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NEWS TOP STORY
The Calies 2019 Winners “On The Wall Or Not At All!!” was host Stuart Goldsmith’s rally call The Calies 2019 awards event, which took place recently at London’s Stationers’ Hall, was definitely worthy of an entry ‘in the diary’ as calendar and diary publishers of all shapes and sizes were duly feted in the UK’s only dedicated awards for the dated product sector. Among the delighted winners of what are the third ever Calies awards are Abrams & Chronicle Books, Allan & Bertram, BrownTrout Publishers, Carousel Calendars, Danilo, English Graphics, Rose Calendars, Seedlings Cards & Gifts, teNeues Calendars and Wrendale Designs. “The Calies not only celebrate the excellence and innovation that exude on the product front, but also serve to champion the product area giving the sector greater visibility and credibility which is so valuable in these challenging times,” stated Warren Lomax, joint md of Max Publishing, which owns and organises The Calies.
Waterstones’ Hazel Walker sustainable plea
Comedian Stuart Goldsmith hosted the awards ceremony that was peppered with his quick-witted observations. “Good for you all for standing up against the mighty Google, APPs, phone synching and all the other technological aids to keep track of appointments. Other industries might have given up, but not you lot! Calendars? On the wall or not at all!” stated Stuart. Providing an emotional crescendo to the awards’ official proceedings, industry stalwart Nigel Green, owner of Eight Days a Week, was presented with the prestigious Calendar Ambassador Award 2019 for his commitment and passion for the sector over many years. Above: All The Calies 2019 winners. Left: The Danilo gang with their three trophies (right-left) Daniel Prince, Martin Carter, Christine Statham and Bradley Green.
Here are the winners… l Best Animal Kingdom Calendar - Deluxe Wildlife Edition
Seed Calendar from Seedlings Cards & Gifts l Best Corporate (B2B) Animals or the Natural World
Calendar - Untamed from Allan & Bertram l Best Transport Calendar - Haynes Classic from
teNeues Calendars l Best Scenic Calendar - National Trust Seasons from
Carousel Calendars l Best Corporate (B2B) Scenic Calendar - 360 Interactive from
Rose Calendars l Best Art, Illustration or Design Calendar - Ben Rothery
Illustrator Natural History from BrownTrout Publishers l Best Corporate (B2B) Contemporary Calendar - Iconic
Structures from Rose Calendars l Best Charity Calendar - Marine Conservation Society Sea Change from Carousel Calendars l Best Corporate (B2B) Special Interest, Bespoke or Humorous Calendar - Maritime Gallery
from Allan & Bertram l Best Music, Talent or Sports Calendar - Liverpool FC Collector’s Edition Box Set from
Danilo Promotions l Best Entertainment or Humorous Calendar - Peaky Blinders from Danilo Promotions l Best Family Organiser or Planner - The Country Set Family Organiser from l l l l l
Wrendale Designs Best Advent Calendar - The Met Toy Shop Pop-Up from Abrams Best Diary: Generic - One Line A Day from Chronicle Books Best Diary: Licensed - Blue Planet II from Danilo Promotions Best Desk Calendar - Dog Lovers from English Graphics The Calies’ Calendar Ambassador 2019 - Nigel Green, owner of Eight Days A Week
Right: Comedian Stuart Goldsmith’s sharp observations and slick delivery went down really well at The Calies.
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
“Our cat calendars outsell dog titles two to one,” is one of Hazel Walker’s favourite facts about the calendar and diary buying habits of Waterstones’ shoppers that she revealed in a fast-paced fact-filled pre-awards talk at the recent Calies awards event. “I am surprised how much we take on calendars,” admitted Hazel, with the product’s sales accounting for 10% of Waterstones’ general merchandise products. She revealed that this year’s calendar season has also got off to “a strong start”, ahead of last year. That said, with 50% of Waterstones’ calendar sales coming in December she accepts that there is much to play for. Wall calendars still account for the lion’s share at Waterstones (some 60% of its calendar sales), with boxed calendars representing 33%, mini-wall titles 5%, Advents 2% and mid-year products the remaining 1%. Hazel stressed the importance of regional calendars, which account for 20% of Waterstones’ calendar sales, with Scotland, London and Yorkshire generating the highest sales. Some 120 regional titles are offered in Waterstones’ core range with many more in stock in their respective areas. Ending on a poignant note, Hazel delivered a personal and business plea for calendar and diary companies to look to make further improvements on the sustainable front. She paid tribute to the card industry for “leading the way” in the reduction of unnecessary plastic, she turned her attentions to dated products. Highlighting how there had been a “good reaction” to plastic-free options on offer for 2020 on calendars, such as the award-winning Sea Change calendar from Carousel Calendars, Hazel asked the audience to share the responsibility of looking to make further improvements in this area. “We all need to be doing more as an industry,” she concluded. Top: Waterstones’ senior buyer Hazel Walker (left) with buying colleague Claire Quinn at The Calies. Above: Carousel Calendars’ Sea Change title for the Marine Conservation Society fanfares a new plastic-free packaging option.