Welcome to our BRAND NEW Ambassador Showcase feature! We are lucky to work with some of the most talented artists in the industry, so wanted to create a platform for them to share their own journey and some insight into the brilliant work they do
This month we catch-up with Tammy Rach, the brilliant duo behind Northern Event District based in Yorkshire. Find out their top tips, as well as an insight into how they began their events journey!
How did you first get into the world of balloon artistry?
We both came from a background in Sales management and we both had roles that included organising, and executing events, such as conferences and large scale corporate functions.
This involved coordinating with our team, vendors and suppliers, overseeing the marketing right through to execution of the event and analysing the feedback for future events. Our combined management experience has given us the skill for the ‘attention to detail’, this really is key to running professional and completely seamless events.
We are both Mum’s to two children and love making their Birthday’s extra special. We naturally fell into starting our own event decoration businesses through creating their birthday parties. We love nothing more than balloons, backdrops and styling every inch of a celebration!
What inspired you to start your own balloon business?
Our Children inspired us to start up our businesses. We get so much enjoyment from choosing a venue, creating a theme/colour scheme and adding those personal touches which make their parties so special! We love creating balloon displays, backdrops, designing table settings and anything to make our Children’s Birthday’s memorable! We both started with a love for creating memories for our families and are now absolutely obsessed with this thriving industry!
What’s your favourite current trend and how do you see them evolving?
As anyone working in this industry knows trends are constantly changing. There are so many insanely talented balloon stylists and with the power of social media inspiration is so easily found and trends can boom over night. Everyone wants the picture perfect ‘Instagrammable’ party and we are all constantly keeping up with the latest trends. However this being said there are also timeless trends that never seem to loose their sparkle! Although we do appreciate a neat classic display the popularity of organic balloon styling has sky rocketed in the balloon industry. You can create organic displays with a mixture of colours, sizes and textures to make something completely unique. One of our favourite trends at the moment is the monochromatic displays using only one colour throughout your balloons and props to create a really striking visual effect. This kind of display gives such an aesthetic finish paired up with some stand out contrasting coloured florals.
How has the balloon industry evolved since you started your career?
I think the balloon industry has evolved massively since we both started our businesses. There are so many talented artists pushing boundaries, creating some really unique styles and events. Brands are constantly improving their offerings in terms of new props and new ways of styling them. Balloon brands are forever releasing new colours and products to keep us on our toes.
I think since lockdown people really feel the importance of being together again and celebrating. Post lockdown we both felt a huge surge of interest in styling celebrations like never before!
I think Instagram has helped a bring a lot of balloon artists come together and it’s become a real community in the UK and worldwide! There is a huge demand for our work meaning people are more interested in training, masterclass and content days and attending events like the iconic ‘Balloon Summer Splash’ (check it out) where everyone can come together and encourage, inspire and support each other. The opportunities in this industry at the moment are incredible!
Balloon Summer Splash https://www.ballooncolourblending.com/balloon-summer-splash/
In your experience, what colours or finishes of sequin walls tend to be most popular for different types of events?
Sequin walls are the perfect addition to any celebration. They are a seriously good investment for any event industry business. They are extremely popular for Awards Evenings, Corporate Events, Proms, Weddings and Birthdays etc meaning the scope for new bookings and clients is limitless. I would always advise anyone looking to invest in sequin walls to start with the most versatile colours like gold and silver, then build your collection from there.
Tammy’s favourite colour is the ‘vanilla gold’ and Rachel’s is the ‘light nude double layered’ walls. We’ve both tried out different suppliers for sequin walls over the years and will now only use Event Suppliers UK they are the absolute best quality on the market, the durable connectors will ensure it’s always hireable and doesn’t break when setting up and taking down so often. There’s a huge range of colours for an affordable price which makes it a great investment prop to make your money back quickly and start making a profit.
What role does social media play in promoting your balloon business and academy?
Social media platforms are the most cost effective way to market your business. Instagram, Facebook and Tik tok are completely free to use and can directly link you to your target audience. It has enabled us to really connect with our clients and foster relationships with our suppliers making it a more personable experience running a small business. I think Instagram has really contributed to people fearing competition and actually helped them form an online community within our industry. It has given us the tools to network with each other forming collaborations and partnerships. We are both honestly so passionate about helping other businesses and social media makes this so easy for us to do.
What types of training do you offer and how can people find out more?
We started Northern Event District as a way to offer the mentorship we wished we would have had in starting our own businesses up 6 years ago. We know the challenges, mistakes and struggles you can face as a self-employed business and we both felt so passionate about helping others by sharing our knowledge and experiences.
We really get to know our members, what their strengths and weaknesses are and how we can help them on their journeys. We offer our members access to all our tutorials and a wide range or resources that will help further their skill set and businesses. We encourage all our members to interact on our closed WhatsApp group and we feel so blessed to have built the most loving, supportive community.
We’re on hand to offer 1-2-1 support from learning techniques and enhancing balloon skills, sharing our trusted suppliers, building a portfolio and loyal client base for a thriving business. We regularly host masterclass and content days where we all come together to have fun being creative, helping our members showcase their work to attract new clients. We really wanted our online academy to be affordable for everyone, we charge just £12.99 per month (or £120 for the year) and there is a 3 month minimum sign up when joining. All our members get 50% off our masterclass and content days.
We celebrate our member’s achievements with a ‘Stylist of the month’ award where there is a monthly prize up for up grabs. You will also gain access to our exclusive discounts with our recommended suppliers.
What's the most rewarding aspect of teaching others in your balloon academies?
It is honestly so fulfilling helping people reach their potential and seeing their confidence grow. We love the safe space we have created for people to eradicate their self doubt and adapt to a more confident mindset.
If you would like to know more or sign up to our academy you can contact us on the details below;
Facebook @northerneventdistrict
Instagram @northerneventdistrict & @northerneventdistrictacademy
Email northerneventdistrict@gmail.com