Inflatable Arches & Event Structures

A printed fabric shell held up by air pressure from a blower that runs the whole time it is standing, not a sealed balloon. The range covers round, square and angled arches, tents, advertising columns and tube men.

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800+ Products available

50,000+ Orders

30+ Countries

22+ Years experience

800+ Products available

50,000+ Orders

30+ Countries

22+ Years experience

What our customers say

4.9from 7,200+ reviews

Ordered a backdrop banner, they recommended enhancing image. A good call. The banner arrived within a week and it looks great/ good quality. Will use them again

Shaun PageEvents Director, BluePeak

The whole experience from designing, viewing the mock-up and delivery was simple and efficient. The end product proved to be better than expected. Will be ordering again.

Des DavidEvents Director, BluePeak

The customer service was awesome. Placed order on the Friday, recieved mock up on Saturday and recieved our order in 5 days. Very efficient process and happy with the product. This is our second order.

DianaFounder, Trendline Co.

Good communication. Very helpful. The product we ordered is as we anticipated. A canvas bag was included, along with Velcro tape for installation. Overall, it was an excellent experience. We are very happy with the result and would not hesitate to recommend them to others.

Michele BakerBrand Manager, NovaTech

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an inflatable arch take to install? +

Ten to fifteen minutes for a large arch with two people, which makes it the fastest big structure you can put on a site. Unroll it, peg or weight the feet, connect the blower and stand back while it fills. Compare that with an hour of frame assembly for anything rigid of the same span. Pack-down is the slower half, because the fabric has to be walked flat and rolled before it will go back in the bag.

Does it need power the whole time? +

Yes. The blower runs continuously, so you need either a mains outlet within lead reach or a generator, and nothing here stands up without one. Budget for a dedicated 10 amp circuit rather than sharing with a coffee cart. Every lead, board and fitting has to be test-and-tagged to AS/NZS 3760 and venues do check, so tag the blower lead before the event rather than arguing about it at the gate.

What happens if the wind picks up? +

It sags and folds down rather than snapping, which is the safety argument for inflatables over rigid frames. Losing power has the same effect: the structure loses shape in seconds and lies on the ground instead of breaking apart and throwing sections into a crowd. That said, a fully inflated arch is a large sail while it is standing, so bring it down deliberately in strong wind rather than waiting to see what happens.

How do I anchor one down? +

Every anchor point, every time, before the blower goes on. On grass, long pegs through the webbing loops at each foot. On bitumen, concrete or paving, sand bags or weight plates on each foot plus guy lines out to more weight, because there is nothing to peg into. An arch pulls hardest at the two legs, so put the heaviest ballast there and check the lines again once it is at full pressure.

Can I switch the blower off between sessions? +

You can, and that is normal practice. The structure is down in under a minute and back up in a couple, so shutting off over a lunch break costs you nothing. What you cannot do is leave it inflated with the blower off, because no valve is holding pressure in. If the site is unattended overnight, deflate it, roll it and take it with you rather than leaving it lying inflated in the weather.

Arch, column or tube man for a finish line? +

Arch over the line, columns down the funnel, tube man out on the road. A Round Arch Inflatable or Square Arch Inflatable spans the timing gate and gives the finish photo its frame. Inflatable Advertising Columns cost less each and work in pairs or rows to mark a chute or an entry path. An Inflatable Tube Man is not a wayfinding device, it is a movement-based attention grabber for a roadside frontage.

How is this different from a printed marquee? +

An inflatable is a shape, a marquee is shelter. The V-Arc Inflatable Tents here give you cover with no internal poles and a soft edge, which is why they photograph well, but they need a blower running all day and cannot be walled in and locked. A marquee from our Custom Printed Marquees (3m x 3m & 3m x 6m) range holds gear and staff and stays up overnight. Buy the inflatable for the entrance and the marquee for the stall.

How do I look after it, and how do I order? +

Dry it before rolling. Fabric packed damp will mildew inside the bag and the marks come through the print. Small punctures patch rather than replace, and the blower is the part most likely to fail, which is why a spare Air Dancer Blower is worth carrying. Send your dimensions and artwork to support@backdropsource.com.au or call +61 7 3053 8668 to start. Artwork help and a 2D mockup are free, shipping is free Australia-wide, and hardware has a 1-year warranty.