Wikipedia

Treb Heining

Treb Heining (born c. 1954) is an American businessman, inventor, and special effects artist best-known for creating large-scale balloon displays, large-scale confetti displays, and inventing designs for balloon-based decorations. He founded his company, BalloonArt by Treb in 1979, and has been dubbed the "father of the balloon industry" and "the balloon guy". Heining has been responsible for orchestrating balloon drops at many major events in the United States (including Super Bowls, the Academy Awards, and those at presidential nominating conventions). He also has overseen the confetti displays at the annual Times Square ball drop since the ceremony held to ring in the year 1993.

Biography

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Heining is considered a pioneer in the ballon industry, even being dubbed "the father of the balloon industry"[1] and "The Balloon Man".[2] His career began with his first job the age of fifteen in the year 1969, with the humble start of a job selling balloons to parkgoers at Disneyland.[1][3][4] In the 1970s, Heining ventured into inventing designs for balloon decorations, including inventing the balloon column.[1][5] In 1979, he established BalloonArt by Treb, a company initially specializing in the creation balloon decorations for events and parties.[1][3] That same year, he invented the balloon arch.[1][5] Heining worked events for many celebrities. A large balloon arch he built for a party hosted by Elijah Blue Allman resulted in a photo of Allman's mother, Cher, underneath the arch. This photo of Cher brought Heining's arch design great attention, and resulted in an influx of costumer inquiries to his company.[2]

Heining's company's work in large special events initially focused on event decoration for events such as shopping mall grand openings[1] (one such example being the 1982 grand opening of the Grand Avenue Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin).[6] However, as the 1980s progressed, Heining and his company ventured into designing balloon spectacles for major events.[1] Heining oversaw a large scale balloon spectacle featured in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics.[1] In December 1985, Heining and Tom Holowach arranged "Skyfest" at Disneyland, an event that was part of the park's 30th anniversary celebrations. The event set a Guinness World Record for largest number of balloons simultaneously released.[7] Heining provided his expertise to oversee Balloonfest '86, an event which broke that same record he had earlier set at Disneyland.[8][9] Balloonfest had unforeseen complications which marred it.[8] Heining orchestrated a balloon release for the 200th anniversary celebration of the United States Constitution, held at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.[2] He also orchestrated a ballon drop for the 200th anniversary celebration that year of the first inauguration of George Washington. [10] That same year he orchestrated a balloon display in New York City for the 200th anniversary of the first inauguration of George Washington.[11]

A fervent supporter of the presidency of Ronald Reagan Heining published an op-ed in 2011 in which he recounted an experience in 1981 where he had erected an American flag balloon display across the street from Century Plaza hotel when Reagan was staying there to express his support for the president. At the time, Reagan's stay was attracting protests from those opposing him over his firing of air traffic controllers in response to the PATCO Strike. Heining recounted that his flag display expressed his support for the president's leadership.[12] Heining created balloon displays for Reagan's second inauguration in 1985 and Reagan's vice president George H.W. Bush's own presidential inauguration in 1991.[13]

In the 1980s, Heining also expanded his business into orchestrating large-scale balloon drops at special events.[3] He has become a particularly noted expert for balloon drops, especially the balloon drops at major party United States presidential nominating conventions. He began orchestrating Republican National Convention balloon drops at the 1988 Republican National Convention,[14][13] and has thus far been in charge of every Republican National Convention ballon drop since (most recently orchestrating the balloon drop at the 2024 Republican National Convention).[15] He also orchestrated the balloon drops at the Democratic National Conventions of 2000, 2016,[16] and 2024.[17] He also acted as a consultant for balloon drops at other Democratic conventions.[16]

Heining began working with organizers of the Times Square ball drop in 1991.[18] At the end of the year 1992 (and start of the year 1993), Heining's company introduced a confetti effect to the Times Square ball drop that has continued to be used in the decades since,[1][3][4] continuing to be supervised him as of New Years Eve 2025.[4][1] In the 1990s, his in the balloon and special events industry landed him an interview slot in 1990s on the Late Show with David Letterman.[1]

Disney Parks has contracted Heining to design balloon displays for events such as the grand opening of new attractions. In the 1990s, the company had Heining design the so-called "Glasshouse Balloon". A high-selling product, the balloon featured as a clear balloon containing a smaller big-eared Mickey Mouse shaped balloon inside of it. He has continued, in the decades since, to design balloons for Disney's theme park resorts.[1] Other balloon designs Heining has invented include illuminated balloons.[2]

Examples of spectacles at major events

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Events Heining created balloon displays for include:

He has also orchestrated:

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Gavin, Mike (December 31, 2025). "'Confetti Blizzard': Meet the Balloon King Behind the New Year's Eve Confetti in Times Square". NBC New York. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rogers, John (July 30, 2011). "When the Balloons Inflated, So Did a Man's Career". NBC News. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Garber, Megan (August 30, 2012). "With This Man's Help, We Celebrate People by Dropping Balloons on Them". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Culgan, Rossilynne Skena (December 5, 2025). "How Confetti Master Treb Heining showers NYC with joy every New Year's Eve". Time Out New York. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "History". Balloon Arch Birthday. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  6. ↑ Torres, Ricardo (July 5, 2024). "The Man Behind the RNC Balloon Drop in Milwaukee Is Doing His 10th Convention". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  7. ↑ Seager, Susan (December 5, 1985). "1 million balloons released over Disneyland - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Guerrieri, Vince (December 11, 2023). "Balloonfest Made Cleveland A Laughingstock. Did It Deserve It?". defector.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  9. ↑ Martin, Douglas (December 31, 1994). "New Year's Eve: Sizzle and Fizzle; Adding Strobe Lights And Confetti Cannons In Times Square". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  10. ↑ ""Confetti King" Treb Heining Marks 30-Year Reign at Times Square Celebration This New Year's Eve". EIN Presswire. Dorr Public Relations. 21 December 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Paul (December 27, 2008). "All you need is confetti". The Los Angeles Times. Daily Pilot. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  12. ↑ Heining, Treb (February 26, 2011). "Balloon flag, Reagan's note, left him floating". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Goist, Robin (July 7, 2016). "Everything You Need To Know About The 2016 Republican National Convention Balloon Drop". Cleveland.com. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  14. 1 2 "History of the Balloon Drop Tradition at Political Conventions". CBS News. July 23, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Zein, Deema (July 18, 2024). "Meet the man who is pumping air back into the RNC balloon drop". PBS News. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 Barajas, -Joshua (August 20, 2020). "The pandemic popped the balloon drop. Here's why we might not miss it". PBS News. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  17. 1 2 Miller, Violet (August 26, 2024). "DNC's balloon drop also paid tribute to Chicago artist battling cancer". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  18. ↑ Corliss, Richard (January 1, 2007). "A Very Confetti New Year's". Time. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
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