News

Blowing Up Balloon Sales

February 08, 2012

Betallic's Jan Iiams Demonstrates Creative Cash-and-Carry Balloon Designs at Halloween & Party Expo
By Amy Francisco

Showcasing the latest products in the balloon industry – from super shiny holographic films to latex LINK-O-LOONs that tie together for easier and faster arrangements – Betallic’s education director Jan Iiams showed attendees at the Halloween & Party Expo how to merge creativity and time-saving techniques to create easy balloon arrangements that are sure sellers.

In “Clever Cash-and-Carry Balloon Designs,” held Jan. 29, 2012, at the Expo in Houston, Texas, Iiams demonstrated how to create quick-turnaround balloon arrangements to have on hand for customers seeking last-minute gifts. “People get irritated if they have to wait,” she said, but these designs “can, in a short time, be completed to enhance [a look] or even inflated from scratch on the spot.”

Iiams, who got her start in the industry running her own successful balloon design décor and delivery business, said that saving time with efficient techniques pays off with higher profits. In her session, she shared some tried-and-true shortcuts for balloon arranging, including how to tie a balloon and a ribbon at the same time to cut out an entire step, and the trick to keeping bouquet ribbons tangle-free.

She also provided insight on some technical issues such as how to make foil balloons float longer and how to avoid conductivity issues. Additionally, Expo attendees were among the first to see a brand-new Betallic product, Mighty Bright!^TM balloons. Iiams explained that they are nonmetallic so they don't conduct electricity, yet they still offer a brilliant finish and color. Plus, they're also more high-altitude friendly.

But the most memorable aspect of the session for attendees was most likely the creative inspiration the award-winning balloon artist brought to the classroom. While attendees watched (and a few helped), Iiams showed them step-by-step how to create balloon arrangements, including the Darling Damask LINK-O-LOON® Column, Miles of Smiles Gift Bouquet and the Star Shimmer Arch – made without a frame! (See some photos from the presentation on Betallic's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/betallic.)

Iiams she said she often draws inspiration for designs like these from the experiences she's had teaching classes in more than 20 countries around the world during her 20-plus years as an educator in the industry. Creative color use, one of the points she stressed in her session, is one area in which her international experiences have influenced her.

She said when she was teaching in Australia, she was surprised to find how much the people there love bright colors, even in their wedding décor, and it inspired her to emphasize color a bit more. “I'm not using key lime, but I might use a pastel key lime instead, and people go 'Wow, this is great,'” she said. “So I do bring an element of international influence to the U.S. to create something that looks more modern and different but that people will embrace. Creative, beautiful and appropriate color use is something you'll see in any of my classes.”

Those who missed Iiams' session can visit Betallic's website and log into the company's “B Gallery” (registration is required but free) for downloadable color images of inspiring balloon arrangements as well as step-by-step instructions and lists of all the products needed to create the projects.

To learn about the Halloween & Party Expo and other sessions offered through its Education/Demo Center, visit www.halloweenpartyexpo.com.