Confetti & Streamer Events: How To Cover Your Crowd

How Much to Get, What to Buy, and Which Launch Technique to Use for Your Event.

ShowPro Convention confetti effect.

1. What To Get

Your event's location will determine the best product to buy.

Parade routes, sports events, school rallies and conventions: Biodegradable tissue is a great all-around choice. With a broad color range, these bright papers are fire-resistant and 100% recyclable.

Film, theater, concerts and photo shoots: Use flashy metallic/tissue mixes, where lighting lets you make the most of the shimmer.

Beach, riverside, lakeside and other sensitive environments: Use dissolving effects.

Competitions: Use Stay-Attached Handthrows when you need to leave the stage pristine.

2. How Much To Get

Choose Many People You Want to Cover: Less Than 200? More Than 200?

Your crowd may be large - do you want to shower all of the people with your effect, or concentrate on a certain area? And are they spread out or clustered? Are the people you want to shower seated in bleachers? Spread out on a lawn, in an arena, along a parade route or on a convention floor?

Cover Less Than 200 People

Rafter, Balcony or Rooftop Toss

Use Bulk Confetti: 5-10 pounds should give you a good look. Tissue rectangles and 2" shapes give you the longest float time. Twizzle shapes add spirals. Metallics shine, but get slippery underfoot in large quantities. Better to opt for our 25%/75% Flashy Mix of metallic and tissue for glimmer.

Confetti Cannons and Handheld Launchers

Use Confetti and Streamers. The "kapow" sound of the CO2-propelled launch adds to excitement. Launch sleeves of confetti and streamers from Kabuki Handheld Celebration Launchers or professional RC-2 cannons.

For spread-out crowds and bleachers, space launchers every 10 feet.
Each sleeved product description includes how much to plan per type of launcher. Multiply by how your planned number of launches.
Get enough CO2 for all of your planned launches plus a few rehearsals for aiming purposes.

Blown "Fountain" Effects

Use electric ShotMax blowers spaced every 10 feet. Blowers create a "vacuum" sound. Use these behind music or when crowd noise is part of the fun.

Order 1/4 lb. of bluk confetti per second of your planned Shot Max launch.

Cover 200+ People

Rafter or Rooftop Toss

Use Bulk Confetti. To gauge your purchase amount, the biggest indoor political conventions can use 600-1000 lbs. of tissue confetti.

Tissue rectangles and 2" shapes give you the longest float time. Again, consider substituting Flashy Mixes for all-metallics. Pure metallics shine, but are slippery once on the ground.

Blown "Fountain" Effects

ShotMax: For best coverage, mount these on trusses or place to take advantage of air currents. Order 1/4 lb. of bulk confetti per second of your planned launch.
Cyclone and Super Cyclone: Space about 20 feet apart. Order 1 lb. of bulk confetti per second of your planned launch.

Cannon Effects: Use Streamers

Streamers will give you the farthest reach. Use them alone, or with added tissue "bubbles", rectangles or shapes.

Launch streamers from clusters Kabuki Handheld Celebration Launchers or multiple professional RC-2 cannons placed at different angles or rigged to trusses.

For spread-out crowds and bleachers, space launchers every 10 feet.
Each sleeved product description includes how much to plan per type of launcher. Multiply by how your planned number of launches.
Get enough CO2 for all of your planned launches plus a few rehearsals for aiming purposes.

Confetti Cleanup

The crowd typically scoops up streamers for you and often takes them home as souvenirs. To speed up confetti cleanup, opt for leaf blowers, set on low.