Author: Kevin Wieging
Growth of the IOA Safety Conference and Expo is through attendee feedback.
After the first year in 2025, ideas were shared and a few comments were shared. Each year we hope to improve and add more opportunities for IOA members to be involved. This includes the education and safety training, and (as a group of FUN Focused business owners), everyone agreed we should also have FUN in addition to the learning.
The Idea… Share in a little competition showcasing the skills we use everyday providing awesome attractions to our customers. AGREED!! The 2026 “IOA Company Challenge Games” was born! The planning started immediately after the first IOA Expo and the goal was to provide a few challenges that could be evaluated, timed, scored, and also just provide a FUN EXPERIENCE.
Driving stakes. Maybe?
An inflatable rolling contest on a combo inflatable. Interesting?
Mechanical Dolly—Oh yeah, let’s organize a figure 8 style dolly course!
Need MORE FUN? It’s a FIFA World CUP year, let’s have a little soccer challenge with scoring.
The pieces started coming together and after a stumble with staffing responsibilities (yep, this was exactly like a real life big inflatable amusement event being organized), the pieces were all put together and the event started to take shape.
The first time organizing something is always the most challenging! Taking into account nearly 30 teams that registered, this event took shape quickly with the sponsors. The final organization was accepted by Supergames, Ohio. Already having several staff members that were registered to attend and achieve safety certification, as an IOA member eager to help.
Everything started to come together and SG brought pennant flags, stop watches, and SIX different challenges that were only written on paper to life- Great Job Guys!!
SPONSORS.
We needed someone to help organize, emcee, bring some energy, and YES- WINNERS need rewards! Big and Bright Inflatables Matt Billington agreed to emcee the event and BIG BONUS, agreed to provide a “Good Vibes” bounce house to the WINNERS!!
The FUN PART—A Soccer Kick Challenge! Who would agree to do that? Magic Jump was 100% in for assisting and providing their carnival series of awesome games to provide a soccer kick challenge. AND—encouraged their staff to jump in to help supervise and score the game during the event. It was AGREED (because ideas come through collaboration) that the soccer kick challenge would also be provided for the 2nd place challenge finishers- THANKS YOU to Magic Jump for being a team player!!
ONE of the most FUN events also had to be the POWER DOLLY slalom type course. Load the 18’ Slide, tip back the dolly, and hustle through the course. Who would IOA recruit for a POWER DOLLY?
Known for helping customers out, exhibiting at BOTH the very first and 2nd IOA EXPO, the conversation was a simple process of discovery to contact RollsAll to provide the power dolly, and YES!!– Tommy and Jessica agreed to ALSO provide a manual dolly for the 3rd take home PRIZE!
This event was destine for success!
Forecast… COLD!
Event status questionable?
Not Event a chance to cancel.
The SUN was out and teams were READY!
It was a chilly 45-50 degrees, but the sun did shine brightly on the IOA Company Challenge Games. Each of SIX DIFFERENT challenge events were timed or scored and THREE teams emerged and the competitive vibes were 100% alive in the grassy field just outside the EXPO center.
Learning took place from the education related to HR development, electricity, safety with staking, weather, and pre-opening inspection processes. It was a lot of FUN however, to accept the challenge and HI-FIVE teammates, see how quickly two people could roll a standard size combo (WOW!!), maybe talk SMACK just a little bit, and at the end of the day, share in the GOOD VIBES the inflatable industry is responsible for providing to thousands of customers each year!
Success!!
1st Place—Sky Inflatables and More, Bowling Green, KY winning the GOOD VIBES bounce provided by Big And Bright Inflatables
2nd Place—Air Bounce Inflatables & Party Rentals, Caledonia, Ontario winning the Soccer Kick game provided by Magic Jump
3rd Place—Twin City Inflatables, Lexington NC winning the RollsAll manual dolly provided by RollsAll
Put YOUR skills to work as the seasonal nature of many events are ready to go CRAZY everywhere you find a successful inflatable amusement rental business. We would like to think all the EDUCATION and TRAINING provided provides a championship performance by IOA Members and those taking part in the IOA Conference. The Challenge games was about building friendships as much as it was about competition, and SUCCESS, the reviews are in following the events and IOA Inflatable Safety Conference and Amusement Expo will return with the IOA Company Challenge Games for 2027!
Stay tuned for the 2026 IOA Company Challenge Games Highlights video!
Plan to Attend February 1-4, 2027 and bring your Varsity inflatable Team. The Challenges and educational events will return to Lebanon, TN (Nashville!).
