Balloons and the Art World by guest blogger John Bowler

John Bowler, founder and chief executive of BAPIA*, shares his experience working with artists working with balloons. 

The Arrival by Jason Hackenwerth 

"It appears that as times goes by, more and more artists are turning to balloons as a medium for their art projects. We have seen artist, Jason Hackenwerth travelling the world with his amazing balloon creations including this awesome piece, 'The Arrival,' built in 2014 for the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. I was very fortunate to meet up with Jason when he was commissioned by Selfridges Department Store in London in 2011 for an 'Under the Sea' project, which was part of a huge campaign to create public awareness regarding the ocean, over-fishing, and protecting the sea . On this project, Jason used 35,000 Qualatex^® biodegradable balloons and created eleven sculptures that reflected sea-life.

Balloon Art by Jason Hackenwerth 

Only last year Charles Petillon, a photographer from France, was commissioned to install a giant cloud of balloons under the roof of the 19th Century Market Building in London's Covent Garden. Known as 'Heartbeat,' this sculpture used a massive 100,000 white Qualatex balloons, stretching 54 meters in length and 12 meters wide, with pulsating lights to symbolise the beating of a heart. Once again, I had the fortune of meeting this artist along with a group of BAPIA members who assisted with the inflation, installation, and de-rigging of this incredible piece that lasted for a number of weeks.

Charles Petillon, 'Heartbeat.'

The latest project that I found myself getting involved with was only a few weeks ago by Artist Noemi Lakmaier, with a live art installation named 'Cherophobia'. 
Cherophobia was a 48-hour durational living installation. An attempt to lift the artist's bound and immobilised body off the ground using 20,000 helium party balloons. This all took place inside St. Leonard's Church in Shoreditch, London."

Cherophobia is defined as a work of contrasts and opposites, of the push and pull between fear and desire, freedom and constraint, and about our responsibility to make choices. The cheerful, happy image of a giant cloud of balloons stands in stark contrast to the artist's bound, restricted, and immobilised body, while the helium-filled balloons pulling upwards are in turn constrained by the church building. 

"Noemi and her team called upon BAPIA members to assist with the Hi-Float^® treatment and inflation of the balloons. It was determined by the artist's team that it would require approximately 12,000 11" Qualatex balloons to lift her. With six BAPIA professionals and changing teams of volunteers, it was felt that this should be achievable in 12 hours. However, due to some unforeseen issues with Noemi's health and wellbeing, the lift-off was delayed until the following day when, with the use of approximately 13,500 11" balloons, Noemi started to float underneath what can only be described as a 'mountain' of balloon. The contrast of the multi-coloured balloons mountain against the church decor was striking and certainly not what you might to expect to find in a church!"

"Noemi took off at about 3pm and was airbourne for about 5 hours."

The start of the balloons being installed.

13,500 11" Qualatex Balloons and the project is a success!

It is very interesting to see how a balloon art installation such as Charles Petillon's  'Heartbeat' has created a trend within the balloon community. I have seen a number of photographs of similar installations around the world that have a very similar look and have obviously been inspired by the original design.

I believe that seeing balloons being used in such diverse and interesting ways can only be a good thing, as it brings balloons in a bright and positive way to the public.

Thank you to John for sharing his Balloon Art experiences with the Very Best Balloon Blog.

Happy Ballooning

Sue

www.suebowler.com

BAPIA — the Balloon and Party Industry Alliance is a U.K.- based independent trade organisation that works much like a trade association. BAPIA's aims are to increase public awareness of the balloon and party industry, promote industry professionals and the benefits of working with them, fight negative and anti-balloon campaigns, and much more! 

Are you ready for Halloween 2016?

I am sure many of you are thinking that it's a little too early to start thinking about Halloween — it's seven weeks away yet! Halloween has been a steadily growing celebration for the balloon and party industry. In the U.S., Halloween is huge on the holiday calendar, and in the U.K - and around the world - we are certainly heading that way too. Speaking to some U.K.- based balloon companies, they say that Halloween now far exceeds Valentine's Day sales! So, early planning and preparation are essential to get the most out of your sales campaign.

U.S Version

U.K. Version

If you have not already seen the fantastic 2016 Qualatex^® 2016 Halloween, Christmas & New Year Collection, click HERE to view and download. Please note that there are different downloadable versions for Europe and Canada.









The Qualatex Autumn Business Booster is a great place to start to find our Halloween Inspiration.  Each Bouquet and decor design can be enlarged, downloaded, and used as part of your marketing campaign on your website, business Facebook page, and on Pinterest, too. Make sure that any photographs Pinned to your Pinterest boards are linked back to your website or business Facebook page. Otherwise, you are missing out on a great marketing opportunity.

Don't forget to check out the Professional Resources Seasonal Bouquet ideas. These are a great way to show your customers the exciting range of balloons and bouquets that are available this year! Plus, there are some fantastic ideas from previous years, too!

I think that this 38" "Day of the Dead Skull" Bouquet design is fabulous! Day of the Dead— Dia de Los Muertos — is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular, the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. It is acknowledged internationally in many other cultures. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and help support their spiritual journey. 

People in Mexico wear traditional skull masks, and the tradition of painting faces to look like skulls has evolved as a variation of this practice. Masks have always been powerful objects in many cultures, ones that often allow the wearer to get in touch with their darker, chaotic side. Skull face painting is a chance to overcome the fear of death, act recklessly, and get up to the mischief that is forbidden at other times of the year!

FREE POSTER: This great poster is just a click away when you visit the Sales Tips section of the Autumn Business Booster. Use it in your shops or stores and as part of your pre-Halloween marketing campaign on your social media channels.

And don't forget that if you are a QBN^® Member or a Certified Balloon Artist™, you can access the exclusive QBN Members area that has additional designs and recipes available for you to download!

Here are some great design ideas for Halloween 2016:

This fun and easy to make column requires:

• 22" "Halloween Messages & Icons" #43433
• 11" "Big Polka Dots", assorted Orange & Onyx Black #38470 (U.S) #23017 (Europe)
• 12" "Jack Faces" Quick Link Balloons^® #44648
• 5" Orange #43570
• 5" Onyx Black #43548

The base and column are entirely air-filled, with only the Bubble Balloon^® helium-filled at the top to give the design stability.

Party Monster Pillar, 

Designed by Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company

For the recipe and full instructions on how to make this funky Halloween design, click HERE

I love the 22" "Jack O' Lantern", Bubble Balloon. It has been designed in such a clever way that it makes it appear like it is lit up from inside!

This design makes a fantastic centrepiece. It has such impact visually with its vibrant colours and the textures of the orange sticks, raffia, and leaves. 

As a QBN member, you can download the full instructions by clicking HERE

Top sales tips for Halloween

• Start your Halloween sales campaign as soon as possible. Create Halloween social media posts. Keep the posts relevant to what your target market would enjoy but add a spooky twist. People are more likely to share your posts if they have some fun and humour attached to them. "When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween.' – Author Unknown
  
• Use #Hashtags — #Halloween, #Boo, #Freaky, #Scary, #Creepy, #Halloween2016, #Oct31, #Haunted, #Ghosts, #Zombies, #Witches
• Create themed products. Gather some of your products together that could be used for Halloween, like these wonderful Halloween Fun Faces with Candy Weights filled with sweets! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Decorate your shop windows and store interior. What better way to show passing customers that your store is the perfect place to buy all their Halloween supplies. And if you don't have a store, make sure that you update your website homepage and all your social media channels to show that you are Halloween ready!
• If you have a die-cutting machine, create some fun decals for your windows, like this creepy rat!

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

The power of the #Hashtag

Hashtags — what do they actually do? I see hashtags that have been added to posts. I have even used them, but if I am honest, I am not really sure how they work!


Hashtags were first used on Twitter and are now used on Facebook, Google+, Google search, Instagram, Pinterest,  and I am sure many other places, too! 

The hashtag appears to be the most popular means of categorising content on social media. It makes your own content discoverable and allows you to find relevant content from other people and organisations. The hashtag also allows you to connect with and engage other social media users based on a common theme or interest.



It has become common practice to use hashtags at balloon events. I believe that it started at the World Balloon Convention 2014 with #Worldballoon14.  It is a fantastic way to see all the different photographs posted by everyone attending. I was recently at the Qualatex Event in Johannesburg, South Africa. We created a unique hashtag for the event, #QualatexSA2016 and asked everyone to add this hashtag to all their pictures when posting on Facebook. We even turned it into a competition and awarded prizes to the photographers that captured the spirit of the event. We had great results and were able to see lots of wonderful photographs that we might not have seen without this common link! Plus, we can easily find these photographs again in the future simply by using the hashtag. These are the winning hashtag photographs from the event.

Balloon Wall with Jag Dhillon by Fyah Lighter
Photo Frame and Arch by Balloon Pop
Photo Frame by Madeleine Janse van Rensburg 

Using hashtags on Twitter

A hashtag—written with a # symbol—is used to index keywords or topics on Twitter. This function was created on Twitter and allows people to easily follow topics they are interested in.

Using hashtags to categorise Tweets by keyword:
People use the hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase in their Tweet to categorise those Tweets and help them to appear more often in Twitter search results.
Clicking or tapping on a hashtagged word in any message shows you other Tweets that include that hashtag.
Hashtags can be included anywhere in a Tweet.
Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics.

Tips for using hashtags:
You cannot add spaces or punctuation in a hashtag, or it will not work properly.
If you Tweet with a hashtag on a public account, anyone who does a search for that hashtag may find your Tweet.
Twitter recommends using no more than 2 hashtags per Tweet as best practice, but you may use as many hashtags in a Tweet as you like.
Type a hashtagged keyword in the search bar to discover content and accounts based on your interests.

The Twitter Cheat Sheet Infographic above, is based on data from Buddy Media and was from an article that I read, "Twitter Cheat Sheet To Increase Engagement And Followers" on Linchpinseo. It's a great read and gives some very helpful information and statistics!

I was really interested to read that Tweets with one or two hashtags have higher engagement than Tweets that use more than two hashtags.

Using Hashtags on Pinterest

In Pinterest, hashtags are only clickable and searchable in pin descriptions and they work a bit differently than they do on Twitter or Instagram. Clicking on a hashtag in a pin's description will not only result in pins that include that hashtag but also in pins that include the same word or phrase in the description.

I tested hashtags on Pinterest, and sure enough if you click on a hashtag it brings up every picture with or without a hashtag that relates to that word. So it's not such a great filter on Pinterest as it is on other social media channels.

Using Hashtags on Facebook

Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links in your posts on your personal Timeline or Page. This helps people find posts about topics they’re interested in. To make a hashtag, write # (the number sign) along with a topic or phrase and add it to your post. For example:

I just saw the cutest puppy! #dogs

When you click a hashtag, you’ll see a feed of posts that include that hashtag. You may also see some related hashtags at the top of the page.

Please keep in mind:

• A hashtag must be written as a single word, without any spaces.
• You can include numbers in a hashtag, but punctuation and special characters (like $ and %) won't work.
• You can search for a hashtag using the search bar at the top of any page.
• You'll only see posts that were shared with you.

When you add a hashtag to your post, the people you’ve shared your post with can also see it in that hashtag's feed. For example, if you share a post with a hashtag  #Friends, they can see your post in that hashtag’s feed.

Keep in mind if you use a hashtag in a post you share to Public, and allow people to follow you, your post will appear on your public profile and in that hashtag's feed.

Using Hashtags on Instagram - extracted from an article by By Brittney Helmrich from Business News Daily.

Hashtags are a great way to help other users find your content on Instagram, just like on Twitter. Since users can both search for hashtags and click on hashtags they see in posts on the app, using relevant hashtags can be a highly effective tool for getting noticed. However, just like on Twitter, you have to make sure you're using the right hashtags for your brand, and that you don't go overboard.

Hashtags like #nofilter (if you're sharing a photo that hasn't been heavily edited with filters added), #selfie (if you're sharing a picture of yourself,) and #tbt or #throwbackthursday (if you're sharing an old photo) are all incredibly popular on Instagram, but they may not work for you or your brand. Using popular hashtags just because they're popular might annoy your current and potential new followers, and it will be obvious you're just trying to get more followers and exposure.

It's a good idea to look at other established brands (or even personal users and bloggers) in your industry for examples of what to do, especially when it comes to hashtags. A fashion boutique, for example, would want to use very different hashtags from those used by a bicycle repair shop, so following and paying attention to other successful Instagram users in your field can help you get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

On Instagram, it's not just the hashtags you use that matters, but also how many. Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags in a post or comment, but 30 hashtags is a lot, and using that many would be excessive. The fewer hashtags you can use to get quality responses, the better. Using a large number of popular hashtags might earn you a lot of likes from other users, but it probably won't increase your following all that much. The interactions you get will likely not be from people who are interested in your brand, but rather those who just saw and liked your image. If you aim to keep your hashtags relevant, interesting, and specific, you won't need 20 hashtags to gain exposure.

It's also important to note that hashtags can include letters and numbers, but they can't contain any non-numerical symbols (so #DaveAndBusters might work as a hashtag, but #Dave&Busters does not, for example). Using hashtags that don't work on the app might make you look like you don't know what you're doing, and they won't help you gain followers or likes, either.

Searching hashtags on Instagram is also a good way to find new users to follow and get your account noticed. For example, if you use a certain hashtag on your posts, or if there's a certain hashtag that is relevant to your brand, you can do a search for it and see all of the photos posted with that hashtag. Scroll through and like the ones you find interesting, and follow users with content you like. If those users think your content is relevant to their interests, they'll likely follow back — or at least check out (and maybe interact with) your posts.

Incorporate hashtags to categorize your content and make it easier for non-followers to discover you. We recommend up to three hashtags so they don't detract from the simplicity of the post. Ask questions to engage people.

To read the full article, Instagram for Business: Everything You Need to Know - See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7662-instagram-business-guide.html#sthash.nUdI9s8q.dpuf

Well, that was a lot of information! But it has helped me to understand hashtags a little more. It is important that you understand how hashtags work for each of the social media channels that you use. Hashtags used on Pinterest, for example, are not as effective as those used on Twitter or Instagram. One of the biggest tips that I have learned is that you should not use too many hashtags on each of your posts. Often, 1 or 2 are more effective than 3 or more! 
Businesses can really benefit from using hashtags in their posts. Adding one or two hashtags to a post can help to increase their social reach and improve brand awareness. Following and using trending hashtags can help a business if they join in on a high traffic discussion on topics related to their industry and service.

Here are just a few of the top trending hashtags that can be related to the balloon industry:

Twitter
#giftsforhim
#gifts
#gift
#bridesmaid

Instagram
#love
#picoftheday
#party
#pink
#black
#work
#christmas
#sweet
#birthday

Simply by using any of these hashtags in your posts could give your business a greater reach to new customers! Check out what's trending and start hashtagging!

#happyballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com

Balloon Basics - Bubble Balloons

Qualatex^® Bubble Balloons are a relatively new balloon made from stretchable plastic, making it unusual and eye-catching. Unlike a Microfoil^® balloon, it is inflated until all the creases at the seams have been removed, making it more like a beach ball, and looks great from all angles.

Bubble Balloons are non-allergenic, making them ideal for hospital gifts and deliveries. They do not oxidise* and floating times are mainly measured in weeks rather than days.

22" "Birthday Pink Starburst Sparkle"
U.S. Patent No. 6,782,675

Single Bubbles

These stunning balloons are available in 22". They will float for approximately 2-4 weeks.
They come in a fantastic range of designs including licensed characters, birthday including milestones and age. New baby and special occasion. They are extremely versatile and can be used in balloon bouquets, centrepieces and to make fun little character designs.












These balloons are simple and elegant, with 3-D designs that look beautiful from any angle. They have self-sealing valves and come with a pre-attached ribbon.

Balloon Basics - Microfoil® Balloons

This type of balloon is often called a foil, Mylar^®, or a metallic balloon. However, they are not made from foil as you would imagine. They are actually made from a bi-axial nylon impregnated with aluminium on the outside to hold in the small molecules of helium or balloon gas and laminated with a polyethylene (plastic with a low melting point) coating on the inside to allow the material to be heat sealed. The material is then cut to the shape required and heat sealed at the edges. 




Due to their material, Microfoil^® balloons are less porous than latex balloons, so they stay inflated longer. This type of balloon is NOT biodegradable.

Qualatex^® Microfoil balloons are available in a wide range of colours that coordinate with the Qualatex latex colour range. Microfoil balloons range from 4” to 36” with a wide variety of shapes and designs.

Conwin Precision Plus Inflator.

Correctly inflated Microfoil balloons are firm with uniform creases along the seams (you must leave space for heat expansion). The 18” size and larger can be inflated with helium or balloon gas. For correct inflation, use an Automatic Foil Balloon inflator. These inflators have been designed to fill any size or shape Microfoil balloon to the optimum size (leaving the correct amount of creases) and will automatically cut-off when the balloon has reached its correct size. Using the wrong type of inflator can cause damage to the valve of a Microfoil balloon, plus you can easily overinflate these balloons, which could cause them to pop.

Balloon Basics - Inflating and Tying Latex Balloons

For many of you that regularly read the Very Best Balloon Blog, you probably already know all the basic techniques that we use. However, there are many that are new to the wonderful world of balloons, others that are self-taught, and those who might like a quick refresher! 

I would like to start by saying that there are no right or wrong techniques, just those that might be a little easier or have benefits when working with multiple balloons. I know that I tie balloons a little differently from some of my ballooning friends, but like many, I was self-taught and don't feel the need to change my technique as it works really well for me.

Latex Inflation

When inflating Qualatex^® round latex balloons, it is important to fill them until the balloon forms a teardrop shape. An over-inflated round balloon develops a pear shape, whilst under-inflated balloons are more round in shape.

This rule does not apply to the giant latex 30" to 36" balloons, which are produced on different forms* and should be round rather than teardrop-shaped.

Latex balloons may be filled with air, helium*, or balloon gas.* Balloons that are 9" or smaller are generally filled with air rather than balloon gas or helium as they have a very limited floating time, which is generally not suitable for decor.

Balloons filled with air do not float and stay inflated considerably longer (weeks rather than hours) than those inflated with balloon gas or helium.

Balloons inflated with balloon gas or helium are affected by extremes in temperature and altitude. Helium expands in the heat and contracts in the cold. On hot days, when moving balloons from a cool environment to a warm or hot one, ensure that you slightly underinflate your balloons to allow for expansion. It is better to pre-inflate your balloons to their full size first using air, and then re-inflate to a smaller size with helium. For example, an 11" balloon can be pre-inflated to 11", deflated, and then re-inflated to 10.75" or 10.5". By not pre-inflating your balloons you may find that they will still pop even when underinflated.
On a cool day, slightly overinflate the balloons when moving from a warm environment to a cooler one.  In normal conditions, balloons inflated with balloon gas or helium should be inflated to their correct size to ensure maximum float time.
Personally, I would do some floating tests or trials when working in different temperatures to ensure that the balloons offer maximum float time in different conditions.

I recently wrote a blog, Balloons and the Great Outdoors, that may help you when working with balloons in different weather conditions.

Sizing Balloons
Sizing balloons is important for two reasons:

Very Best Balloon Sizer
Available at European Qualatex Distributors.

• Ensuring that all your balloons are inflated to the same size when creating decor will offer a professional finish.
• Balloons filled with balloon gas or helium will have the maximum floating time when inflated to the correct size.

You can use a sizing template to size a balloon. There are various options available to purchase, or you could make your own. 

Why should we use social media to promote our balloon business?

Social media is all about conversation, community, and content. Today, most people have at least one social media account, with Facebook still leading the pack with 1.65 billion monthly active users. That is a 15% increase over last year, (Top 20 Facebook Statistics by Zephorial Digital Marketing.)

The current fastest growing networks are Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and Linkedin. Social media networks are a major resource for both small and big businesses to promote their brand or services online.

So why should we use social media to promote our balloon business?

90% of consumers go to the internet first to learn about or to be inspired as to what they want to buy.

• Traditional marketing is very expensive and its effectiveness is questionable, especially for small businesses. Digital marketing in many cases is free, and a targeted campaign can be relatively low cost. It does take time to administer accounts, so make sure that you use your time and resources wisely.
• Balloons and decor are extremely visual. What better way to show off what you do really well with photographs and videos - show it to sell it!
• It's a fantastic way to reach a large but targeted audience.

Using a variety of social media channels to get your business noticed has to be an essential part of your business marketing. However, choosing the right social media channels for you and your business is very important. For most businesses, the best approach is to handpick social media channels that make the most sense for you and your brand, rather than try to be everywhere as you don't want to spread yourself too thin.

I have looked at three of the most popular social media channels and given a short assessment of the benefits of each one.

Facebook
Facebook still appears to be one of the best social media channels to use. You can use it to share photos, videos, promotions, and seasonal activities. Facebook can be more low-maintenance than other social networks.

Facebook cites these as being the main reasons why you should use Facebook for business to reach your business goals:

• Driving online sales
• Increasing local sales
• Increasing brand awareness
• Promoting your app
• Finding leads
• Social customer service

Looking as some of the more successful balloon related Facebook pages, it appears that regular posting is important, once a day, maybe twice occasionally, but don't be tempted to over post. Use a variety of post styles. Could show staff having fun on a job or even at a company social event, but don't use your business accounts to post personal stuff. Lifestyle photographs, even simple slogans or “saying of the day” posts, are useful in generating user interest in your page. Each type of post will generate a different reaction from your followers and it will keep your posts fun, interesting, and fresh. 
It is important to check your social media accounts every day, and respond to any comments, good or bad.