January 2012 issue

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ISO 14001

Membership benefits

Green Balloon Campaign

Training

Step by Step Design

Balloon Conventions

Titanic Project!

Inside this issue:

For more information or to join, go to

www.bapiaonline.com

info@bapiaonline.com

Tel: 0208 123 1746

What is BAPIA and what can it do for you? BAPIA—Balloon And Party Industry Alliance is an organisation created to work on behalf of its members and the industry as a whole, to bring greater public awareness of the industry and the professionals within it and to build benefits and support for its members.

With a wealth of industry experience and support, BAPIA is best placed to fulfil the requirements of an industry organisation. Listing among its members, the main balloon manufacturers, gas companies and balloon accessory manufacturers including Amscan International, Pioneer Europe Ltd (Qualatex), Belbal, GEMAR Balloons, BOC Gases, Air Products Ltd, Conwin Inc, Premium Balloon Accessories and Hi Float. Combined with an established and growing list of retailer decorator members and a good working relationship with Industry associations from America, Australia and South Africa we can genuinely claim to being the organisation representing all aspects of the industry.

There are many benefits to being a BAPIA member and they are all included in the £160 annual membership fee:

Public & Products Liability Insurance cover up to £5million

Employers Liability Insurance cover up to £10million

Legal Insurance cover up to £100,000

Discounted training courses

New member welcome pack (value in excess of £100)

Free step by step designs from top designers (see back page)

Training and education support from leading industry educators

Online promotion of your business through BAPIAonline.com

Business contract templates (coming soon)

Green Balloon Campaign

Discounted ISO 14001 certification support

Being part of a pro-active, forward thinking trade organisation

Many more benefits planned

Membership of BAPIA is a must whether already established or new to the industry. With membership available for only £160 annual membership or monthly payment option of £15 per

month it is both essential and affordable. For more information or to join go to www.bapiaonline.com or if you have any questions contact

info@bapiaonline.com

Member Profile: Party Buds, Stevenage, Herts. We are a home-based team of 2 balloon decorators in Hertfordshire. We started our company back in 2007 and we have loved every minute! We are always striving to

offer our customers the best quality balloon décor using the best materials and knowledge. We are very creative and love it when we are given free reign to let our creativity shine through We specialise in events, from elegant wedding décor to corporate events and have built a corporate customer base who now use us exclusively, which makes us very proud. To help us increase our knowledge and skills we attend many recognised events and training workshops and often take time out to have a workshop day of our own to practice new designs. In 2011 we successfully completed our CBA, which we are very proud of. Nothing pleases us more than receiving lovely comments about our work from our customers. We joined BAPIA as we feel that they represent the high standards that we also aspire to. We strongly believe that belonging to an industry association such as BAPIA gives our customers reassurance that they will receive a high quality, professional service. BAPIA also adds value to our business by providing invaluable advice and guidance and they are always willing to help us out. They back a worthy cause “The Green Balloon Campaign” which enforces the ethics of balloons and the environment. For us personally, we also enjoy the networking amongst other members, which enhances the “Sharing and Caring” which is encouraged through the balloon indus-try. BAPIA are always introducing new designs, products and news which all help us

to be as successful as we are today. Sue & Paul Party Buds, Stevenage.

John Bowler BAPIA

Chief Executive

Training and Education opportunities Looking for inspiration , new ideas and techniques or just want to develop your skills?

At BAPIA we believe that training and education within our industry is key to its continued growth, which is why we are very keen to support our training provider members. As you will see from the list below, not only do we have Pioneer Europe & Amscan International as our training providers, we are also very proud to have some of the industry‟s best trainers offering a range of courses from Beginners and Fundamentals through to Weddings and Retail Portfolio courses.

Check out the following websites www.thequalatexevent.co.uk and www.amscandecorator.com/training_and_education/

For details of training providers and courses go to „Training Calendar‟ on the menu on our homepage www.bapiaonline.com

Green Balloon Campaign update. Following on from the initial success of the first public Balloon Art Festival we are now continuing the work with Bob Armstrong of Dr Bobs Balloons, to take the campaign to a much wider audience. We are currently working on a project to enable other professionals to

take this campaign into their local community and raise awareness of balloons and what can be achieved by balloon professionals and to highlight the green credentials of latex balloons. Our aim is to create a complete support package from the inception of a local schools educational campaign right through to the design, proposal and importantly the marketing for a Balloon display at local Retail and Entertainment centres. From our experience at the Cardiff Balloon Art Festival and from other balloon décor companies we know that there is a market for large balloon displays in these retail centres, and they have a budget to pay for them. They have a responsibility to get people through the doors of

their centres and this project aims to give you everything you need to achieve this with them. Follow us at www.thegreenballooncampaign.com

If you would like to be a part of this project please let us know by e-mailing info@bapiaonline.com

Tony Hanscombe – Imaginitive Inflations: Amongst the first in the UK to obtain his CBA. He has become the main trainer at Kent Balloons, teaching the Qualatex Fundamentals and his own KISS „Weddings‟ www.thequalatexevent.com

Tope Abulude – Balloon Inspirations Offering Qualatex Fundamentals and tailor made courses for individuals at any level to become a balloon professional, developing specific skills and techniques. www.ballooninspirations.com

Bob Armstrong – Dr Bob‟s Balloons

With more than 20 years industry experience with a retail store and sculpture success Bob is able to deliver first hand all of the skills he has learnt and demonstrates

his techniques to help others www.drbobsballoons.co.uk

Dom Cassidy & Keith Stirman - All Things Fun Partners in an award winning store giving them the experience to provide in depth knowledge into the business and creativity of balloons. More details at www.ballooneducation.co.uk

Fiona Fisher – Worldwide Balloon Décor Fiona has taught balloon artistry for many years, from weddings to large sculptures, corporate decor to deliveries. www.balloonsintuscany.com

www.worldwideballoondecor.com for more information.

Lucy Hennessey – Balloon Power A City & Guilds instructor at Capel Manor College, Lucy also offers a range of courses covering themed and seasonal décor, see her website at www.balloonpower.co.uk

Christopher Horne – Amscan International A leading trainer since 1996. As Amscan‟s Creative projects Manager, he now runs their acclaimed training programme and continues to instruct around the world.

www.amscandecorator.com/training_and_education/

Paul & Pam Pearce – Balloons & Tunes Balloon School offers independent courses with OCN accredited level 1&2 certification for those wishing to join this fun industry. Check out the website at www.balloonschool.co.uk

Jodie Norris & Dee White – Balloon Art Studio As two of the industry‟s leading instructors with a wealth of knowledge and creativity their courses are always very popular wherever they teach around the world. www.balloonartstudio.co.uk

Sue Bowler – SueBowler.com Sue is one of the

industry‟s leading instructors, teaching around the world for Qualatex and running independent courses www.suebowler.com check out her blog

www.theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com

Join with us to show that we are an environmentally responsible industry, and reap the benefits too!

BAPIA launches ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard

initiative for members. Partnering with Kenny Roberts of KRQA, a quality assurance and business consultancy (who also has a very good working knowledge of the balloon and party industry), BAPIA is encouraging its members to work towards achieving the ISO14001 Environmental Management System standard. Promoting the green credentials of the industry and educating the public on our own best practices is already at the top of BAPIA‟s agenda and promoted through The Green Balloon Campaign www.thegreenballooncampaign.com Adding to this, better business practices and the guidance towards obtaining the internationally recognised standard ISO14001 can really benefit your business and the whole industry! WHY ISO 14001? As we enter the New Year we are all looking at ways to increase our profits and obtain new customers whilst looking after our existing clients, and this has never been more important than in the current economic climate. ISO 14001 certification demonstrates to customers that you manage your environmental responsibilities in a professional manner and so reduce the risk of breaking the law. Also, many customers, particularly large corporations and public bodies, now require their suppliers to be accredited with the ISO 14001 environmental management system. Benefits Considerable savings can be made by streamlining your business, improving systems and procedures and reducing waste while at the same time promoting environmentally friendly practices. Streamlining the business can also promote a „feel good‟ factor among your staff and your customers. Better still, positive PR can be obtained by implementing simple procedures and policies that promote all round environmental friendliness. KRQA will be offering a “do it yourself” solution to BAPIA members who, with a few hours‟ work a week can be working in the spirit of the international standard and start making positive money saving changes straight away. It‟s not necessary to obtain the standard but if you do wish to do so then this course will be a valuable tool kit that will save you thousands in consultancy fees! The price of this kit will be just £50 to BAPIA members and will include templates and tools that you can use throughout your business. Kenny will also be giving regular advice and promotion tips on the BAPIA member‟s website, helping you to promote your green credentials and take advantage of PR opportunities. To find out more contact info@bapiaonline.com or info@kennyroberts.co.uk or go to www.krqa.co.uk

Titanic - The ship magnificent From the 1st to 5th of April 2012, BAPIA member Fiona Fisher CBA and her team from Worldwide Balloon Decor will build a replica of the famous ship, Titanic. The luxury liner was originally built and launched at the Harland &

Wolff shipyard, Belfast and this is the centenary year of it's fateful maiden voyage. The sculpture will be created with approximately fourteen thousand balloons and will be on display in Victoria Square shopping centre, right in the heart of the city, just a few hundred yards away from the slipway where the iconic liner was first constructed. You can follow the complete step by step build from start to finish on www.buildingtitanic.com. Firstly, the frame will be built in March and then the team attach the balloons to finish the project in time for Easter. The 1/22 scale sculpture is forty feet long and is to be suspended from the roof of the

complex, where it will be on display for around two weeks. Fiona dedicates this sculpture to all those who lost their lives on Titanic's maiden voyage and to the great ship building industry that was once such a big part of Northern Ireland's economy. "I have a great team of artists helping me to get it all together and we are all looking forward to the challenge of building this very special ship of dreams in Belfast"

More of Fiona's work can be seen at www.worldwideballoondecor.com

Just one of the many drawings

International Events 2012

Sunny Twist ‘N’ Deco: 4th to 6th March, Arles, France. www.ballons-latex.com Sunny Twist N Deco is a convention for both balloon decorators and balloon twisters. With a great array of teachers from around the world, this years theme is The 5 Continents" and with great entertainment and networking opportunities it promises yet again to be another incredible convention.

World Balloon Convention 2012: 21st to 25th March, Dallas, USA. www.worldballoonconvention.com

Phenomenal, Unforgettable, Mind-blowingly Awesome! These are just a few of the words used to describe the World Balloon Convention 2010. WBC 2012 will offer both seasoned balloon profession-als and newcomers to the industry, high-calibre instructors and classes designed to re-charge their business, as well as amazing networking opportunities, competitions, parties and more!

OnArt 2012: 23rd to 25th March, Reus, Tarragona, Spain. www.globofiesta.com With a list of instructors including Colin Myles, Pascal Grooten, Hyun-Gu Park and Antonio Becares OnArt 2012 will have something for everybody. This event has continually grown since it first took place and has become a well established event in the balloon calendar!

BACI 2012: 20th to 24th April, Florence, Italy. www.balloonexpress.it

To celebrate 20 years of Balloon Express, stay ready for a BACI full of surprises! Europe‟s number one balloon convention, in the beautiful centre of Florence, Italy... Don‟t miss it! With a wealth of great instructors, classes, competitions and parties BACI 2012 really is an event not to be missed.

More member feedback! Party Passion is a relatively new Midlands based Venue Decoration company established in March

2011, gaining a CBA qualification at The Qualatex Event in November of the same year. Being a member of BAPIA gives us peace of mind for every function we dress. We know if there‟s

any advice we need, whether legal or technical, there‟s someone on hand who can help. www.partypassion.co.uk

STEP BY STEP DESIGN

Thank you to Sue for this great step by step design for you to use. You can get more information on Sue from her website at www.suebowler.com

To download the a PDF document for this recipe simply go to our website at www.bapiaonline.com and click on „News‟ where you will also be able to catch up with industry news.

If you use this design why not post a picture of it onto our facebook page and let everybody see what you did!

www.facebook.com/balloonandparty