On November 3rd 2023, I traveled to Orlando, Florida with my balloon friends Stephanie (of Celebration Creations) and Stacy (of Moores Balloon Decor) to a Summit held by the BalloonCoach.Com , It was a great time of talking shop, sharing our hearts and lots of laughs. On the way, the ladies helped me study for my Balloon Artist Certification designation through Qualatex.
Qualatex is a balloon company by Pioneer who offers a network to balloon artists who agree to "make ongoing training and education a priority..., and uphold honorable business practices, promote professionalism in our business, and demonstrate good faith in all of our business relationships."
The process for getting certified consisted of 3 online exams, completing 4 classic balloon designs with a job cost form, and a 4 hour practical exam where they judged your ability to to duplicate designs, answer business questions, and make a delivery, in addtion to the exacm
In the months prior to the four hour practical, I spent a lot of time studying the materials Qualatex provided including a design basics handbook, 2 videos on Balloon Basics, 1 video on Balloon Decor, and 1 video on Balloon Deliveries all averaging about an hour each.
Qualatex wants to make sure you have all the business and decor knowledge necessary to run a successful business.
Balloon Boss Summit in Orlando is just one of the many places you can take your exam. You will need to be a paid participant at the location and pay your exam fee so the price to sit for the exam will vary.
At Summit there are many business related, and hands-on classes that are geared to elevate your decor and business. One of my favorite training sessions was learning balloon drops with Chris Potts I even got to be one of the people to pull the line at the closing night "Under The Sea" gala.
With over 923 years of experience in one room, it was incredible to see all of the collaborations happening all week.
This was a collaboration design I completed with Sara Meyer of The Bright Balloon Podcast and Misti Kauffman of Balloons By Misti.
Aside from balloons, my greatest take away was learning about Customer Relationship Management systems. Nicole (an Ambassador for 17Hats) answered many of my questions and helped me to get setup with workflows, and Jeff Kelly taught me how to evaluate my website for maximum optimization.
Below are more photos from my time at summit. Enjoy!
