This Party Tip submitted by tower - Aug 7th, 2008

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   • Who is RayBalloons

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     Sally Strebel interviews Ray Scheirer of RayBalloons.

     S: What sets you apart?

     R: We’re a small business - I mean SMALL.  When you contact RayBalloons you are talking to me, Ray, the owner.  Some other larger event and party businesses offer balloon décor as one of their services.  I believe in doing one thing and doing it well.  That’s why classic balloon décor is all we do.

     S: Why should I choose you over the competition?

     R: Like I mentioned before, balloons are all we do.  All of our gear, equipment and tools are for one thing: decorating with balloons.  We pride ourselves on precision and speed.  Anybody can go to the local party store buy some balloons, rent a helium tank and do balloons.  It’s really not that hard.  The difference is the time, consistency and overall quality.

     S: Any testimonials?

     R: A friend of mine was getting married and her mom was making all of the arrangements.  She approached me one day somewhat stressed out and said, “I hear you do balloons…”  Well it turns out the reception was in a large rectangular room with a 20 foot high ceiling.  It had plain white walls with no windows and a plain white T-Bar ceiling.  She was pulling her hair out figuring out how to decorate the room so it looked a little nicer.  She planned on filling the room with tables with floral centerpieces but thought it would still look very empty.  I agreed and offered to work-up some ideas.  I presented them to her, she picked one and we went with it.  Well come the day of the wedding she was running around like crazy and didn’t see the room until after it was completely done.  Later we were talking and she told me, “I only cried twice today; once when her daughter walked down the aisle and second when I saw how beautiful the room turned out.”

     S: What are your recommendations such as what decor for what event?

     R: If the room has a high ceiling a great way to “lower” it is with string-of-pearl arches.  These are simply single helium filled balloons strung together like pearls on a necklace.  They look great, go together fast and are economical.  We can use packed arches but they can be almost too much and distract from the focal point of the event.  Usually I save the more complex décor to draw attention to a main focal point like the head table at a wedding reception.  As far as balloons go, standard or jewel tone balloons are great for more festive and fun events like birthdays and new years while the pearl or metallic balloons are more elegant.

     S: How are you priced?

     R: As I mentioned before, we’re new and trying to find a competitive price is tough.  Pricing is itemized and based on the number of balloons, the type/size and the amount of helium being used.  Labor is charged in the same way based on balloon size.  Bottom line is a single 11 inch plain latex balloon filled with helium will cost around $0.65 – which I think you will agree is very competitive.

     S: What is your time frame?

     R: Working by myself, a conservative estimate is 250 11 inch balloons per hour.  Larger balloons and complex rigging take a little longer.  Working with a crew our productivity is obviously higher.  We try to work closely with the client to see how much time we have and if we can do what they want in that time.  Most jobs require a minimum solid 2 hours before the event.  On larger events we’ve required as much as 4 hours to set up – but that’s usually a really big job.

     9. How do your balloons enrich the party?

     R: Nothing fills space like balloons.  They can quickly transform any size room in a very unique way.  The other great thing about balloons is they can fit almost any type of theme.  I love it when the guests enter the room and their faces light up when they see the balloons.  It makes it all worth while for me.

     S: What type of look does pearl vs. flat give

     R: There are actually four finishes that my manufacturer offers; Standard, Jewel Tone, Pearl/Metallic and Neon.  The Standard colors are a solid, non transparent balloon with a smooth shiny finish.  The Jewel Tone balloons are translucent with a smooth shiny finish.  The Pearl or Metallic balloons have a matte finish with a slight shimmer or glitter look.  While the neon balloons are a combination of Standard and Pearl – a smooth matte finish that makes the balloon look like it is glowing.  The Pearl or Metallic finishes are very elegant and great for more formal events like weddings and black tie affairs.  The Pearl and Metallic balloons are also more expensive and a little more delicate.  Another thing to remember is that balloons oxidize quickly outdoors (the surface turns dull) so pearl/metallic balloons lose their look very quickly.  Whenever possible I try to encourage the client to avoid these more expensive balloons when working outdoors.

     S: What got you into balloons?

     R: I have always had a fascination with balloons and always wondered, “How do they do that?” when it came to big events.  So I started small about a year ago to see if this was something I could do.  I was doing little gigs here and there for friends and family, honing my skills while looking for tips and tricks on the internet.  I also began buying some equipment.  It’s amazing how specialized the industry is once you begin to pursue it as a business.  I’m very mechanically minded and the more gear I saw out there the more I had to have it.  I was like Tim “The-Tool-Man” Tailor.  Well the next thing I knew I was set up to do just about any size event and began to seriously pursue this as a business.  I still get mixed reactions when I tell people what I do.  Most respond with, “Really?” and find it hard to believe.  I guess it’s not the most macho business.  Anyway, my wife assists me when she can but she leaves the technical know how to me.  I am a member of the Qualatex Balloon Network and I am now working toward my CBA (Certified Balloon Artist).

     S: What should people be looking for in a balloon artist?

     R: Always look for someone who is a balloon specialist.  There are a lot of party rental and event services that offer balloons as part of their in-house services.  I would generally stay away from these since their balloons are usually pretty limited.  Look at their portfolio and see if any of the décor looks like it would fit your event.  Look at the overall composition.  How does the artist use space, form and color?  And of course, contact them personally.  They may do great work but have lousy customer service skills.

     S: Why should people choose you for their balloon needs?

     R: I have over 7 years of customer service experience, 3 of them managing and training other associates.  Those seven years gave me the “people skills” that I think set me apart from the competition.  I am also a very creative problem solver and able to adapt quickly to almost any situation.  Like I mentioned earlier, our number one goal is to make the client happy.

     S: I noticed that you are new to the industry. How has that helped or hurt your business?

     R: Again, we are a very small business and getting your name out there is tough – REALLY TOUGH.  Being new has definitely not helped us any.  I’ve done some selective advertising and made some specific contacts but unfortunately the event and party business is mostly word of mouth (about 95% I found out) – which has been the majority of my business lately.  I also don’t want to just slap my name on a billboard and wait by the phone.  I want RayBalloons to have more class than that and there’s a balance I think.  I’m also very much part of the internet generation and forget that not everybody goes right to the internet when they need something like I do.  I need to look into some other forms of advertisement like the phone book and local business flyers maybe.

     S: What is “something” that most people don’t know about the balloon industry?

     R: Why does a balloon pop?  Well if a balloon popping startles you you’re not alone.  In fact, I think it’s even part of the magic that is balloons.  The tension on an inflated balloon is tremendous.  This tension is uniformly distributed across the surface.  When the integrity of the balloon surface is compromised (with something sharp or a defect in the latex) the latex will tear along that area – very rapidly.  In fact, the latex contracts at almost the speed of sound.  The air however moves much quicker and does in fact break the sound barrier causing a miniature sonic boom – hence the pop.

     
     
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