Knowing that visibility is key to any event, The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) required a whole fleet of community event arches (ten to be exact) to be used in community events. The arches were a way to symbolise togetherness and working as a team. The ten arches were to be distributed to various community and sporting groups across the state of Western Australia. The goal was to have a large enough archway that at various community events it could easily be transported, quickly set up and fit into many spaces while still being visible, and eye-catching.
The Concept
Working alongside the multiple groups involved the DLGSC there were many opinions and thoughts about the best use of the inflatables in the multitude of events that were planned not only that year but in coming years. The thoughts that had been included that the inflatables needed to be fun, versatile, add an element of excitement without being so one dimensional that they would only be appropriate at some events, but not all. The decision was made to create an archway. Not only are inflatable archways interesting, fun, and exciting but they also add an element of being drawn to go through the archway.
The versatility along with the high visibility at events made the community event arch a perfect choice. Not only was it something people are drawn towards, easily recognisable, but the availability of advertising space also landed itself to the final decision.
Artwork and Design
While the design of the archway was seemingly simple in the beginning when the client was presented with the variety of types and sizes of archways that could be made there were more decisions to be made. There were many conversations as the clients were unsure of whether to have set advertising on the archway or not. In the end it was decided that what was easiest and most versatile was a blank archway. This would lend itself to being able to offer a variety of advertising based on the community event arch we would craft for the client.
The only printing that would be used would be the government branding. There was also the inclusion of detachable banners, which worked well within budget and were easy to replace if damaged or lost. Again, the versatility of the aches was centre stage in the entire plan and design process. The end product ended up as white archways, with the government logo.
The design began in 2021 at the beginning of the lockdown. Western Australia was not as heavily affected as the rest of the world; there were still constraints on gatherings and events which led to the slowing of the project. The uncertainty of the times led to a significant slowing of the project pace and with it the final product itself. We were more than patient with the client, again because of the uncertainty of the time, but after a year the order was finalised and fabrication began.
Specifications
The community archways were designed as follows. The design began with the arches being six metres wide and five metres tall. The design ended up with the arches being more angled than rounded to allow for more flexibility and less strain on the fabric. The client decided that durability was a main concern as the archways would be moved from event to event over time. They decided on 100% PVC fabric as it’s more durable and will extend the lifespan of each community event arch.
The detachable banners also added a level of professionalism while using the arches as the government is not normally associated with fun and excitement, but the archways helped to bring in the joy to more events. The banners also allowed for multiple different variations depending on the venue and event.
Designs could range from simple to complex and involved with a simple switch or added Velcro banner. The client also wished for an external blower as it made more sense with the size of the archways and it also lends itself to more weight at the bottom of the community event arch to help with stabilisation.
If you are planning some event and want your brand to be seen with the help of a community event arch, then call us today at Inflatable Anything and our team of experts will make it happen.
