Ever since I started working with balloons in 2019 the price of helium had been increasing regularly – at first this was said to be due to scarcity – helium is a finite element with limited resources to mine/capture it.
Covid-19 hit which devastated the events industry. As lockdowns were lifted the demand for helium increased which created supply shortages that further pushed prices up.
Then inflation started to take effect on the economy and as all our commodities such as electricity, fuel etc increased, then the price of helium further increased.
I initially increased my prices to offset the additional costs and my client base understood this.
As normality returned to life and the events industry in general, I was involved in more bespoke works and large builds for events which didn’t require helium.
After the 8th price increase in 3 and a half years I decided that it was no longer viable to offer helium balloons – it wasn’t just the cost of the gas that had increased but also the weekly hire charge for the bottle.
I asked myself – If I am constantly learning and investing in myself, do I want to be simply filling a balloon with helium and tying a ribbon to it?
There are outlets offering this on the high street and sellers on Facebook marketplace. It is the simplest form of balloon décor which most people start with and whilst it has its place, it’s no longer for me.
If you can accept that helium isn’t cheap anymore and increase your budget then there are still decorators that can help you, though they’ve all increased their prices considerably and the numbers offering will likely decrease.
Air-filled decorations are a great alternative which typically last up to 2 weeks, though if you are set on 3 floating balloons on ribbons then this isn’t going to work
Your choices are
Pay more from a shrinking pool of vendors.
Buy something different that doesn’t use helium.
Don’t.
Not because I don’t want you to have helium balloons at your event.
Not because I want to sell you something – if you’re thinking of doing it yourself then I’m likely not for you.
I’m telling you because it ends in disappointment. I have an obligation as a professional to make you aware of the problems with DIY helium. I’d much rather you went to another balloon professional and had a positive experience of this industry and enjoyed your event.
The gas/air mix in the disposable canisters is said to be a lower quality than professional balloon gas and unless you are using high quality balloons and additive to keep the balloon floating, they’ll only float for a few hours before slowly falling to the ground.
I once had a distressed phone call on the day of a marriage proposal where the gentleman had prepared the balloons in the early hours to find they’ve started to fail before his hopeful wife had arrived – what an anti-climax.
I was unable to help as it was too late. I can only imagine him kicking himself that he didn’t instruct a professional.