Balloons and the Environment - How do you communicate Environment-Friendly practices to your customers?

Keeping your customers informed and giving them information on how they can enjoy their balloons responsibly is essential for all in the balloon industry, especially customers and balloon professionals. Sharing this information can be done in several ways:

Care Cards

A care card highlights the importance of enjoying balloons responsibly to best protect the environment. These are perfect add-on to give to your clients with their balloon purchase. Cards such as these highlight the following messages:

DON'T LET GO

Please don't release helium-filled balloons outdoors - helium balloons should always be secured to a weight. Always dispose of balloons responsibly.

Balloons are a much-loved product that brings joy and helps us celebrate the special moments in life.

As a responsible balloon business, we want to protect our environment from any unnecessary litter. We have therefore made the decision not to support the release of any balloons into the environment. We encourage our customers to support this position and not undertake or endorse balloon releases of any kind. 

INFLATE SAFELY

To remove the risk of injury, always use a balloon pump and NEVER inhale helium.

SUPERVISE CHILDREN UNDER 8

Uninflated or burst balloons can present a choking hazard - please supervise small children at all times.

BE LATEX ALLERGY AWARE

Balloons made of natural rubber latex may cause a reaction in those with latex allergies. Look out for symptoms and seek help if required.

ALWAYS DISPOSE OF BALLOONS RESPONSIBLY

Remember when you've finished with a balloon, simply snip the end of the balloons with scissors before placing in a suitable bin. 

Pioneer Europe, in conjunction with the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC), has developed a collection of environmental marketing materials that we can use freely within our businesses to educate consumers to enjoy balloons responsibly, promoting the message: "Don't let go."

There are five downloadable flyers that you can use:

Posters - these can be displayed in your shops and stores.

Leaflets - Gives even more information than the Care Card

Carecards - see above

Weight Labels - Weight Stickers will stick on the underside of many commonly used balloon weights.

These are available in 24 different languages. Click on the appropriate language and it will take you directly to the link.

Bulgarian 

Croatian 

Czech 

Danish 

Dutch 

English 

Estonian 

Finnish

Flemish 

French 

Gaelic 

​​​​​​​German 

Greek 

Hungarian 

Italian 

Latvian

Lithuanian 

Maltese 

Polish 

Portuguese 

Slovakian 

Slovenian 

Spanish 

Swedish

Social Media Posts

Having a variety of posts is important for any business, and sharing environmental posts especially will be a very positive thing to do. It will act as a regular reminder to your customers and followers that you take environmental issues seriously! 

Once again, there are some great pre-made posts that are available from www.qualatex.com, which can be found in the SUSTAINABILITY section on the website. 

Here are a few examples of the types of posts that are available.

Have you ever seen a social media post from EU Partysafe? I would expect not, as unless you know about them, you probably won't be following them... start following them today! EU Partysafe is a consumer-facing page run by the European Balloon & Party Council, a Non-Governmental Organisation that represents all the key players in the balloon & party industry. Their aim is to raise awareness & educate consumers on balloon and party-related  products.

Here are a few examples of posts that EUPartysafe shares, and you could do something similar or even better! Sharing their posts on your business page clearly reinforces the message and will potentially guide your customers to their website, which gives even more consumer information on balloons and the environment as well as other information relating to party products.

EU Party Safe posts are succinct, and always feature important facts paired with an eye-catching photo. Free photo stock can be found on the Qualatex website in the Marketing Material in the Inspiration tab. CANVA has some great photo stock, some of which is free. Using an eye-catching, and appropriate photo will help to attract attention to your posts and hopefully their important messages too! 

Did you know

Latex balloons are plant-based

In fact, they are made from the sap of rubber trees, NOT from plastic as is sometimes reported

Always re-use before you recycle

Remember:

foil balloons are not biodegradable;

flatten and store your foil balloons when possible;

re-use your foil balloons. You may be surprised how good they will look!

Here are a few more important websites that will help you to source balloon-related environmental information and messages that you can use. 

The Balloon Council - http://www.theballooncouncil.org

Pro Environment Balloon Alliance (PEBA) - https://www.peba.com.au

Let us all enjoy the magic of balloons for many more years to come, but we need your help to make this possible! Please help us to promote the responsible use of balloons! 

A huge thank you to EBPC for allowing me to share material from their Facebook page.

Happy and responsible Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Ballooning Tips & Tricks - Learn a Few Tips about Mixing Helium & Air, is Static a Friend or Foe, How to Resolve a Closed Foil Balloon Valve and Much More!

It can take a very long time to learn and build up knowledge in any area. Experiencing those "light-bulb" moments is very much part of the learning curve, I know well from my own personal experiences; like when I was decorating for an event and the 5" balloons inside a 3' helium-filled balloon unexplainably started popping... I had to find out why! Today, I would like to share some "tips & tricks" that will help you when working with balloons! 

Let's start with the popping 5" balloon story!

Mixing Gases

I am not sure is this is a tip or trick, but it is certainly something that we all need to know! 

Helium, or Balloon Gas is lighter than air, and air molecules are much bigger than helium molecules. Each of these gases react differently inside balloons. 

Helium inside a latex balloon moves around and gradually escapes (diffuses) over a period of time through the natural pore of the balloon. That is why the average floating time of an 11" helium-filled latex balloon ranges from 18-24 hours, as the helium escapes, the balloon will start to get smaller and eventually fall down.

Air inside a latex balloon lasts much longer, as air molecules are big and it takes a longer period of time to escape from a latex balloon - weeks and months, rather than hours. The balloons will gradually get softer but they stay inflated for a much longer period than a helium-filled balloon.

So when you put 5" balloons inside a larger balloon, it is essential that you use the same gas in both balloons! 

When you put helium-filled balloons inside an air-filled balloon, the helium escapes (diffuses) from the helium-filled balloons and the balloons will go down, the same as they would if they were outside of the larger balloon. Have you ever tried putting helium inside a 5" balloon? It will float for around 2-3 hours before it gently drops down.

When you put air-filled balloons inside a larger helium-filled balloon, a process called 'diffusion' occurs. This is when the helium naturally moves and filters through and into the latex of the smaller balloons, which causes the smaller balloons to expand and eventually pop! This is exactly what happened to me! 

Static - friend or foe? 

Static can definitely be a problem when it comes to balloons! I have heard of balloons randomly popping due to high levels of static in a room.

Static does not like moisture or humidity, and therefore water can be used to reduce the amount of static in a room, a humidifier works well, and a fine water mister spray will help when working on site. Dryer sheets can also reduce static on balloons. Some decorators carry Static Guard with them on balloon jobs, as this can eliminate static and help prevent it from building! 

To prevent static on your balloon ribbon, wet your scissors before using them to curl the ribbon. (Dip the tip of your scissors in water).

Static is definitely a friend when making confetti-filled balloons. To make confetti stick to the inside of a balloon you will need to build a little static within the balloon. With air-filled balloons it's easy; simply rub the side of the balloon with your hand, a cloth, or even better, bubble-wrap packaging - this works every time for me! I have also heard that placing balloons inside a plastic bag will help to build the static. When making helium-filled, confetti-filled balloons, you will need to ensure that you add a small amount of air into the balloon, as static cannot build in pure helium! Simply use a hand-pump and add a few pumps of air - not too many as it can make the balloon too heavy and it won't float!

If you would like to learn how to make a confetti-filled Deco Bubble, check out the great video below. 

What should you do if the valve on a foil balloon does not open easily?

When the valve of a foil balloon does not easily open, first be ultra-careful not to damage it. Sometimes these appear to be stuck closed, but with a little help, we can usually open them. The temptation is to try and open the valve using a pencil or straw, but be aware that the valves in foil balloons are very delicate and can be easily damaged. For best results, use something thin and flat such as a folded floristry wire. Hold the valve between two fingers and gently slide in the wire with the folded side. This should go very smoothly without ruining the valve. If you don't have any floristry wire, try a flat beverage stirrer, like the wooden ones supplied in coffee houses. 

Using a floristry wire, bend in half and carefully
insert it into the valve of the foil balloon.

Cold Latex Balloons

Latex balloons last longer when they are stored in a cool and dark environment, as this helps to preserve the balloons shelf life for longer. However, if balloons get too cold, they can become hard to the touch and almost impossible to inflate, like the three balloons on the left. You can easily resolve this by warming up them up! Either put the balloons somewhere warm, like on a radiator, or place them into a tumble dryer for a few minutes - et volia,  your balloons will be back to normal and as good as new! 

Stretched Balloons

Here is another great tip about warming up balloons: when you pre-inflate latex balloons, they becomes stretched and lose their original balloon shape (see below left.) These balloons are still perfectly good, and can be used for your decor and balloon design. However, if you want the balloons to return to their original balloon shape, simply warm them up using either of the techniques above.

Making a balloon round rather than traditional balloon shape.

Some balloon decor styles, such as Balloon Columns and organic décor, look better when made with a rounder shape rather than the traditional balloon 'teardrop' shape. This can be easily achieved by how you inflate the balloons. Check out the video below to see how you can achieve this. If you do not have an electric pump, you can achieve the same results using a hand-pump, following the same principle.

Did you find this post useful? I would love to get some feedback! 

Happy Ballooning Everyone and thank you for reading the Very Best Balloon Blog! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Looking at the Brighter Side of a World-Wide Pandemic!

We all know that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on overall health, jobs, businesses and the economy to name just a few. But being the ever-optimist, I personally have found a few positives during this truly unsettled and rollercoaster year.

I thought that this would be a great opportunity to ask a few of my ballooning friends from around the world if they could share one or two positive things that they have been able to bring to their business or business life as a result of the pandemic! 

I will be sharing their stories over a couple of blog posts... Let's start our journey in Italy. Italy was the first European country to become overwhelmed by the pandemic and the first European country to go into a national lockdown! 

Alberto Nava, CBA, of Crazy Balloons in Milan, Italy 

"Let’s be honest here, the pandemic here in Italy, like in the rest of the world, hit us like a rock. And I am talking a mountain sized rock. We are invoicing about 10% of what we invoiced last year. Supply chain of Qualatex balloons has also been compromised because of the pandemic. 

If there’s one thing that this pandemic taught me, it  is that if you can’t adapt your business to a sudden change, you will not survive.

We started doing deliveries, embracing a totally new market for us. Also, we sat down and we decided to offer deliveries using only the balloons we had in stock (luckily we had huge inventory). That’s where creativity came to the rescue to fulfill every request.

We also started “not so virtual parties”.  This is a virtual party with a balloon delivery to the home of the birthday child on the morning of the party to create the mood, a live director during the party and an edited video clip of the party delivered the following week to the birthday child to treasure the memories.

We requested and received special EU lost funding for completely redoing our website, to be ready when people will be vaccinated and will just want to party....

My new motto is to "never stop creating, even in dark times, light can be found in balloons."

Learn how to create this adorable frame by Alberto Nava - Visit Balloon Images Issue 1 2020

Let's now travel to the other side of the world and ask Chris Adamo, CBA, of The Balloon Crew, Balloons Online, and BalloonPro.co in Sydney, Australia, what positives has he experienced during these difficult times?

"I would say that that a huge positive from this dreadful situation was the time to reflect and re-organise my business and business systems. Looking at the bricks and mortar retail shop we cleared out a huge amount of old stock, knocked down shelving and a giant old light box to make room for new hang cell walls and inviting more light to enter the our retail space. For weeks I felt so happy to work in such a clean and modern (comparatively!) environment. Next came our online store and website, replacing old images and content in the great spring clean of COVID 2020. We had a hard look at what products just didn't seem as profitable as we once thought: we ceased the hiring helium DIY tanks, changed our printing price structure, sold an old van and even updated our methods for the delivery of internal information such as systems and training. None of this would have been possible without two things: time and impetus to change, COVID provided both. We will come out of this leaner and more efficient than we started, and for that I am grateful.

On a personal note... to be honest, one of the most positive things has happened to my personal life, with the newly found time in the absence of the traditional business crazy hamster wheel! LOL.

I would like to share a video that Chris recently recorded with Greg Brown at BMTV where Chris shares some helpful and essential tips and tricks to improve your business' workflow! It is definitely worth watching! 

Many of you will have 'met' Greg Brown as the presenter of BMTV, but Greg also wears another industry hat, as the Director of Total Party Ltd / Balloon Market / Signature Balloons based in Southampton, England. I asked Greg as a wholesaler to the balloon and party industry in the UK how the pandemic has affected his business and the positives he has seen:

"When COVID first hit we thought the worst, and expected sales to be 30% of what they are normally. We thought that weddings, celebrations, corporate events, summer fayres, etc being cancelled would destroy the industry. As we now know, our industry flourished as we were all able to adapt quickly. I think that is one of the great things of being an industry that is made up of mainly small businesses. We can pivot quickly. I think people learned to do new things from putting videos out there helping others to improving their own skills. We have all been forced to do things differently and, arguably, better.

 

From our point of view it has been a challenge and we have really not liked not being able to offer the service we are known for due to the combination of an increase in business and keeping everyone COVID safe. We truly appreciate everyone that has continued to buy from us. However we also have adapted with new shift patterns, new processes on the website, new processes in the warehouse, new ways of filming BMTV, and changes regarding who does what and when. We have also been able to look at new premises that we were looking at before COVID but bigger than we were initially considering. It is very exciting.

 

From the team point of view, I think it is the little things that have made a difference in a positive way:

 

We have taken on a lot more people including casual staff and it has been great to see people getting to know each other and forming new friendships. The ‘Teen Team’ as they are known have also brought a different energy to the warehouse.  

The jokes our customers have started to put on their orders.

Moving the office upstairs and having a better view of outside – the office is brighter!

The extra calories burned climbing the stairs 30 times a day!

The is an appreciation for working in a company that has, thankfully, been doing well during the pandemic. People have not had to worry about redundancies." 

One of Greg’s favourite sayings is “Think health, think safety”! 

Here are some of the team sporting their new hi viz jackets to keep them safe when crossing the courtyard. #besafebeseen

Saying thank you is always very important, how cool are these thank you cards that Balloon Market send out with their orders! 

 

It is amazing how resilient we have become over the past 10 months! Finding solutions, adapting, using new found time to update systems, websites and online offerings has been some of the most obvious and most important changes many companies have made to cope during these difficult months and probably most importantly remaining positive! I love Alberto's motto - "never stop creating, even in dark times light can be found in balloons."

A huge thank you to Alberto, Chris and Greg for giving us a little insight to a few of the positives that have come from such a turbulent year! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

"I never thought my profession would be a balloon artist" - Featured Artist Keren Fridman Braha, CBA

It gives me great pleasure to share Keren Fridman Braha's ballooning journey as part of my International Balloon Month - featuring Balloon Artists from around the World.

Keren Fridman Braha

Here is Keren's incredible story...

Hi, my name is Keren Fridman Braha, CBA from ISRAEL, a 37-year-old balloon artist. I have been the owner of the business called “Balloons” since 2004.

I never thought my profession would be a balloon artist. I knew that art was a part of me: from a young age I loved painting, drawing, sculpting, building models in different materials, and even designing and calculating the works I created. 

I studied architecture and art in high school and college. This was my direction, to combine my design vision in the field of real practice. In order to finance my architecture studies in college, I continued to perform with children at various events. Another hobby I always pursued was working with children: I was a summer camp instructor, organizing children's birthdays.

From the age of 17, I started working with the balloon artist Ori Livney, and through him I was introduced to the world of balloons. I fell in love with the latex material and the possibility of creating almost anything you want.

Fabulous Balloon Hats by Keren Fridman Braha

From that moment on, I incorporated balloons into every friend's and family members birthday and experimented with more techniques. 

In 2004, at the age of 21, I started my own independent business.

In 2007, I decided to leave my architecture studies in favor of the balloons. I flew to the Qualatex Balloon Convention in Thailand and there I passed the CBA test.

I continued to make sure to go to all the conventions that were in Israel and even conventions abroad like at Millennium Jam in Belgium, WBC in the US, and more.  When I gave up studying architecture in favor of working with balloons, everyone looked at me with a look of 'Why?' It's unconventional, an unstable professional, can I make enough money and live like this? Even when I have a family of my own? I knew that when I want something, I go with it to the end. I decided to invest my whole being in my balloon business. Now, when classmates and friends meet me, they are proud of me as the decision to stop studying architecture, to take risks and not go the normal route of a young person. They see how successful I am and that it is definitely possible to earn very nicely, progress, persevere and be happy when going with the heart and talent.

Fabulous Balloon Arch by Keren Fridman Braha

The ability to know what you are good at and capitalise on it can be a useful advantage in our lives. For me it is one of the important things, and my most important tip for everyone is - "it is to walk with the heart and not to be afraid."
I was attracted to running my own balloon business because I loved the amazing responses I received from event to event; it made me happy and I felt that creating a business of my own is exactly integrating who I am.
The art, the design, the architecture I learned, all of these combined with the patience, the desire to be happy, the desire to help others created my business: "Balloons". From year to year, I made sure to innovate, upgrade, and be better, compete in Israel and abroad in balloon competitions.

I officially opened my business in October 2004, having worked with balloons before. However, October 2004 is also the month my mother died of cancer. I decided that I would not allow myself to sink into the pain, and that my mother would want me to be strong and to keep moving forward and succeed.
I remember traveling 30 days after her death to a birthday show I organized for a 5-year-old girl. I cried the entire drive to the vent, but when I got to the parking lot, I erased the tears, put on makeup again and went inside with a smile. Why? Because that is how life is. I decided to go back to work and smile, just like my mother was, strong and happy. I decided to continue to make others happy as I know how to.

Keren Fridman Braha

Since then, I have been volunteering at the Oncology Department for Children with Cancer. Making them balloons and with all the difficulty of seeing these kids, it's the greatest sense of satisfaction to know that I was able to make them smile and enjoy.

My balloon business grew and developed, and I was exposed to other areas besides working with children.
I started performing at weddings. Each time, I set myself a new destination to reach. The business grew and supported 8 employees, which now included my husband and brother.

Balloon Tree by Keren Fridman Braha

 

The art, the precision, the perfectionism in every project, the color combinations are all reflected in both and that is why my business provides services to a wide range of clients. The combination of twisting and decor is who I am. The business grew from year to year, the revenue grew, the amount of events increased until one day my life changed. In December 2016 I contracted breast cancer. During this difficult time of my life (4 physically and mentally difficult surgeries, 16 chemotherapy treatments, participation in a research of biological medicine for a whole year) the world of balloons gave me the strength to cope, to win, to keep smiling, to keep dreaming and to march forward.

Keren and her love of balloons sees her through the treatment in hospital

Even though the business has been hit in recent years due to my illness I had, I was able to lift it back up.

This is what I do today, smiling, happy, choosing what I love most to do in my business. I have chosen to evolve and grow again at my own pace, experimenting in different directions in the art of balloons.

My biggest personal challenge I have faced since starting the business was in 2018, when I had to bring back and lead lead the business to success and re-prosperity.
The determination and desire to not give up the business despite the experience I went through made me win and succeed in reaching this goal.

In the last two years, I have led several big balloon projects while collaborating with the best balloon artists from Israel, some of whom have become like family to me.

It is important to realize that balloon collaborations are a very important part of the personal success of each balloon artist individually and of course together. The secret is to be able to choose with whom to collaborate that will complete you.

 

My Covid-19 challenge - As with everywhere in the world, my business was hit and many events were canceled due to Covid-19. It only took me 10 days to realize that I must change direction and adapt the business to the existing situation which no one knows when and how it will end.
I realized that balloon deliveries are a service that will go best during this period.

 

Custom "Stay Home" balloon by Keren Fridman Braha

People are afraid to leave, or people who can not leave their homes, big celebrations and even small ones that have been canceled. All of these situations  necessitate finding another creative solution.

"Happy Birthday" balloon delivery design by Keren Fridman Braha

I decided to invent my own design line for balloon deliveries. Balloon deliveries that will be unique to my business with a personal touch in each design.
The transition from a business that provides invested designs for large events, to a business that provides invested designs for small events has been challenging.

You need to adapt the business to a situation where the whole market is facing it and know how to make immediate changes.
Some of the changes my business went through included:

- Marketing and advertising every day.
- The target audience of the business is changing and becoming mostly private individuals near my place of residence.
- Quick and good response to every customer who contacted all media, (even when sometimes the children are at home because there is a closure).
- Getting organized in front of a new schedule of preparing each design. Know how to produce in minimum time, maximum result.
- The desire to invent new designs in order to create a wide and varied catalog of balloon deliveries.
- Our personal transportation to the entire customer's home.
- Understand that in order to earn a lot during this period, you need to create a lot of small designs instead of a few large designs.  Try to run the business similar to a delivery store and not as an event designer business (something I have not experienced before)
- Create new quality designs that will make the customer want to order again. Designs that will last a long time and without helium.
- The ability to adjust each design according to the customer's request and add a personal dedication to each design.
- And the final and most important change of all - do not give in to lowering the prices of all the competitors around you. Know how to value yourself and believe that the changes are for the better. Customers will be paid for those who value themselves.

"Happy Birthday" balloon delivery design by Keren Fridman Braha

 All of the changes my business has gone through in the last six months have allowed the business to hold steady.

On the contrary, I have had great success selling ​​over 160 new designs in 5 months!
In addition to all the balloon deliveries, the nature of the events has completely changed. Also in Israel, little-by-little, small scale private events and business events are starting to take place. I call them boutique events of only a few dozen people. At these events, my clients, who want to celebrate, pay for an invested, creative and quality design. I love these boutique events. They have a personal charm that will last forever.

 Balloon delivery design by Keren Fridman Braha

My tip to any balloon artist is to know how to adapt himself and his business to the challenging period we all experience together in a creative and appropriate way for the environment in which he lives.
The art of balloons is an integral part of our DNA.

My advice to someone new to the balloon industry would be go after your dream and make it come true. Constantly learn new techniques, experiment, understand and learn what their strengths are in the field of balloons and turning it into an advantage in your business.

Wedding Bouquet made from balloons by 

 Keren Fridman Braha

For someone to be successful in the balloon industry they will need - Talent, determination, perseverance, creativity, patience, spatial vision and high planning ability and ability to cope with changes.

What is your favourite ever design that you have made? 

It is very difficult to decide on one preferred design, there are several:
- The dress I made in the Millennium Jam competition in 2008, which consisted of 3000 uninflated balloons.
- Design, planning and execution of the circus project in collaboration with 12 balloon artists who came to volunteer with me for children with cancer.

Circus Theme Decor by Keren Fridman Braha

Circus Theme Decor by Keren Fridman Braha

- Huge colored wall

Coloured Balloon Wall by Keren Fridman Braha

- Large space wall

Space Wall by Keren Fridman Braha

Space Wall by Keren Fridman Braha

- Huge bride and groom figures in the twisting technique.

Bride & Groom by Keren Fridman Braha

- Creation of a life-size tractor with entry to small details.
- Huge organic design within different spaces of a hotel that is all an ancient and beautifully restored stone structure.
- Big entry arch with pencils design for “back to school” theme

Back to School theme Arch by Keren Fridman Braha

My favourite Qualatex balloon is the Qualatex Chrome balloon.
Balloons in these colors changed the perception towards the word “balloon” in general.

Gold Chrome Butterfly by Keren Fridman Braha

They have made the world of event design more prestigious, elegant and special, and suitable for all types of events and not just children's events.
Thanks to these colors, lots of customers add balloons to their events because it just looks like a real piece of jewelry that transmits a huge "wow"

Elegant Chrome Balloon Decor by Keren Fridman Braha

 

Keren Fridman Braha, CBA.

Nofit, ISRAEL

https://www.facebook.com/balloonskeren/

https://www.facebook.com/balloonskss

https://www.instagram.com/balloons_art_

A huge thank you to Keren for sharing her incredible story. Through all the adversity in her ballooning career, Keren has always found the strength and determination to continue her journey and to grow her business, even during this COVID pandemic! 

Happy Ballooning and I hope that you are also able to ride the storms during these difficult times! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me on Instagram @suebowler