SME News UK Enterprise Awards 2025/ 98 AIS-Apr25060 Best Outdoor Marketing Agency 2025 – South West England & Client Satisfaction Excellence Award 2025 One of the most unique, exciting businesses to feature in this year’s UK Enterprise Awards, Nova Balloon Services Ltd specialises in high-quality advertising inflatables and hot air balloons for marketing and raising brand awareness. Since being set up in 2017 and going full time after COVID-19 restrictions eased, the company has secured an impressive client list – ranging from the NHS and Coca-Cola to Pokémon, MTV, and Gymshark. Founder Doug Hoddinott filled us in on the details. Turning his hobby of ballooning into a company that has gone from strength to strength over the past eight years, Nova Balloon Services is a dream come true for Doug. Coming from the most humble of beginnings, the company has grown as a result of hard work and the decision to focus on the niche of creative, inflatable advertising. Today, its range of products is expansive, covering everything from air dancers and helium inflatables through to inflatable product replicas, bespoke inflatables, and advertising hot air balloons. It is this diversity that sets Nova Balloon Services apart, as whilst there are companies offering hot air balloons for advertising and others specialising in inflatables for advertising, there is really no other that does both. As Doug explained: “Whether it is a simple air dancer inflatable or a 150-feet-tall bespoke balloon, exceeding our customers’ expectations is always the most important thing. Luckily, because of how visually stunning what we do is, our clients find achieving their marketing goals much easier.” The company’s mission to create inflatables that are not only realistic but also engaging and different is ongoing. This commitment has taken Nova Balloon Services across the UK and further into Europe, Asia, and Africa. Somewhat ironically for this company based in Bristol, the international market is bigger for these types of products than it currently is in the UK. Doug and his team are striving to change this however, demonstrating the versatility and effectiveness of aerial marketing for UK businesses at every turn. More recently, this has led to the company branching out, running and organising events around the UK that promote ballooning and inflatable advertising. As well as these events, Nova Balloon Services is a mainstay at other prestigious events around the UK, and this year will have four balloons at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. These will promote both the NHS Organ Donor Register and Benchmark Builders – a new, local client as well as a brand new client to be revealed. Nova Balloon Services’ growing reputation is aided further by its independent status, which distinguishes it in a market filled with consolidation. Doug told us: “Customers will search on the internet and gather quotes from a number of websites, only to find they are dealing with the same company.” This does make it difficult for this outdoor marketing company to make its presence felt in the digital sphere, but the calibre of its work more than makes up for this, with its eye-catching designs bringing in a steady stream of diverse businesses. The inherent diversity of working in this space is one of the most rewarding aspects of the role for Doug and the creative, hardworking people comprising his team. For example, one day they may be at a music festival in Essex, the next day working with an international fashion brand, and at a wedding in Shropshire the day after that. The Summer can see the company numbers swell up to 20 people at festivals and events all around the country during the summer promoting brands and businesses. With this period fast approaching, Doug tells us that Nova Balloon Services is set to begin a tour of events very shortly, and it is currently organising hot air balloons around the country for these. Other projects include a suite of client-specific hot air ballons, an inflatable planet replica, as well as realistic, size-accurate animal and dinosaur inflatables – the latter of which are set to be hired out to bolster the company’s offerings even further. Be it for a corporate event, a grand opening, a community meeting, or a marketing promotion, the custom inflatables that Doug and the team at Nova Balloon Services Ltd specialise in all serve as a meticulous blend of creativity and precision engineering – with every item delivered being of the highest standards when it comes to reliability, durability, and aesthetic value. As a result, this creative outdoor marketing company is more than deserving of this duo of awards and a place in the programme. Contact: Doug Hoddinott Company: Nova Balloon Services Ltd Web Address: https://www.novainflatables.co.uk/ Nova Balloon Services Ltd
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