Spring Fair 2022 - Part 2

Spring Fair is an annual B2B (Business to Business) trade show in the UK, where many thousands of visitors attend to source and buy new products for their shops, stores and studio's. Each year I have the honour to designs and create the window displays for the Qualatex stand.

In Part 1, of this two part post, I walked through each of the window displays that I created, as well as the products and colours of balloons that I used. If you missed it - check it out HERE.

I would now like to take this opportunity to show you around the rest of the stand. 

There was a seasonal display on each of the corners, and I was asked to create the Autumn display with a wedding theme. I chose to make an organic display - see below.

I really enjoyed making this organic Column design with the gorgeous dried grasses and leaves arrangement as the focal point! The colour palette I created was a 'nude' tone theme, made from a selection of double-stuffed balloons. These are the latex balloons that I used.

Qualatex

Pearl White or White - with Mocha Brown inside

Pearl White or White - with Blush inside

Pearl White or White - with Chrome Gold inside

Pearl White or White - with Metallic Gold inside

Blush

Blush - with Mocha Brown inside

Metallic Gold - with Mocha Brown inside

Chrome Gold

Chrome Copper

These colours blended extremely with the grasses and dried leaves.

The next corner represents Summer and was created by Alberto Falcone, CBA. 

Albert created an organic garland that wrapped around the front of the stand.

Organic Garland created by Alberto Falcone, CBA.

For Spring, Alberto created a display that incorporated a Mother's Day theme. He created a beautiful vase working with 6" Navy QuickLink balloons, with 5" Pearl Pink and 260Q Chrome Gold. The vase was filled with the new 26" Pink Watercolour Rose Microfoiland the 18" Mother's Day Pink & Blue Rose Microfoil.

Mother's Day Vase and Flowers by Alberto Falcone

Here is a close-up of the fantastic lattice work that Alberto used to create the vase.

18" Mother's Day Pink & Blue Rose
#21547

26" Pink Watercolour Rose
#21577

The final corner was a display for winter, and Alberto once again created a work of art! 

He designed a stack of Christmas gift boxes (made from Qualatex Chrome balloons) to form an artistic tree! Each box had a beautiful Chrome Gold 260Q bow. He added Metallic Gold Stars in varying sizes as well as the wonderful Gnome balloon in both the 42" and 14" sizes.

Christmas Gift Tree display by Alberto Falcone.

We always want to ensure that everyone knows exactly where Qualatex is located in the hall (include those of us who work on the stand)! This year, Alberto created giant abstract Topiary arrangements that measured 3 meters wide made out of twelve 3ft Qualatex balloons that floated high above the stand. It created such a powerful statement! 

3m Topiary created by Alberto Falcone

One of the highlights of the Qualatex stand is always the Educations centre. This year Keith Stirman, CBA, Dominic Cassidy, CBA, Alberto Falcone and myself were on hand to show visitors new design ideas, balloon skills and techniques throughout the day.

Jacqui Young of Classic Balloon Decor, Glasgow, Scotland, commented:

"This year was strange as the party section was so small. It was however a relief to see the Pioneer stand with all of the window displays and new products. As always I enjoyed the demonstrations but it was a bit of a squeeze and it was on not a staged area with seats. I think that it is more of a COVID precaution but it was always good to sit and watch and take notes, not to mention giving your feet a rest 😜. 

It’s also a good opportunity to check in and say hello to Sue and John as well as Keith and Dom and Kerry.

Overall I go to Spring fair to keep up-to-date with the latest products and trends and to catch up with my balloon friends. I think it’s great to see you guys there to touch base and connect with the products. While online is great you can’t beat talking to real people and seeing everything in real life. It makes a huge difference. I’ve come back knowing what’s coming, and about new products. I’ve been energised on the way I can use the products. Unfortunately, for the companies who didn’t show I have nothing. Nothing to see. Nothing to talk about. Nothing to build on. Well done Qualatex!"

First time Spring Fair visitor Lynda Webb comments

 "This was my first visit to spring fair and I loved it, I spent most of the day on the Qualatex stand, and as we were only there for one day we missed so much of the show! Next time we will stay over and see a little bit more! 

I loved watching the live demonstrations and being able to ask questions. I got to meet and spend time with a lot of the Qualatex team. Julie Dunham, who was one of the teachers on my virtual fundamentals course, showed me around the entire stand and introduced me to others. Kerry Ferguson spent some time with us and explained how to avoid holes in bubbles when helium inflating. (This will be so valuable)! Debbie Magill showed us some of the new balloon designs for this year. Keith and Dom sat down and even gave me a recipe for an arch that I’ve seen on a few Qualatex videos! I’m super excited to give that a go! It was amazing to meet Alberto who also taught at my fundamentals, watching him create some amazing designs with the super stuffer! 

And of course the amazing Sue Bowler whose demonstrations and advice were brilliant ❤️ It was so good to get hands on and try the things demonstrated, particularly the 160Q sausage flowers! Everything was such good fun and we met many balloon friends some for the first time at the Qualatex stand.

The balloon topiary above the stand was perfect for finding your way back! Brilliant day 🎈🎈"

Lynda Webb of Bloon Away Boston in Lincolnshire, UK.

Here are a few more photographs showing some of the other displays from the show.

This QuickLink Arch made by Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy proved to be very popular, and the perfect design for celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. There will be many street parties and events across the UK and Commonwealth.

If you missed the show this year, you should note next year's show dates now to avoid missing it again! We always look forward to meeting up with both existing and new customer! 

The dates for the 2023 Spring Fair have now been announced:

5-8 February 2023 - NEC Birmingham, B40 1NT, UK

Sunday, 5 February | 9:00 - 18:00
Monday, 6 February | 9:00 - 18:00
Tuesday, 7 February | 9:00 - 18:00
Wednesday, 8 February | 9:00 - 16:00

And finally, if you would like a look around the stand with Keith & Dom, check out their videos below:

I hope that you have enjoyed your virtual look around the Qualatex Stand at the Spring Fair!

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow @suebowler

Spring Fair 2022 - Check out what we've been up to on the Qualatex Stand! Part 1.

So what is Spring Fair? Probably the best way to describe Spring Fair is that it is a B2B (business to business) trade show for the retail market.This show attracts thousands of customers from around the world looking to buy new and exciting products for their shops, stores and showrooms.

Spring Fair has been an annual event for me for many years. Each year I have had the honour and privilege (and what some might call daunting task) of creating a variety of displays for the Qualatex stand. My remit is to create displays that displays new and existing products in a creative way to promote and inspire customers visiting the stand.

Due to the worldwide pandemic, last year's show was cancelled, as with most events! As you can imagine, myself and the Pioneer Europe Team were extremely happy to be back once again! 

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Meet the Pioneer Europe Team and Instructors

Pioneer Europe Team & Instructors

The Window Displays

Designs by Sue Bowler, CBA

This year I was assigned four themes to create designs for, and each theme required two displays. It is the first time that I have made displays for double-decker windows, and so I was a little unsure how it would work. I am happy to report that it was successful!

These are the themes I got to create for:

• Dinosaur
• New Baby
• Adult Milestone Birthday
• Child Birthday

Dinosaur theme

If I am honest, when I was first asked to create a display with the Dino theme, I was a little concerned, as this is not a 'subject' that I usually work with! However, it proved to be one of my favourite window displays ever, and offered me the opportunity to step outside of my usual style! The tree that I made was actually created in inspiration of the extremely talented Alberto Falcone, CBA. Alberto is a true artist and everything that he makes is a work of art! 

Sue Bowler with her Dinosaur window display

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

The hoop display below had a mobile effect, and gently spun around with slight air movement.

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Northstar 46" Stegosaurus
#63854

42" Tyrannosaurus
#88459

The tree was made from aluminium rod and secured to a small weighted base. I used 160Q and 260Q balloons to create the tree, and twisted and twined them together to create this fabulous effect. To ensure that the balloons lasted and looked good for the duration of the show, I treated each balloon with HI-FLOAT. This may sound like a tricky job, but it's actually quite easy when you use the smallest bottle that has the long nozzle that fit perfectly into a 260Q! 

The hoop design was made on PVC electrical conduit that was secured with a push fit connector. Using PVC conduit allowed me to make the hoop the size that I required for the design.

Qualatex Balloon Colours

All the balloons were double-stuffed: this is something that I always do when I create displays for events such as this. This ensures that the balloons last the duration of the event, plus I like to create custom colours to give tonal changes and create new and exciting colours! This colour selection would also be perfect for a Harry Potter themed party.

Qualatex

Mocha Brown

Emerald Green

Spring Green

Sparkling Burgundy

Green

Chrome Gold

Baby Theme

This window gave me the opportunity to display the new Baby Girl Garland and Baby Girl Dark SkinTone balloon. You will see that I have included some of the garland shapes with my design below, if you would like to learn how to do this I have added a link to Cam & Eve's video - Happy Hour with Cam & Eve: Let's play with the NEW Microfoil Garland Balloon.

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

22" Baby Girl Pink Confetti Dots Bubble
#10035

41" Baby Girl Garland
#17765

38" Baby Girl Dark Skin Tone
#18943

Adult Milestone Display

I love a pink and floral display, so as you can imagine this was a favourite for me. In this display I featured the fabulous new 33" Pink Peony and the 22" Birthday to You Pink Peonies Bubble balloon. I also used one of my favourites, the 18" Birthday Pink & Gold Dots, which is such an elegant balloon. I accented my designs with beautiful silk peonies and greenery. For the smaller window, I created a heart using a heart frame and added balloons in an organic style. The colours that I used are:

Qualatex

Pink

Rose

Wild Berry

Pearl Pink

White

Chrome Gold

Mocha Brown - Inside Rose and Pearl Pink

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

22" Birthday to you Pink Peonies Bubble
#18649

33" Pink Peony 
#18712

Child Milestone Display

The fourth and final window display was to show the new Birthday Blue Dots (Ages 1-5) and the Birthday Boy Blue Dots balloons. This was such a fun display to make. I created a number 3 frame and made some Monkey Balloon Buddies... all of which would be perfect for a 3 year olds birthday! 

18" Birthday Boy Blue Dots
#18874

18" Age 3 Blue Dots
#23109

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

Design by Sue Bowler, CBA

The colours that I used in this display are:

Qualatex

Pale Blue

Pearl Light Blue

Robin's Egg Blue

Caribbean Blue

White

Pearl Azure

Chrome Gold

In Part 2, I will show you the "Four Seasons" displays that Alberto Falcone and I made, along with other attractive features from the stand! 

I hope that you enjoyed seeing all these designs, and that it might give you a little inspiration for your own displays and designs! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Here are a few Tricks of the Trade as shared by members from the Qualatex Balloon Network Group

I would like to start this post by giving a big 'shout-out' to all our QBN Facebook members! Facebook Groups are an amazing way to bring people together and create a strong community for like-minded people who have the same passion. The great thing about the QBN Group is the way that our members help and support each other, whether it's a design problem or motivational issue, and there are plenty who regularly jump in and freely offer their help!

A few years ago the group collectively created a list of their favourite ballooning tips and personal tricks of the trade. I have selected some of these to share with the Very Best Balloon Blog!

Tricks of the Trade

1. Balloons and 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!

2. When you finish something off with wide ribbon and you use two lengths together, remember to turn one around so they fall nice and do not stick to each other.

3. When the valve of a foil balloon does not easily open, do not damage the valve by sticking in something thick like a straw. Use something thin and flat. You will have the best result with a florist wire folded in two. 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. 

4. In the winter or on cold days, make sure that your latex balloons are not cold (usually indicated if they feel hard to the touch). Warm them up by putting them in a warm place to soften up: a clothes dryer works very well! "I store my balloons in the garage, which gets extremely cold during the winter months. Balloons getting cold is not a problem, nor does it reduce their shelf life. However, before I use them, I throw them into our tumble dryer for around 5-10 mins to soften the latex again."

5. If you want to add a 'raisin' or bead inside a foil or bubble balloon to create a fixing point, do not push the 'raisin' or bead through the balloon's valve. Instead position it at the entrance of the valve and then using a hand pump, gently pump a little air and this will send the 'raisin' or bead inside the foil... without any damage to the valve! You might also consider buying a NikoLoon Tool for working with raisins in every type of balloon - once you get to know it well - it will save you a lot of time fumbling inside a foil for instance. You find it at Nikoloon.com. 

6. Remember not to top-up or refill foils in cold weather. If you fill your foil balloons in a warm room and then transport the balloons to a customer in a cold vehicle, you may be concerned that they have gone down during transportation and be tempted to top them up!   However, when you deliver the balloon, the helium will expand once they are taken into a warm room, and there is a high probability that they will pop!

7. To cut feather boas with less mess, part the feathers where you intend to cut and spray with Aqua Net hair spray, then seal the ends with a dot of hot glue. Another great tip is to use a section of a feather boa in a Deco Bubble for the feather-filled effect instead of filling with individual feathers. The result is the same, but it takes a faction of the time! 

8. Use Clik-Clik magnets in your vehicle to organise your materials such as pre-cut ribbons, or to hang bagged designs to keep them from moving around the van.

9.  "When I go on a job site visit (prior to the event of course), I make certain to take all of my measurements, find out where all of the plugs are, and find the best place to unload and set up.  I also take my Click-Click magnets to see if they will stick to the ceiling. If the ceiling is high, I can have trouble seeing the ring on the magnet and sometimes it takes a while to get the magnet down, so I make sure to tie a long piece of Dacron arch line onto the magnet ring."

10. "If you get a cut in a foil balloon, use the Stretchy Balloon tape to seal it up. This tape is an absolute must for any balloon professional and is available from most balloon wholesalers and suppliers."

"If you are creating a design where you want to stick foil balloons together, you have to try Click- Click's AMAZING Stretchy Balloon Tape! It may appear expensive, but you use only the smallest amount and it's so so strong!"

11. "When I go on a site visit, I bring my cell phone and try to take pics from every angle. Then, when I find that when I need to know a detail I didn't think about, I can refer to my phone (for ex. if they want to change a location of something, or I need to see rigging points, etc.). I also bring a notebook and my laser ruler (one of my favorite toys!). I measure everything with that!"

12. Save your old/broken foils to use later, you can cover your balloon weights with them, and it looks nicer than latex sandbags.

Here are 11 ways to re-use old/broken foil balloons.

•  Re-inflate them.
•  Use as gift-wrapping - Birthday balloons are a clever way to wrap a birthday gift for your loved one!
• Replace tissue paper in gift boxes or bags - similar to gift wrapping, foil balloons make perfect tissue paper for gifts.
• Scrapbooking - A gifted balloon is a wonderful memento of a special occasion like the birth of a baby. What better way to remember that than including pieces of it in a scrapbook?
• Fuse them together - With the use of an iron, you can fuse foil balloons to create a blanket to keep in your car for emergencies or as a festive tablecloth. 
• Use as packing material when mailing boxes — Re-use foil balloons by inflating them and using them to pad shipping boxes instead of using packing peanuts or other wasteful materials.
• Donate them to a local school for art projects - Each year, grade schools around the world create fun craft projects for Earth Day (April 22). What fun they would have coming up with creative uses for colourful foil balloons!
• Make Tinsel - The bright, reflective nature of foil balloons make them perfect for adorning a Christmas tree. Cut a foil balloon in thin strips to create homemade tinsel.
• Turn them into flowers - Cut the balloons into squares and use them to make “tissue paper” flowers for a shiny bouquet memento of the day. 
• Make Pom-Poms - Much like the tissue paper flowers, reuse foil balloons by making pom-poms.
• Use them for rainy day craft ideas with kids - Repurpose foil balloons by using them in place of tissue paper in these fun craft ideas.

13. "When transporting helium-filled balloon arrangements, we use empty paper tubes to wrap the long ribbons around, we then use the Premium Balloon Accessories Clips Weights. We clip them to keep the ribbons short to ensure that they don't tangled up with the other balloons during transport. As we deliver them into the venue, we simply unclip and they are tangle free."

 

Premium Balloon Accessories 16g Clip Weights.
Each weight holds down one Microfoil balloon up to 26".

www.conwinonline.com

14. Conwin grip tabs become amazingly strong when you heat the glue part. I use a hair dryer and then stick them on to the balloon I am working with!

Hopefully you found these tips to be as helpful and genius as I did! If you have any that you would like to add we would love to hear them and I will add them to the QBN Groups list!

If you are a QBN Member or CBA and have not yet requested to join the group, come along and join us today. We truly are a friendly bunch! 

(To qualify as a QBN member you must have completed the QBN Balloon Basics Kit and passed the online test with a score of 80% or higher, you will then be sent your exclusive QBN membership number).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Qualatex/

If you would like to learn more about how to become a QBN member click HERE

If you have any "Tricks of the Trade" that you would like to share, feel free to email them to me at suebowlercba@gmail.com with a header "Tricks of the Trade" and I will try to use them in a future blog post! 

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com