During the contest, each problem is assigned a balloon color. For example, problem A is red, problem B is light blue, etc. As teams solve the problems, the corresponding balloon is tied to that team's seating area. The balloons make the contest more visually interesting, indicate the success of the various teams, and can also serve as strategy. If there are many red balloons, but few light blue balloons, then problem A is likely an easy problem and problem B is likely a difficult problem. This helps to make the contest more interesting for all involved.