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Month Jan/Feb 15 Issue 5 Volume 15

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contents Regulars

January/February 2015 Issue 5 Volume 15

7

Leader with Rhys Thomas

8

News – what’s the latest?

12

Exhibition news – updates from the trade show calendar

14

Licensing news – the latest from the world of licensing

16

What’s new – unmissable new products

17

Paul Yeomans pyeomans@lemapublishing.co.uk

Quick-fire round – with Northstar Balloons’ Nikki Thompson

18

Retail interview – Peeks’ Purchasing Director, Ian Matthews, talks multi-channel retail, the rise of licensed product and more

Publishing Director

25

Party patter – Independent retailers have their say on New Year’s resolutions, merchandising and Spring Fair

Party Party team Editor Rhys Thomas rhys@lemapublishing.co.uk

Advertisement Manager

Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

22

Features 22

Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Spring Fair preview – We spoke to exhibitors ahead of the show to get the inside track

26

Spring Fair exhibitor guide – Plan your trip with a first look at what the exhibitors are showcasing

Managing Director

38

Product spotlight – Everything you need to know about Amscan’s Orbz balloons

41

Product profile– Make any party a highlight with the new Sparkle Lites range from House Parti

42

Product profile – Get to grips with Premium Balloon Accessories’ new balloon inflators

Production Director

Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Lema Publishing Ltd

PUBLISHING

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Columnists 20

Talk to an Angel – Think you know everything about maximising your time at trade shows? Think again

40

Mark Brett gives us his rather candid lowdown

46

The Word – Any store can look a million dollars with elbow grease and a little creativity, says BAPIA’s John Bowler

47

Recipe of the month – Boost sales with this month’s Mothering Sunday special balloon design

At the heart of retail The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

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H

ands up if you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution?

That’s the question everyone asks throughout January, but what they really want to know is what your resolutions are. Well, this month we spoke to a handful of party retailers to find out exactly that.

The beginning of every year is the perfect time to reassess all aspects of our lives, so it makes perfect sense to make a ‘retail resolution’ along with our personal vows to definitely go running every morning whatever the weather, no excuses. You can find out what challenges retailers have set themselves this year over on page 25 - so whether your aim is to get more customers through the door or change the window display at least twice a week, know that you’re in good company.

We spoke to the exhibitors to find out what they’ll be showing this year, and why a trip to Spring Fair is a critical part of their year Our columnist John Bowler might have some ideas to get you started on the display front. This month he explores simple but effective ways to add polish to any storefront on page 46. He also looks at how best to source merchandising advice at Spring Fair this year. There’s lots of great advice there, and Sue Bowler, CBA returns with another balloon recipe to get the imagination going. Her Mothering Sunday special recipe on page 47 is sure to bring smiles and sales.

Speaking of balloon recipes, there’s a double helping this issue as Amscan’s Balloon Expert Chris Horne shares a fantastic design using the company’s innovative Orbz balloons.

You can find out how this range of perfectly spherical balloons can help your offering stand out. From the biggest licenses like Frozen to all the major celebrations, Orbz balloons offer a fresh take on this staple product category.

House Parti tells us all why you don’t have to wait until Christmas to bring some sparkle to the party with the new range of illuminating products on page 41. Find out how the diverse Sparkle Lites range can be used in all manner of party décor and balloon displays, giving everyone that works with balloons a stand-out point of difference.

Of course, for the party industry, the year kicks off in earnest at Spring Fair in February.

It’s the perfect place to catch everyone from the party industry under one roof, to see new

products, share knowledge and have a good chinwag with old acquaintances. This year, the party section in Hall 3 welcomes five new exhibitors bringing the total number to more than 40. With so many quality party suppliers in one place, it’s a must-attend event for everyone with an interest in all the fantastic products that make a party memorable.

We spoke to the exhibitors to find out what they’ll be showing this year, and why a trip to Spring Fair is a critical part of their year. You can find our Spring Fair guide starting on page 22 – so get ahead of the game and find out who’s exhibiting and what, at this year’s show.

One retailer that’s gearing up for a full week at Spring Fair is Ian Matthews, Purchasing Director at Bournemouth-based Peeks. Party Party sat down with him ahead of the show to find out what he hopes to find in Birmingham this year, as well as how he juggles the task of balancing staples and fresh product. He also tells us how Peeks use every retail channel available to great effect, from a bricks and mortar store to a B2Bfocused catalogue and website. Plus, get check out advice Ian gives to his colleagues at their first trade show to maximise time and avoid missing hidden gems. You can find that on page 18.

Emma Angel also shares her views on capitalising on the unique possibilities that Spring Fair and other trade shows offer. It’s invaluable insight from an industry veteran, and even if you’ve been attending shows for years, you’re certain to pick up a trick or two by heading over to page 20.

Mark Brett looks at how retailers identify themselves compared to how their customers perceive them, on page 40. And don’t miss Premium Balloon Accessories’ brand new range of inflators on page 42.

Each new product in the range has been designed to handle specific needs for balloon professionals - so whether its speed or precise sizing, Premium has just the ticket.

The Party Party team will be at Spring Fair throughout the five days, so make sure to let us know what you’ve seen that’s getting you excited. See you all on the show floor!

NEWS Christmas cheer It was laughs and smiles all round for the children at Great Ormond Street Hospital in December as the party industry rallied once more for a special Christmas party. Following the success of the BAPIA members’ involvement at the hospital’s Halloween Party in 2014, the industry alliance stepped in to transform the place for a second time.

The event was fantastic and, according to BAPIA’s Chief Executive, John Bowler, on more than one occasion it was pointed out that the balloon décor really did bring the party to life. Once again, the event was oversubscribed and it was only open to BAPIA members. Details will be available soon for companies that are keen to get involved in the event this year.

“From the feedback we received it looks like all of those who took part this year will be putting in their applications again for 2015, so if you want to take part this year keep looking out for the updates,” said John Bowler. “Yes, we have already committed to doing it again in 2015!”

New superstar in sales There’s a new face over at Northstar Balloons as Nikki Thompson joins the company’s UK sales team. Nikki brings with her a wealth of experience having held previous roles at Oaktree UK and more recently Apac, focusing on its new range of foil balloons.

“As a relatively small company in the UK, this is big news – well for us anyway,” said Ivan Smith, VP Sales UK and Ireland, Northstar Balloons. “Nikki comes with a great pedigree!”

Amazing day for Laylamae A balloon decorating training day organised by Sue Bowler CBA in support of balloon industry veteran Bob Armstrong’s granddaughter Layla-mae was a huge success, raising in excess of £8,000. The heart-warming event, which was held in December 2014, aimed to raise money in aid of the special little girl, who unfortunately has a rare brain tumour.

The day was a fun-filled and action-packed day, with 13 of Europe’s top balloon instructors designing and demonstrating new, special designs for the day. Tickets cost just £50 per person, with all funds going directly to the appeal, and there was a mega raffle on the day with lots of fantastic prize!

“What an incredible day! I am so proud to be part of such an amazing industry,” said organiser Sue Bowler. “I can only say a massive thank you to everyone who was part of the Layla-mae Appeal Training day: to the fabulous instructors, the awesome sponsors and prize-givers and our amazing delegates who where so incredibly generous. To raise over £8000 from a group of 100 people is pretty awesome!”

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New Year!

New Fun Shack!

Fun Shack has designs on a strong 2015. The company is doubling down on its design department with the hire of two new designers and the construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art studio.

New designers Sarah Weelands and Kawther Mokhlif have both joined the team, bringing with them combined knowledge of textiles, fashion and costume design, and fashion manufacturing.

The new recruits will work alongside the existing design team in their brand new studio, fully equipped with the latest technology. This will give Fun Shack a leg up with researching and staying on top of the latest trends and continue to bring exciting new costumes to market throughout the year.

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E XHIBITION NEWS The business of toys Those heading to Spielwarenmesse 2015 may be interested in attending the Toy Business Forum.

This year’s informative line-up is certainly one to watch. Running from Wednesday 28 January to Sunday 1 February, the programme covers everything from talks on future trends and innovations to how to attract new consumers with traditional retailing.

The business forum is hosting 17 talks over the course of the fair in Nuremberg and are dedicated to a specific subject each day from licensing to marketing. Log onto www.spielwarenmesse. de to find out more.

See the sights A trip to Christmasworld in Frankfurt wouldn’t be complete without a couple of hours set aside to explore the city itself. But with so much to see at the show, busy schedules often threaten to scupper even the best-laid plans.

Happily then, participants in this year’s Premium Business Programme will have the opportunity for a guided tour around some of the city’s foremost retail destinations, to discover the variety and special features of its booming shopping centre scene.

“This is the first time we are offering this tour of the affluent City of Frankfurt as part of the premium-business programme,” explained Eva Olbrich, Christmasworld Director, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. “It is the perfect way to prepare for our exclusive offering of lectures and networking opportunities on the day following.”

The tour will take participants from the Skyline Plaza on the outskirts of the Messe Frankfurt exhibitiongrounds to the NordWestZentrum and the multi-brand MyZeil centre.

“This special offer means we can offer international shoppingcentre managers and retailers an excellent opportunity to find out about selected German shopping centres,” added Rüdiger Pleus, of Rüdiger Pleus Consulting and representative of the Board of the German Council of Shopping Centers.

Chrsitmasworld opens its doors from 30 January to 3 February 2015. Visit www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com for more.

The May Show has sold out!

Exhibitor space for the 2015 Toymaster May Show has sold out.

In a statement, Toymaster said: “All space has been filled and Toymaster would like to take this opportunity to thank those attending for theta support and we look forward to seeing you in May.” The 2015 Toymaster May Show runs from 12-14 May and will be held once again at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate.

Independent retailers interested in attending can visit www. toymaster.co.uk/may-show-registration for more information.

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Licensing News

Stars in stripes!

Neviti is excited to be launching its brand new collection of licensed Dennis The Menace & Gnasher tableware and party essentials. This collection is sure to be a big hit with fans of the comic, both young and old, and offers a vibrant selection of tableware including plates, cups, bowls, treat tubs and napkins.

The range also offers some fun stationery including name stickers that are perfect for party guests to wear, labelling cups and party bags, or for fun invitations inviting ‘menaces’ to join an awesome party. The decorations in the range co-ordinate perfectly with the vibrant tableware and include red and black party balloons with ‘phaaart’ text or a Gnasher design.

Eye-catching paper bunting is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use.

It was announced this month that the Beano Annual 2015, prominently featuring the mischievous duo, is the number one annual in the UK, according to Nielsen BookData, taking more than £1 million in retail sales value in the run up to Christmas. And with The Diary Of Dennis The Menace being one of 10 books selected for World Book Day 2015, its likely that Dennis themed parties will be a popular choice this year.

“This has been such a fun collection to produce, working with the fantastic Dennis and Gnasher characters,” said Cathy Locke, Creative Manager at Neviti. “We hope fans of the iconic comic book both young and old will love this range as much as we have loved designing it.”

Frozen spearheads entertainment growth Disney’s Frozen has been identified as an influential force behind the 2.2% growth in the entertainment sector in 2014, up to £5.66 billion. The second consecutive year of sector growth was largely driven by the performance of digital sales of video, video games and music, and DVD sales of Disney’s Frozen, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA).

Frozen was the year’s biggest winner, selling more than 4 million copies. This was 50% more than FIFA 15, the year’s best-selling video game, and more than double Ed Sheeran’s charttopping album, X. Despite the anticipated rise in digital sales and the increased prominence of streaming services, ERA said physical media formats - DVD and Blu-ray movies, video games, and music CDs and vinyl - continue to be “more resilient than expected”.

Danger Mouse in safe hands Excitement surrounding the Classic Danger Mouse brand has been bolstered with the signing of a raft of new licensees. New partners include Wow! Stuff as master gift licensee, TVMFashion Lab for apparel, underwear and nightwear, and Casa Chicos for a retro babywear range.The latest additions to the licensing programme join Fun Shack, which has already signed to bring a range of fancy dress and dress-up products to market.

“The announcement of the new series has reignited a passion for Classic Danger Mouse and we are thrilled to announce these new deals for our dashing spy hero,” said Pindy O’ Brien, FMKFE VP Brand Licensing and Retail UK. “Our new partners will create a selection of fantastic retro products that will provide the perfect complement to our existing range.”

Giant deal for eOne Entertainment One Licensing (eOne) has acquired the pan-European licensing rights for DreamWorks Studios’s upcoming film, The BFG. Steven Spielberg will direct the adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book, set for release in Summer 2016. The movie will be distributed by eOne in the UK, enabling the company to put together a fully integrated campaign to support the release.

Quentin Blake’s illustration, www.roalddahl.com “We are absolutely delighted to be working on The BFG which is one of the best-loved children’s tales conjured up by Roald Dahl’s wild and wonderful imagination,” said Hannah Mungo, Head of UK Licensing at eOne. “The BFG movie promises to be one of the most anticipated releases of 2016 and we look forward speaking to potential licensees who have GIANT ideas.”

Next year will see all Roald Dahl licenses catapulted into the limelight, as 2016 marks the centenary of Dahl’s birth.

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The Zombie Walk 2014

Regular New products

Party Party focuses on some of the hottest introductions to the market

In the drink Folat

0031-(0)23-5112511 www.folat.eu Folat are taking to the show floor at Nuremberg Toy Fair to showcase their brand new range of humourous and original costumes and dress up for all occasions.

The collection is cool, trendy and colourful and has a beautiful finish, a good fit and clear size specifications. Key products include Police Girl, Moulin Rouge Dress, Healthy Carrot costume and Beer Glass foam suit, but visitors to the German show should be sure to stop by the stand (Hall 9, Booth D-09 / E-04) to see all the new range has to offer.

Folat BV was founded in 1993 and is a leading company in party items, including children’s birthday party lines, children and adults costumes and products for the popular celebrations through the year such as Carnival, Halloween, and Oktoberfest.

Wild child!

Amscan

01908 288500 www.amscan.co.uk Amscan has added some exciting new additions to its 2015 party collection including four brand new 1st Birthday ranges, as well as coordinating party accessories.

The All Aboard range is inspired by the popular boys trend for cars, trains and planes, featuring a blue background and cute, colourful illustrated designs. Sweet Girl combines a pretty butterfly and flower design with bright contrasting colours.

Mini party animals will love the new Wild One boy and girl collections, each containing 19 wonderfully coordinated items, from tableware to room decoration kits and personalised banners!

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Realise your pipe dream!

Fun Shack

0113 2001020 www.fun-shack. com Just arrived at Fun Shack is an exciting new range of costumes and wigs. Funs Shack has extended its everpopular range of Plumber’s Mate to include Sexy Plumber’s Mate Girl and also a yellow and purple male and female version.

For 2015 Fun Shack has also greatly upgraded its range of wigs to an even higher quality, while still retaining affordable prices. New ranges are in stock and available to order now.

Back yard bonanza!

Unique Party

01724 281113 www.uniqueparty.co.uk Continuing to launch new items throughout the year, providing ongoing opportunities to increase business, Unique has expanded its spring/summer 2015 collection by creating new paperware ensembles. New themes include Garden Parties, BBQs and general themes, all featuring colourful designs.

Also available is a wide range of coordinating accessories, including napkins, plates, cups and plastic tablecovers.

Products will ship in February 2015.

Quick Fire

Round

Quick Fire Round with…

Nikki Thompson, Northstar Balloons Favourite party you attended/hosted?

Has to be my daughter’s wedding.

How did you celebrate your 21st?

It must have been good as I can’t remember!

Personal hero?

My mum, she encouraged me to never give up.

What would be your last supper?

A healthy steak and salad… but ended with devils chocolate cake!

What gives you job satisfaction?

For me it’s all about watching sales grow and building my area Top three pop/rock star party guests from anytime in history?

Cher, Teddy Pendergrass and Sam Smith.

What’s your current obsession?

I can’t get enough of the TV programme 24.

Last fancy dress you wore?

I went as Princess Fiona from Shrek.

Biggest ‘wow factor’ product from your range?

For me it’s the Packaged Airfilled Minis.

Your ‘I wish I’d thought of that’ party product?

Obviously foil balloons, but also party poppers.

2015 will be a success if...

I can increase existing business and introduce Northstar to new customers and prove what a great range we have to offer.

Words to live by?

Always be honest, trustworthy and treat people as you would like to be treated yourself!

www.partypartymag.co.uk

17 7

Retail Peeks

Sneak peek!

Party Party caught up with Ian Matthews, Purchasing Director at Bournemouth-based party retailer Peeks to find out how they capitalise on trends and events, maximise their online presence, and how the industry has evolved over his 11 years on the job Tell us a little bit about when and how you got into the party industry and what your current role involves I joined Peeks just over 11 years ago as a Buyer, seeking a new challenge and exciting new product. Now in my current role of Purchasing Director I’m responsible for all product buying within the company, across our retail store - which is also overseen by my colleague Roanne Britton, Party Store

Manager - website and catalogue. We have several assistants who provide fresh eyes and ideas as well as dealing with the admin side.

“

We’re always listening to feedback from our customers and staff to see what’s popular and in-demand, and that helps us identify trends

And how has the industry changed since you first entered it?

The big change was obviously back around 2008 when the recession hit. It wasn’t simply a case of how much customers were spending that changed, but where they were spending it. House parties and entertaining at home became massively popular, so we were able to turn that negative around into a relative positive. That has been a defining change.

There’s also been increased focus on licensed product, and our website has also come into its own.

So how were sales in general in 2014 and what is your outlook for 2015?

2014 was a challenging year, and it’s still a challenging market, but we’re planning an expected increase for the next year too.

Looking to the year ahead, the staples will continue to perform well, but we need to

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”

continue bringing in fresh products. I think the Rugby World Cup will go a long way to helping with that over the summer.

What were your top three best-selling lines?

Anything Frozen licensed sold unbelievably well. Christmas crackers and hats were also great on our catalogue side.

Halloween falling on a Friday made a big impact, and all our spooky ranges were huge successes.

Is there anything you’d have bought more of in retrospect?

Speaking to Roanne, we wish we had pre-ordered more Frozen product. From my point of view, you can always have more generic Christmas product.

The Second Skin Turtle costumes from Rubie’s also did remarkably well, perhaps spurred on by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released last year.

Peeks’ offering is vast. How do you ensure a good balance between expected staples while introducing new lines and concepts to keep things fresh?

That’s a tricky one, but it all comes back to observing, listening and staying in touch with your customers. We’re always listening to feedback from our customers and staff to see what’s popular and in-demand, and that helps us identify trends.

A crucial part of keeping things fresh is timing the introduction of new lines. We stagger our releases to ensure there is a constant feed of new products to keep the store fresh and interesting each time our customers return. We also plan around big events, celebrations and entertainment releases to capitalise on the zeitgeist.

How important are licensed products in your range?

Having a strong line-up of licensed product has become critical. Increasingly, children are having birthday parties based around their favourite TV or movie characters and worlds.

As a result, customers are now coming into the shop and asking for a specific license, and they expect you to have them. Meeting that demand means an easy sale and also leaves your customers satisfied and likely to return.

This popularity of licensed product has been steadily growing over the past few years. Our offering is now roughly a 50/50 split between licensed and generic product.

Unlicensed partyware is still central to our offering, but it wouldn’t surprise me if licensing becomes even more prevalent.

What were the top three selling licenses last year? And do you expect these to continue at the top this year?

Unsurprisingly everything Frozen sold remarkably well. Despicable Me was also a best-seller for us in tableware and balloons categories that do well across all pre-school licenses. On the superhero front, although all superheroes are popular right now due to the annual film releases, Batman is still the one to beat. I suspect all of these will continue to do well, what with the new Frozen animation and Minions movies coming out this year.

How important is the Peeks website to overall sales – what’s the percentage split between online and in-store?

Our website is extremely important for us, both as a platform to sell through and as a globally accessible catalogue that showcases almost everything we stock. We have a dedicated team working on it fulltime and it continues to grow at a rapid rate.

We’ve certainly seen marked percentage increases since we invested in our online business, and we’ll continue to develop it.

“

Do you buy certain items specifically for sale in either the bricks and mortar shop, or on the website?

Despite the apparent difference between customers that use each arm of our business – B2B for the catalogue, consumers in-store, and a mix online – we don’t view them in such binary terms. Just because a family-run hotel or restaurant wants to order 3,000 tableware items to offer Christmas parties, it doesn’t mean those same people don’t want to pick up something for a personal celebration, or even browse our other products for new business ideas.

The website really allows us to be more flexible overall and show all our customers a range of options, rather than categorising product as an ‘online seller’ or ‘strictly instore’ line.

The whole team goes to the show: three of us for the duration, with the rest of our buying team visiting to get experience and share their input with us. Other than seeing new product, Roanne finds Spring Fair an invaluable place for inspiration. The suppliers know how best to showcase their products, so you can find simple and effective ways to make them stand out in your own store.

Having a strong line-up of licensed product has become critical

What category, theme or celebration do you think has the most potential for growth this year?

Halloween was big business for us last year and I’m confident this will continue in 2015, particularly with it falling on a Saturday.

There’s a good variety in product and everyone can get involved in some way.

We also have the Rugby World Cup hosted

by England this year, and I think there are definitely some opportunities for sales there.

Why is Spring Fair an important step in the buying process, and what are the main reasons you attend?

Spring Fair is the major event for us to get our offering in shape for the rest of the year.

With all the major players under one roof, we can catch up with all our existing suppliers, see their new ranges for the year and find some hidden gems in between meetings.

”

What are you hoping to come away with after this year’s Spring Fair?

The key things for me are getting a real feel for new product and identifying any new trends. Catalogues and images before the show give you the ideas, but seeing and touching the product on the show floor is the only way to a get a true understanding of what orders to push the button on.

What is your top tip for Spring Fair firsttimers?

The advice I always give colleagues at their first Spring Fair is to take a methodical approach: go up and down the rows and don’t veer off. If I walk onto a stand that stretches between two aisles, I always exit the same way I entered. This might seem limiting, but you are guaranteed to see absolutely everything. You don’t want to miss any stand, because the next big thing could be on the one you missed!

Finally Ian, what did you dress up as at the last fancy dress party you went to?

I grew up listening to punk rock – I hope that doesn’t date me! – so I channelled my best Vyvyan from The Young Ones and went as a punk rocker. I even convinced my wife to join me!

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Regular Talking with an Angel

Show and tell Emma Angel, Director of Angels costume house shares her trade show experience to help visitors to Spring Fair 2015 avoid the pitfalls and come away inspired and set for the year ahead

T

rade shows are a notoriously busy and stressful time for companies of all sizes. Sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to work out how to get the best out of a show, especially if you’re new to this type of event. As a regular attendee of these shows for well over 15 years, here are some of my top tips on how to survive and make the most of the opportunities available: •

•

Before going to the show set up appointments with the companies you wish to visit. This saves time, and ensures that you will have enough time to talk to all the people you want to see.

•

Equally, keep time at the end of your scheduled meetings to visit the rest of the suppliers that you haven’t made appointments with.

•

When meeting with suppliers, talk to them about your year. Talking through what worked for you and what didn’t, and discussing the reasons for this can be invaluable and offer you unique insight into the market as a whole. Ask them the same questions, and learn how they do things across the board. This will give you a greater understanding of how they function, and subsequently what to expect from them throughout the following year.

Make sure you don’t schedule these appointments too early. Give yourself There is a lot going on at these shows; enough time to walk the show, and get it can be so easy to get caught up in the an idea of what is new out there. This moment and forget details that later prove way you can see what everyone is selling to be vital. As such, some other things to before you go into your remember when writing orders at the meetings, and also show include the following: lets you know whom When else you might want to • Take advantage of show specials. meeting visit that you haven’t These are put in place to encourage with made appointments you to place orders at the show and with. Every year there once the show is over, so is the deal. suppliers, are some great new talk to them suppliers – don’t miss out • Ask yourself, ‘will about your because you’ve been too it work for my year… this organised and booked customer?’ Things up all your time! work for some can be demographics invaluable Allow enough time with and not others; and offer each supplier so that you your suppliers do you unique can see the whole line, not know what and write orders before is best for you, insight going to your next so apply all the appointment. It’s much lessons you’ve better to get this done learnt over the on the ground and will ensure you don’t past year to each forget any great new products that you new order. find.

“

•

Emma Angel is Director of Angels, the world’s largest and longest-established costume house. Emma has over 20 years of experience in fancy dress and Angels has two stores, a fancy dress website – www.fancydress.com - and is the UK distributor of Rasta Imposta, InCharacter and Tinsley Transfers. Emma is the sixth generation of the family to work for the Oscarwinning company and is the first female member to take on a directorial role at Angels.

”

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www.partypartymag.co.uk

•

Remember what you have ordered from other suppliers, and be careful not to over order within one theme across lots of suppliers. Even if they are great products, there’s only so much Alice in Wonderland stock you need!

•

If it is not something that you think will work for your customer base, stick to your guns and do not let suppliers talk you into buying it. Be firm with them, and say no: you know your customers.

•

Ask for any promises or deals that a supplier offers you at the show for the year going forward to be put into writing.

Individual conversations can easily be forgotten in the frenzy of a trade show.

•

Ask all suppliers to send you a copy of your order, and politely request that they not place the order straight away to give you time to quickly recap all the orders and adjust any accordingly. However, don’t take too long over this – whilst you need to make sure your orders are correct, you don’t want to lose any show discounts or deals that you’ve taken advantage of.

CLOTHING More than just pa

rty products

WIGS

www.folat.eu

ACCESSOIRES DECORATION

Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair N端rnberg 28.01-02.02 2015

Visit us at the Toy oy Fair Nurembergg 2015 HHa Hallll 9 SStandd DD-09/E-04 09 09/E 9/E 0044

Feature Spring Fair

Party central!

Spring Fair 2015 is just around the corner and with it the launch of fresh product and innovations for the next 12 months. Party Party looks at why this year’s show is bound to help retailers create a point of difference Toying with new ideas Co-located with the party exhibitors in Hall 3 are the children’s toys and gift suppliers and distributors. This pairing gives party retailers a chance to discover new cross-category lines and increase their diversity in-store. Party Party has highlighted a number of toy and licensed gift exhibitors on the following pages – many of which offer on-trend licensed novelties that are perfect for party bag fillers.

The stands are just a hop, skip and a jump from the Party Stage, so have a wander and see if you can’t find something new!

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A

fter the furore of Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the party moves to the Birmingham NEC for the return of Spring Fair.

This year’s show will play host to 3,000 exhibitors in total – 400 of which are making their debut this year – with 300,000 products set to launch across 14 different market sectors. That’s an increase of 10 per cent exhibitors than last year, which is fantastic news for retailers and buyers on the hunt for the fresh, the funky and the outright outrageous!

But for those in the party industry, Hall 3 is undoubtedly the place to be from 1-5 February. Five brand new exhibitors will join the party stalwarts in Hall 3, bringing the total of top-tier party suppliers under one roof to 40. Market leaders spanning every major product category include Rubie’s, Amscan, Smiffys, Premier Halloween, Qualatex, Bristol Novelty, Unique Party and many more.

With so many industry professionals

in one location – from suppliers and manufacturers to retailers, buyers and the biggest names in licensing – Spring Fair is a hugely important date in the industry’s diary, and for good reason. As Palmer Agencies’ Sales and Marketing Director, Sergio Battaner says: “Everyone knows that we will be there, and we expect everyone else in the industry to be there too.”

With the expectation that a good chunk of the industry’s decision makers will be on the show floor, Spring Fair is the natural springboard for exhibitors to launch their brand new lines and ranges for the coming year. And with the candy sheen of balloons, imaginative dress-up, crazy costumes, accessories, make-up, decorations and more, the five-day event puts Borough Market to shame.

Pioneer Europe is one such company looking forward to unveiling its latest innovations for the first time in February.

“We will be launching some exciting new products at this Spring Fair,” explains

Spring Fair Feature

“

Michelle Comerford, Head of Sales and Marketing at Pioneer Europe Ltd. “These include our brand new range of wedding balloons, new foil and latex shapes, and new licenses, with a few surprises to be revealed at the show!”

And visitors to the Pioneer stand can take advantage of some special show offers too, which Michelle says is a great way for retailers to make some savings and pick up some great new products in one fell swoop.

For Unique Party, Spring Fair is all about showing new product and getting some invaluable face-to-face time with established and new customers.

“Spring Fair is a tremendous event for showcasing our ever expanding range of sensational new products,” says Unique Party’s Jim Cairns. “It’s a great forum for us to meet new and existing customers, and being able to impart and share invaluable industry knowledge and expertise from our category - and ultimately to demonstrate our vast range of exciting new and existing products!”

But it’s not simply the volume of visitors that makes Spring Fair such a vital part of Amscan’s year, it’s the event’s timing too.

“Spring Fair gives us the perfect

opportunity to showcase Amscan’s new ranges to both existing and prospective customers for the coming year,” says Mike McGillion, Amscan Vice President of International Retail & Marketing. “Being in early February also means it fits in effectively with when buyers are looking to place orders, making it very important for maximising sales.”

So what’s the star of the Amscan stand this year? Mike says it’s too close to call, but highlights some exciting new licensed party ranges, including Minions and Frozen accessories. “We also have a great variety of new costumes, in particular the Halloween additions are set to be very popular,” he adds.

On the Neviti stand, visitors will be able to get up close with some charming new collections designed to give retailers the flexibility to offer their customers the perfect partyware for any major celebration. “We are thrilled to be launching five exciting new collections at this year’s Spring Fair with fresh new ranges for summer parties, birthday celebrations, weddings, Christenings and baby showers,” says Cathy Locke, Creative Manager at Neviti.

Clearly, this year’s Spring Fair promises

Spring Fair gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase Amscan’s new ranges to both existing and prospective customers - Mike McGillion, Amscan

”

Tips from the showfloor Sergio Battaner, Palmer Agencies: “Go into the show with an open mind. Of course you want to see existing suppliers, but with the right attitude you could find the next big thing somewhere unexpected.”

Mike McGillion, Amscan: “Plan ahead, make appointments, and wear comfortable shoes!”

Jim Cairns, Unique Party: “Comfy shoes! But joking aside, we would recommend planning your trip in advance to ensure you visit all the key exhibitors.”

a vast amount of fresh ideas on the product front, but Sergio says that it’s integral retailers take their time and maximise this opportunity to get hands on with them. “Retailers are more savvy than ever when it comes to the quality of products and sizing up how they think new products will fit into their existing offering,” he explains. “The face-to-face time at Spring Fair is incredibly important for this reason. It allows everyone to get a real feel for the products – something you can’t always achieve over email or with catalogues – and make real decisions as to what to order for the year ahead.”

And Sergio says that Spring Fair gives retailers the chance to impart their

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Feature Spring Fair

“

own knowledge on the suppliers to help shape future products. “Feedback is very important to us, and really does have an impact on things like how we package products and where we go next with the designs of product still in its early stages,” he explains. “If we get criticism or feedback that we hadn’t considered on a particular line for example, we will take that on-board and use that knowledge to further develop it. It’s invaluable for us.”

But it’s not just a chance to see new product that makes Spring Fair a must-attend event. With some of the world’s leading names in partyware, it’s also a great place to get inspiration for ways to add extra value in-store.

Pioneer Europe’s Michelle Comerford explains: “Spring Fair is not only one of the biggest exhibitions in the UK, where retailers can see the latest trends under one roof, it also offers free balloon education. Balloon demo classes are held daily at The Stage in Hall 3 followed by Q&A sessions at the Education Centre on the Qualatex stand.

“In addition to two daily seminars on The Stage - ‘Every occasion deserves Qualatex’ and ‘Make children’s dreams come true with Qualatex balloons’ visitors will be able to receive additional balloon training at the Education Centre

on the Qualatex stand.

Also a must see and photograph are Qualatex Window Displays designed by Sue Bowler who will be at the stand to answer questions related to her designs.”

The Stage, slap bang in the middle of the party section, is in fact one of the highlights of the entire show, drawing crowds not just from the party industry, but those from the worlds of toys, gifts and licensing too. In addition to the unmissable balloon master classes from Amscan and Pioneer Europe/Qualatex, which showcase simple but effective ways to elevate the value of the humble balloon, catwalk shows feature the latest costume, dress-up and accessories designs. It’s a fantastic way to see the new designs in the flesh during a fun, lively show.

So with so much new product on offer, opportunities to pick the brains of professional balloon decorators, and a great chance for some hobnobbing with faces familiar and fresh, retailers can’t afford to miss out on Spring Fair when doors open from 1 February.

The Party Party team will be on the show floor to take it all in, so if you do see us, stop us and let us know about your discoveries and what has you excited for the year ahead.

Everyone knows that we will be there, and we expect everyone else in the industry to be there too – Sergio Battaner, Palmer Agencies

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”

Veteran’s perspective Party Party columnist and trade show veteran Mark Brett tell us why time spent at Spring Fair could be the most valuable in 2015: Spring Fair is one of only two fairs in the whole of Europe where there are a large number of party suppliers in one place. If worked correctly, it could be the best bit of time investment anyone involved in the industry can make during their working year. Here are my top tips: 1. If you are short of time, try and spend less with existing suppliers unless they have a lot of new product.

Look for the little gem or seek out new unusual suppliers.

2. If you can, take a colleague. When talking to suppliers they may pick up on things you have missed. They may also see product from a different viewpoint.

3. Give the show more time than you think you can. The party section is compact, but the exhibition is enormous. There will be product out there that is not in the party section.

If you don’t look your competitor might, and there is no other similar opportunity.

Party Patter! s rty love Party Pa ws! your vie r a e h o t ughts our tho Share y now! with us email:

k ing.co.u

h apublis m e l @ s y rh

Regular

Party Patter!

P Party Party talks to retailers to find out the latest word on the street

Darren Dixey,

Lorraine Croft,

Co-owner, Celebrations The Party Shop, Oxford

Co-owner, In Stiches Fancy Dress, Flitwick, Bedfordshire

What’s your retail New Year’s resolution?

We are currently refurbishing the store, and are looking to do things a little differently this year to encourage higher footfall.

What’s your retail New Year’s resolution?

I can’t say we actually have one! However, we have had great comments on our website, so we will focus on this to drive additional consumer awareness to our store this year.

What are you hoping to find at Spring Fair this year?

Some new suppliers would be great. We use the show as a platform to view new product ranges and see what hot trends may be emerging.

Is there anything you’re specifically hoping to come away with?

This year we are actively on the lookout for Harry Potter. Two years ago we started running with this license and demand hasn’t stopped!

The movies were filmed locally, and we find visiting tourists here go wild for all things Potter!

Do you use the show to get merchandising inspiration?

Not specifically, but we will get ideas for an area in the store we are redoing. Smiffys are particularly good when it comes to helping out with merchandising.

What costume can customers currently not get enough of?

How to Train Your Dragon costumes have been really popular. We’ll find out what the next hot properties will be at Spring Fair!

Toothless - How To Train Your Dragon from Rubie’s

What are you hoping to find at Srping Fair this year?

We are hoping to attend and are looking for something different. In general we tend to walk the show and see what inspires us.

Is there anything you’re specifically hoping to come away with?

We would like to find some different superheroes as our current ranges in-store, although popular, could perhaps be a little dated.

Do you use the show to get merchandising inspiration?

We do look at how exhibitors are displaying their ranges and, we get good support from our suppliers which really helps.

What costume can customers currently not get enough of?

There’s continued popularity for all things 80s at present.

Ash Gupta, Managing Director, Mood 2 Party, Edgware, Middlesex What’s your retail New Year’s resolution?

To do bigger and better - you can’t really get any simpler than that! We are in the process of investing in and developing our new website. The aim is to make shopping as simple as possible for our customers. Our new website is targeted to be extremely selfreliant with lots of functionality.

What are you hoping to find at Srping Fair this year?

We always attend Spring Fair to find new suppliers. One area of particular interest for us this year is to increase our cake and sugar craft ranges.

Is there anything you’re specifically hoping to come away with?

Something unexpected. Typically speaking, most of the exhibitors are those that we deal

with all year round, so we tend not to spend all our time on their stands. We are familiar with their ranges and Spring Fair is great to source new product to see how we can move forward and improve.

Do you use the show to get merchandising inspiration?

Yes, particularly for balloon displays and merchandising. The Qualatex stand always looks fantastic, and gives us plenty of ideas we can use ourselves.

What costume can customers currently not get enough of?

We are kind of in the middle of things, but if we are talking about the end of 2014, then of course it’s been Frozen! I can’t really be certain about 2015 until we see which trends develop in the first quarter of the year.

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Feature Spring Fair

Fancy dress to impress!

Rubie’s 08453 070707 www.rubies.com

Hall 3 Stand SO5-RO4 Rubie’s will be showcasing its extensive range of adult costumes from its 2015 catalogue at Spring Fair. The company’s impressive roster of licensed costumes will be on display, including new licensed ranges from summer blockbusters such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The new range from popular TV show Doctor Who will also be on show, and will have sci-fi cosplay fans in a frenzy over the new Cyberman, Daleks and Tardis dress-up.

From the Disney stable, Rubie’s will be adding to its hugely successful Frozen line with Anna and Elsa dresses for adults, as well as a new line of sassy Alice in Wonderland women’s costumes and inflatable Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee costumes. Plus there will be a spectacular, inflatable Genie costume from Disney’s Aladdin.

Elsewhere on the stand will be a new adult dress to tie in with the upcoming Cinderella live-action movie, set for release in the spring, as well as a new Marvel line for 2015’s summer blockbuster, Avengers: Age of Ultron. And there’s plenty on offer in Rubie’s licensed Star Wars range as hype builds ahead of the release of the franchise’s next movie, The Force Awakens.

There will be all manner of dress-up for any party occasion, from Halloween costumes to Minions, and Power Rangers to Penelope Pitstop, so be sure to visit the Rubie’s stand for all that’s new in dressup for 2015!

All the fun of the fair Fun Shack 0113 2001050 www.fun-shack.com

Hall 3 Stand 3R40 – S41 Fun Shack has been exhibiting at Spring Fair each February for several years and will once again be exhibiting in Hall 3, where the company will be launching its 2015 range of innovative new costumes and wigs.

There will be plenty of new men’s, women’s and children’s costumes as well as an extensive range of new and improved wigs to see, all of which are high quality and affordably priced. And not to forget all existing lines will also be on show.

The Fun Shack team believe that Spring Fair is the most important UK trade fair of the year and that every effort should be made to be there, both as exhibitors and trade buyers!

As always the Fun Shack team look forward to meeting customers new and old. You can book an appointment, or just pop on to the stand!

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Girls night out Alandra 01279 620 180 www.alandra.co.uk

Hall 3 Stand Q2 Alandra has always believed it is one of the most innovative and creative companies when it comes to hen and stag products, and 2015 holds no exception! The company has already taken delivery of its beautiful new Bride to Be Tiara, with a whopping 95cm long white veil, along with some brilliant new naughty Hen Night Games.

Alandra has also developed a giant 30” Willy Shaped Foil Balloon and a new sexy Willy Veil which has to be seen to be believed. It will also be launching some brand new Baby Shower Games and something special for in the fancy dress sector.

Visitors should be sure to visit the company’s stand at Spring Fair where the team will run them through the full range of new products.

5 MARCH 2015

Characters come alive with Smiffys’ brand new 2015 children’s collection Contact your Customer Service Advisor today to place your order ahead of World Book Day

Free Phone: 0800 590 599 | Free Fax: 0800 783 3882 | Email: sales@smiɈys.com

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18/12/2014 16:13

Feature Spring Fair

Familiar faces Mask-arade 01926 814292 www.mask-arade.com

Hall 3 Stand P54

Frightfully fun!

Premier Halloween

Mask-arade is taking to the show floor at Spring Fair this year to showcase its brand new lines for 2015. A highlight of its stand will be the new The Dark Knight character masks, depicting Batman, Catwoman and arch nemesis The Joker. These brilliant masks are among the most effective that the Midlands firm has ever released and the team expects this to translate into strong sales in 2015.

Plus there’s a massive US license that the team can’t wait to announce and unveil at Spring Fair. That’s being kept under wraps for now, however, so be sure to stop by the stand to see it for yourself!

01423 324800 premhall@premierdec.com

Hall 3 Stand CO2 & CO4-DO5 Following a most successful 2014, Premier Halloween are really looking forward to another fantastic 2015 season, with their now famous Dungeon Collection which has been extended. Their customers can expect many new ideas to help increase their profits for the coming year. Exciting new Decorations, Trick or Treat bags and following a huge demand the company have managed to add to their range some fantastic outdoor light sets, which will certainly light up all their customers’ Halloween sales.

Like their customers Premier Halloween are looking forward to 31st October 2015, as this year it falls on a Saturday, therefore creating those extra sales for you.

The company have strengthened their Customer Service Support team, but still need customers to order early to ensure on-time deliveries.

Quality Control continues to be of prime importance to the company and they will continue to adhere to the latest testing requirements to maintain standards.

Already mentioned, their now famous Dungeon Collection has been extended and there are many new idea’s for retailers to utilise in store. Added to the new decorations and trick or treat bags are some great new outdoor lighting products.

As always Premier pride themselves with an unsurpassed Quality Control system.

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From Neviti With Love Neviti 0845 638 1358 www.neviti.com

Hall 4 Stand C05 Neviti has some fantastic new ranges launching at this year’s Spring Fair including its new wedding offering, With Love; Fancy That, a collection for summer parties; and Little Owls, a versatile range which features items suitable for birthdays, baby showers and first birthday celebrations.

The With Love collection features a really on-trend design with a delicate colour palette of ivory, lilac, pink, green and blue with stunning heart, flower, butterfly and dove illustrations. There’s a wonderful selection of items perfect for decorating wedding tables and venues, which will co-ordinate beautifully with a variety of different colour schemes.

Fancy That is a fantastic new offering for summer parties and picnics with a fun floral, butterfly and polka dot design in fresh summer colours of blue, pink and green. The collection includes all your party essentials and some fantastic baking items such as cupcake cases and picks, and beautiful

items to create thoughtful gifts.

Little Owl’s is sure to be a great new addition to Neviti’s collections with two colour varieties in pink and blue plus specific items for birthdays, baby showers and first birthday celebrations. This cute owl collection features all of your party essentials with tableware, stationery, decorations and even two fun party games.

The team will also be launching two brand new licensed ranges: Dennis The Menace & Gnasher, and Guess How Much I Love You, with beautiful illustrations from this children’s bookshelf classic. The Dennis & Gnasher collection is sure to be a hit for birthday parties of Beano fans both young and old, and the Guess How Much I Love You range is ideal for birthdays, baby showers and Christening celebrations.

Feature Spring Fair the original

Rawrsome fun Northstar Balloons 07860 633988/01538 382998 www.northstarballoons.eu

Hall 3 Stand T12-U13 Northstar Balloons is extremely excited for the launch of its air-filled balloons at Spring Fair because they’re now packaged with a new cup and stick!

This brand-new system is expected to change the airfilled balloon market as they package flat for sleek and clean merchandising then tilt to hold the balloon.

The new cup and stick also make it easy for consumers to inflate and assemble at home, since their self-sealing valve requires no heat sealing – so easy, no fuss!

Northstar Balloons is launching a fun new range of realisticlooking dinosaurs, including T-Rex, Triceratops, Apatosaurus, and Stegosaurus, which are sure to excite!

In addition to their successful letters and numbers, they are also releasing the numbers in a soft, pretty, white and silver chevron pattern.

And last, but certainly not least, also launching is the new Trio Kits which include three coordinating balloons in various shapes and sizes, that makes it very easy for a grab-n-go bouquet.

Suits you sir!

OppoSuits 01592 657 120 www.OppoSuits.com

Hall 3 Stand U-30

In association with

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With Halloween and Christmas now behind us, the OppoSuits team are greatly looking forward to the year ahead and the trade fairs that start us all off on the right foot. Next stop is Spring Fair where the team is excited to show their customers in the UK and Ireland their brand new 2015 lines.

Spring Fair is a very important event in the calendar for OppoSuits, and the team are looking forward to seeing old acquaintances, meeting new customers and reminding the ones who didn’t buy what they missed!

Highlights include Harleking, the new Carnival costume with a Mardi Gras look in purple, yellow and green, and a brand new range of solid-colour suits, which come in light blue, dark blue, yellow, green and purple.

Plus, visitors to the stand will be able to see a suit so new that the name hasn’t even been announced yet! OppoSuits will launch the brand new Halloween and skulls-themed suit to the market at Spring Fair. With a showstopping skull motif, it’s made to the same high quality that OppoSuits customers are used to.

VISIT US. DON’T MISS OUT . . .

Spring Fair International • NEC Birmingham • Hall 3 Stand C04/DO5 • Sunday 1st – Thursday 5th February 2015 PREMIER DECORATIONS LIMITED HEAD OFFICE AND SHOWROOM: Premier House, Braintree Road, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 0EJ

Tel: 020 8624 5555

Fax: 020 8624 5678

E-mail: sales@premierdec.com

www.premierdec.com

YORKSHIRE OFFICE: Premier Halloween • No. 11, The Stables, Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5AE

Tel: 01423 324800

Fax: 01423 326633

E-mail: premhall@premierdec.com

Feature Spring Fair

Balloon master class Qualatex 01279 501 090/0800 281215 www.thequalatexevent.com

Hall 3 Stand U04-V05

Game on The Games Gang 01473 735711 www.thegamesgang.com

Hall 3 Stand J09 The Games Gang is on a mission to put even more fun into board and activity games with their new product range. The compact box opens to reveal a full size board game inside – all full of fun, limitless imagination and great value.

A creative team of long-term industry specialists have reinvented family favourites adding many new twists and turns. They are led

by Gang Leader John Pryke, who was instrumental in the European launch of classic party games like Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary.

Ludo/Snakes and Ladders has been transformed with a special dice, enabling players to play their opponents’ moves (but not to their liking!) as well as their own.

Tic Tac Toe (noughts or crosses) has been made into a full board game, incorporating a unique dice and twists and turns to enhance strategy.

Draughtsmen/Outnumbered is Draughts played as a board game with dice, while also still being able to play in the traditional way plus much more! Letterbox is a new and exciting word game with easy scoring for all family members.

Created by Activities Director Elaine McCabe, StoryBox and CreativeBox are exciting new activity play concepts for young children, perfect for parties and celebrations!

Many of the products have two games in one compact box, utilising Games Gang›s patented full-size six-fold games board.

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Spring Fair 2015 will see the official launch of the Qualatex 2015 Everyday Catalogue with fabulous new products including exciting new licenses and the brand new Qualatex party range!

The Qualatex stand is a must visit for all party, toy, greeting cards and gifts retailers, as well as events and party organisers, and will be hard to miss with its large-scale balloon décor, designed by world famous balloon artist Fiona Fisher CBA. Make sure to allocate enough time to walk the Qualatex stand - it has a lot to offer!

There are inspirational window displays created by well-known and respected balloon artist Sue Bowler CBA, retail solutions for different types of businesses, product demonstrations at the Education Centre, and a knowledgeable sales team who will be advising on the suitable product offers and the right balloon training.

Qualatex will be showcasing its new 2015 products along with the exciting additions to its licensed balloons and partyware ranges. There will be inspiring product demonstrations and special trade show-only product offers. Plus, don’t miss out on free balloon demonstrations at the daily Stage Seminars in Hall 3.

The Qualatex range includes an extensive selection of latex, foil and exclusive Bubble balloons, featuring the most popular licenses such as Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, Me to You, Hello Kitty, Lalaloopsy and more.

Glitz and glamour!

Unique Party 01724 281113 www.uniqueparty.co.uk

Hall 3 Stand U20-V21 Unique Party is showcasing a huge selection of new products at Spring Fair. Make sure to visit the stand for a preview of all the company’s exciting new products available for 2015. Additions to the already expansive offering include Glitz banners, balloons and centrepieces, baby shower accessories, wedding accessories and licensed ensembles.

Unique will also be launching a extensive selection of new tableware patterns and coordinating accessories, which will provide opportunities to increase sales throughout the year. Plus much, much more!

Criminally good fun!

Red Herring Games 01472 348909 www.red-herring-games.com

Hall 5 Stand L33 Red Herring Games, the games company specialising in murder mystery entertainment, will unveil new lines at the show for its Crime Time brand. After seven years of dinner party game success, the company is looking to increase retail listings and raise awareness of its extensive product range.

New for Spring Fair 2015, Red Herring Games will introduce downloadable games in compact mini boxes, launch four brand-new boxed games, and showcase the Complete Crime Scene Kit, popular with children and adults alike.

HALL 9 F89

HALL 3 T04

+44 28 9064 7119

sales@palmeragencies.com

+44 28 9064 5655 palmeragencies.com @palmeragencies

Feature Spring Fair

License to party!

Icon Live

Party princess Travis Designs 01442 289898 www.travis.co.uk

01444 240 000 www.iconlive.com

Hall 3 Stand P26

Hall 20 Stand J38

Travis Designs produce beautiful baby and children’s styles for generic and licensed dress-up ranges. At Spring Fair 2015, the award-winning Travis Disney Baby range will launch the Baby Princess collection, including best-loved characters Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Belle and Rapunzel.

Also new will be Plush launch styles including Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Kermit. A new Jersey range will offer a great option for warmer weather and climates – styling includes jersey rompers with feature hood and cute bodysuits with a feature hat in sizes 0-18 months.

The award-winning launch range includes rompers, tabards and tutus for the characters including Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet, along with Mickey Mouse and Minnie, Marie from the Aristocats and Patch from 101 Dalmatian.

Finally, the popular Dress up by Design generic range has more than 125 styles to choose from. Hot favourites include the Ride on Pony, Peg leg Pirate and Marie Antoinette and new styles include Fuchsia Fairy, the Musketeer and Frozen Fairy, sizes from 3 months to 12 years.

Minions, Frozen, Marvel’s The Avengers and Cinderella are set to be some of the biggest licenses for 2015. And for party retailers, Icon Live has a huge range of licensed trinkets, novelties and collectables, perfect for party bags. The summer of 2015 is sure to be dominated

by Minions, as the spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise releases. Icon Live is launching a broad range of Minions licensed products such as keyrings, eye masks, and a capsule including a medallion for the dad who is One in a Minion!

Barbie may be more than 55 years old but her appeal for kids is still enduring. Icon Live are taking Barbie licensed jewellery and accessories to a new level with a range of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and key rings – perfect for party bags.

And there’s more party bag fillers as Icon Live continues to bring fresh product to market from two of the world’s biggest licenses, Frozen and Marvel. Stop by the stand to see new jewellery, novelties, collectable gifts, accessories and more!

Pocket money pick ups

Going underground

Tobar Group Trading

Underground Toys

0844 573 4299 www.tobar.co.uk

Hall 3 Stand K20-L21 Tobar’s range of toys and stationary are the perfect products for party bag treats!

In the last 12 months, the company has managed to secure some exciting new distribution partnerships, including Maisto, Edible Sweet Art, Syma, Zuru, 50Fifty, Bburago, Schylling and Scentos. In addition Zuru and Bburago will be unveiling some exciting new lines.

Tobar is the new distribution partner for US brand Schylling, famous for its classic tin toys, with more than 100 new timeless toy lines being added this year. There is also a range of Schylling Collectibles limited edition lines. Tobar is also working with Bburago, which has secured the worldwide distribution rights for Ferrari Die Cast models. A new distribution partnership with stationary brand Scentos delivers the Children’s Scented Stationary Range, a brightly coloured collection of scented children’s stationary.

Zuru has come up with an ingenious addition to the Robo Fish and Magical Mermaid collection, so 2015 is all about Robo Turtles. Tobar will also introduce the new Blue Sky Star Wars Collection, a classic novelty line of licensed Star Wars stationary and gifts. Plus there are new lines to Tobar’s own brand collection of classic Pocket Money and Adult Novelty Gifts, helping drive impulse sales and seasonal gifts.

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0207 801 6325 www.underground-toys.com

Hall 3 Stand H05 Party retailers looking to expand their offering with licensed party accessories, novelties and party bag trinkets need look no further than Underground Toys (incorporating Gear For Games), which became well-known for its talking key chain products, and now boasts a full range of licensed goods. The company holds the rights for an impressive portfolio of mega-brands including Star Wars, Doctor Who, Marvel, Sherlock, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, WWE, Peppa Pig, Ghostbusters, The Big Bang Theory and more. The brand will be exhibiting some classic and new products from existing ranges, as well as showcasing some new items.

New for 2015 is POP! Vinyl – the hugely popular, stylised collectible figures from properties such as Adventure Time, Frozen, WWE, DC, Marvel, My Little Pony and Star Wars.

Underground has a unique bond with Funko on the POP! Vinyl range and will be showing an impressive 1300+ items.

There will be a Sherlock gift range including stickers, bottle openers, keychains and more. Plus Underground has recently expanded into the novelty, gift and homewares areas and will be showcasing items such as Game of Thrones drinkware, Doctor Who kitchenware and Vikings gifting.

WISHES DO COME TRUE! LETTERS, NUMBERS, SYMBOLS + KITS

AVAILABLE IN A VARIETY OF COLORS AND SIZES! Spring Fair stand 3T12-U13

FOR CREATIVE + FUN IDEAS VISIT VISIT | northstarballoons.com

EMAIL | info @ northstarballoons.com

Feature Spring Fair

Spooky stuff Palmer Agencies 028 9064 7119 www.palmeragencies.com

Hall 3 Stand T04-U05

Doll-ightful dress-up!

Leg Avenue

Palmer Agencies will be taking to Spring Fair with a whole host of exciting new product this year, from the spooky to the sparkly.

Halloween is set to be big business in 2015, and with the spooky day falling at the weekend this year, the company is bolstering its offering with a huge selection of new products. Zombie masks, accessories and costumes, including the gruesome Burned Zombie, are at the core of the offering, as well as décor to set the scene. Plus there is a variety of prosthetics and latex products for perfecting any desired result.

Also, brand new for 2015 is the Book Week Collection, a new range to help retailers capitalise on the growing popularity of this annual dress-up event. There are more than 40 different costumes in the collection, with everything from pirates and princesses to soldiers, Romans and even a Victorian boy.

There will also be updates to existing ranges and a whole lot more, so be sure to stop by the stand for a chance to see and feel the quality of the full range.

00 31 24 240 3444

Get in character

www.legavenueeurope.com

Angels Distribution

Hall 3 Stand Q33

0845 180 6545 www.angelsdistribution.co.uk

Leg Avenue is heading to Spring Fair with lots of new costumes for all occasions. Although mainly a women’s brand, the company does sell costumes for the whole family. The diverse range will expand even further this year with the introduction of more than 200 stunning, new and original styles.

The company is launching a brand new costume category this year: Doll costumes. These remarkable costumes are truly eye-catching, and work especially well with the doll masks and wigs.

They are manufactured to very high standard, which comes through in their quality, and feature lots of details which make them unique and original. Leg Avenue believes that the doll costumes will be a huge trend, so make sure to stop by and see the collection and feel the quality for youself.

Plus, there’s a big extension this year is in the fairy tales category. Leg Avenue has a big variety of new storybook characters, from sweet to evil and from classic to rebellious, all of which will be available to see at the show. Other category extensions include the Cosy costumes and the new Ninja costumes, which are breathtaking.

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Hall 3 Stand Q30-R31 Angels Distribution will be showcasing new lines from Rasta Imposta, InCharacter Costumes and Tinsley Transfers.

Rasta Imposta has some exciting new ranges bursting on to the scene, from new Crayola lines, British themed costumes, Flip Flops, Spray Cans and more.

InCharacter Costumes will be at the show with an exceptional selection of outfits for babies, children, teens and adults. Gorgeous baby options include Precious Peacock, Baby Bat, Count Cutie, and Santa’s Lil’ Helper, as well as brand new Halloween and Christmas lines.

Tweens and teens are also catered for. Mysterious Mermaid, Vampiress and Mad Scientist are all great options for kids up to age 14, while Voodoo Vixen and Sassy Sailor are great for slightly older teens. InCharacter also has high quality adult costumes for both men and women, available in a range of sizes.

New from Tinsley Transfers are Full Face Tattoos and a range of zombie transfers. All are applied with water, with no need for latex or glue, making them a great choice for beginners and make-up experts alike.

S E M U T S O C S ’ N E R D L I CH S E I R O S S E C C A & S E DISGUIS TEACHER’S COSTUMES

E N I L N O E L B A L I A NOW AV N A J E T A L D E T S O P S E U PRINTED CATALOG

COME SEE US AT THE SPRING FAIR Tel: 0117 972 4012 www.bristolnovelty.co.uk

Spring Fair, NEC 1st-5th February Hall 3, Stand T50–U51

Showcasing hundreds of new products and our exclusive collection of Forum lines.

Interview Amscan

A new dimension!

Amscan’s range of show stopping, spherical Orbz™ balloons are the perfect party gift or decoration. With a huge variety of top licenses, colours and celebration themes, find out why you can’t afford not to make Orbz part of your balloon offering

A

mscan are once again adding excitement and innovation to the party and balloon industry with their offering of Orbz™ balloons manufactured by Anagram, the leading manufacturer for foils.

These perfectly spherical balloons offer excellent quality and helium retention of up to three weeks, giving consumers the opportunity to admire and enjoy the product for a longer period. The format is intended to be over-inflated, creating a truly spherical, beach ball shape.

Anton Schygiol Amscan’s Balloon product manager says: “Orbz are a new and more sophisticated balloon format that is creating new demand and can increase sales profitability for retailers.”

Each balloon has four separate panels with the ability to show a different design on each side. There are a fantastic variety of licensed options displaying fan favourite characters in different poses and backgrounds, so when the balloon is rotated it can tell a story. Unlicensed designs are also available combining special messages

Shape up!

•

Perfectly spherical

•

Anagram high quality product

•

Helium retention: up to 3 weeks

•

Can be inflated with air or helium

•

Sold flat, inflate when you need it

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www.partypartymag.co.uk

Add an extra dimension with Amscan’s other Ultrashape balloons, Cubez™ and Diamondz™.

Featuring four sides, stunning décor and messages for all occasions they will make you do a quadruple take!

with eye-catching artwork, and are available for all occasions. They’re the perfect gift or party decoration!

The benefits of this innovative product don’t stop there. The versatile balloons can be inflated with either air or helium (be sure to use a latex inflator), making it convenient for any occasion. Plus they are sold flat ready to inflate when required. Also, within the packaging of every Orbz balloon, you will find a sticker to be stuck onto the balloon whilst inflating. This simple solution allows consumers to reach just the right inflation point with no risk of bursting the balloon.

The Orbz can also be used to create stunning balloon displays and decorations for events, parties and celebrations. There are seven popular solid colour options to choose from, which create an effective look either on their own or with a combination of colours, and are sold in packs of 3.

Chris Horne Amscan’s Balloon Expert says: “The perfectly spherical shape, long life, and durability of Anagram’s Orbz makes them an essential product for use in all aspects of Balloon decoration and retail; and the huge range of solid colours, licensed and non-licensed designs means that there is an Orb for every occasion! I really don’t know how I managed without them!”

For an added something special, consumers can experiment by mixing Orbz with other innovative new Ultrashape formats, including Diamondz™ and Cubez™.

Mixing and matching allows anyone to construct contemporary bouquets and arrangements, providing a spectacular visual effect.

During 2014, Amscan’s best selling Orbz balloons were designs featuring the hugely

Showstopper! popular characters, Elsa and Anna, from the global franchise Disney Frozen. Featuring a clear and full colour opaque option, the beautiful icy designs have been in high demand since they launched last year and their popularity is set to continue through 2015.

“The Orbz balloons offer high quality and a fantastic range of designs including the top licenses that our customers are looking for, such as Frozen and Minions,” says Nicky Ford, managing director at Balance Best. “There is no other foil balloon quite like it in the market that has such a spherical shape and can display four separate designs, making Orbz a very worthwhile product to include within our balloon offering.”

Exciting new Orbz additions this year include new licensed balloons from Despicable Me Minions and My Little Pony.

Plus there are brand new vibrant designs for special occasions. From birthdays to weddings and anniversaries, plus seasonal options for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and more, Amscan’s Orbz are the perfect way to add a special touch to any party or celebration. www.amscan.co.uk 01908 288500

Created by Amscan’s Balloon Expert Chris Horne, this Orbz and Crescent Centrepiece shows what can be done with the Orbz, a little creativity, and just five minutes work!

Products Required: 1 x Silver Anagram Orbz: (2820199) 2 x 17” Gold Crescents: (1613399) White balloon ribbon 1 Silver Star Balloon Weight: (117800-18)

Construction Method: 1. Inflate both of the 17” Crescents with Air. 2. Inflate the Orbz Balloon with Helium, using a latex balloon inflator. Be sure to use the Inflation Gauge included with the balloon to ensure correct inflation.

3. Attach the tail of the Orbz balloon to the tail of one of the Crescents using ribbon, or a small cable tie. Make sure that both tails are folded and tidy.

4. Attach the lower tip of the first crescent to the tail of the second crescent in the same manner – use the image above as a guide.

5. Tie the balloon ribbon to the tip of the lowest crescent, then to the balloon weight.

Estimated Labour time: 5 minutes.

As Anagram Orbz and Crescents are available in wide range of colours, this design can be adapted to suit every occasion!

www.partypartymag.co.uk

39

PARTY NEEDS YOU!

Blurred lines This month, columnist Mark Brett tackles the loss of retailers' identities. Could a reassessment of a retailer's identity - what they offer their customers compared with what their customers’ perceive or expect of them - be key to their future success?

S

tart an article with something that will catch the reader’s attention - a key opening strategy for any written piece.

So, if you want to skip the next two paragraphs, this article may hold on to a few more readers. Particularly as the first two lines of the next paragraph might only serve to grab the reader and tell them that there must something else in the magazine that is worth reading!

Well give it a go (read the following paragraphs, that is) as there is a point.

Whatever culture, religion or nation you associate with and define yourself by, you likely share one thing in common with those around you: you will be one of many seeking and reinforcing your identity. Cultures, nationalities and faiths throughout the world have undergone radical changes, particularly over the last 100 years.

Coming back to earth, but not landing just yet, we can see an identity crisis within the grocery market. The consumer knows what Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and John Lewis are, but Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda wallow in the middle, not quite knowing who they are or, rather, their customers are not sure what they are. That’s a slight exaggeration, but, essentially, they have temporarily lost their way, being neither fish nor fowl.

Much of society’s present concerns are underwritten by not knowing who or what it is.

This is all well and dandy, but what has it to do with the party market? Within our marketplace the majority of outlets are either party or costume and fancy dress shops. This is also true of much of the internet. There is, of course, good reason for this.

In the UK, most party shops are very small and consequently space is limited. For the internet player it is more complex. The costume operations see party as a different animal; they perceive it to be lots of small items and lower unit price points. The party players shy away from the pricing of costumes and what they see as an overcrowded market place. All this is true. But how does the consumer view this division?

Probably they are not aware of any division. If they want a costume they will

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INFO Mark began working for the family business in 1977, manufacturing and marketing Fantasia latex balloons in the UK and around the world, until 2008 when he set up shop on his own and created the Fantasia brand. Since 2011 Mark and his wife have been the sole UK agents for Boland Party, a Dutch company who are one of Europe’s largest distributors of party and dress-up products. And that’s not all, Mark has been a Director of HITF Ltd since 1996, and in 2002, he was the founder member of the European Balloon and Party Council, holding the post as chairman from 2002-2012. go to a costume outlet and if they want 150 pink balloons they will go to a party shop. That is the way it is and that is the way it has always been. Therein lies the problem with many traditional UK independent retailers of all types.

Identify who you are and who your customer is. Are you truly compatible?

You are having a themed party, so you go into a fancy dress shop for the costume, because it is not a party shop.

You go into the party shop for the balloons, plates and decorations because it is a party shop. But is it?

You are having a party but you can’t buy everything you need from one retailer. Currently internet operators are worse offenders than the high street gang.

The likelihood is that your customer is going to a party. True, this a generalisation in that they may be going to a sporting event, or a stag or hen night out, but they are only variations of a party. A party is a gathering of people for a common purpose of fun and recreation.

But in many cases they have to make their purchase from two different outlets, because the reality is neither is a true supplier of party products.

The finger can be pointed more directly at the costume suppliers. There is a historical precedence for the retailer.

In days gone by, costumes were mainly rented, and only to adults, and party products were mainly bought for kids’ parties. Rarely did the two overlap, so

there was a rationale. But this was a long, long time ago (in party retail terms). For the internet, there was no such excuse.

One core motivation would have been entrepreneurial opportunism. You could make good money by putting a costume on a site for say £25 as opposed to a packet of 50 balloons for £4.99. The emphasis being on the word ‘could’.

But times are a changing and so is the consumer.

On the one hand, there is a defined party consumer be they adult or child.

On the other there is a disparate supply base which has yet to find its identity. You could say, you go to a shoe shop to buy shoes and you go to a clothes shop to buy clothes. They are both clothing items.

However, this suggestion only underlines the problem. During the first half of 2014 there was a net decline of 365 shoe and clothes shops. Who are the winners?

Online operators and stores that sell both.

To clarify, there are some party retailers and internet sites that have realised this and embraced the total party concept.

They are reaping the benefits. The majority don’t and the key issue is that the consumer is king. They will eventually migrate to those who offer all their party needs, as they discover there is a natural and more convenient alternative.

We are all guilty of looking at what is happening around and behind us to see what is going, but we also need to look forward and see what is directly in front.

Identify who you are and who your customer is. Are you truly compatible?

Do you offer what they want? If not, do you want them to look elsewhere? It is not easy but nobody ever said it would be. If you truly believe you are a party retailer in its complete definition, then you are going in the right direction. If you have your doubts, then you are probably not. If you want to be here in 10 years time, you need to find your true identity.

Sparkle Lites

Product Profile

House Parti’s new Sparkle Lites range is proof that you don’t have to wait for Christmas to add a little sparkle to the party

L

ight up your life with the new Sparkle Lites® range from exclusive UK distributor House Parti Wholesalers. Sparkle Lites offer an exciting new way to add illumination to any balloon or venue decor, as well as inject that extra wow factor. House Parti is delighted to be able to introduce the full new range of light-up products, which give retailers an affordable way to inflate sales and set their offering apart from the competition.

Augmenting existing products with items from the Sparkle Lites range can be a cost-effective solution for adding value to balloon decorations, centrepieces, dance floors and more. The versatility of the full range - which includes Sparkle Lites® Ribbons, Sparkle Lites® Collars, Party Dots, a selection of funshaped LED lights and more - means retailers can tailor their offering to suit any special occasion. With Sparkle Lites, retailers can even offer their customers the chance to literally have their name up in lights!

First up is the Sparkle Lites Ribbon. Yes, the savviest in the industry may have used this product before, but now it is back, better and brighter than ever. Sparkle Lites Ribbon consists of a strand of six LED lights available in seven beautiful colours. Each ribbon has a small, easily concealable battery compartment at the base of the strand with a small clip at the bottom. The ribbon will blink, glow

or turn off and, when used on a 16” balloon, will float upwards towards the ceiling.

But Sparkle Lites Ribbons can be used for much more than just balloons. They can also brighten up centrepieces, table displays, chair bows, columns and more - the uses are endless. Each ribbon will last for up to 24 hours depending on the setting and has two replaceable batteries.

The Sparkle Lites® System is a multifunctional, interchangeable LED base, available in seven different colours. This versatile product can switch between five different light functions: slow blink, fast blink, glow, on or off. The base is a waterproof, submersible light that can be used to great effect to illuminate water or gel beads in a centrepiece vase of flowers and much more. Like the Sparkle Lites Ribbon, it will last for up to 24 hours and has two replaceable batteries.

The Sparkle Lites System also allows anyone to customise their decorations with a range of LED butterflies, fireworks, flowers, twigs and hummingbirds.

Any detachable head fits on the base to create spectacular displays.

Plus, accessories are also available to add extra flexiblity. Clear stems raise the décor, sticky bases can be added to secure the lights to any surface, and a hanging loop adapter makes it simple to hang them from the ceiling.

Party Dots are cool LED party lights, ideal for any celebration or as corporate novelties.

Available in red, blue, white, orange, pink and green, they come with a self-adhesive peeland-stick base that can be stuck almost anywhere. Whether for gift wrapping, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s day, New Year’s Eve, Christmas, or a themed event, Party Dots are a great addition.

For an extra special effect,

Party Dots can also be customised with any design or short message, such as ‘Sam’s Sweet 16th!’ A company or organisation logo can also be added to promote an event, or for businesses as a form of marketing.

Rounding off the core range are Sparkle Lites® Collars. These small, spaceshiplike discs have three LED lights around the edge, which give off a 3D lighting effect. They click directly into the neck of a balloon, and, weighing in at just four grams, will float on a 12” helium balloon and last for up to 12 hours.

Every customer wants something different, and Sparkle Lites give retailers an easy way to achieve great results. The entire range of Sparkle Lites products is ready and available to order from House Parti today. Retailers can order now and experience the products first-hand at Spring Fair on the Northstar Balloons stand (Hall 3, Stand T12-U13) where catalogues will also be available.

Fibre-optic fireworks!

Sparkle Lites® Fireworks are the perfect addition to balloon trees, and come in a variety of different colours using the Sparkle Lites LED base. Bring a cluster of balloons to life by using the Fireworks in the base, or illuminate the stem to create something truly special.

www.partypartymag.co.uk

41 7

Product Profile

Premium Balloon Accessories

Up, up and away When it comes to balloon inflators, it’s Premium Balloon Accessories or burst!

A

s all balloon professionals know, when it comes to balloons, what’s on the inside really does count.

The secret to the perfect balloon is perfect inflation, and Premium Balloon Accessories’ has introduced three brand new inflators to improve inflation and help give every balloon professional the competitive edge.

Each of Premium’s new balloon inflators has been tailor made to offer convenient solutions for a diverse range of needs. Want to inflate a balloon inside a balloon? The DualAir Sizer has you covered. Do you have a need for speed?

Then the Cool Aire 4, able to inflate two or four balloons simultaneously, is the inflator for you.

DualAir Sizer™ The DuaAir Sizer is the only inflator that’s able to digitally and accurately size all modelling balloons and all latex balloons for decoration.

The DualAir Sizer digitally inflates 5” latex and larger balloons and is powerful enough to inflate a balloon inside a balloon.

Features:

• Three-speed motor for more efficient and faster inflation.

• Power ‘booster-switch’ to adjust power.

• Available in spring, 2015

MicroAir™ Inflator The MicroAir Inflator is a powerful, compact and very affordable premium-quality latex inflator.

It inflates all latex balloons from 7” and larger sizes.

Features: DualAir Sizer

• Patent pending dual pressure switch to increase pressure for inflation of modeling balloons.

• Available in spring, 2015

Cool Aire 4® The Cool Aire 4 is a premium-quality, 4-nozzle inflator for mass inflation of latex balloons… fast. The Cool Aire 4 is ideal for inflating balloons for balloon drops and arches

• The two-speed motor is more efficient to inflate modeling balloons and accurately size one or two latex balloons at one time.

• It has a ‘push-button’ display screen to adjust inflation time in seconds, and includes a cycle counter.

• Available in 120 volt, 230 volt for Europe, UK and Australia

Cool Aire 4

• Pending approvals for CE for Europe, CSA for Canada and UL for USA

Features:

• Manufactured under Premium’s high quality standards

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Premium Balloon Accessories offers a complete line of inflators, from Cool Aire electric inflators to compressed air and battery-powered inflators.

Visit www.premiumballoon.com for more information.

MicroAir Inflator

All the new Premium inflators are:

• Covered by a 1-year conditional warranty

• Unique, Premium’s ‘push-down’ nozzle activated switch provides momentary operation and on/off rocker switch for continuous inflation.

• Cord wrap built into the easy-carry handle.

• Available in March, 2015

• Four-nozzle inflator for two-person use to maximise inflator operation. Also includes two foot pedals for dual inflation.

• Inflates two balloons or four balloons at one time.

Visit us at the Spring Fair Birmingham 01.02.2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 05.02.2015 Hall 3 U22 V23 www.boland.eu Email: sales@boland.eu Sole UK Agents: Mark and Julia Brett Email: markybrett@yahoo.co.uk

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THE WORD from

Window on the world John Bowler explores simple but effective ways to maximise window displays and entice potential customers through the door

A

s we all know, marketing is a critical part of any business. Without it our potential customers will not know that we exist, where to find us, or even what we are offering. So we use various methods to make them aware of our name, location, what we offer, how good we are at it and what others have said about our business. This is all vitally important to the success and continued growth of our business.

However, the marketing should not stop at the front door. Once consumers find us, we need to encourage them across the threshold and to dig deep in their pockets and part with their hardearned cash. It is for this reason that window and in-store displays play a vital role in achieving the final piece of the marketing jigsaw.

I am sure it is possible to get advice from an expensive consultant who could tell you things such as the best colours to paint the interior and exterior of your store, or the best format for the store layout. Sadly, most of us can ill-afford such consultancy luxuries, but there are a number of things that we can do that need not cost much at all.

Even before we look at the window display, lets sort the basics. I personally would be more inclined to enter a shop that has a clean frontage to it. It doesn’t take a lot to wash the windows and paintwork and even sweep up outside, but it makes any shop immediately more attractive. If the paintwork hasn’t been touched for a few years, a fresh coat of paint will brighten it and have significant impact.

As I am sure you are aware, pretty much all of the large chain stores will employ a team of

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window dressers, and they will have taken a lot of time to learn their trade and understand the best way to display products to attract customers through the door. I am not about to suggest that I am a master window dresser, but over the years I have learnt a number of tips that have proved successful.

The first thing is resisting the temptation to just cram a display with as much product as possible; space is equally as important as the product itself, and customers need to be able to see clearly what you are showing them.

Display extends into the shop as well, so we must continue to keep it interesting and attractive throughout the store. There are simple techniques for this too, such as making something seem popular and unobtainable. Now I don’t mean mark everything up as ‘the last one’, but I am sure you have seen the ‘when it’s gone it’s gone’ type signs in large chain stores. There’s nothing to stop you doing something similar.

My favourite trick is to simply indicate that something is sold or booked, such as a balloon or gift delivery, or even a fancy dress outfit. This immediately creates the impression that it is desirable and affordable and therefore makes it very attractive to other customers.

Okay, so how do you get to find out more about these ideas? Well, there are obviously numerous resources on the internet, from video clips to blogs, and whole

websites dedicated to the topic. But why not get yourself along to trade shows such as Spring Fair and talk to your suppliers, especially if you are taking on a new product range.

Ask them how best to display their products or if they have any in-store marketing materials that you could use. The manufacturers exhibiting at the show will have spent a great deal of time working out the best way to market their goods to you, so they will have some knowledge and experience and will almost certainly be happy to pass this onto you. Take a close look at how they have displayed their products and think what it is that has attracted you to them in the first place.

Spring Fair is not just about finding new products; it really is a master class in display techniques as well.

Space is equally as important as the product itself

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Your store window is your face – Bob Armstrong, Doctor Bob Balloons Unlimited

INFO For more information on BAPIA and the benefits of membership go to www.bapiaonline.com or contact John on info@bapiaonline.com

Balloon Recipe

Lighthearted fun!

Retailers can appeal to their customers’ softer sides this year with this fantastic balloon design from Sue Bowler, CBA. With Mother’s Day on the horizon – Sunday, 15 March will come around sooner than you think! – this design would look great in a shop window, as the centrepiece for a themed display, or as a gift for consumers’ loved ones. With this month’s balloon recipe, making the most of Mother’s Day couldn’t be simpler.

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2

3

Start by gluing one of the Maxi Cups into the base of your container. I use Lomey glue, and as long as you leave it long enough to dry it sticks very securely!

I have actually cut the straw down a little as it sits better into the design and loses a little of the wobble factor. Top tip: cover the straw with an un-inflated 260Q if you want to colour it.

Add the other Maxi Cup to the Maxi Stick and add the air-inflated foil balloon.

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Make two fourballoon clusters with the 5” Rose inflated to 4”, and 5” Pink inflated to 3.5”.

Ingredients: 1 x Mother’s Day Daisies & Hearts balloon 4 x Rose 5” balloon 4 x Pink 5” balloon 1 x Premium Maxi Stick II

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Position the two clusters at the base of the foil balloon as shown.

2 x Maxi Cup II Assorted 160Q balloons - Rose, Pink, Lilac, Yellow, Wild Berry Small container

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Secure the Maxi Stick into the base Maxi Cup.

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Add some underinflated 5” Pink and Rose balloons into the container to secure the stick in the centre.

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Finally create a number of 160Q flowers making this neat little posy!

Sue Bowler writes ‘The Very Best Balloon Blog’. To see more great design recipes and balloon related articles visit: www.theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.com

All balloons used in this design can be supplied by Qualatex

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