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FLOATography Galleries

FLOAT attendees have lots of fond memories of past FLOAT events. Take a minute and take a look at all the fun we’ve had in the past, and just think about how much more we’re going to have with future events!

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FLOAT 2020

St. Louis Airport Marriott, St. Louis, Missouri

A Hard Fought Battle

FLOAT 2020's Designers of the Year, Mary Lou Kunka and Jessica Zillman, were the winners that nearly weren't! An epic blizzard struck the Midwest and the two found themselves stranded on route to St. Louis in an airport. Determined to make it on time for the competitions, the two rented a car and drove cross-country the rest of the way to make it in time to compete.

Back on the Chain Gang

The FLOAT 2020 Crew pose for a fun photo with Executive Producer Steven Jones before Opening Night.

Couch Trip

Once again, the iconic FLOAT Couch was a hot spot of selfies and photos for the attendees. And this year, the couch was bundled together with the #IAmFLOAT hashtag the convention adopted as it's new slogan.

Cruisin’ Along

Guido Verhoef, CBA, leads his team of builders in the completion of the massive cruise ship mural backdrop for the Designer Awards Gala.

Didn’t We Say Orange?!?

Balloon decor involves so much more than just inflation. Here Johnathon Gerber on behalf of Betallic demonstrates some lighting products he uses in his business.

Domo Arigato….

FLOAT is always full of surprises. At FLOAT 2020's Opening Night welcome party, attendees were pleasantly shocked and surprised when this 8' tall robot created by Sam Cremeens came to life and began to move about the room!

Gotta Get That Looked At….

FLOAT 2020's Opening Night theme centered around a Mad Scientist theme, and production team member JD Daniel REALLY got into character...

It’s Alive….ALIVE…..

Yes, that IS Philomena! FLOAT's own lovable mascot took to life in the form a full on costumed character! Needless to say, she became a popular favorite among selfie takers.

It’s All About the Orange

One thing is for sure....FLOAT is all about branding! Every Opening Night at FLOAT is nicknamed "Orange You Glad FLOAT is Back?"

Jumping for Joy

FLOAT 2020 saw a record number of entries in every single Designer of the Year competition. Here, FLOAT newcomer Amie Vreeken shows off her excitement over her First Place finish in Organic Decor.

Organic, Organic, Organic….

The organic trend was alive and well at FLOAT 2020. Gemar Balloons sponsored the "Club L8X" Karaoke Party the night before the convention and literally filled the room from ceiling to floor in organic decor.

Please….No Shredders….

Caity Byrne poses with her entry in the Organic Decor competition, a parody of the now infamous work by Banksy.

Power to the People!

It's not every year that a competition entry fails to finish in the Top Three in a category but still takes home the Delegate's Choice Award, but that's exactly what happened in 2020. In the Foil Design competition, Flavia Oleniewski, CBA, barely missed a prize in the final three, but her design was the most popular among the registered delegates at the convention, and as such her design took home a coveted plaque anyway.

Reykjavik, Here We Come…

While everyone knew that FLOAT was going to move to a new host city in 2022, no one quite knew where. In an effort to distract everyone from the big announcement, it was "leaked" that FLOAT was relocating to Iceland for the 2022 Convention. Of course, no one at the time knew how "prophetic" the decision could have been given that Iceland had one of the world's smallest COVID-19 outbreaks in all.

Showin’ the Love

Delegates cheer for their favorite entries in our Costume Contest at Opening Night.

Sign of the Times

Trends are always a popular subject in FLOAT classes, so it was to no one's surprise that Qualatex presented the Nieves Sisters as instructors with their signature style of delivery bouquets.

So “Beary” Cute

Putting her mad non-round balloon skills to her advantage, Aarona "Keni" Clemons leads one of FLOAT's many optional Bonus Classes.

The Empowerment Panel

Recent events brought to light the issues faced by women in the workplace. FLOAT tackled these issues head on with a panel of female leaders from our industry addressing a variety of topics.

The Rising Star

No one instructor left a bigger mark on FLOAT 2020 than Lea Beck, CBA. A third generation balloon professional, Lea impressed both production and students alike with her hard work, professional yet personable attitude and her amazing design work. Here she poses with creations she did for her "Frameless Animal Sculpture" class.

The Stage is Set

FLOAT 2020's Designer Awards Gala featured decor from Betallic, Gemar, Qualatex and Anagram in a collective presentation that delighted those in attendance.