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| Muppets Statler, Waldorf, and Pepe appear in this winning sculpture from 2004 Summer Balloon Camp. |
BHQ was invited to attend the IBA Annual Business Retreat in Las Vegas, NV on August 7th and 8th, 2004. I (Sheena) gave a presentation reviewing "How People Read on the Web" and outlining a strategy for "Targeting Search Engines" in web page design. Other presentations addressed "Thru-Put at Retail", "Customer Service and Phone Sales", and maximizing the potential contained in a Distributor's "Catalog."
My favorite presentation (well, other than mine :-) was the "Thru-Put: Selling to Potential" presentation given by Don Kapral of ConverGram. Don's presentation drew on his many years of service with Hallmark, and outlined how successful sales programs maximize the retail 'take away' of products by the customer. In the discussion of "What is a balloon?" Don reminded us that balloons are an impulse product that must compete not only with other impulse items like greeting cards, flowers, gifts, and decorations, but also every demand item that exists (milk, bread, toilet paper, etc.)!
Over 300 members of the balloon industry, consisting of entertainers, decorators, manufacturers, and distributors gathered in Las Vegas, NV from August 15-18 to learn and share. This was the second annual Summer Balloon Camp. Hosted by Balloon Supply & Design House and sponsored by manufactures and distributors, this event can truly be thought of as an industry-wide convention.
This young convention has quickly gained a following. "Camp" isn't just in the name. It's the feel of the whole event. Everything is laid-back and casual. There's no business attire. Other than a rigid schedule to ensure everything happens smoothly, all formalities have been thrown out. To really make everyone feel like they were at summer camp, there was even a campfire and s'mores on opening night.
We had fun the first year, but things definitely improved in year two. More competition entries (once again with online voting from the balloon community) made things much more interesting. The hotel was a huge improvement this year. Those that wanted to gamble could do so easily, but those of us that didn't want to be bothered by the noise of machines and lacked interest in table games could easily avoid them the entire time we were there. The huge diversity of classes, from the usual business material to painting on foils made it possible for everyone to try new things. Completely new this year was the Dottie Blanchard Spirit Award given to a to "a person who has a genuine love of the industry and embraces the spirit of Dottie Blanchard. The recipient will be someone who willingly, with dedication and enthusiasm, unselfishly gives everything they have to better the industry and help individuals grow and prosper. " This year's recipient was Peggy Williams.
Things happen in Vegas that don't happen anywhere else in the world. I
(Larry) would report what happened to one instructor (me) during class, but
what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. So, you'll have to come next year
to find out more. 2005 Summer Balloon Camp will be August 8 - 10 at the
Tuscany Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. I hear there's going to be a camp talent
show next year, so start practicing now.
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| Bridge over water by Eduardo Seiti Yoshikawa |
Eduardo Seiti Yoshikawa of Puma Baloes in Brazil specializes in centerpieces that use balloons almost exclusively.
See Puma Baloes's BHQ Portfolio.
