Ballon ideas

At the Friends of the High Line’s opening summer benefit in June 2009, held at the Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, hundreds of green balloons hung overhead in the cocktail area; the attached strings were intended to look like blades of grass.

Self-taught “balloon twister” Addi Somekh makes unique, larger-than-life balloon installations, such as the pink poodle that greeted guests at the event registration area at BizBash Live: The Expo Los Angeles, which took place in July at the California Market Center. In addition to funky decor, Somekh can provide live demonstrations for events, creating balloon hats and inflatable crowns custom-designed for guests’ personalities and style.

The cocktail reception at the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association’s annual Mirror Ball fund-raiser, held in November 2014 at Toronto’s Liberty Grand, included a silent auction and a balloon burst from sponsor Hudson’s Bay; the balloons contained prizes, such as gift cards. The gala benefits two programs—Look Good Feel Better, a workshop for women with cancer that provides makeup and skincare products, and FacingCancer.ca, an online support community for women with cancer.

Chicago-based Balloons by Tommy creates a wide range of balloon decor installations, including centerpieces, arches, bouquets, sculptures, and more. For a wedding at Ovation in July, the company designed a floating wall of balloons in various sizes. Pricing ranges from $250 to $20,000, depending on the style and size of the installations.

A balloon backdrop behind a glowing bar set the stage for the Institute of Contemporary Art's 75th Anniversary Gala’s after-party in November 2011.

At the House of Kim Crawford—a fashion-focused event on August 3 in New York—a golden balloon installation designed by Jessica Fels Event Production and Design and executed by Mixed Greens Events created an eye-catching focal point. The summery event, which also featured bottle art installations, a fortune-cookie tree, and a silhouette-artist station, was produced by Fels and Shadow.

At Diffa Dining by Design in New York in 2015, Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting.

At the New World Symphony gala, held in Miami in March, decor included hanging floral installations made up of white flowers, moss, and driftwood.

At Diffa Dining by Design in Chicago in 2014, inner tubes suspended from the ceiling were one of many playful touches at the tropical cabana created by Kehoe Designs.

For the 2011 Design Exchange gala in Toronto, hundreds of balloons hung from the ceiling during the V.I.P. dinner. The space changed color with each course, starting with blue, morphing to pink for the main course, changing to orange for dessert, and ending in red.