Wedding Fairs for Event Decorators... the preparation!

Preparation - where do I start?

Last weekend I exhibited at my first Wedding Fair for more than 10 years! Wow, what a quick and huge learning curve it was, as I only decided at the last minute to do the fair, so where do I start? I only had 2 weeks to get everything ready!


Although I am a competent balloon artist and wedding decor designer, being prepared for a wedding fair is another matter!

I started by asking some very good friends of mine who run a very successful balloon business for some advise...


“You need some literature to hand out”
"Literature... like a brochure type literature, with pictures, prices and all that”? I replied
"Yes, Brides need something to take away to look at once they leave, to show their future husbands and families, a reminder of you and your services”!


Of course, they were right, I would need to have something they could take away with them and thinking back to the blog I wrote recently about business cards (Benefits of Business Cards as a  Marketing Tool- August 2011) I knew that it would need to look professional and truly reflect my business and services.

I am very lucky, I have many great quality photographs of wedding designs that I have created over the years, so finding good pictures was not difficult for me, but I know that many balloon artists struggle to get great pictures, here are a few suggestions:

Downloaded picture from the QBN Resource Center

If you are a QBN member (and if you are not a QBN member... why not, join today)! There is such a great resource area as well as many other fantastic benefits!

On the left hand side of the Qualatex home page there is a side menu with purple writing, under Qualatex Balloon Network, there is a sub-heading, QBN Resource Center, click here, once inside,  click on Marketing Resources. You’ll now need your QBN number and password to go any further. You will now see QBN Marketing Resources Search, if it’s specifically Wedding resources you are looking for then under Theme, select Wedding, but if you have never visited before leave all the options at ALL and see whats available, you’ll be amazed at how much great stuff is there! You are allowed to freely download and use these images!

Downloaded picture from Bouquet Ideas -Everyday

Another great suggestion is again on the Homepage side menu, click on Bouquet Ideas - Everyday, then click on Love, again you’ll see some great bouquets that you can freely download and use for your marketing.


There are other resource options such as attending good quality balloon courses that not only offer a days training but portfolio quality photograph images of the designs being taught, such as the Qualatex Complete Wedding 1 and Complete Wedding 2.

Complete Wedding Series 1

Complete Wedding Series 2

Please do not be tempted to ‘borrow or copy’ pictures from other balloon artists websites, or Facebook pages, there are copyright laws and you would be breaking them, so only use pictures that you have permission to use, such as those on the Qualatex website or are given as part of a course... and make sure you have the ability to recreate to the same high standard any of the designs that you use :)



With  a good range of wedding pictures, I was now ready to design my brochure.
Now, came my next hurdle, my computer abilities are limited and designing a printable brochure is a little outside of my league... again I asked my wonderful friends to help me and together we created a simple but effective brochure, just an A4 folded leaflet (A4 is slightly larger than US Letter) this would give me an A5 (half of A4) 4 page leaflet/brochure, perfect size to give away, with enough space to give all the relevant information.
You might need to pay to have yours set up in the correct format by the printer, but as long as you have a good idea of how you want your brochure to look and all the information and pictures that you want printed ready then the cost should be minimal, most printers offer this service, but it will cost you, it may pay to get quotes from different printers?

There is another fantastic option if you are unable to put your own brochure together in time, once again as a QBN member you can download from the same resource area this Magical & Memorable  flier, perfect to show brides how elegant, romantic and magical balloons can be for weddings.

I decided to keep my brochure simple, a good selection of photographs, a little information about me and my abilities and a sample guide price list, just to give an idea of my pricing structure and of course all my contact details along with my website!

I have to admit, I was so excited when they arrived, it was a momentous moment opening the box!

Sue's brochure centrefold

Sue's brochure front and back cover

With my brochure ready, I now needed to get everything else prepared for my big day...

Wedding Fairs - I am no expert but here are a few tips!

I recently exhibited at my first Wedding Fair in over 10 years! Before I tell you how I prepared myself and how the day went, I want to give a short insight into the pro's and con's of wedding fairs and how to choose the correct wedding fair for you.

Wedding arrangement with Fantasy Flowers, Hearts and Bubbles

Firstly, why exhibit at a Wedding Fair? The obvious answer is of course to take bookings for weddings!

Maybe it is not as simple as that, I know the reason I wanted to do a wedding fair after so many years was to re-establish myself as an event decorator within my area, one that would be noticed not only by the brides visiting the fair but also by the other exhibitors and the venue itself!

Other Exhibitors

This would give me the perfect opportunity to network with fellow bridal business's such as photographers, cake makers and bridal wear companies and build relationships with them, which could be great for referrals and other potential leads, and not necessarily for weddings!

 Missenden Abbey - photograph by Mark Sisley

The Venue

I was also very keen for the local venue to see my work, the venue is beautiful (see above) and very popular as a wedding venue. It was very rewarding to hear the hotel wedding coordinator say that they had never seen such beautiful balloon decor, however, they also said that they were not very keen to have balloons in their venue due to a highly sensitive ceiling alarm system and previous bad experiences with balloons being released and causing the alarm to go off! I told them that I total understood and informed them I can create beautiful event decor that is totally air-filled and that the decor that I had created for my stand was in fact 90% air-filled decor... this again was information well received by the venue and I hope that this will make my company stand out over others who may not offer the same reassurances and solutions to potential problems.

Bride created by Sue Bowler cba

 

The Brides

Brides visit wedding fairs for inspiration, information and to make a few key bookings. What better way to meet brides face to face and showcase your work!

Your personality will go a long way to securing business at a wedding fair. Are you bubbly and outgoing? Do you find it easy to start a conversation with a stranger? Are you confident enough to really sell your business, without being pushy? (Or do you have a friend who would come with you and help out with that side of things?!)

For a lot of wedding businesses, personality is a key selling point. If brides like you, you'll get their business. It's simple when you look at it that way! 

Which Wedding Fairs should you choose to exhibit at?

There's a massive difference between a local wedding fair in a hotel and a national wedding exhibition.

The first major difference is the cost of exhibiting. Local wedding fairs are less expensive, they can vary in price depending on the venue and location but are generally in the hundreds rather than the thousands of pounds or dollars unlike a major regional exhibition that really can cost that much!  Major exhibitions have booths of different sizes, and will charge per square foot for your stand space.

Wedding Centerpiece- design created by Sue Bowler cba

Personally, I cannot see the benefit of exhibiting at one of the major regional shows. Brides travel from far and wide to visit these events which means that many of the wedding locations will be too far for you to travel to, I know that I will only want to take bookings within a defined region, this can be determined by miles or travel time, I suggest taking a map and create a distance circle from your starting point, remember, you could get bookings on the same day at the furthest distant points, so be careful not to make your boundary too wide!

So my recommendation is to exhibit locally, it is less expensive and you will get many more bookings from local fairs, maybe selected 2 or 3 venue based wedding fairs within your defined area, this way you will really establish yourself within the area you wish to work in.

You may also find that the venue and or other exhibitors may well want you to decorate their stand or the venue, this could offset some of your costs!

Choose your wedding fairs carefully, ask lots of questions, find out who else will be exhibiting, check to see how many of any of one business type is exhibiting, too many and your opportunities to generate business reduces! Make sure that the venue holding the wedding fair is balloon friendly, they may have restrictions due to alarms, such as the venue that I exhibited at, but as long as you know you can be prepared and design your decor accordingly.

Find out how the fairs will be advertised, to ensure a good attendance the fairs need to be well promoted and advertised.

Do as much research as possible to ensure you are booking the right wedding fair for you.

I would often recommend attending a wedding fair before exhibiting at them, but if like me you are keen to get going then you may just have to speculate to accumulate!

Once you have made the decision to exhibit you need to prepare yourself to maximise your opportunities.

To find out more about my wedding fair experience watch out for my next blog where I will give you tips & hints on how to prepare yourself for a wedding fair.

I love the 4" Hearts displayed in a vase, they make great favors, gifts and show off the pastel pearl range beautifully!

Guest Blogger 'MAD' David Taylor shares his 'recession proof' concepts!

I am very pleased to welcome David Taylor of MAD Balloons, Sydney, Australia as a guest blogger on The Very Best Balloon Blog!


David has just been announced as one of the World Balloon Convention Instructors for 2012, he made his debut international appearance at WBC 2010, were his classes were extremely well received, sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience.

His classes will include: Decor With REALLY BIG Balloons & Fantastic Foil Mix-Up!

For more information regarding the World Balloon Convention click here 

It's September already, what should be we preparing for in the balloon world!

I have just changed  The Very Best Balloon Store window display, I hope that you like it?

Seriously, changing your windows on a regular basis is very important. If there is no up and coming season, such as Halloween, Christmas or Valentines for example, then use this time to show other products and services that you sell.

But with Halloween firmly on the horizon it's time to get those window's refreshed and full of Qualatex Halloween balloons!

Have you seen all the great balloons available for Halloween and Autumn? Have you seen the Qualatex Autumn Collection 2011?
Did you know that you can download these supplement's straight from the Qualatex website? You can use the link above that will take you directly to the right page... but wait a minute, finish reading the blog first!



Have you been checking out the Qualatex Business Booster section, this area is loaded with Bouquet & Decor idea's, along with Sales Tips and an exclusive QBN Members area, there are some very cool idea's for Halloween!

Anyway,  I would like to share one of my window display experiences with you.

Some time ago my sister who owned a florist store asked me to create a window display using balloons, it was during period when there were no specific season any time soon and she wanted to me to create something very different from their usual floral style displays.

I decided to create a themed display using only the Qualatex Smile Face balloons. I used every Smile Face balloon that Qualatex made... Today there are many more versions available and in so many great colours too!
I made a number of different design ideas that filled her windows, from the 5" Smile Face Latex to the 3' giants, it looked amazing, and from the outside every passer-by was greeted with the 'brightest, smiliest fun-filled display'.

Working with one theme or color can create a very strong impact compared to using many different themes.

My story has a great ending! Within 1 day of the Smile Face display being in the window, a customer asked to buy the whole window display, every last balloon that I had used! They had a christening that weekend and they thought that the balloons would be perfect... giving my sisters store a sale (a good one too) that she would never have had!

Window displays are so very important, they are your SILENT SALES Team that never stop working, so make the very best of them!

Do you have any success stories to share from your window displays?

 If you do please send them to sue@suebowler.com and I'll try to feature them, if you have any pictures, that would be great too... but please keep it all Qualatex :)

'Green' Balloons...

I have just had the pleasure of working as part of the Green Balloon Campaign team, at the first of many (we hope) public Balloon Art Festivals.

This is the first time I have ever really spent time talking to the public about our industry. Their reactions and comments regarding the balloon sculptures were amazing, everyone from the very young to the not so very young absolutely loved them! I suppose that I should not be so surprised, but it was great hearing their comments!

Sue, Amber & Claire talking to families about the Green Balloon Campaign

"Wow"... "I did not realise that you could make such fantastic things from balloons"? "are they really balloons"? are just a few of many questions we were asked. Comments such as "this is such a beautiful art form", "I have never seen anything like it" and "you really would not know that they were balloons"!

Dolphin sculpture created by Jodie Norris

But what truly amazed me more than anything was that most people that we spoke to did not realise that latex balloons are 100% biodegradable.




Here are a few facts that we shared with the visitors: 

• Qualatex latex balloons are made from 100% natural latex- not plastic. Qualatex latex balloons are biodegradable, and decompose as fast as an oak leaf. 
• Latex balloons come from rubber trees. Latex is collected by cutting the tree's bark, then catching the latex in a cup. Latex harvesting does not hurt the tree!
• Latex balloons are Earth-friendly! Rubber tree's grow in rain forests. Latex harvesting discourages deforestation because latex-producing trees are left intact. A tree can produce latex for up to 40 years!

This for me, is was what made the weekend so rewarding, the opportunity to be able to inform the public the true facts about latex balloons. We talked to both children and adults, school teachers, artists, people from all walks of life. Some shared their concerns regarding the environment, so we informed them of the

BAPIA Code of Practice, the Balloon Council and the Californian Law,  all of which demonstrated  that as a profession and an industry we take environmental issues very seriously!

Picture by Huw Evans Picture Agency- Cardiff

The Red Dragon Centre with their publicity team gave the event such great media coverage, including radio, local and national newspapers. In excess of 40,000 people visited the centre over the festival weekend!

So how did our campaign start?

Bob Armstrong CBA with Bob's daughter Claire Cummings of Dr Bob's Balloons have been the driving force behind the launch of this project. Bob and Claire started the campaign 6 months ago, when they started visiting local schools, giving a fun but clear presentation to the children on how balloons are made, how latex is tapped from rubber tree's and many other important facts including how latex balloons are environmentally friendly. These school visits have been very well received by the schools and pupils alike and it was felt that it was a good time to expand and grow the campaign by creating a public event. Bob and Claire contacted John Bowler at BAPIA (the Balloon and Party Industry Alliance), and they joined forces to take the campaign forward.

                              www.bapiaonline.com

Working for the Balloon & Party Industry

This is only the start, it was a fantastic way to start the campaign and has tied in very well with the IBA, International Balloon Month

 

For more pictures visit www.thegreenballoon campaign.com   

 

Thriving in the Balloon Industry by Guest Blogger Megan Dominguez, Pioneer Balloon Company

Every small business could use a lift in this down economy. But, how do you get your business to thrive and not just survive? 

The Qualatex Event 2011

Professional training and continued education have become an essential component of successful small businesses. “In the balloon industry, we know for sure that the most successful businesses we work with are the ones that continue to invest in education,” says Michelle Comerford, European sales manager of Pioneer® Europe Limited.

One great option for those in the balloon industry looking for quality education and professional training is the upcoming Qualatex Event in England. The event will take place 3-5 Nov, 2011 in Heythrop Park, near Oxford England. It is the first major balloon education event in Europe since 2005. The Qualatex Event-England is designed to provide beneficial, business-building information and design ideas. 

Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, England

“I make every effort to attend all Qualatex events and courses,” Corinne Elliot, CBA, of Deeside Balloons Ltd. in Shotton, United Kingdom said. “The enthusiasm and energy of the instructors inspires me time and time again and gives me the knowledge to grow my business.” 

The Qualatex Event Instructors

The courses will be taught by top instructors who understand the balloon industry and retail market, and have the experience to help participants grow their business. Delegates will have the opportunity to attend more than 50 different courses designed for a variety of skill levels and interests ranging from the fundamentals of balloon decor to advanced techniques. Select courses will also be offered in Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, and French.

“Training is so much more than demonstrating how to make great designs with balloons. We believe that it is important to focus on promoting best business practices as customers are frequently looking for advice on how to price and sell work,” Michelle said. 

Nick Mayhew

 Delegates will also have the opportunity to attend a business-focused session with keynote speaker, Nick Mayhew, senior partner for the accountancy firm Price Bailey. Nick heads up the Management Consultancy Division of the firm, and spends his working time advising small and medium size businesses on a wide range of subjects from writing a business plan to formulating an exit plan and everything in between.  He will help delegates think about their own business, and give them the know-how and confidence to build a brighter future.

The slowed economy has challenged many companies in the balloon industry to work with smaller staffs, leaving little to no time to create new designs. It is very difficult to grow a business and capture repeat customers without changing design offerings. “We understand that it can be difficult running a business and constantly having to juggle a variety of problems, so it is important that we make it as easy as possible,” Michelle said.

Delegates at The Qualatex Event-England will learn four to five new designs in each class, giving them the opportunity to leave the event with at least 20 new design ideas they can use right away. The courses will not only teach participants new designs, but give them hands-on opportunities to create what they’ve learned. In addition to increasing the number of designs they can create, delegates will be able to build-up their Idea Book with new pictures to show clients.

“I am always receptive to new and exciting balloon designs which in turn fuse new ideas to decorate our store thus offering our customers equally new and exciting ideas,” Corinne said. “The visual impact and knowledge I take back to my store is invaluable.”

Efficiency is crucial to running a small business, and The Qualatex Event-England offers a multitude of valuable business-building resources all in one place. The event is a great timesaving education and training opportunity for those in the balloon industry. If you would like more information on The Qualatex Event-England; including a full list of courses, instructors, and registration information, visit thequalatexevent.com.

Benefits of Business Cards as a Marketing Tool - Update

After publishing yesterdays blog 'Benefits of Business Cards as a Marketing Tool', I have received some great business cards and comments from you! There are some truly great suggestions and idea's.

I have learned so much about business cards in the past few days and how very important they are as a business marketing tool. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the contributors to this article.

David Taylor from New South Wales, Australia, says "Just wanted to add my two cents if that is OK.

1) also make sure that you have a decent quality, thick cardstock for your card. It is more expensive, but again, it adds to the professional image of your business.

2) like you I do not have any balloons on my business card. I have squares."

  

Aaron here from Singapore.

From you blog, I decides to share my name card with fellowmate ...

 

All namecard are design by myself as I want my name card to be out stand from other balloon decorator/twister/retailers...

I want a namecard that with just a simple glimpse it know what we are dealing...I them to see lots of things and know that we are in balloon business.

Colorful name card is one of the condition to capture my customers' attention...

Secondly, pictures shows a thousand words and it tell them what we are dealing.. well you get what I am saying after you see my name card...

In my name card I also states what services we are dealing so people get the idea and know who and what to look for when they going thru your name card..

name card stock is important too.. my name card is 300gsm and its think with offset printing compare to digital print and I make use all the space i have on the name card to

tell my client what I am selling...

Quality of namecard is important as it shows your status of your profession...

Aaron Chee

Creative Art Designer / Trainer

Qualatex - C.B.A

(Certified Balloon Artist)

Balloon Artist, Entertainer,

Matthew Lewis, Coventry, UK. has 2 company names offering specific services and has different business cards that clearly defines each business. This allows him to target specific markets and customers.

Hey Sue

I'm enjoying your blog -

Attached is my business card,  thought I would share -- my logo works great on my vehicles, T-shirts and banners too.

Readability is 'sooo' important...and when I go to conventions I'm 'sooo' surprised when people are still printing their own on the perforated cardstock....thanks for sharing the info you do on your blog!  That was one of the keys I hit on in Class at FLOAT last year, was letting people know when you go to Market and Network you want to have professional looking cards...

Joette Giardina, Certified Balloon Artist

Creating Memorable Celebrations http://www.partypeoplecelebrationco.com

Recent events http://www.partypeoplecc.blogspot.com 

Jolanda & Tibor - Party Bord, Netherlands,

Hi Sue,

Read you blog about presenting yourself to clients, a.o. with the

'right' business card.

Attached our business cards (of both Tibor and myself). This is a design of a few years back. As our business is not only

ballondecoration (also inflatables, bouncy castles, party goods etc.) We had to come up with a design that represents 'party', and when people think of 'party', they think about balloons and (in Holland)

flagbanners, right?

The orange flagbanners in our design are very recognizeable because of

their rigid shape. The diagonal flagbanners also 'protect' our website photo's against copying (of course clients compare prices. This way our logo is in the picture :) ).

At the bottom of the attached card is in text what we do: inflatables

- flagbanners - balloons - Helium - bouncy castles - light & sound.

We are planning to design new cards, just with balloons. Our business

is shifting towards balloon decoration (instead of inflatables, as

there are more and more rental companies rising). Also the balloon

business is where we can excel and specialize ourselves, plus: many

location managers and catering companies are not interested in

inflatables and other rental stuff.

Nina Dee's of 'Deesigns Balloon Creations' CA, USA says "Being also in graphics, I esp liked your comments on DIY business cards: a personal sore spot with me & the folks in this industry! So thanks.

Attached is a copy of my balloon business card that I am quite happy with. It relies on the marketing tenet that people like to do business with people they know, hence my photo. If they don't know me to start with, they will after looking at this a few times. And it shows a plethora of balloons which supplies plenty of color. I also use my signature font which brands all my marketing materials, and has plenty of white space so is comfortable to look at. It is printed on heavy weight gloss stock so feels substantial to the touch. 

Denisse Sanchez - Deco Inn, Puebla, shares her great business card... I love pink!

Thank you again everyone for your input, I am truly inspired by the diverse range of business cards shown here, I look forward to seeing some great business cards when I meet you at future events!

Happy Ballooning!

Sue 

www.sue Bowler.com