structure available in 15m x 25m and 15m x 35m sizes. This year, it has become a very popular choice for weddings.
Tim Verwey: Before implementing Marquee Tech, what major challenges did you face?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: When I joined in 2019, everything was paper-based. We needed a digital solution—something live and accessible from anywhere. Since we travel frequently and I’m rarely in the office, a cloud-based system was essential.
Printing out paper documents and keeping physical folders was inefficient. That’s when we discovered Marquee Tech, liked what we saw, and decided to move forward with it.
Tim Verwey: I remember that. When we first spoke, you were using multiple spreadsheets, Word documents, and PDFs, right?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Exactly.
Tim Verwey: What are the top three features you use the most?
Margaret McNair-Robinson:
Tim Verwey: That’s exactly the kind of efficiency we aim for.
Tim Verwey: Have you secured bookings faster because of Marquee Tech?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Definitely! For a high-end wedding, I was competing against well-known competitors. Thanks to Marquee Tech, I sent a complete quote—including images and pricing—before I even left the client’s driveway.
The client had my quote and phone number in their inbox before my competitors had even left their office! We won the contract because we were first to respond.
Tim Verwey: That’s incredible!
Tim Verwey: Has Marquee Tech helped reduce costly mistakes?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Absolutely. Previously, manual data entry errors on Excel could cost us thousands—like misplacing a decimal point in a generator quote. Now, the system calculates everything accurately, ensuring we don’t undercharge.
Tim Verwey: Do you feel Marquee Tech has improved collaboration between office staff and on-site crews?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: Yes! Since updates happen live, changes made on-site—like adjusting carpet colors or adding tables—are instantly visible to the office team. This prevents miscommunication and ensures invoices reflect real-time changes.
Tim Verwey: What do your customers think of Marquee Tech?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: A well-known event organizer, who has worked with us for over 20 years, called specifically to praise the new quoting process. He loved the layout, the clarity, and the ability to see images instantly. That kind of feedback is rare, so it was great to hear!
Tim Verwey: If another rental business were considering Marquee Tech, what would you tell them?
Margaret McNair-Robinson: I’d say: Go for it! It’s a complete game-changer. We’re never going back to manual spreadsheets and emails. The system runs smoothly and efficiently.
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