Presenting

Feature 14 October | 2021 Popular Demand for Popular Designs According to Georgianne Vinicombe, president of Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co., in Princeton, N.J., requests for traditional garlands have increased, along with balloon hoops and moon gates. "We're getting more requests for organic and traditional garlands, as well as hoops and moon gates decorated with balloons," she reports, adding details about their DIY option. "We've added a 'hang-it- yourself traditional garland' option to our website. Not everyone knows how to create garlands, but most people are comfortable with hanging them on their own. Vinicombe continues, "Last year, during the pandemic, we had a few 'outdoor and casual' wedding couples wanting balloon decorations. I've been doing balloons since 1988, and it was common back then for brides to order balloon arches for their wedding ceremonies or receptions. But prior to COVID-19, we had not done a balloon wedding in quite a few years. I'd love to see a return of balloon decorations for weddings." Neutral-palette balloon garlands and décor is a trend that Holland Muscio, CBA, owner of Balloonacy in Atlanta, Ga., is seeing. "e boho-chic look is not new, but it's not going away anytime soon, and the demand for neutral- palette balloon garlands is at an all-time high. And with our company, Flowers by Holland, we can add floral design to those garlands." In terms of other trends that have continued, Muscio asserts, "ere is still a demand for 'PDC' (public displays of celebration). We saw a lot of that during the early days of COVID-19 with an influx of yard balloon displays and yard cards, as well as drive-by baby showers and birthday parties. e good news is that people are still doing some of those things to celebrate births and birthdays and even engagements. We love doing the 7-foot-tall yard numbers or creating yard art marquee displays with the birthday number or even a beautiful cascading balloon garland over the front porch." When it comes to the "driving force" behind requests for today's creative balloon designs and décor, Kacie Carswell, marketing manager at burton + BURTON in Bogart, Ga., points to social media and DIYers as influencing factors for many of the latest trends. "Social media and DIYers have been the driving force for more creative designs and over- the-top balloon décor," she notes. "Flower shops and other balloon retailers are seeing this trend and dedicating more space in their stores to showcase balloon décor that makes a statement." Carswell also reports that the trend of "personalization" continues and is on the rise, as post-lockdown consumers look to reestablish celebrations of significant events among families and friends. "It's all about personalization these days and making someone feel extra special. Our offerings of specialty shapes and standard foil balloons, which are designed by our in-house artists, are focused on coming trends, and they complement our full array of coordinating balloon and gift products." Looking to burton + BURTON's past product lines, Carswell adds, "Recently, we revitalized our 'My Own Pet Balloons' line of animal-shape foil balloons with a fun display so stores and customers alike can enjoy these wonderful care-free 'pets.' ese innovative balloons are helium-filled and are a blast to 'walk' for people of any age. We are also going retro with everyday designs like our 'Happy Birthday' balloon with black and neon colors. All product creation is done to meet customer demands for on-trend designs and shapes for every occasion." Current Challenges and Creative Solutions During the last few years, the balloon industry has faced its fair share of challenges—such as a helium shortage and environmental concerns over balloon materials—that played a big part in deflating sales. However, with both issues no longer among the industry's greatest concerns, new challenges have appeared, many of which require creative solutions in order to regain lost sales and balloon enjoyment. "We are consciously aware that what we do produces waste, and, as a company, we try to be as green as possible and not create litter," Muscio admits. "We recycle all packaging that we can, we make sure that any balloons that get popped are properly disposed of, and we never sell product for balloon releases." Muscio also points out alternatives to the rising costs of helium. "As of late, we have not seen any shortages; however, the costs have gone up. Long ago—even before there was an official shortage—we learned different ways to do air-filled décor that would still fulfill our clients' wants and needs yet not use as much, or any, helium. Being able to offer such solutions to customers has helped us create loyal customers."

• Cover