AIRCO is Gearing Up!

AIRCO Town Hall Meeting Recap

Apologies, we had to cancel the meeting at the last minute this month. Please remember you are always welcome to use the chat room to catch up, whether there is a meeting or not!

Our big announcement for this month is the addition of another board of director's position! Chris Kinkade has agreed to take on the role of committee chair for Member Recruitment and Membership Issues and we are thrilled to have him on board. Chris has a lot of enthusiasm for AIRCO and will help us to get things moving!

You still can't join AIRCO! Why? I'm still working with the survey system. One of the key issues we want to address with AIRCO is the lack of information and benchmarks in the industry, so we really want to make sure the survey system is able to handle our data for the long term. I just haven't been satisfied with the software I've tested to date.

Also, with the busy season upon us, it's a little harder for people to get involved. As things slow down for the mid-summer lull, we'll finalize the details and open up registration. We ARE close.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the articles section on the AIRCO site for past newsletter articles and other useful information. If you'd like to volunteer to be on an AIRCO committee, please send me an email to let me know you are interested!

-Scottie Claiborne

Is It Candy or Art?

Product Profile- Pucker Powder, The Fusion of Creativity and Candy

By Mike Reigel

What do you get when you combine creating a work of art with great tasting candy? Pucker Powder of course! Kids love being creative and they also love candy! Pucker Powder Candy Art Kits allow kids to construct a masterpiece that not only looks good, but tastes good too.

Pucker Powder is similar to sand art but what really sets it apart is the fact that it is edible!

Candy art kits are available in two different sizes. Medium kits contain enough candy tubes and tops for 16 children to create their own 6" Pucker Powder Art. Large kits will create 24. The medium kits retail for $16.00 and cost only $7.25. The large kits retail for $24.00 and cost $10.50.

There are many different ways you could use Pucker Powder candy art kits for your business. You could sell them at retail value for a nice profit or have a special offer in which you sell them at half price with the rental of an inflatable. They could also make an inexpensive gift to reward repeat customers.

Bruce Goldstein from Creative Concepts, the makers of Pucker Powder, says that parents are always looking for activities that take up time during a party. Pucker Powder is such an activity.

For more information on Pucker Powder Candy Art Kits, visit www.puckerpowder.com or call 1-888-460-4623.

Hopping in North Carolina

Member Profile- R & S Moonwalk's Roy Gurley

By Harold Fisher

For this month's member spotlight we chose Roy Gurley who owns and operates RS Moonwalks in North Carolina. We chose Roy because it is almost Father's Day and Roy is the very first or you could say the founding father of the original forum. Sit back with a cold tall glass of iced tea and read what Roy has to say!

AIRCO: How long have been in the business?
Roy: I've been doing the moonwalks business for 4 years.....but did Flea Mkt. as a vendor for 14 years on week-ends along with being a 18 wheeler driver.

AIRCO: What do you rent?
Roy: Just moonwalks!

AIRCO: How many employees do you have?
Roy: 1 other than my wife and me.

AIRCO: What inspired you to start the business?
Roy: Love for kids!

AIRCO: Where do you aim your business at back yard parties or festivals?
Roy: Back yard parties, but we do a "few" festivals

AIRCO: What types of changes have you seen while you have been in the industry, would you consider these good or bad?
Roy: There are more and more rules to follow here in NC [example 40" stakes for a moonwalk but only 30" in ground] . To me that is Just a little OVER KILL, but that's the rules. I agree with a lot of the rules that has changed over the years but there is getting to be more and more [FLY by Night] operators out here that to my option are just after the "FAST BUCK" and could care less about safety!

AIRCO: Do you feel that your state is over or under regulated?
Roy: Other than the deal on the 40" stakes I have no problem with the rules NC has. It has helped in the way that companies operate here in the state.

AIRCO: What types of changes would you like to see made in the industry?
Roy: Get more companies to think about the KID'S safety other than the ALL Mighty Dollar!

AIRCO: What is your biggest concern for the future of the industry, skyrocketing insurance prices or eroding rental rates.
Roy: Insurance is the biggest concern now. Sure we have some around here that are trying to cut the prices but I don't just Rent an inflatable, We sell our SERVICE and people have no problem paying for it.

AIRCO: What do you think can be done to fix the problem.
Roy: Getting companies to think SAFETY FIRST instead of how fast they can make another gig.

AIRCO: Finally if you could give somebody just starting in the business a bit of advice what would it be?
Roy: First, if you are getting into it to Get Rich, FORGET IT. It takes a lot of HARD WORK, LONG HOURS, but it is Very enjoyable to us Just to see the "BIG SMILES from the Kids!" We really enjoy working & playing with the Kids at the Events.

Thanks Roy, for taking out the time of your very busy schedule to answer our questions. We hope you a summer of sunny weekends and dry moonwalks.

Are you REALLY Bringing the Fun or Just Delivering the Equipment?

Attitudes are Infectious!

By Scottie Claiborne

I recently took a family trip to a nearby theme park. My 3-year-old daughter and her 3-year-old cousin didn't have a wide variety of rides they were allowed on, so they ended up riding the "baby" swing ride about 5 times.

While they loved the ride, by about the 4th time, the excitement was gone and they just sat quietly on the ride as it spun them around. I asked them, did they REALLY want to go again? Yes! Yes! Yes! They cried. So, we went around to the entrance and loaded them up again.

This time, things were a little different. Directly in front of the two of them was a little girl about the same age with curly dark hair. Her excitement was obvious! She hopped and danced and chattered while waiting for her dad to settle her in her seat. Once settled, she called out to him over and over, See me? I'M RIDING!

My girls were quite interested in this little girl and watched her intently. As the ride started up, she started to laugh wildly. My girls started to laugh too… and the children in front of this girl started giggling and making noises as well. Soon, the whole ride was laughing it up as they spun around- what was previously a bunch of tired children going through the motions was suddenly an excited group having fun.

One happy little girl made the difference.

On a similar note, we went to many rides and attractions throughout the day where the employees were also going through the motions. As long as they worked efficiently, the expression in their face didn't really matter; it wasn't a negative impact, per se.

But there was one small coaster we rode where the ride operator was obviously having fun. She good-naturedly threatened not to let the ride start until we yelled loud enough for her. She cracked jokes at the beginning and end of each ride, all while dispensing instructions and safety cautions. She made that ride fun, and I actually listened to her. I believe her ride was safer than most, because she actually had our attention.

Are You Really Delivering The Fun?

Have you had an attitude check lately? Stop a minute and remember back to your first season. Every rental was like a gift and you were thrilled to be delivering that equipment. Each completed rental not only left you with a rental fee, but also a warm feeling of making kids happy. Do you still feel that way?

Or, like most of us, have you gotten so bogged down in the details, the timetable, the delivery schedule, the fee collection and the WORK of it all, that you've forgotten to have fun? It's way too easy to slip into the harried, fast-moving equipment-installer role and away from the idea of delivering FUN.

5 Ways to Be Fun

1. Smile a lot

No matter how behind you are, remember that every customer is important. You may deliver 5-8 moonwalks to today, but they are only getting one, and they are excited about it!
2. Talk to the kids

The kids are what make our jobs possible. Sure they get underfoot, get in the way, and some are overexcited to the point of insanity, but showing them a little attention not only makes their day happier, it reminds you of why this is such a wonderful business to be in. Parents who observe you being nice to their kids are much more likely to recommend your company to other parents.
3. Bring a Little Something Extra for the Birthday Child

Prizes are inexpensive- consider investing in some small stuffed animals or other small prizes and leave a gift behind for the birthday child. Will they remember you? You bet!
4. Provide Games

Along with instructions on how to use the equipment, provide instructions on keeping the fun alive! You can print out the games from the Moonwalk Rental Directory site to review with the parents.
5. Tell Jokes

You don't have to be original- find 4-5 jokes that work for you and while you are setting up, tell them to the kids who are anxiously waiting to start bouncing.

Why Worry About Being Fun?

• It's Good for YOU!

Staying positive and acting happy (even when you are stressed) actually helps to relieve stress. Often you can turn a bad mood around when you see the delighted reactions of the children and family at the event. This can be a stressful business- focusing on fun helps to keep you motivated.
• It's Good for Business!

In a family-oriented business, personal impressions count for a lot. Being fun can make the difference between a "yeah, we had a moonwalk for the party" and a "you have GOT to get your next moonwalk from this company, they are great!"

If you promise great service, than go the extra mile. Deliver the fun!

Cleaning Wet Inflatables

The most discouraging part of the inflatable industry is RAIN!

Properly drying inflatables is one of the most time consuming but required things we have to do to maintain our equipment. Some inflatables have the big access zippers were small people can actually climb in and vacuum / dry out the units. If you have these units, please do not go into them without someone around to help in case of an emergency.

Some operators say if it is a light rain, leave the units blown up, problem with that is the blower will suck in water to the unit. Deflating it will allow water to enter through the seams. Having the customer fold it and covering it is the best thing if there is no one available to roll it up.

When an inflatable is blown up the air pressure will hold water up against the vinyl and not allow all of it to blow out the seams. Some of the baffle material and netting will also absorb and hold moisture.

When I have wet units we blow them up and tilt them to one side (facing the sun) with a hand truck under it for support. This allows standing water to go to one side and blow out of the stitch work. When it appears dry from the outside remove the hand truck, deflate the unit and allow any water up in the columns and support tubes to run back down. After it is deflated, blow it back up again. This will allow water to move around and drain out again. We repeat this operation several times to allow it to dry completely. We also spray Microban® into the unit which will kill and prevent mildew from starting.

In some worst cases where a unit has been left out in hours of rain we resort to slitting a small hole on the BOTTOM of the unit towards the front corner and tilt the unit on its side to allow water to flow out of it on site. This can be easily patched when you get it back and dried out.

By doing it in the same area for your units it will also make it easier if it happens again. Just pull the patch off the next time. It is on the bottom of the unit so looks are not all that important.

You will find that some manufactures use material that can hold up longer than others. I do set a priority though. Any thing with digital graphics or clear vinyl gets cleaned first. The water seems to want to damage the graphics before plain or painted vinyl.

The most important thing is to get them dry ASAP. There is a substantial investment in this business and once mildew has set into the scrim of vinyl it is impossible to get out.

Craig Gustafson

Hot Threads at the Forum

Wrap Up

That's it for the June Advisor! We keep growing like crazy... the Advisor is now received by over 2200 subscribers and the forum is close to 1000 members! We are looking forward to creating a powerful group of rental operators to help shape the industry and keep it growing, profitable, and safe. We want to hear from you! Join us at the forum and let us know what you think about the direction of the industry, and what's needed.

Both the Advisor and the Insider are always looking for information and articles, so if you've got something to share with the industry, send it to me at scottieclaiborne@a-irco.org. We want to hear from you! See you next month, or feel free to join us at the forum anytime, day or night. We hope you have a WONDERFUL Father's Day!