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Feature 16 October | 2021 Vinicombe says that despite the current helium availability, she, too, is offering more air-filled options than she did in the past. "We haven't had any issues securing helium, but over the last three years, we've been doing a lot more air-filled decorations such as columns and arches on poles and frames. Also, the organic and traditional garlands are all air-filled, so no helium is needed." Citing additional challenges within the balloon industry, Vinicombe informs, "Labor continues to be a struggle because creating balloon décor can be labor and time intense. We have not found environmental concerns to be an issue with our clients, but we do educate them, when necessary. We've also had some issues obtaining certain balloons and other supplies because COVID-19 is still affecting the supply chain." Weighing in on current issues facing the balloon industry, Carswell states, "Availability of helium is not something we have heard about from our customers recently. Helium used in the medical field is a purer grade than the helium used in the balloon industry. As for the environmental impact of balloons, we consistently bring awareness to the proper use and disposal of balloons." e Inflated Cost of COVID-19 Because of COVID-19, many industries—including the balloon industry—suffered financially during 2020 and still worry about how to reclaim lost income. Many COVID-19- related obstacles, such as product availability and staffing issues, remain concerns today. Muscio reports, "In the early days of COVID-19, we did a quick pivot from being a 95 percent event balloon decorator to a 95 percent everyday balloon delivery studio. But as events return, we have hired an additional staff person, and we are evaluating our need to hire a part-time administrative person and another set-up crew member." Citing similar experiences, Vinicombe adds, "Early on during the pandemic, we saw an increase in daily balloon deliveries because many occasions were missed, and folks were not able to celebrate together. Now, we are seeing an increase in event decorations for social, school and corporate events. Clients that normally wouldn't do much balloon décor are using balloons to welcome everyone back. Schools, especially, have been spending more than they did pre- pandemic, and we've also noticed an uptick in anniversary and birthday parties. We believe that this is the result of so many special moments going uncelebrated, and people now want to celebrate in a big way, which often includes centerpieces and other décor." When it came to her company's bottom line, Vinicombe reports that one way of recouping lost sales because of the pandemic was to increase prices, which had a positive effect on business. "We increased our prices for both products and delivery, and doing so has been a good thing. We have not had any pushback from customers, and the revenue has helped to offset both the increased cost of the materials and the additional labor expenses due to overtime." Vinicombe offers that another way to lift sales is with creative merchandising. "During COVID-19, we added a section of balloon decorations to our event website, and that has generated quite a few sales. We have also been regularly showcasing balloons in our display window with signage letting people know that we can help them with balloon decorations for their events." Summing up pandemic-related challenges, Carswell says, "Currently, the balloon industry, like others, is facing many of the same challenges due to the pandemic. Labor shortages, shipping costs and product availability have been constraints for everyone. However, the pandemic has created advantages in addition to the challenges. Balloons have risen in popularity during this time due to their innate ability to bring joy. People are celebrating each other from a distance with yard art for every occasion, including graduations, baby showers, birthdays and more. Balloons enable people to express themselves in unique and personalized ways that are uplifting during these uncertain times." Photo courtesy of burton + BURTON

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