The Two Bays Trail Run inflatable finish arch is one of the more intricate and uniquely shaped arches that we’ve ever made. 

When we were contacted by the customer for an inflatable finish line arch price, they discussed how they were really interested in using one for their event. They wanted to make the arch a showpiece for their event, creating an ideal “photo opportunity” that would make the event a highlight for years to come.

After looking at their website, our creative juices were flowing and together we came up with an awesome new concept.

Inflatable Finish Arch: The Concept

The Two Bays Trail Run is an event held on the Mornington Peninsula in near Melbourne, Victoria. It’s a 28km/56km run across the Mornington Peninsula from Dromana to Cape Schanck. A key feature of their logo is a bluejay bird, so they wanted to incorporate the concept of the bird into the arch.

The initial sketch exceeded expectations, and we knew it was something that we had to bring to life.

Special Request - Removable Banners 

Another request with the inflatable finish arch, beyond just the wing motif built into the structure, was that the organisers wanted to ensure the future-proofing of the arch by creating removable signage for sponsors. 

From year to year, it’s generally common for sponsors to change. If the sponsors were to be printed directly onto the surface of the arch, it wouldn’t be able to be re-used should the sponsors change the following year. This would make it a rather costly endeavour to continually replace, and a waste of an opportunity for future events.

Luckily, we have a solution for this problem, which was to print the sponsors onto Velcro banners. This allows them to attach and detach the banners from the unit and have them replaced in time.

Safe to say, the customer was excited about this idea, and went ahead with our suggestion. 

Bringing The Inflatable Finish Arch To Life On The PC

Once the customer decided to proceed with the order and arranged the deposit we went to work on creating the 3D model of their inflatable finish arch.

The first step was to create the basic shape of the unit, and have that signed off. The customer was happy with the structure, and we moved ahead to apply the artwork to the unit. 

Although the customer had a good idea of what they wanted the artwork to look like, they did not have the technical skills to do their own artwork. In these cases, our artwork team stepped in and worked with them to create the exact design they wanted to see on the arch. 

This artwork was approved and then applied to it. 

Manufacturing Begins

The typical manufacturing process of an inflatable finish arch takes 2-3 weeks. For this particular project however, we allowed 4-5 weeks for manufacturing as it was more complex than a standard arch. 

Fortunately, our amazing manufacturing team was actually able to pull it together faster than expected. This project only took the originally budgeted 3 weeks to produce, and came out superb!

The arch was set up for quality control and review, which it passed, after this point it was ready to supply to the customer for their upcoming event. 

The Inflatable Finish Arch In Use

The inflatable archway was delivered 2 weeks before the event and everything was included for the customer to use the arch for their event. 

Prior to their event, they set up at the arch as a “test run” and did this with our team on the phone. 

It was extremely satisfying hearing the customer on the phone as they were doing the set up telling us how much they were impressed by the final product and how easy it was to set up. 

This is what our team lives for and we’re glad to have been part of such a great project. As always, we delivered the project on budget, on time, and on brand. 

We spoke to the customer after their first event and they could not stop raving about how much everyone that competed in the event loved the arch as they ran under it as a finish line, and saw plenty of photos online of people standing in front of the arch promoting the event, and grabbing those selfies. 

All in all, it’s safe to say that our customer was left with a smile from ear to ear and are now actually looking for another arch to compliment their newest event, Wonderland Run.

We get many people calling to ask “Do you have an inflatable arch for sale?”. We do not stock these as we find everyone has different specifications for their event and for their branding.

The main benefit of custom making an arch rather than having an inflatable arch for sale off-the-shelf, is that you open up to a world of exciting options, and we have been fortunate to see these in use around our awesome country!

If you would like to start the process and get an inflatable finish line arch price, contact us today to get the ball rolling.

GH MUMM is one of the world’s biggest producers and distributors of champagne, the real deal from France. A core part of their marketing strategy is to run events and activations that promote engagement with their brand. 

Champagne is globally recognised to be the go to drink for celebrations, so you can imagine the fun and bubbliness their events entail. These events are typically considered to be “parties”, but also do include special events at destinations such as Thredbo.

We were approached by GH MUMM and given the brief that they wanted to visually promote their brand more than usual at one of their upcoming events, and their concept was to have a few giant inflatable bottles to use at these events. 

These bottles would provide not only a great visual experience for attendees, but would also be the central talking point among the crowd.

Inflatable Champagne Bottle: The Idea

GH MUMM had an upcoming event at a ski resort and thought that some giant inflatable champagne bottles would be a great way for them to promote their brand. 

We knew that we could help as we have had extensive experience at creating inflatable bottles and this is why they had contacted us to begin with.

The concept was very simple, to replicate their standard champagne bottle but scale it from only being X high, to being Y high, for maximum impact.

All Systems Go

The customer decided to proceed with the concept after we provided them with a quotation so it was time to get to work. 

The first step was to buy a bottle of champagne, and use that as a template to take measurements to replicate the inflatable champagne bottle in a 3D world on the computer. 

We went ahead and purchased a bottle, and started creating the 3D from that. 

This part of the process was relatively simple compared to the types of custom inflatables that we’re used to creating, but nonetheless it was important to get the details right because GH MUMM as a brand stands for quality, and it was important to represent their brand in the most realistic and professional manner. 

The Finer Details 

One of the details we had to get right was the top of the champagne bottle, as well as the colours used on the bottle as the brand colours are an important aspect of their brand’s identity.

The client did not want to just have a simple finish on the top, and was adamant that we needed to ensure the top of the bottle was representative of the cork, as that was one the defining features of the bottle. We were sure to design the inflatable champagne bottle in such a way that the top would resemble the profile of a cork when inflated.

As the colours were also important, we did a pre-production print sample to ensure that they were going to print accurately to meet expectations. 

Bringing The Inflatable Champagne Bottle To Life

We are experts in the manufacturing of custom inflatables and have previously completed many an inflatable champagne bottle Australia wide (or similar) for events.

This meant that our manufacturing department had no concerns they were going to be able to deliver the bottles for this client not only on budget, but in a reasonable timeframe. 

For a project like this, the allocated time frame for manufacturing is typically around 2-3 weeks. 

This includes the custom printing (as required for this project), along with the cutting, sewing, and testing of the bottles at their completion. 

This project was completed just before the allocated deadline, and the manufacturing stage finished within the 2 weeks we estimated.

After testing the giant inflatable champagne bottles, they were ready to go to their new home.

Using The Inflatable Bottles

The client had an upcoming event in Thredbo where they were using the bottles beside a pool during the day, and as centerpieces at night time events. 

We think the inflatable champagne bottles turned out amazing! 

We are glad to have worked with GH MUMM on this project, and are looking forward to future projects we will work on together. 

We can custom make and deliver a giant inflatable champagne bottle Australia wide. Contact our expert team now to discuss your requirements and we will kick start the process.

One of the most popular and recognisable custom inflatables is the inflatable arch; also called an inflatable archway. Commonly used as entry points and finish lines, arches are a simple and effective way to advertise your brand at events. Arches will often be present in the backdrop of many photos, making it unforgettable in years to come.

We produce inflatable arches Australia wide, meaning they get used in many different climates and for all kinds of events. These archways can be made in many different sizes and styles; there are also options to cater for different budgets. We find many of our customers require similar, if not the same arch sizes, due to regulations and requirements set by local councils and event managements. This has made it much easier and quicker to produce compared to other custom inflatables.

While there is a lot you can customise, there are design constraints that ensure the inflatable archway remains stable and secure when in use. You would not have a very stable arch if the width and length are so far apart (e.g. 6m high and 2m wide). If you are interested in an arch, and would like an idea of where to start, we have put together a briefing below of an order we have worked on previously.

The Initial Conversation

A previous client returned to us looking for a new inflatable archway, who already had experience using them. The last inflatable arch they ordered consisted of a very basic design with detachable banners, though with a new flavour range about to launch for summer,  they wanted to make a huge impact at the launch event. At the time, they could only foresee the arch being used for the one-time event. 

We had a few weeks to go before their event, and as we were entering our peak season, production times were starting to get longer. Keeping the tight time frame in mind, we knew the client was after something a little extra, and that there were expectations to exceed. 

We had a rather open brief with this job. This is sometimes a blessing, other times a curse.  Only the size of the arch was the only known factor to work with, and of course “We want it to look awesome!”. Luckily they were speaking to the right people. 

Nailing The Artwork

With the overall themes being “Beach” and “Summer”, we got our thinking caps on to come up with a unique printed design. While some clients may know what they want, they can sometimes struggle with translating what’s on their mind onto a screen, or sometimes they just need help visualising the end product. This is where our mock up designs can really help.

Sifting through over 100 images in their asset library, layering designs on different backgrounds, we stumbled across exactly what you see here in the image and everything fell into place. After some consultation and revisions, the client took it back to their marketing department, who fell off their chairs! Minor changes were required to ensure their branding remained consistent, but seeing their overall response was, to us, priceless.

After payment was finalised and artwork signed off, we were able to start the manufacturing process. During this time, the client began to get rather concerned about how the blue in their artwork would print, as it was the feature colour for their entire theme. To settle any doubt, we organised a printed sample of the inflatable archway material and sent it directly to the client, to ensure it was a perfect colour match, and that it tied in with the rest of their event theme.

Inflatable Archway: From Start to Finish

Arches are usually rather straightforward and only take 2-3 weeks from start to finish. The actual design and production of the arch took around 14 days, however there were internal roadblocks that slowed the whole process down.

From start to finish, here is how the order went down:

Week 1

• Initial Consultation
• Brainstorm session 
• Pricing Confirmed
• Initial Designs started flowing with overall design agreed on 
• High Resolution Artwork Started.

Week 2

•  Invoice and payment arranged 
• Overall concept and print ready artwork signed off 
• Print Sample Arranged as requested by client

Week 3

• Samples received and approved to proceed by client 
• Production completed 
• First production testing 

Week 4

• Inflatable Archway has final test before being dispatched to the client for the event that weekend

Conclusion

This arch was one of the most rewarding arches; the client was open to our ideas and feedback flowed well in both directions. The inflatable archway was a huge hit at their event tying everything together, and was even used for subsequent events, creating more sponsor opportunities. There are two takeaways from this arch: go the extra mile to look good, and sometimes the only extra expense, is the extra time and effort you put in to reach into your imagination and create something exceptional.

We manufacture and deliver these inflatable arches Australia wide, so if you are looking at making a statement for your next event, contact us today!

Replicating products into giant inflatables creates a sense of fun! Taking an item you can hold in your hand and scaling it leads to a pretty compelling result, and adds something memorable to your event.

We get many clients envisioning these inflatable replicas to act as unique “selfie opportunities” for social media and also for event highlight photos. We believe it is evident from our photo gallery that these inflatables make a big statement; something that a smaller inflatable, or a simple advertising banner, would not be able to achieve.

Starting The Custom Inflatable Process

A majority of our orders come from customers who have never designed a custom inflatable before, so quite often the first thing we get asked is "Where do we start?". To give you an idea, we'll go through a real life example with you.

This particular client contacted us looking for some large custom inflatable bottles to work as a feature piece for upcoming summer events and beyond. The goal was to replicate a normal Pure Blonde bottle into a giant inflatable bottle at a high level of realism. 

The final inflatable beer bottles would be potentially used on days where it might be windy at events like fun runs and other similar activations. This presented our team with a range of challenges to work through, including: access to constant power and wind resistance. 

Designing A Giant Inflatable Beer Bottle From Scratch

We obtained a glass bottle (for business purposes only of course) and got to work. We first took a range of measurements and images to assist in creating a digital foundation of the shape, and then scaled up the original label design. Even smaller details like the shape of the lid, and the fine print on the labels that no one typically reads, were all reflected in the giant inflatable bottle designs. We find paying attention to these details gives the final product a more authentic look.

Expectations were set regarding the lifespan of the product and advice on care and safety were also outlined with a strong approach; these inflatables in the wrong hands could hurt someone.  After the initial shape was agreed on and the expectations by both parties were mutually appreciated, we moved to fine tuning the artwork. This led us to the first steps to producing the inflatables. 

From Concept To Completion

From start to finish, this project took around 7 weeks to complete. To give you an idea on how this went down, we have broken down the steps taken from concept to completion:

Week 1

• Initial call and consultation 
• Getting a brief together
• Initial costings given and artwork files to support brief

Week 2+3

• Initial 3D design created 
• Label art from marketing supplied
• Design tweaked as required 
• Invoice finalised and payment made 
• Final design approved.

Week 4+5

• Production of inflatable bottle begins
• Materials printed (where required)
• Stock material cut to meet template requirements 
• Materials sewn and welded based on client’s required needs
• Initial testing

Week 6

• Final tweaks and testing 
• Product shipped from production facility

Week 7

• We double checked everything and performed final testing, including the inflatable and blowers 
• The completed product is then ready to be dispatched to the client.

Can There Be Setbacks?

There were some initial challenges locating the label artwork, which is something to be mindful of, especially if you are on a tight deadline. Ensuring you have the correct files to print at this scale is important, so that you get the best print results. 

Material samples and colour samples can also be an important, but time consuming process. For our Pure Blonde client, a colour sample was requested to compare the colour of the green PVC against the colour of the real item. It worked out favourably in this case, but it only proves the importance of samples as not everyone will be satisfied with the differences in colour. When it comes to printing at least, we use pantone colour matching to get the closest possible match.

How The Inflatables Turned Out

These inflatable beer bottles have now been in use for over 3 years and are serving the client well, creating a show stopping addition at their events. A great replication of a well known product; there’s no denying what it is!

We deliver our custom inflatable bottles Australia wide. Are you looking for one? Get in touch today!