A Balloon Race / Release Organiser With Guidelines For Your Help
FROM UK PARTYSHOP THE UK & EUROPES LEADING BALLOON & PARTY SPECIALIST
COVERING THE UK & EUROPE WITH SERVICE & SATISFACTION
MEMBERS NABAS & QBN

HOW TO ORGANISE A BALLOON RACE OR BALLOON LAUNCH FORYOUR FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY
UK Partyshop can provide everything you will need - balloons, balloon net, helium gas, race tickets and instructions, or for large amounts we will attend and carry out the release for you.

WHY ORGANISE A BALLOON RACE / RELEASE
Schools get involved with balloons to raise money.  Every year they guarantee a good return on your outlay.  You also benefit from publicity.  Get in touch with you local paper, if you explain to them the impact a balloon race/release has in a photo shoot, and as well as that the monies it raises for good causes in your area, they will be interested in attending.  This helps to make your local community aware of your fundraising efforts and will raise the image of your charity / school, and at the same time you can quite often get a local firm to sponsor your event, especially if you tell them that a photographic end is guaranteed. A balloon launch looks great in the local papers and it will help to raise extra publicity money for your cause.
If you advertise that the balloon race / release will happen at the end of the day you will ensure that visitors stay to see this instead of disappearing after a couple of hours.  Stalls and other ideas will then continue to make money throughout the rest of the day. 
Advertising is easily made for the event.

ORGANISING TICKET SALES
Get pupils, parents, staff and friends to sell the tickets.  The tickets can be printed with the name and address of your school or organisation.
On the day of the release / race the labels are attached to the helium filled balloons which, at a given time are released from the net.

Each balloon label has a request that the finder should post it back to the school.

Prizes are given to the person whose label is returned from the furthest point. Many labels are returned from Europe.

When you decide to organise an event like this you want to make sure that you are dealing with a company that has experience and qualification in this field and also one that is there to give both advice and value.  We at Balloons 4 Fun, part of UK Balloon & Party Ltd, are members of NABAS, the leading Balloon Association in the UK, and as such have the expertise in all aspects of balloons. 

For all your queries we are at the end of a local call rate phone line and you can speak to the people who have organised hundreds of these events for schools, events and launches.

Below is an example of the balloon race tickets - showing both the front and back.
The actual size of the ticket is
14.5cm (height) and 6.5 cm (width)

Race Ticket-Front	Race Ticket-Rear

WE GIVE LOW PRICES & HIGH QUALITY
All the equipment you need:
The balloons and net, are delivered 2 weeks prior to the event.
The race labels are sent a month in advance to enable you to maximise sales.
The balloon gas is delivered prior to the event and collected afterwards.
We ensure that all the balloons we supply are biodegradable.
Two months prior to your event start to sell the tickets and ensure you advertise the event with posters and a mention in the press. Get a local sponsor as this reduces your costs and we can print the sponsors name on the race labels.

START SELLING EARLY
Ensure you sell at least 90% of the tickets prior to the day.
To maximise profits we recommend, where possible, pre-selling the balloons.  Doing this as well as selling on the day makes sure you make the maximum sales and therefore the maximum profit.

It is a requirement that if you are releasing MORE THAN 5000 BALLOONS you must apply in writing for permission to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), at least 28 days in advance of the release, because large numbers of balloons can interfere with air traffic.  This we can do for you.
Latex balloons are biodegradable as latex is a product of rubber tree sap which breaks down when exposed to elements of nature, a study in 1989 showed that the decomposition time for balloons is the same as an oak leaf.  Balloons must be tied by hand.  Plastic valves or plastic sealing tape should never be used as they are not BIODEGRADABLE.

Ribbons and string again are not BIODEGRADABLE and could cause a hazard to animals and must not be used on releases or races.  Labels are attached by slipping over the knot that you have tied in the neck of the balloon.
Balloons must never be released in a bunch tied together as again it can cause problems to wild life.
Balloons that are larger than 12” are not suitable for release it is normal to use 10” balloons and it is FORBIDDEN to use Foil Balloons.
Sell race tickets which have a serial number then the purchaser fills in their name and address on a sheet with the serial numbers on which you keep.  The race card is attached to the balloon.  On the card is the serial number, a place for the closing date of the race and a place for the finder of the balloon to insert his name and address.  The finder then returns it to the address printed on the back.  When the closing date arrives a prize is awarded to the owner of the balloon that has traveled the furthest and a smaller prize to the person who finds the balloon and returns the label. 

Organise your helpers well in advance it is best to have a team of:
3 people for 400 or under, 1 inflating and 2 tying and putting labels on and placing in the net.
5 people for 400 to 800 balloons working at a time, 1 inflating, 2 tying and 2 to put tickets on and place in net.
If you have 800 plus balloons we suggest you have two teams.
Prior to your release it is a good idea to let 2 balloons off and ensure they are not heading towards trees or any other obstacle that could catch the hold of them.

What do you need for a Balloon Race?
Helium Tank and Valve
Race Cards
Latex Balloons
Balloon Race Net (for very small releases a duvet cover can be used or they can be let off individually)

A SALES FORM should be printed out and duplicated for each child, taken home and balloons sold for £1 each.  It is important to state on this form the date by which all monies should be returned to the school.

DON’T FORGET A SPONSOR
To help your profits try to find a sponsor.  A local business may contribute towards the cost of a balloon race in return for having their name or logo printed on the balloons, or just their name printed on the tickets.  If tickets are being printed with a return address, the name of a sponsor can be added at no extra cost.
An idea to increase interest in the event is to offer a prize for the winner, sometimes a sponsor will donate one in exchange for having his name on the race tickets and on display posters around the school to publicise the event.
Make sure the balloon sales forms are returned to school together with the monies for tickets sold at least 2 weeks prior to the race.
When all forms have been returned start numbering.  A ticket number should be written by every name on the sheets, eg:

No 280:  John Smith 15 Somewhere Ave, Huyton, Liverpool, L1 6TF

No 281:  Jane Talbot 84 The Granges Blackpool BL2 1PR

No 282:  Jessy Miller 128 Padgate Street Truro Cornwall CR1 6FR

When you come to the last name on the last sheet, the number should correspond to the number of pounds collected.

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT BALLOONS ARE RELEASED WITHIN 2 HOURS OF HAVING BEEN INFLATED.
This is not always possible with large events but the sooner the balloons are released the further they are likely to travel.

BALLOON RELEASES

Celebrate your special event on a grand scale with a colourful release, just imagine hundreds or thousand of balloons soaring into the sky.
The possibilities are endless and only limited by your budget.
A special BIRTHDAY, a WEDDING, PROMOTION, LAUNCH, SCHOOL or any organisation or charity we offer years of expertise together with everything you need for your successful release.
Race labels are also available.
ONLY 100% biodegradable latex balloons are used.
Prices vary according to number of balloons, location type of venue and advance notice given.

BALLOON DROPS

Air filled balloons in a net hanging from the ceiling are released to heighten the excitement of your special event.
Can be used for WEDDINGS * BALLS * BIRTHDAYS * NEW YEARS EVE * PRODUCT LAUNCH ETC.
Why not include feathers in your drop to make it even more spectacular.
We can arrange the release or drop for you or send a release package with instructions directly to you.

FOR ALL YOUR PARTY SUPPLIES AND FANCY DRESS COSTUMES
VISIT UK PARTYSHOP LTD