How Tope Abulude designed the 'Very Best Balloon Show on Earth' Costume Party!

I would like to start this blog by declaring that I am totally in awe and full of respect for all those who design and create amazing large sculptures and large scale decor for parties! The amount of pre-planning and work involved is incredible and should never be underestimated!

Many months ago, Qualatex threw down the gauntlet and sent out a Worldwide Challenge to balloon artists offering them the opportunity to create the party decor that "only dreams are made of," where the balloons are unlimited and you have a full staff to bring it all to life!

What an amazing opportunity, but how does someone even start to plan for a party such as this?

Tope with Norma Roberts

10 years ago there was a young man from London, England called Tope Abulude, CBA of Balloon Inspirations, who did just that, and back then, he created the Medieval themed Thursday night costume Party at IBAC (International Balloon Arts Convention.)  I remember It well as I also worked on this party creating King & Queen "Dance floor Darlings."

Once again Tope rose to the challenge and was declared the winning designer to create this year Thursday night costume party at the World Balloon Convention 2012 -

'The Very Best Balloon Show on Earth'!

How do start the designing process for a party such as this Tope?

"The design process is usually the more interesting aspect for me...I approach room design (regardless of how big it is) like it's a big centrepiece design. Then I will treat each component like they are centrepieces in their own rights. It's always back to design basics for me. The elements and principles of design are my anchor, so using space, colour, line, form etc. and how these come together in unity, harmony, rhythm, proportion to each other to define the final whole of whatever project I work on. I think taking the time to understand these fundamentals of design, and the application is what makes the difference between a decorator and a designer in any art form.Once I had submitted my drawings, I decided I was going to enjoy the journey/process this time around".

Tope was asked to submit sketches to depict decor for the following areas of the party.

Detailed sketches of specific decor elements fitting the circus theme for each of these areas: 

1.        Entrance/foyer 

2.        Stage/backdrop, including sides of stage and video screens 

3.        Ceiling treatments (ceiling height: 17 feet) 

4.        Room perimeter/focal point decor 

5.        Table arrangements for buffets/centerpieces 

6.        Special effects 

7.        Photo backdrops 

Here are a few of Tope's original sketches!

How did this party differ from the one that you did 10 years ago?

"I overworked myself during the preparation and I couldn't enjoy the party 10 years ago, ( I didn't even bring my own costume to Chicago.) This time I paced myself better and I was more organised.

I focused on my strengths and I chose to delegate a lot more than I did 10 years ago.
I arrived in Dallas early to start work on the Monday. I took breaks when I needed, and I had a fantastic team around me and a good project manager."

Tope selected the Polka Dots & Dots Bubble (15608) to create his colour palette for the party!

Here are a few photographs from the early stages of prep...

Tope's amazing team at work!

more Monkey's! 

Tope's awesome team!

The Party!

It's great to see that so many people dressed up! It really does create the best party atmosphere...

I asked some of the newly qualified CBA delegates from the World Balloon Convention to tell me some of their WBC highlights, as you can see the party featured very highly!

"The costume party. The decor by Tope was fun and rich and it was great to see everyone parting and just having a good time"!   -  Malachi Robinson CBA

"The Gala and Circus decorating was amazing"! -  Tracy Hawes CBA

"The WOW Factor of all the Decor, I have only seen in magazines and online - it was so much more impressive and the techniques were easier to comprehend". - Amanda Pierce CBA

"Circus theme party and Gala dinner where everyone dressed up for the occasion"! - Annabelle Claire Tan CBA

"Helping to build the decor for the special events". - Elaine Holmes CBA

"Blown away by the Circus theme, absolutely fantastic"! - John Brew CBA

The awesome Clown entrance arches!!!

The 'Big Top' and Clown Head...

'Circus' Stage Wall

Looking across the room

Room decor with the stage 'Circus' wall and some very cool lighting!

Fantastic costumes!

Guess who... this IS Ted & Betty Vlamis... looking great!

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Tope Abulude and his amazing team, the decor and party was truly awesome. I would also like to thank Tope for sharing such great information, his early plans & details on how he worked to create yet another truly memorable event!

Tope Abulude CBA,  Balloon Inspirations, London, UK

Tope has asked me to to add his own personal thanks to the following people: 

"I would like to thank contributing artists Cam Woody, Keith Stirman, Dom Cassidy, Connie Iden-Mounds, Dmitriy Tishenko, Andrey Osokin and David Debustos,  the WBC staff and Volunteers (too long a list to name) and it was a pleasure to work with Nick Otis (and his team) and LaDonna Belcher".

Before I started to write this blog, I truly wondered how you would even begin to start planning for an event on this scale? I would also have said that my own personal creativity comes in 'small, easy to handle packages', any bigger and I feel totally out of my comfort zone! However, I really liked how Tope says that he treats all his jobs like a big centrepiece design and builds each component of the decor in a similar way... wow, that really makes sense...hmm, maybe I could one day design decor on a large scale?

Well, I am off to 'BACI'-  Balloon Arts Convention Italy, where I will be making a large sculpture with 'Team Bowler'! I am hoping that they will have 'livecam' during the sculpture build again this year (Friday 20th April & Saturday 21st April), if they have, I'll make sure that I post it on the Qualatex Facebook Group page!

See you soon with some great new blogs!

Happy ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com

The power of saying thank you!

How often do we remember to say, thank you?

• A thank you to a member of your staff for doing a great job!

• Thank you to a referral source.

• Thank you to customers.  

• Thank you to a fellow balloon artist who shares a design, techniques or photograph on a socail media group?

Those two “magic words” can say a lot about you and your business!  

Let's begin with staff. Think back, the times when you were an employee that you felt under-appreciated? 

Never underestimate the value of saying "thank you", it goes a huge way towards employee motivation and job satisfaction. Just make sure that you are consistent and fair with your rewards, recognition, and praise, or it may have a de-motivating effect on your staff. 

Don't forget to pass on customer gratitude, let the whole team know when a customer sends in a thank you note or express's their gratitude to you of a job well done.




Do you work with hotels and venues on a referral system? I know that when I ran my balloon decorating business, I was regularly given referrals for wedding work at a local venue. We should never get complacent, their recommendation is worth so much to our businesses. So, I recommend, that whenever a referral source sends you a client or a potential job, send them a thank-you note.

What will the result be? At the very least, the referral source will be impressed. You will stand out from the other businesses whose manners are not as nice as yours. You may even get a thank you for your thank you. And, you will be remembered, so the next time the referral source needs to make a recommendation, he or she will think of you!

Whilst we are talking about thank you notes, timing is of the essence if left too long they can lose all the impact and meaning, and do not forget that there is nothing quite like good old-fashioned pen and paper, so easy to send and yet so powerful!

Now let's look at thanking our customers, we can do this every day! If we have an online business, we can thank our customers for their orders and if we have a shop or store, thank them for shopping with us today! We may even want to extend our thanks a little further. For example, if we decorate a wedding you may want to leave a small gift such as a 'fantasy flower' using the wedding balloons to make the flower or a small 4" Microfoil Heart beautifully gift wrapped, with a little hand-written note congratulating the newly married couple and thanking them for choosing your balloon company to decorate their very special day! Don't forget that one of your best referral sources are your customers... the power of word of mouth recommendations are huge!

Gift wrapped 4" Hearts

We have the perfect product to say thank you with. Balloons are memorable, and will always make people smile! Maybe your local paper has written a great feature on you, or you did a great corporate job and you want to say thank you!

How about sending a 'Smile in a Box', what better way to be remembered and to say thank you!

"Smile in a Box"

How about this fun way to send a thank you note! I recemtly found a great App called Touchnote. It is a UK based application, but I expect that there are other applications worldwide that would work for you. Simply take a photograph of the event that you have just decorated and send that picture as a postcard to your client with a thank you note from you on the postcard! 

And finally, saying thank you to those around us who help us every day. How often do we see requests especially on social media sites for help? Help with idea's and inspiration, pictures and much more. It is so very important that we remember to thank those who have taken the time and trouble to help us. I must admit, I think that the Qualatex Facebook Group is a great community of sharers, with some truly inspirational designs being shown to help others, along with tips and hints and personal experiences too! 

And let us not forget our families and friends who support us greatly each and every day!

So, let's try and use those two amazing words more often, you will be surprised at how effective they are in so many ways! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue 

www.suebowler.com
#suebowler

CBA @ the WBC!

Taking your CBA final assessment is a big step for many people. So how about taking it at the World Balloon Convention... that is exactly what 50 delegates from all over the World elected to do!

The day started very early with a hive of activity to prepare the room for the impending assessments. Candidates started to arrive bright and early... loaded up with 'goodies' in preparation to create their own personal centerpiece and expression bouquet designs.

After a short introduction and a briefing as to how the 4 hour assessment process would run from Chelsea Gaspard CBA, Pioneer Balloon Companies, Marketing Communications Director, it was finally time to start...

So what's involved in taking this final assessment?

Each candidate is required to complete the following:

1. One social expression bouquet of your own design.

The CBA room  FULL of balloons! 

2. One bouquet duplicated from a photo (materials provided).

3. One table centerpiece of your own design.

Here are some of the designs that were created on the day, unfortunately I do not know who made them... if you know, please tell me so that I may credit them - sue@suebowler.com

Kristen Mettlen CBA

'Ladybug Illusion' - Donna Hudson CBA

4. One Balloon Flower duplicated from a photo (materials provided). Instructions for the Balloon Flower can be found at “Instruction Sheets” on Qualatex.com or in the “QBN Balloon Deliveries & Bouquets” Kit.

5. A 5', air-filled, 5-balloon cluster Garland, using 11" balloons inflated to 10"-11" (materials provided).

6. A temporary knot and a permanent knot per the QBN curriculum (rope provided). 

7. Answer six questions from the curriculum and either demonstrate a mock balloon delivery sales phone call

or make a mock balloon delivery presentation during an assigned, 15-minute panel interview.

After 4 incredibly quick hours (how is it that time can just fly by) ... time was up and we had a room filled with some truly amazing designs and we started the judging process.

I would like to congratulate everyone listed below who passed their CBA exam on Wednesday 21st March 2012. You will never forget this day, and you should not forget this day, be happy and be proud, and know that all those who have taken their CBA exam in the past totally understand exactly how you felt both before and after those 4 hours! And of course, welcome to the 'CBA' family!

Manal Alzayani CBA, BLOOM - FANTASY, Bahrain

Tammy Bessette CBA, Party Town, Rhode Island, USA

Mary Bragg CBA, BeYond Balloons, Oklahoma, USA

John Brew CBA, We Like To Party!, Australia

Angela Cabrera CBA, Fiesta & Bridal Shop, Massachusetts, USA

Marco Antonio Cardenas Rodriguez CBA, Globos y Figuras, Mexico

Moraima Carrasquillo CBA, Gemelas Precious Balloons, Puerto Rico,USA

Lydia Cartagena CBA, Balloons For You Corporation, Puerto Rico

Nora Cisty CBA, Ideas con Globos, Argentina

Anthony Cook CBA, Anthony's Balloons, Illinois, USA

Tampilipe Corbelin CBA, Tampilipe, Switzerland

Angeles de Mendoza CBA, Globos y Sonrisas, Mexico

Normalinda Garza CBA, The Soiree Concierge,Texas, USA

Rosa Garza CBA, TULIOOS, Mexico

Rosa Gaytan CBA, RIE, Mexico

Tracy Hawes CBA, Balloon Empire & Floral Designs, Manitoba, Canada

Elaine D.Holmes CBA, Elegance in the Air & More, Georgia, USA

Donna Hudson CBA, One Stop Costume & Party Shoppe, Missouri, USA

Glenda Ellington CBA, Lufkin, Texas, USA

Jessica Jackson CBA, Arte Globos Producciones, Venezuela

Mary James CBA, The Balloonery, New York,USA

Silvia Klock CBA, Klock Balloons, Washington, USA

Janice Martin CBA, Party Town, Rhode Island, USA

Christina Martinez-Hatfield CBA, Party On Bounce Off, Texas, USA

Taulbee McJunkin CBA, Arizona's Balloon Artist, Arizona, USA

Kristen Mettlen CBA, Jubilee Event Decor and Balloon Creations, Colorado, USA

Edward Antonio Munoz Sojo CBA, El Genio de los Globos, Caracas, Venezuela

Brandon Nowell CBA, An Occasion Station, Inc. Texas USA

Juan Paniagua CBA, GlobalPak, Costa Rica

Marlys Parra CBA

Amanda Pierce CBA, Custom Baskets & Balloons, Florida, USA

Maria Pinto CBA, Cocoglobo Balloons, British Columbia, Canada

Danielle Popovich CBA, POPO's Parties, USA

Jose Quiles CBA, JL Party Design, Puerto Rico

Luanne Richards CBA, Mickey's Balloons, New York, USA

Scott Richards CBA, Mickeys Balloons, New York, USA

Xiomara Rios CBA, Fashion Balloons , Puerto Rico

Malachi Robinson CBA, Bunch of Balloons, New York, USA

Kathryn Seguin CBA, Balloonatiks, Texas USA

Bernadette Sneyers CBA, Antwerpen, Belgium 

Shanta Speller CBA, Bunch of Balloons, Jackson Heights, New York USA

Annabelle Tan CBA, One-stop No.1 Entertainment,Singapore

Islaine Tanahashi CBA, Joy Company, Japan

Calvin Teo CBA, One-Stop No.1 Entertainment Singapore

Limary Traverzo CBA, JL Party Design, Puerto Rico

Amy Veltman CBA, It's My Party, Indiana, USA

Teresa Ward CBA, Meadowview Gardens, Missouri USA

Linda William CBA, Linda's Balloon Twisting, North Carolina, USA


Does everyone always pass? Sadly no, there are many reason's why someone my not achieve a score of 80% or more on the day. I try and relate this to a driving test, sometimes you can pass on your first attempt and for others it may take another go, and having done it once the second time seems so much easier!

For anyone who is not sure what a CBA is....

What is a Certified Balloon Artist (CBA)?

CBAs are people who work for a Qualatex Balloon Network (QBN) Business Member and have successfully completed the program's online tests, as well as the CBA Practical Examination to demonstrate their knowledge of the QBN curriculum and ability to produce quality balloon work.

Technically, a CBA is a balloon professional who has:

• Taken and passed (with a score of 80% or above) all of the QBN tests.
• Taken and passed (with a score of 80% or above) the CBA Practical Exam—a timed, 4-hour, hands-on exam designed to confirm knowledge of the QBN curriculum.

Professionals who earn the CBA designation have chosen to grow their businesses through networking with other balloon professionals, continuing their education, giving and receiving referrals, and taking advantage of the marketing support available to CBAs.

There are currently more than 2,500 Certified Balloon Artist professionals worldwide.

A finally a huge thank you and congratulations to Rebecca Tjarks who coordinated the whole CBA process!

If you would like to learn more about this program, please click here

If you are in the process of preparing to take your CBA final assessment, don't forget to check out one of my earlier blogs:

A few tips for those who are ready to take the CBA Practical Exam... I promise there is nothing to be nervous about!

See you soon!
Sue
www.suebowler.com

World Balloon Convention Day 1 - the build up to a great event!

Wow, what an incredible week we have just had! Delegates arrived from 47 countries around the World and joined us at the Sheraton Hotel, Dallas, with only a few delays caused by a pretty big Texas storm early on in the week! The hotel shook with thunder and the skies lit up with lightening... and then the sun came and stayed with us for the rest of the week!

There are many photographs from the World Balloon Convention,  so I thought that I would document WBC from a slightly different perspective. This is the first of my WBC blogs.

Day 1, Monday 19th March 2012 and the start of the Signature Sculpture, designed  by Azusa Ieizumi, CBA, Japan.

Azusa Signature Sculpture - her vision!

Here are a few photographs of the elements being created for Azusa's sculpture, try and relate them back to the original picture...

The Frogs with Akane

John, Luc & Ines make the sky... looks to me like they are having way too much fun!

Keith & Dom make the trees

Azusa making the bears

Robbie making the fish... yes he is using 321Q's!

Lisa making the mushrooms

Lollypop! Made by me

Other Lollypop tree's, frames made by Brenda Fink and balloons by Dom  & Keith

After 2 days of much balloon inflating and many volunteer helpers, Azusa's Signature Sculpture is ready to greet everyone!

Congratulations to Azusa and all those who helped to create the 'World of Wonder', Signature Sculpture.

Watch out for my next WBC blog tomorrow :)

Sue