Q1 EVENTS
Left: Pioneer Europe has a number of designs perfect for Mother’s Day creations.
With current pandemic restrictions expected to begin easing up over the coming months, this year’s spring seasons will give people more of a reason to celebrate than ever before. Whether it’s a virtual St. Patrick’s Day, a socially distanced Easter Egg hunt or a post-vaccine hug for Mother’s Day, spring 2021 will be bringing us all plenty of reasons to party.
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ven in pre-pandemic times, the first few weeks and months of the year are cold, wet and everyone’s skint – it’s not the busiest time for the party sector. It’s a good time for planning though, especially with a number of mini-seasons just around the corner, offering a great way of getting consumers excited about new product. Once January is over, it all kicks off with Valentine’s Day on 14 February (see our November issue for a dedicated Valentine’s Day feature), followed by St. Below: This bright and playful tableware from Creative Party is ideal for Easter brunch or springtime celebration. Right: A collection of bright and bold balloons from Grabo make for a stand-out Easter display.
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Above: Amscan’s Easter range includes basic egg hunt items as well as plush baskets including a dinosaur and unicorn option.
David’s Day on 1 March. Mother’s Day isn’t far behind, on the 14th, with St. Patrick’s Day falling just a few days later on the 17 March. Once we start heading into the spring (British summertime officially starts on 28 March) then (hopefully) it all starts to look a little brighter, with Easter Sunday taking place on 4 April and St. George’s Day on the 23rd. “Spring seasons are always key celebrations for the start of the year,” agrees Jen Wilson, Amscan’s head of marketing. “These will be even more significant in 2021 as we weren’t able to celebrate in the same way last year.” For that very reason, Jen believes that people will want to celebrate these miniseasons even more than usual, pointing out: “We’ve also started to become accustomed to celebrating at home in different ways, so now we all know how – whether we are in or out of lockdown – to make the most of the occasion!” Amscan has already launched an online catalogue featuring plenty of new balloon and décor lines for these seasons, as well as classic Easter items perfect for egg hunts.
“We’re really looking forward to people being together again and enjoying these key moments,” says Jen. The team at Pioneer Europe is also expecting to see a high consumer demand for Mother’s Day and Easter celebrations, reveals head of marketing Julie Dommett. “Regardless of whether or not in-person celebrations can happen, balloons are always a great way to brighten someone’s day. We know this probably won’t be the biggest year for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations but people can still hold a St. Patricks’s Day Zoom party! Now that small family celebrations at home are real events to look forward to, we also expect Easter balloons to be particularly popular this year.” The spring traditionally brings with it longer days and warmer weather, making it the perfect time to celebrate with the family. This year, with the end of the pandemic restrictions now firmly in sight, this spring could well be a celebration to remember. Right: Smiffys’ extensive range of St. Patrick’s Day novelty headwear are the perfect accessories for a boozy Zoom call with mates.
Time To Celebrate “We believe customers will embrace any occasion that gives them a reason to bring the party home this spring. From St Patrick’s Day to Easter, these special days will give people a chance to celebrate and add some fun into the restrictive lifestyle we are getting all too familiar with. The lockdown won’t stop customers from having their usual few drinks this St Patricks Day, even if they are at home rather than the local pub! Easter is always a perfect reason to celebrate with the family and we believe this year will be no different. With spring well on the way and a possible easing of restrictions in sight, we expect this Easter to be one filled with hope and happiness – what better time to party at home!” Dominique Peckett, director, Smiffys
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
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17/02/2021 11:58