One of my bucket list items is to attend a balloon convention, looks like a big one's coming in March 2021
Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
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Re: Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
Seems like it's more for vendors and industry professionals, not necessarily attendees or open to the public. It would be cool to go sometime though! -
Re: Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
Exactly. Wouldn’t mind going to gawk at the designs people (presumably) come up with.Comment
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Re: Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
If you don't have business links, you could maybe book in as an ambitious newcomer art student.
Something I would've liked to visit but too far for popping (sorry) over the 'pond' for a day out.
How many balloons do they get through? Looking at 2018 clip it must be thousands. No wonder Qualatex are pricey or do participants have to buy their balloons to exhibit?Comment
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Re: Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
I imagine they get at least a few tourists, although from what I could find, the convention admission price is moderately steep (Neighborhood of 5 or 6 hundred bucks.) But I think it'd be worth it just to see some of the sculptures that get done. Some of the previous year ones look pretty amazing.Comment
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Re: Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
As others have rightly pointed-out, these conventions are for vendors, and balloon-decorators. You have to be a Qualatex distributor, registered balloon artist, or sales person to attend, and even then, the price to attend is several hundred pounds, plus you then have to pay travel on top. It's not cheap, or even within the remit of most looners, sadly.
Whether Qualatex would let you attend, as a visitor, is highly unlikely. The events tend to be business themed/related, and including decorating competitions, demonstrations, talks and other associated "business" stuff. And, no, visitors supply their own balloons for any works of art that they do, or the balloons can be bought from Qualatex (at cost price) during the event, if needed. But it's not for the public, I'm afraid.Comment
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Re: Anyone Doing The 2021 Balloon Convention?
I've heard this too. This is why the cost of attendance is so expensive: to keep away those who are going for ulterior reasons/motives. (The event didn't used to be so expensive, but then idiots started ruining it, and now this is why the attendance prices were jacked-up, sadly.)
And to be honest, if I were someone going there for business purposes, I don't think I'd want regular folks attending with camcorders or mobile phones taking footage. Once someone has video/pics, you don't know where it might end-up, especially in this day-and-age.
Sometimes we have to accept that some balloon-related events are NOT for looners, whether we like it or not.Comment
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