Comfort Zone Mobilizes Equipment & Staff to Assist Hurricane Harvey First Responders

Atlanta GA

Second report in a series.

The storm surge & windstorm toll following Hurricane Harvey's Friday landfall on the Texas coast is well documented. Damages will likely total $40 billion. While wind & storm surge damage were significant, the majority of devastation will likely be caused by torrential rains & flooding. Harvey dumped 24" of water on Houston Saturday. He is moving slowly & shows no signs of running dry.



Mark Slade has focused on Harvey for the better part of the past week. He has deployed his Comfort Zone Portables in emergency relief efforts dating prior to Katrina. Their products & services routinely go to assist short notice military maneuvers, which in turn often come back to disaster relief. Common elements throughout are preparation, readiness & adaptability.

As of Friday night Slade was waiting simply to find out who his client would be. It was briefly an electric utility, but he knew that could & would likely change with the next phone call. Actually a series of calls came, and indeed his client changed. Due to the escalation of damage, the breadth of affected areas & displaced population, Slade is now taking direction from the federal government.



With that determination comes at least a little greater certainty of where Slade and Comfort Zone will serve. Unless another call comes changing everything yet again, Slade will send his resources to establish initial base camps in hopefully high & relatively dry vicinities of Beaumont, Katy & Refugio Texas. 250 miles of mostly submerged roadways separate Katy & Refugio, and it's Slade's job to dispatch his crews safely throughout.



Here, on Sunday night, Slade finally knows enough to get himself to Texas. He has awaited definitive word while remaining at his Atlanta office and home. He can now schedule a flight west, most likely to San Antonio, but perhaps not until Tuesday. Slade knows that at this point he can better direct his people while he has access to all communication channels. Once he hits Texas that all changes.

Priority one is to get help to first responders, who for the last 48 hours have had nothing but what they could carry to wherever they are. They have been without shelter, food, clean water etc, and those provisions will soon be depleted if they are not already.



Once Comfort Zone gets first responders their bare survival essentials they will mobilize to the next phase. After disasters of this magnitude any number of relief groups converge to assist. Those groups too will need shelter, water, showers, toilets & other survival essentials for a duration of weeks or longer. For those longer terms needs Comfort Zone unites with other contractors to erect base camps to accommodate up to 800 people.



But that will be the next phase. Right now Comfort Zone's mission is to deliver immediate relief to the people who are risking their lives to save lives.

More on Hurricane Harvey relief efforts as information becomes available.

Contact:

Comfort Zone Portables
Shirlee Industrial Way
Alpharetta GA
www.comfortzoneportables.com
770-772-8066

www.stoddard.media

September Music Midtown in Piedmont Park to Feature Comfort Zone Portables

Atlanta GA

No Atlanta music festival has a more storied history than Music Midtown. In 1994 legendary promoter Alex Cooley sought to create a mega fest on par with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The event prospered until 2005, and after a six-year hiatus returned in 2011. During its original run it drew in excess of 300,000 attendees per year at its peak.

Music Midtown 2017 will play before a far more intimate audience of 35,000 - 40,000 daily attendees. Variations in theme & size are part of what makes the event so remarkable. Audiences never know what twist to expect from year to year, but one constant they can count on is outstanding music.



The headliner quartet of Bruno Mars, Future, Mumford & Sons & Blink-182 lead a slate of nearly three dozen acts. Artists will perform across 4 stages, pumping out rock and roll, hip hop, pop, electronic & a lot in between.

The vibe, food & refreshments, broad variety of arts & crafts vendors and family friendly atmosphere make Music Midtown the landmark annual event for Atlantans & travelers from far & wide.



Another festival fixture in recent years has been superior sanitation facilities provided & serviced by hometown Atlanta's own Comfort Zone Portables. Comfort Zone has become a fixture at premier events across North America, as more producers take notice of their innovative technology & exceptional service.

Most important is what has become the Comfort Zone hallmark, ecstatic event attendees.

There is still time to plan on attending Music Midtown in September. The event producers provide answers to any questions a first time or veteran patron might have. Plenty of lodging is still available, as are a mobile app, email list & social connection options.

A limited number of General Admission, VIP and Super VIP tickets are available, so order today.



www.musicmidtown.com

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Celebrating 15 years of service to sponsors & customers at concerts, festivals, sporting & corporate events, Comfort Zone Portables continues to lead the industry in providing farsighted innovative sanitation solutions.




Comfort Zone Portables
Shirlee Industrial Way
Alpharetta GA
www.comfortzoneportables.com
770-772-8066

www.stoddard.media

Comfort Zone Will Be First Responder ~ to Hurricane Harvey First Responders

Atlanta GA

Mark Slade sits in his control center awaiting his next move. That move is not up to him. He awaits instruction from his client. At the moment he does not know who the client is or will be.

That is not entirely true. Tentatively his client is a utility company. That may change with the next phone call. The scope of his responsibility may grow substantially with that call.

No matter, Slade stands at the ready.



In this case the control center is Slade's home. It is 11:30 on a Friday night, and Slade has had 4 hours of sleep in the last 36. National news informs him generally, phone calls, text messages and emails inform him specifically. As he receives updates, so he passes them on to his network.

Alpharetta GA based Comfort Zone Portables is known for delivering innovative sanitation technology to concerts, festivals and sporting & corporate events across North America. In this case the event is Hurricane Harvey, which has already made landfall at the Texas coast.

No two storms are alike. While storm surge and windstorm damage in Texas is already known to be significant, it is the forecast of torrential rains and flooding in days to come that will define the scope of Comfort Zone's work.



In this & other emergencies Comfort Zone delivers portable restrooms, showers, fresh water systems, kitchen and laundry facilities to areas of need large and small. Relief workers will be in place for days or weeks, first to save lives, then to restore electricity, water, order - and civilization.

For Harvey Slade's job will be to create a survival zone. Comfort zones are for music festivals.

Slade & Comfort Zone are on standby throughout every storm season. They were at work after Hurricane Katrina and storms before & since.

In the case of Harvey Slade may be called to action by state or federal authorities at any moment. He himself may drive or fly to the danger area while others are fleeing that zone either by evacuation order or common sense.



Slade is already directing his network to be at the ready with equipment already in the affected area as well as other nearby supplies that can be transported to the vicinity on short notice.

It is vital to identify high, dry ground as close as possible to areas of greatest need. If proposed Site A becomes submerged then on to Site B, C, D etc. There may be one base camp or eight.

Slade has prepared to mobilize all this for five days. When the storm first emerged in distant waters his phone started to ring. He began mental preparation long before even the first call.



For now Mark Slade watches, listens & waits for the next call.

Contact:

Comfort Zone Portables
Shirlee Industrial Way
Alpharetta GA
www.comfortzoneportables.com
770-772-8066

www.stoddard.media

1st Annual Flambeau Fest to Feature Comfort Zone Private Sanitation 'Oasis' for Women & Men

Gonzales LA

A major event is coming to Southern Louisiana, and Atlanta's Comfort Zone Portables will play a major role.

For decades patrons at concerts & outdoor events have endured the conventional restroom setup. Large or small rows of portalets marked "Guys" & "Gals" or similar. If there were too few last year, event producers may or may not add more the following year. Either way, the result is unsatisfactory, the experience of waiting in long lines for less than sanitary accommodations most unpleasant.

At the first annual Flambeau Fest October 7 & 8 in Gonzales Louisiana event producer Pi Entertainment is taking a bold step. There will not be a single portalet for attendees. Anywhere.



It's not unusual to find upgraded facilities in VIP sections - or for entertainers themselves - at large outdoor functions. Those typically come in the form of air conditioned trailers with granite counters and ceramic sinks. But general admission attendees almost always get to "enjoy" only portalets.

Comfort Zone Portables was a pioneer in the luxury restroom trailer. Prior to that they pioneered better ways to provide and service portalets. Not satisfied with either as a final solution, Comfort Zone's Mark Slade is introducing an innovative approach and technology to North America.

Few Americans have experienced what every Flambeau Fest attendee will see for 2 days in October.

First, women & men will have separate restroom compounds, which Comfort Zone calls an Oasis. In each oasis will be facilities with fresh running water, flushable toilets & separate hand wash stations.



Each flush removes several cubic feet of air from the well ventilated compartment, bringing in fresh air for the next patron. Not to get too graphic, but the most powerful home restroom fan does not accomplish this. That is why women buy cans of air freshener & men buy a book of matches.

Finally, all waste is removed by a vacuum plumbing system to the local sewer. No chemicals, no holding tanks to remove, no toxic pollutants traveling the nation's roadways.

It's better for the user, the event, the surrounding community - and Planet Earth.

Those details may be lost on those with tickets to Flambeau Fest. At first they will simply wonder where to find the portalets. Then they will find something completely different. Then they will tell their friends they may never attend another event with portalets again. Ever.

Then they will remember the first place they experienced what will surely become the standard at future events.

It's funny the little things in life that people never forget. For great music, food, beverage & vibe, people will never forget Flambeau Fest 2017. But they will also remember it for something else.

Go here to purchase tickets & passes for Flambeau Fest. It will be an experience for the ages.

www.flambeaufest.com

Contact:

Mark Slade
Comfort Zone Portables
Shirlee Industrial Way
Alpharetta GA
www.comfortzoneportables.com
770-772-8066

www.stoddard.media

Torch Bearer of Southern Louisiana ~ 1st Annual Flambeau Fest ~ October 7 & 8

Mark the dates now. Saturday & Sunday, October 7 & 8, 2017.

The Torch Bearer is coming to Southern Lousiana. That is, the first annual Flambeau Fest, and it will be an immersive experience unlike any other within 500 miles.

It starts with an exceptional venue, Ascension Fields at Lamar Dixon in Gonzales, Jambalaya Capital of the World, just minutes south of Baton Rouge.

Next comes the family vibe. Producer Pi Entertainment took great care to create Flambeau as a happening for the whole clan. Children 10 & under are invited free – as long as they bring along one or more of their adults. A Kid’s Corral will give them a zone of their own to hang out, play and enjoy music & entertainment suited just for them.

There is so much more, but first to the heart of the matter. The Music.



The superstar country and classic rock headliners Sam Hunt, Hank Williams Jr, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dustin Lynch, Chase Rice, Blackberry Smoke, Jacob Davis and many more will ignite Flambeau over an explosive two days.

Three music spaces, the Main Stage, Torch Stage & Songwriter Stage will host a lineup blending country, southern rock, bluegrass, Americana, rockabilly & acoustic talent, from international stars, to regional favorites & gifted songwriters.



Three tiers of ticket options, General Admission, VIP and Platinum, will appeal to every budget & amenity need.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the Bayou State without superb cuisine & beverages.

The Food Promenade will serve up a wide range of savory traditional culinary fare as well as vegan & vegetarian options. The Louisiana Libations pavilion will include eight local craft breweries, two local distilleries & two local wineries. Over 20 Louisiana vendors will assure that every palette is satisfied & every thirst quenched.

Local artisans will offer an array of unique arts, crafts & creations found nowhere else.



Pi Entertainment scrutinized every detail to assure a pleasant & wholesome experience, down to the sanitation accommodations. Nowhere will there be any rows of portalets festival goers have come to know & dread for decades. In their place will be separate women’s & men’s 'oasis' areas, with state of the art clean & hygienic flushable 'facilities' & fresh water hand wash stations.

One might expect such upgrades for VIP patrons, but Pi recognizes the benefits not only to every guest but also to the residents of Gonzales, neighboring communities, Louisiana – and Planet Earth.

From open to close, the 1st annual Flambeau Fest promises to be Torch Bearer in Southern Louisiana attendees will enjoy, talk about & remember for years to come.

Go here to purchase tickets & passes for parking, RVs and camping.

www.flambeaufest.com

Pi Entertainment
532 East Boston Street
Covington LA 70433

www.stoddard.media

Comfort Zone Dazzles Outside Lands 2017 Patrons with VIP Sanitation Facilities

Over 200,000 revelers gathered last weekend at the 10th Anniversary Outside Lands Music Festival, staged in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

From 11 AM to 10 PM Friday through Sunday, guests were treated to over 70 music & comedy groups & performers, including headliners The Who, Metallica & Gorillaz. The massive event covered 8 separate stages & venues.



Accommodating such a large number of people for 3 days with food & beverage is a daunting task, and event organizers prepare months & years in advance to service ever increasing numbers of patrons with more of everything & greater comfort than the prior year event.

For decades one aspect of such festivals remained relatively unchanged, specifically, the restroom facilities. This year Comfort Zone Portables changed all that at Outdside Lands, at least for those guests paying the highest prices for VIP ticket packages.



Comfort Zone is hardly new to welcoming concert & festival goers, having served dozens of major events across North America over the years. They simply improve the products & services that make their facilities so welcoming year after year.

As most are familiar, the typical large scale event covers sprawling grounds. They seem to constantly grow bigger & better, with more of everything from food & beverage to arts, crafts, & an increasing variety of vendors. Yet certain things never seem to get better.



It’s all so festive – until it’s time to “do business”. Then typically comes the dreaded wait in long lines to less than pleasant “stations”, often causing one to miss large spans of entertainment - the main reason to attend the event in the first place.

Women & men may not stand in the same line, but when the hour is late & the need urgent many pay little attention to any gender specified on the door. Sanitation is an afterthought, privacy nonexistent.

For at least some, Outside Lands 2017 was very different. Comfort Zone creates what is becoming their trademark of sorts, separate compounds for women & men, which they call an Oasis. Next, they install flushing toilets & ceramic sinks, all fed with fresh water, with waste removed directly to the local sewer system.

No matter how modern the facilities, Comfort Zone makes certain they are regularly cleaned & freshened. The Oases are even decorated with exterior adornments & hanging mirrors in every station. It is clear certain folks are pleased.

Ever seen a smiling face like this emerge from a jiffy johnny? Watch her tell the story.

Comfort Zone aspires to raise standards across the country at events large & small. With increasing frequency leading, forward thinking organizers & sponsors select them to service the entire venue, not only the VIP patrons. This should come as welcome news to tens of thousands of festival goers for decades to come.

Want to learn more about Comfort Zone products & services?   Call Mark Slade on his direct line at 404-918-3187.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Celebrating 15 years of service to sponsors & customers at concerts, festivals, sporting & corporate events, Comfort Zone Portables continues to lead the industry in providing farsighted innovative sanitation solutions.

Comfort Zone Portables
Shirlee Industrial Way
Alpharetta GA
www.comfortzoneportables.com
770-772-8066

www.stoddard.media

Comfort Zone Celebrates 15 Years of Exceeding National Event Expectations

When people attend a concert, festival or sports tournament, they tend to have a few refreshments, be they of the adult variety or simply thirst quenchers to stay hydrated. In the old days many would be happy just to find a row of standard portalets with less than a 30 minute line. Once their turn came they could only hope the “facility” inside was not overflowing, and that they could get in and out before the capacity to hold their breath expired.

At some events that less than ideal scenario still prevails. But it does not have to be so.

Atlanta’s Comfort Zone Portables is changing the way event patrons “do their business”.



Founded in 2002 by Mark Slade, Comfort Zone has become a leader in providing superior sanitation stations at events throughout the southeast – and beyond. Not only does the company now have a national scope, it constantly develops innovative methods to deliver and service facilities to satisfy event attendees’ most basic needs.

In its first years of existence Comfort Zone simply did what others do, only better. They offered standard plastic shell portalets by the truckloads to events of all varieties. What set them apart was quality and service. Customers and event sponsors recognized that Comfort Zone products were newer, cleaner and better serviced than the competitors’.

That was then, this is now. Mark Slade’s vision has always been to think ahead and anticipate what customers want but aren’t getting - and be the first to deliver it. That foresight manifested itself with introduction of upscale restroom trailers, complete with granite countertops & air conditioning. In such accommodations one might expect a valet to offer a hand towel, splash of cologne & shoe shine after wash up. Comfort Zone does not yet offer the valet service, but it’s not as if Slade declines to give it perpetual consideration.



Next came mobile shower, kitchen and laundry facilities. Multi-day festivals present challenges and demands beyond the typical need to “just go”. Comfort Zone was there with solutions to needs for which the public thought there would never be a solution. And Slade hardly stopped there.

Markets expanded into areas where mobility and immediate response are even more vital. Disaster relief and military maneuvers create emergency needs and urgency that must be met ASAP, or to paraphrase medical jargon, STAT – “We need this yesterday!”

Fast forward to 2017. Comfort Zone still leads the nation in everything discussed. Slade has a Dutch partner delivering the same standard of excellence in Europe and Asia. An international co-op unites the two to both improve on (A) basic efficiencies and quality and (B) forecast, innovate and develop the next generation of products and services. Never satisfied with status quo, they intend to lead for the foreseeable future.



Which brings us to a whole new realm. Sustainability, environmental concerns and green thinking hardly make up a new global movement. Until recently, that movement has never been on anyone’s radar screen with regard to portable toilet facilities.

With Comfort Zone’s introduction of POP UP3 that all changed. Instead of conventional bulky fiberglass stands to which the public has been accustomed for decades, the POP UP3 system ships compact, and is far more hygienic, efficient and less wasteful.

Consider this. Until now a mega event required delivery of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of portalets. Whether they be basic or luxury trailers, by their nature they are empty containers of air, requiring substantial resources to deliver, maintain and remove.



With the POP UP3 system, facilities ship in the equivalent of solid cubes. Once on site crews assemble them into stations that are exponentially more comfortable, efficient and hygienic for both patrons and maintenance staff. Instead of a station simply being designated “women” or “men”, entire gender specific compounds are created to accommodate gals and guys with discretion and in privacy not previously available.

Further, waste is continuously removed via a closed vacuum driven plumbing system. None of what was formerly the inevitable end of day or end of event overflow, spillage and toxicity. Never again.



At each event Comfort Zone sanitizes and services every last component - on site - to ensure facilities are in like new condition for the next function.

For 15 years Comfort Zone had pioneered an array of products and services to enhance enjoyment of event attendees across America and beyond. Going forward they further pledge continued innovative technology solutions to yield environmental savings for both event sponsors, guests and the planet.

Want to learn more about Comfort Zone products & services?   Call Mark Slade on his direct line at 404-918-3187.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Celebrating 15 years of service to sponsors and customers at concerts, festivals, sporting and corporate events, Comfort Zone Portables continues to lead the industry in providing farsighted innovative sanitation solutions.

Comfort Zone Portables
Shirlee Industrial Way
Alpharetta GA
www.comfortzoneportables.com
770-772-8066

www.stoddard.media