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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 13 Balloons are popping up everywhere in event décor, so here are a few current trends and décor tips to help your balloon business bloom. By Nita Robertson, AIFD, CFD C elebrations and balloons have always gone hand in hand, but they have become extremely trendy again in last few years. Just look at Instagram and Pinterest, and you will see an abundance of balloon décor for parties, events and occasions of all kinds. ere are many creative ways to decorate with balloons, including balloon arches, columns, garlands, walls, backdrops, centerpieces and more. Balloons are suitable for just about every occasion and event from holidays, weddings and showers to birthdays and anniversaries—and even celebrations of life. Balloon décor can affordably transform spaces and create moods from dramatic and even elegant to playful and fantastical—and they are great for camouflaging unsightly elements and fixtures and hiding dead spaces. ey can be used to create modern and sophisticated décor for parties and events with an updated and broad palette of colors, new finishes, and range of shapes and sizes, which can be combined to create grand statements. More than ever, there is a demand for balloon décor, with plenty of room for continued growth and expansion. According to Facts & Factors Research, a global consulting and market research based in Pune, India, the global party balloon market was valued at $1.48 billion in 2021 and is predicted to increase at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 4.8 percent, making its value $1.96 billion by 2028. Balloon Trends "Balloons remain hot items for all celebrations, from backyard birthday parties to gender-reveal celebrations to corporate gatherings to weddings," explains Julie Conner, CBA, Betallatex brand manager at St. Louis, Mo.-based Betallic. "People are partying with balloons like never before. Organic balloon installations are still all the rage, combining different colors, finishes and sizes of balloons. Betallic's "Reflex" latex balloons are hotter than hot, and we've just introduced two new colors, Reflex Champagne and Reflex Truffle. Our "Pastel Matte" latex line has also become a classic palette for many types of occasions, and Betallatex "Deluxe Eucalyptus" and "Deluxe White Sand are also in high demand. Our "Special Delivery" line of foil balloons make a big impact. All our foil shapes have hang-tabs so they can be air filled and displayed, and our new foil "Number StandUps" are completely air filled, for table décor. "Megaloons" and "Script Letters" are also perfect for helium-conscious decorations." Kacie Carswell, marketing manager at burton + BURTON in Bogart, Ga., adds, "Organic balloon décor remains strong and is at the height of requested designs from consumers. Muted earthy tones have gained in popularity, with sage green, blush and tan being used together frequently. On the flip side, chrome and reflective colors are used together when statement balloon décor is called for."

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