Foam party

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A foam party is a social event at a nightclub or dance club in which participants dance to music played by a DJ and drink on a dance floor covered several feet of suds and bubbles dispensed from a foam generator machine. Foam party companies use special non-toxic, non-staining, hypo-allergenic solutions to generate their foam.

Participants may wear bathing suits or beach attire, snorkeling goggles, sunglasses, and shower caps. Many participants arrive fully clothed, but then partially disrobe as the evening progresses. Some dance clubs have weekly foam parties throughout the summer, and include features such as a hot tub to maintain the beach party atmosphere. Foam parties can be a one-off event, such as a party at the end of a school year, such as the Mather Lather at Harvard University's Mather House.

[edit] Safety issues

Household soap or detergents should not be used to generate party foam, because they are not pH-neutral and often contain protein-dissolving enzymes. If they are used at a foam party, the foam will cause serious eye and respiratory system irritation. The exception is Johnson & Johnson brand baby soap, which is non-irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes; unfortunately it is not cost-effective for large parties. Reputable foam party companies use special non-toxic, non-staining, hypo-allergenic solutions to generate their foam.

Foam must not make contact with electrical equipment. Electrical outlets should be shut off at the breaker panel. The foam generators must be kept clear of dance floor lighting, because foam may be drawn in by lighting fixtures' cooling fans and cause serious damage. The foam generators, pumps, and related electrical equipment should be operated on circuits protected by a Balance Fault Interrupter (BFI), GFCI, or similar device that disconnects electricity whenever there is a current to ground or ground fault.

Because foam parties create a wet, slippery, and disorienting environment, glass bottles and beverage glasses should not be used. When a beverage is only sold in a glass bottle, the venue staff typically pour it into a plastic cup to avoid the risk of a customer slipping and falling on a broken bottle or glass. Tripping hazards such as tables and chairs are also removed from the area filled with foam. In some municipalities, special licenses are required for the club prior to a foam party being held and some clubs require attendees to sign a liability waiver before entering.

[edit] Foam Generation

Generating hundreds of cubic meters of foam in a club environment is difficult, because foam breaks down rapidly after it is generated and breakdown is greatly accelerated by heat from club lights, air flow, and people moving through the foam. The event shown in the photos above lasted four hours and was held on a dance floor measuring 10m x 15m. It requires three foam generators, about 80 liters of foam concentrate, and over 500 liters of water to keep this size of dance floor filled with foam for the evening.

Foam concentrate is diluted with water in a 150 liter plastic garbage can or 220 liter drum and pumped to the foam generator, which suspended from the ceiling. Then it is sprayed on to the fabric bag. By adjusting the air volume from the blower, solution flow, and thread-count of the bag's fabric, different foam consistencies can be achieved, ranging from a thick shaving cream texture to large bubbles. The distribution of foam can range from a blizzard-like effect of small bubbles to a thick mass of bubbles.

Some club operators have used commercial foam cannons capable of shooting jets of foam over 10 meters - either at people in the crowd, or up in the air. Foam cannons have been used for a long time in firefighting and crowd control, but have recently been used for mass decontamination (with MDF200 decon foam). The use of foam cannons in clubs has been limited by high cost and the need for a source of high-volume high-pressure air to launch the foam.

[edit] Avoiding Damage to the Venue

Foam parties can cause damage to venues. They must be planned very carefully to avoid expensive repairs. Because foam contains water and a wetting agent (soap), it soaks into everything it touches and readily wicks into painted surfaces, wooden floors, and drywall at the base of walls. It will also readily saturate upholstered surfaces such as furniture, draperies, and carpets. Carpets are of particular concern because water can be absorbed by ant trapped within the carpet's under padding, creating an environment for mold and fungus growth.

All of these items must either be covered with plastic or removed from the venue.

If these countermeasures fail, one of the fastest methods to "dry out" a venue is to circulate the air within the venue with large fans, while stripping the moisture out of the air using industrial size Dehumidifier obtained from a local equipment rental shop. Note that "consumer" grade units are not adequate for the job.

Filling a dance floor with foam can raise the water content of the venue's air to near 100% humidity, causing water to condense on pipes, windows, metal doors, and any other surface that is below the dew point. This can cause serious problems when foam parties are held in cold climates during the winter, causing condensation on the walls and ice buildup in building's HVAC ducts. If a venue is known to be poorly insulated or have air circulation problems, it may be wise to have an industrial size Dehumidifier on site. These units can be obtained from a local equipment rental shop. Note that "consumer" grade units are not adequate for the job.

Water from the foam that is not absorbed by the air will pool on the dance floor. If drainage is not provided for the hundreds of liters of water over the course of a night, it can flood the venue. If other parts of the venue can be damaged by water, it is important to provide a dry-off or buffer area between the dance floor and the rest of the club, otherwise foam and water will be tracked by participants into other parts of the venue.

There have been several reports in the media of severe allergic skin or eye reactions to party foam, but in almost all cases this has been the result of inexperienced operators using dishwashing liquids instead of non-irritating foam. Participants with allergies to soap should either wear appropriate protective clothing such as a dental mask and Tyvek coveralls, or avoid contact with the foam entirely. Another issue that can occur at foam parties is groping, when the dancers are partially disrobed on the foam-covered dance floor.

Sore throats have also commonly been reported, but it is not yet known if this is from the spreading of communicable disease (such as common cold) through the foam, if it is a direct effect of chemical ingestion of the foam, if the foam merely temporarily weakens the immune system through exposure, or if it is just simply a matter of people being cold and wet, and then going out into the cold with wet bodies and hair. Some venues provide shower facilities to cleanse the foam from the body. Visitors of foam parties must also protect electronic devices like cameras and mobile phones from the foam, because it may damage them. Some patrons claim that credit cards or pay cards can be damaged by the foam.de:Schaumparty