'Confetti Blizzard' Celebrates 25-Year Reign Over Times Square New Years Eve
New York, NY, December 27, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Perched above Times Square on December 31, 2016 at 11:59 and 40 seconds, Treb Heining gives the command into his walkie-talkie for the 25th time, "Go confetti!", "Go confetti!" With that, more than a ton of custom-made confetti, cut into various shapes and sizes, will shimmer down on the celebratory throngs below. This awesome spectacle will be seen on TV and social media everywhere. It sounds easy, but there is art and expertise connected with dispersing mass flurries of confetti. It doesn't just happen. There's rain, snow, and a multitude of other details to consider.
Heining, the world's foremost balloon artist, has staged balloon spectaculars at the Olympics games, Super Bowls, political conventions, as well as amazing special effects for thousands of corporate and celebrity parties. He also holds three official Guinness Book world records; and, not many know he started Times Square's "confetti blizzard" on New Year's Eve.
Of all the events I've done in my life, this is one of the highlights of my career.
Treb Heining
Helping Heining pull off this feat will be volunteers, whom he refers to as "confetti dispersal engineers". They come from all over the United States and abroad. They will pass background checks, receive security credentials, and must comply with a strict list of Heining's rules. Each confetti engineer must be in position, on buildings in the Bow Tie of Times Square, four hours ahead of time. Even more sobering, is foregoing the traditional champagne toast at midnight. Because they have the best seats in the house, so to speak, every year there's a waiting list of enthusiastic people eager for the privilege of lending a hand.
Originally, the Times Square Business Improvement District, now known as the Times Square Alliance, planned to clean up Times Square, which had become a run-down, fringe area. A solution was to enhance the New Year's Eve Ball Drop into a family-friendly experience. In 1992, Heining was contacted; he proposed confetti, giving it that wow factor. After the second year, most assumed confetti had been a tradition for eons. The ginormous New Year's Eve party at Times Square that's centered around the Ball Drop and confetti is watched by one billion people around the world. Heining says, "Of all the events I've done in my life, this is one of the highlights of my career."
About Treb Heining
Treb Heining is an American icon. This quintessential entrepreneur elevated balloons from their humble birthday party status into a professional world-wide decorating industry. Wired for business and artistry, this visionary genius brings to the public never before seen concepts, spectaculars and special effects that, for 38 years, thrilled audiences around the world.
On New Year’s Eve in 1991, Heining generated another spectacular that has since become a time-honored American tradition. He was contacted by the Times Square Business Improvement District that planned to cleanup Times Square, which had become a run-down fringe area. One solution was to enhance the New Year’s Eve ball drop into a far-reaching, yet family-friendly experience. Heining proposed introducing confetti, giving it a wow factor. The ginormous New Year’s Eve party at Times Square that’s centered around the ball drop and his ‘confetti blizzard’ is watched by one billion people around the world.
Treb started as a balloon boy at Disney when he was 15. Today, through his firm, GlassHouse Balloon Company, Inc., Anaheim, California, Heining designs and markets all the balloons sold at Disney theme parks around the world. In 2015, the entrepreneur started two new corporations, TNH Amusements in Hong Kong, and Magic Glasshouse Umbrella in Shanghai, China. The latter runs the balloon vending concession inside Disney’s newest and greatest theme park.
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Source: Treb Heining