185 Issue 1 2016 NABAS The only independent trade association for the party & promotional balloon industry in the UK
Don't’ forget to book your places for the
NABAS AGM & TRAINING DAY 25th APRIL 2016
COME AND JOIN US FOR A DAY OF FUN, HANDS-ON INSPIRATION & EDUCATION
Further details inside
NABAS The National Association of Balloon & Party Professionals - Helping You Take Your Business To A Higher Level
BALLOONIES
FROM YOUR COMMITTEE
BALLOONIES EDUCATE - PROMOTE - INFORM
Can We Survive & Thrive In The Balloon & Party Industry? We already have all the tools and skills we need to be tremendously successful. As Balloon and Party Professionals, you have an enviable talent that allows you to buy a bag of balloons for £5, and turn it into a few hundred. Without exception, if you are a NABAS member and reading this, you fall into that category. The simple truth of the matter is, you already possess the knowledge and ability to do at least 85% of the things your customers, or clients would ever ask of you, and yet with this ability to succeed why do so many balloon professionals fall by the wayside? I've been fortunate enough to work with hundreds of businesses over the years, and if I had just one word to sum up the difference between the successes and wannabe’s, the word would be “Confidence”! When we peel back the layers and unravel the ribbon, when we've stopped blaming the manufacturers for selling direct, or the card shop across the road for selling balloons at silly prices, or the new decorator selling bunches of three for £2.99, the real key to success or failure boils down to our self-limiting beliefs. It’s no different to dieting. We all know to lose weight, we need to eat less and move more, yet the multibillion pound weight loss industry continues to grow, with millions of us buying the latest DVD, Book, Diet Programme or Magic Pill to give us the easy option and desired effect. So many are looking for the golden challis, the missing link, the last piece of the jigsaw that would supposedly catapult them to success, when all the time we already have the solution to hand! It reminds me of the story Acres Of Diamonds: The Acres of Diamonds story ”a true one” is about an African farmer who heard stories about other farmers who had made millions by discovering diamond mines. These tales so excited the farmer that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and go prospecting for diamonds himself. He sold the farm, left his family with friends and spent the rest of his life wandering the African continent searching for the gleaming gems that brought such high prices on the markets of the world. Finally, worn out and in a fit of depression and despondency, he threw himself into a river and drowned. Meanwhile, the man who had bought his farm was crossing the small stream on the property one day, when suddenly there was a bright flash of blue and red light from the stream bottom. He bent down and picked up a stone. It was a good-sized stone, and admiring it, he brought it home and put it on his fireplace. Several weeks later a visitor picked up the stone, looked closely at it, and nearly fainted. He asked the farmer if he knew what he’d found. When the farmer said, no, and that he thought it was a piece of crystal, the visitor told him he had found one of the largest diamonds ever discovered. The farmer told the man that his creek was full of these stones, not all as large as the one on the mantel, but sprinkled throughout the creek bottom.
Balloonies No. 185
Issue 1 2016
© NABAS - The Balloon Association 2014 Published by: NABAS The Balloon Association Ltd Katepwa House, Ashfield Park Avenue, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5AX
T: 01989 762204
Content Editor: NABAS Front cover: Image courtesy of
NABAS Committee Angie George, Mitch Gilbert, Kelli Kelly, Matthew Lewis, Steve Marsh, George Oustayiannis Secretariat Gill Hinton, Kate Walker, Hilary Pulsford, Elizabeth Malcolm, Jo Maguire
The farm the first farmer had sold, so that he might find a diamond mine, turned out to be one of the most productive diamond mines on the entire African continent. The first farmer had owned acres of diamonds, but he had sold them for practically nothing, in order to look for them elsewhere. The moral is clear. The first farmer had only taken the time to study and prepare himself to learn what diamonds looked like in their rough state, and had he thoroughly explored the property he already owned before looking elsewhere, all of his wildest dreams would have come true. The thing about this story that has so profoundly affected millions of people is the idea that each of us is, at this very moment, standing in the middle of our own acres of diamonds. If we only had the wisdom and patience to intelligently and effectively explore the work in which we’re now engaged, to explore ourselves, we would most likely find the success and riches we seek. I've seen and worked with individuals who started with nothing, and within a few short years had built a business worth 100’s of thousands, and in some cases a few million pounds in turnover per year. It wasn't achieved by luck, and yet it’s amazing how many label them with the title “LUCKY”! In truth it boils down unshakable self-belief and Confidence. I'm not writing this to in any way criticise or belittle anything anyone is doing, after all success shouldn't just be measured financially. Some of you already have tremendously successful businesses, and escaped the drudgery of a 9 to 5 wage. This is for those of you that in any way doubt our industry can give you a business and lifestyle, where you can survive and thrive. It’s to remind you that you already possess everything you need to succeed. However we all need a little support and guidance sometimes, and that’s what the current NABAS committee are trying to give you. NABAS has gone back to its roots, and our focus is all about protecting the members. Our training and support will be about what’s best for you, not what’s best for any specific manufacturer. During my short stint as Chairman, if with the help of the committee, we are able to positively impact your business, then my time will have been well spent. I strongly urge you to attend the AGM in April, and help us create an association we can be truly proud of. It’s also tremendously important to attend so you can meet with likeminded individuals, and meet your current committee. After all, isn’t it often said that you are only as good as the company you keep? This for me is what’s most important about surrounding yourself with good people. Good people have a tendency to make good things happen. Not only are you immersing yourself with relevant thoughts and ideas, you also have the opportunity of your thoughts and ideas being heard by those that matter! By supporting each other and working together, we can make a positive difference. It’s time to have a powerful independent voice in our industry, and for insurance to no longer be the primary reason for being a member. I look forward to meeting you soon. George Oustayiannis is the current Chairman of NABAS and the Managing Director of GO International. He can be contacted via NABAS or by email: george@gointernational.co.uk or by calling : 01438 745746.
Please note that inclusions of any inserts/adverts within Balloonies are paid-for advertisements and therefore members should not consider this action as an endorsement by NABAS of the products or services.
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INTRODUCING ONE OF YOUR NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS Kelli Kelly - The London Balloon Boutique Hi I'm Kelli, the founder of The London Balloon Boutique. I started working with balloons in November 2013 from my home. Originally I started with stuffed balloons and have progressed from there to opening a pop up shop in order to test the validity of my business, and in 2014 I felt confident enough to open my own shop in North Finchley, which I am pleased to report has exceeded both my targets and expectations. I have attended various training courses with Qualatex along with FLOAT the convention in America 2015. Prior to working with balloons I studied Law At Middlesex and then proceeded to manage a constituency office in the Republic of Ireland. Previous to this I worked in sales for quite some time. I feel the particular strengths I bring to the committee are a strong work ethic, my previous sales experience, along with hands on experience of running my own business. This includes email marketing, client interaction and social media plus an array of various other sales methods. Being new to the balloon world I feel there is a very strong need for help and advice on running a business which requires more than focusing purely on balloon training. So many newcomers to our industry have little or no idea what to do after their initial training, like how to gain new clients, which is necessary for both shop and home based businesses, this is something I feel well eared to champion. I don’t claim to know it all, nor do I obtain to be Lord Sugar, however, I do know that it takes more than arranging/designing balloons in order to make a living from it and I believe that as fellow balloon artist we can learn and grow from each other, whether it is sharing ideas, pricing, marketing and so forth.
Ferrari Owners Club Spring Ball 2016 Once again Ferrari Owners Club of Great Britain asked me to come up with a design for the table centrepieces for their Gala Ball which was held on Saturday 5th April 2016 at the very exclusive Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire. Their theme this year was based on the famous T.V. series “Strictly Come Dancing” and for those of you who follow the series will know how much Mirror Balls are featured, so with that in mind I set about sourcing the ultimate centrepiece that would add sparkle to each table but also give me complete control to change the colour at the touch of a button. I delivered and they love it. Matthew Lewis, Matthew Lewis Displays
NABAS AGM & TRAINING DAY 25th APRIL 2016 COME AND JOIN US FOR A DAY OF FUN, HANDS-ON INSPIRATION & EDUCATION 09:30 – 10:00
Delegates arrive. Tea/coffee
10:00 – 11:30
TRAINING – Aeropole with Matthew Lewis Let’s keep it simple and sellable. A great piece of kit which allows you to create perfect air filled swirl arches. Matt will run you through tips and tricks to create the perfect arch and also adding more value with 260Qs. A great opportunity to advance your air filled skills
11:30 – 12:00
Tea / Coffee
12:00 – 1:00
Annual General Meeting
1:00 – 2:00
Buffet Lunch followed by DEMO – Silhouette Cameo with Kelli Kelly If you still have your Silhouette in the box then now would be the time to unpack it and start familiarising yourself with it, as Kelli will be giving a demo on using the machine to cut not only vinyl but also card to create wonderful bespoke tails for balloons
2:00 – 3:30
TRAINING - Square Pack Method with a Twist with Mitch Gilbert Mitch will be educating you about double sided square pack – if you don’t know what this is now is your chance to find out!
3:30 – 4:00
Q&A
4:00 –
Delegates depart
COST £20 per person. Price includes VAT, unlimited tea/coffee throughout the day, sandwich lunch and all product used on the day. Contact the NABAS office 01989 762204; info@nabas.co.uk
PLACES ARE LIMITED Programme subject to change
Did you know there has been a balloon convention running in the UK for almost 10 years?! Formally the British Balloon Modelling Convention, the BJC Balloon Jam is a balloon event held as part of the British Juggling Convention (BJC) which is one of the largest juggling and circus conventions of its kind in the world and has been running for almost 30 years! Balloons are always a popular activity at the BJC and 2016 will be no exception. This year we have a new crew headed up by David Wicks of Merlin's Balloons in Dublin who are laying the ground work for expanding from previous years and becoming the biggest and best annual balloon event in the UK. 2017 will be the 30th BJC and the 10th Balloon jam so we're aiming BIG!!! but that's next year, this year we have a lot happening too! Artists for 2016 are Colin Myles (Scotland), Graham Lee (England) and Merlin (Ireland), there will also be beginners introductions to twisting balloons at various times throughout the week. Colin's lectures are all happening on Sunday, Graham and Merlin will be lecturing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There will be open jamming sessions throughout the day and a chilled out jamming session most nights when the kids have all gone to bed. This year the BJC are having a parade and the BJC Balloon Jam will be well represented with Saturdays lectures all covering wearables and colourful balloons for the parade. The BJC Balloon Jam will be continuing the tradition of Pre-Gala Show balloon madness where we unleash hundreds of balloons on the audience and everyone gets involved in creative randomness, it's a fun and unpredictable pre-show experience unlike any other!
Our 2016 event is sponsored by: The BJC, Qualatex, Conwin, Merlin's Balloons, Quality Time Entertainment and Air Born Creations; and is supported by NABAS, BAPIA, The Balloon Artistes Guild and BalloonChat.co.uk Balloon Art Wholesale will be there all week selling the very best balloons and accessories!
The BJC Balloon Jam Times Wednesday: 8pm - Midnight (BJC Starts at 4pm, anyone on site at this time is welcome to help create venue decor) Thursday: 10am - 6:30pm (Open Stage starts at 7pm) Friday: 10am - Midnight Saturday: 10am - 6:30pm (Parade at 2pm, Public Gala Show at 7pm) Sunday: 10am - Midnight (Awards ceremony at 6:30pm) Monday 10am - 11am (Open for collecting of balloons/equipment and saying goodbyes) As part of the BJC there is also a huge variety of juggling and circus workshops available as well as a number of shows and the local parade. The BJC is a great fun and interactive event for the whole family and camping on site (tents & caravans) is included with all tickets, but there are a number of hotels and B&B's nearby for those interested. The BJC is being held in Perth, Scotland this year at the Bell's Sports Centre, Hay Street, PH1 5HS and runs from Wednesday March 30th to Monday April 4th. The BJC is a 24 hour event and ticket prices are below. Full Week (Wednesday – Monday) Adult – £120 Child (8-17) – £75 Child (1-7) – FREE Weekend (Friday – Monday) Adult – £95 Child (8-17) – £60 Child (1-7) – FREE Day Tickets (10am – 10am following day, includes camping) Wednesday – £20 Thursday – £35 Friday – £35 Saturday – £40 Sunday – £35 For more information on the BJC Balloon Jam please visit BalloonJam.info, for more information on the BJC and to purchase tickets please visit BJC2016.co.uk.
NABAS members have been doing some amazing jobs - just take a look over the following pages. If you have something that you want to share then do let the NABAS office know - info@nabas.co.uk - what better way to promote your work to show future clients than an article in your industry association's magazine.
Lovely twisted character above by Toni at Balloonz
Sculpted columns for corporate evening events and marquee parties by Annabel Grange of Butterflies and Bows
Spring Fair NEC 2016. This is our very first submission to the NABAS magazine, and with all the buzz around the Spring Fair, I thought it would only be fitting to share some of our work from the event. We were given a fantastic opportunity to work with I.T.I. (UK) Ltd to promote their Globos Decorator Balloon range on their exhibition stand. The balanced approach of balloon deco verses retail is always a complex ask, equally to build and design something that can withstand the five day long event. A team of Four strong, Six hours, Several coffees and around 700 balloons later our work was done. I’ve always been a natural decorator and really enjoy working with both Qualatex and Anagram balloons, so this was the first time I’ve really used the Globos range for decorating, but definitely a contender for being used again in the future. Credits to the M'n'M Team: Sapna Pattni, Prarthna Devani, Kirria Hearn Ajay Pattni M’n’M Balloons (Leicester & London)
A number of creations from Nikki at Vale Balloons.
Two more creations from Nikki at Vale Balloons.
Michelle Pettit & Sue Pettit of Time 2 Celebrate Ltd have been busy: Lots of mickey balloons for a 1st birthday; Airfilled design for 13 year old; 3) balloon monkey for a local children's play centre who had a competition for Chinese New Year to guess how many banana sweets in the jar.
Paula & Amanda at Pink Tree Parties have sent in this wonderful wedding post box. Paula commented: “this is my absolute favourite wedding post box! Inspired by Disney "Up", the beautiful love story montage of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen was what one of our brides really wanted at her wedding. Her father lovingly made the house post box with space in the chimney for us to attach helium balloons. Yes, it's a very straightforward job in terms of balloon decoration, but just highlights how simple can also be stunning. We have commissioned our bride's dad to build a house for us, as, even if we never hire out this post box, we just HAVE to have one in our shop as a display piece.”
Karen Buckley of The Little Balloon Company is finding Larger balloon displays seem to be getting more popular as wow factors for parties. Also from Karen on not such a cheery subject but a worthwhile campaign: “One of the most windy days of the year …although you can’t see that on the photo - it was quite a struggle holding onto the balloons!! York was the launch of the new national campaign of highlighting the dangers of drinking and being near water. The campaign was supported by the Royal Life Saving Society and Jackie Roberts whose daughter died in the River Ouse 2 years ago . 400 balloons were released to represent the number of people who die every year from drowning.
Fabulous Star Wars displays from Joanne Veale of Balloonease. These were created for a 7th birthday party in Windsor. “May the force be with you”
NABAS NEW MEMBERS 3865 Deborah Aldridge Wedding Hire Sussex Seaford East Sussex - BN25 3SL 07908 126063
3870 Karen Fryett Norfolk Balloon Boutique Kings Lynn Norfolk PE31 8EP 01328 730629
3866 Susana Hanstock Balloonzest Sheffield S.Yorkshire - S35 1RB 07429 117158
3871 Gillian Lowe Balloon Box 2 Congleton Cheshire CW12 1QU 01260 299559
3867 David Wicks Merlin's Balloons River Valley, Swords Dublin Ireland 00 353 874 108 958
3872 Julie Oates Little Bananas Soft Play London SE12 9NE 07540 766126
3869 Hazel Harvey Air Products plc Surrey KT12 4RZ 01932 249777
3874 Rebecca Murray Island Sweet Dreams Isle of Wight PO33 3EW 07549643882 3875 Manny Emilius A1PARTYMAN Warrington WA2 7BZ 01925 573013 3876 Heather Warburton The Balloon Gallery Stoke-on-Trent ST8 7AT 01782 517400
3873 Kelli Kelly The London Balloon Boutique London N12 0EH
3877 Laura Whitford Yorkshire Event Designs Leeds LS10 3DA 07340 605 153
0203 489 2324
NABAS APPROVED TEACHERS Yvonne Baynes Balloonery by Yvonne Tel: 01986 894482 yvonb@tiscali.co.uk Courses Provided: NABAS Level 1& 2 Area Covered: East Anglia Jane Lee International Balloon Academy Tel: 01908 605960 / 07903 073606 www.international-balloon-academy.co.uk janelee49@me.com Courses Provided: NABAS Level 1 & 2; Basics & Beyond; Beyond the Basics; Varied range of Master Classes Area Covered: Milton Keynes & beyond
Mitch Gilbert CBA Rainbow Balloons Tel: 01625 585910 www.rainbowballoons.co.uk info@rainbowballoons.me.uk Courses Provided: NABAS Level 1& 2; Advanced level; 260’s Course; Balloon Drops Area Covered: Cheshire, NW England & N Wales Rita Kyriacou CBA Marguerite's Academy of Balloon Artistry Tel: 01279 639508 www.marguerites-academy.co.uk ritakyriacou@btinternet.com Courses Provided: NABAS Level 1& 2; Wedding Area Covered: Hertfordshire, Essex & South East
Angie George Capel Manor Tel: 08456 122 122 Angie.George@capel.ac.uk
Mary George Gretna Green Creations Tel: 01709 818636 www.gretnagreencreations.co.uk info@gretnagreencreations.co.uk
Courses Provided: NABAS Level 1 & 2 Area Covered: Hertfordshire, Essex & South East
Courses Provided: NABAS Level 1 & 2 Area Covered: Yorkshire and the North East
BIRTHDAY FIREWORKS Created By Chris Horne, Amscan International Limited. Big and Bright and contemporary – this is a different twist on the traditional column. Product Required: 1 x Birthday Cheer Connext balloon: (0917301) • 12 x 11” Fern Green Anagram Decorator latex balloons (990048) • 12 x 11” Orange Citrus Anagram Decorator latex balloons (990047) • 24 x 5” Poppy Red Anagram Decorator latex balloons (990077) • 1 x balloon weight • Dacron Line •
Construction Method: 1. Inflate two of the 11” Fern Green balloons to 10” with air. Tie into a duplet. 2. Repeat using two of the Orange Citrus 11” balloons, and wrap with the green duplet to form a cluster of 4. 3. Make 5 more clusters the same. 4. Make 6 clusters of four x 5” Poppy Red balloons inflated to 4.5”. 5. Attach one end of the Dacron line to the weight, and wrap one of the large clusters tightly, as close to the weight as possible. 6. Wrap a cluster of the small red balloons tightly against the first cluster, so that it sits in the gaps between the larger balloons. 7. Continue adding large and small clusters alternately until the column is complete. Tie off the line securely. 8. Inflate the foil balloon with helium and tie securely into the top of the column with Dacron or an uninflated latex balloon. Estimated Labour time: 15 – 20 minutes. Change the design of the foil and the colours of the latex to theme this design for any occasion. For added stability, it can be built on a baseplate and pole.
WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURERS & PRINTERS AIR PRODUCTS Hersham Place Molesey Road Walton on Thames Surrey KT12 4RZ T:01932 249777 www.airproducts.co.uk
DELIGHTS DIRECT Unit 4 Tallow Way, Fairhills Road Irlam, Manchester M44 6RJ T: 0333 900 9000 F:0161 776 1144 stuartw@delightsdirect.co.uk www.delightsdirect.co.uk
B-LOONY LTD Buck House Sunnyside Road Chesham, Bucks HP5 2AR T:01494 774 376 F:01494 791268 balloons@b-loony.co.uk www.b-loony.co.uk
FOLKDEAN LTD Unit 2 Lydney Harbour Estate, Lydney Gloucestershire GL15 4EJ T:01594 841545 F:01594 844 577 sales@folkdean.co.uk www.folkdean.co.uk
BALLOON MARKET Unit 4, Lulworth Business Centre Nutwood Way, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire SO40 3WW T:033 33 704 777 info@balloonmarket.co.uk www.balloonmarket.co.uk
GO INTERNATIONAL (UK) LTD Unit 15, The IO Centre, Arlington Business Park, Whittle Way, Stevenage SG1 2BD T:01438 745746 F:01438 745747 george@gointernational.co.uk www.gointernational.co.uk
BALLOON SUPPLY & DISTRIBUTION Unit1B. Woodside House, Woodside Park, Catteshall Lane, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1LG T:01483 808121 F:01483 808 141 sales@balloonsupply.co.uk www.balloonsupply.co.uk
HOUSE PARTI 20 Mandervell Road, Oadby Industrial Estate, Oadby, Leicestershire LE2 5LQ T:0116 271 0100 F:0116 271 0300 sales@houseparti.com www.houseparti.com
BALLOON WORLD Unit E Parkside Business Park, Kirkstead Way Golborne, Cheshire WA3 3PY T:01942 719888 F:01942 719 988 sales@balloonworld.co.uk www.balloonworld.co.uk BALLOONS AROUND SCOTLAND 100 Carnegie Road, Hillington Ind Est Glasgow G52 4JZ T:0141 882 8107 F:0141 882 9925 sales@balloonsaroundscotland.com www.balloonsaroundscotland.com BALLOONZ 12 Coltsfoot Close, Wildern Gate, Hedge End, Southampton SO30 4UN T: 01489790893 sales@balloonz.co.uk www.balloonz.co.uk BELBAL UK Broadgate House, Church Street , Deeping St James, Peterborough, Lincolnshire PE6 8HD T:01778 343 445 F:01778 347 230 info@belbaluk.co.uk www.belbaluk.co.uk BOC LTD The Priestly Centre, 10 Priestly Road The Surrey Research Park, Guilford Surrey GU2 7XY T:01483 244035 www.bocballoongas.co.uk CTI BALLOONS LTD 6 Consul Road, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 1PB T:01788 546299 ctiballoon@aol.com www.ctiballoons.co.uk
NORTHSTAR BALLOONS Saundhurst, Micklea Lane, Longsdon, Nr. Leek, Staffordshire, ST9 9QA T: 07469 890714 nthompson@northstarballoons.com www.northstarballoons.eu OAKTREE UK LTD 66 James Carter Road Industrial Estate Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 7DE T:01638 716655 F:01638 711211 sales@oaktreeuk.com www.oaktreeuk.com PREMIUM BALLOON ACCESSORIES PO Box 352 Sharon Centre, Ohio 44274 USA T: 00 1 330 239 4547 info@coolaire.com www.premiumballoon.com TALKING BALLOONS McGregor’s Way, Turnoaks Business Park Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 2WB T:01246 270555 F:01246 270566 sales@talkingballoons.com www.talkingballoons.com VIBORG BALLON A/S Gortlervej 7 DK8800 Viborg DENMARK T:00 45 866 21200 bini@viborg-ballon.dk www.viborg-ballon.dk ZIBI GmbH Kalkdarren 15 D-79713 Bad Sackingen GERMANY T:00 49 776 192 4010 info@zibi.de www.zibi.de = Indicates
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