There’s no doubt providing portable sanitation for special events is a growing trend in the industry. Many pumpers are increasingly approached for restrooms for yard parties and street festivals and trailer units for weddings and black tie outdoor events.

Though most companies offering portables find their core business is catering to building contractors, many have launched their restroom business working solely with events promoters. They don’t want the hassle of beat-up units or customers always trying to get them to lower their prices on low-volume rentals. Instead, they opt for customers who, while cost-conscious, are more concerned with the features, function and presentation of more upscale singles and executive style trailer units.

These specialists and their brethren who serve both markets have one thing in common: They need to let potential customers know they have special event units and service available. Promotional tactics run the gamut, as these pumpers reveal.

“A lot of my sales strategy is networking through local chambers of commerce, homebuilder associations and current customers,” says owner Todd Bailey of T. M. Bailey Services. His portables business is an offshoot of his parents’ septic service company, and he’s newly at the helm. His primary goal is building business volume, and he’s set his sights on special events, though he also services contractors.

For Bailey, it’s all about reaching the decision-makers. “I read local literature, Berks County magazines. I watch for notices of upcoming events, then try to find how to reach the person in charge. I’ll work the phones first, then if I can’t get past the gatekeepers, I’ll send a letter.”

Bailey’s networking tactic has had an unexpected payoff. Through these efforts, he’s met Web site designers and computer network experts he needs to branch out his marketing.

When it comes to marketing special events, he’s aggressive. “With portable restroom customers, you have to stay in front of them, especially with word-of-mouth. It’s almost like a baby-sitting thing, especially with organizations for youth and that kind of thing. With people changing positions — presidents, treasurers — if they don’t pass down the right information to the next person, that person doesn’t know whom to call. So, even if you worked with them last season, the new person will go out and call somebody else. You can’t take that business for granted.”

Bailey has tried sending out or hand-distributing coupon flyers, but it wasn’t a successful effort. He’s also taking a critical look at his presence in the Yellow Pages. “We’re probably going to shrink that buy. I probably spent $6,000 or $7,000 there just last year, and I can’t say I’ve had anyone who said they saw me in the phone book,’’ he says. “They’re more likely to see my competition, whose ad shows up before mine.”

He’s primarily reinvesting phone book advertising funds in a Web site, www.baileyseptic.com. A young man, Bailey understands many people comparison-shop for features and services on the Web, and more are doing so every year. “That’s where the traffic is moving to,” he says, “and that’s where I want my message to be.”

John Gallant’s business has only been offering portables for about four years, so that segment accounts for about a quarter of its annual billings. But of that business, special events account for nearly 65 percent of the volume. In his territory just southwest of Portland, Maine, the special events season is short, from Memorial Day to late September. The typical summer events — street fairs, festivals, sporting events — provide warmer weather business, while leaf-peeping tourism and autumn harvest festivals occupy the fall season.

Aside from the obligatory Yellow Pages ad and vehicle signage, special events for Stoney Road are advertised in a few local shopper-type papers and magazines. The company also has a minor Web presence on MerchantCircle.com — a free business networking site — and on MagicYellow.com, which is part of his print directory deal.

“We just have a little bitty Web participation so far,” Gallant says. “We haven’t really done our own site yet. Word-of-mouth is still our best and most reliable marketing.”

Richard Nesbit positions his portable sanitation company as convenient with worry-free service to his area just over the state border from Youngstown, Ohio. He provides individual restrooms and portable sinks for picnics, carnivals and corporate events, in addition to his septic pumping service.

“A lot of our marketing is word-of-mouth,” he says. “We also do ads in local newspapers right before the season and every 2-3 weeks during the season. The price is reasonable, so we run larger display ads.” The company also hands out a print brochure and has a simple Web site, www.rnesbitportabletoilets.com.

One effort that gains valuable “face time” for the company is a booth at county fairs. Co-owner Katie Nesbit designed a special flyer for the appearances, touting party restroom service. “A lot of folks think we’re crazy, because we’ve already got portables there,” says Richard Nesbit, “but it’s a great way to get attention and let people know what else we do, and other uses for the portables.”

The company has about 100 special events units from different manufacturers. “We’ve started getting a lot more requests for flushable units and hand-washing sinks, and we have a restroom trailer now. We’re also going to buy another one. It’s something we should have done about five years ago. (The trailer trend) caught on and if you’re first in the area with one, you’re good.”