Progressive Party December 2018

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WELCOME The home of market leading trade magazines

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Welcome to the Party Fright-fest has once again been and gone in a flash of pumpkins and vampires. Every year there’s so much build-up to the big day (or weekend?) itself, but when it comes to it, the celebrations themselves seem to pass all too rapidly, despite being the make or break of a good number of party trade companies.

The overall feeling this year was that really, Halloween 2018 was ‘ok’, with a touch of ‘slightly up’ and ‘slightly down’. Of course there will always be some outliers in any results, but based on the Above: Progressive Party Europe’s overall pool of both statistical evidence, sales figures, Rob Willis and Jacqui Parr. consumer reports and adecdotal feedback received by us here (industry gossip to you and me), it was ok.

You can read more about the financial side of these results (with both UK and American breakdowns, because we’re good to you like that) in the news pages, in particular on page 7.

In the meantime, those of you looking to start your planning for Halloween 2019 right away – whether retailer or supplier – should be looking forward to the Halloween and Party Expo 2019, which is only a matter of weeks away, taking place from 25 – 27 January at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

This year’s show has more than 350 exhibitors making the most of the unmissable opportunity to show off their latest lines – with 40 of those brand new to the show. H&P Expo is also partnering with popular haunt tradeshow HauNTcon for the second year running, ensuring it will be more jam-packed with events, workshops, exhibitors and attractions than ever before (you can turn to page 27 to find out about the show in more detail).

Progressive Party is proud to be the international media partner for the show, so you will see us there interviewing, trying things on for size and generally trying to spread the word that if you want new products, you have to go to new places (and New Orleans in January is about as much a fun start to the year as you’re going to get!).

Don’t forget, every international retailer visiting the show has confirmed that the scope and scale of exciting new product they sourced has more than covered their airfare.

For all its faults, the party industry is never boring. It’s something we’ve always known, but which has – for us, at least – been brought sharply into focus over the last 12 months as we mark the first year anniversary of PartyWorldwide.net. Harvesting stories from all corners of the globe about each and every aspect of the party industry has been eye-opening to say the least!

Although we do our best to find out the latest news as it’s happening, it’s also important that you don’t forget to tell people about the wonderful, inspiring things that you are doing. Sharing your Q3 results, latest consumer initiative, retail partnership or charity fundraiser might not seem like the most important thing in your day, but it’s those stories which keep us connected as an industry. And let’s face it, you want to know what everyone else is doing, so share the love!

Just email us at jacquip@max-publishing.co.uk and we’ll make sure your story is out there. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of a business and balancing that with our own busy lives, but by sharing your news you could make a real difference to someone else’s day.

Go out there, spread the party love and have a wonderful Christmas. See you in 2019!

@Prog_Party_Eu ISSN 2058 797X

DECEMBER 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Celebrate Source the latest partyware, decorations and on-trend dress up costumes at Spring Fair. springfair.com

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CONTENTS

What’s inside: DECEMBER 2018

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36

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50 NEWS

The latest from the party world

WORD ON THE STREET Ray Duffy talks trade shows

FEEDBACK

How was halloween 2018?

BAPIA

John Bowler on PEBA in the UK

HALLOWEEN & PARTY EXPO 2019 Show preview

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PARTY PEOPLE

Award winning retailing down under

LICENSED TO PARTY

The latest licensed loveliness

CARNIVAL

Europe’s show to the world

NEW PRODUCTS EU European suppliers latest

NEW PRODUCTS

Be quick, they’ll be gone soon

DECEMBER 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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What‘s on the playground?

Stay on the ball and experience the multifaceted world of play in one place: the right products for your business model, inspiring special areas, interesting presentations and an exciting festival specially for visitors to celebrate our 70th anniversary.

www.spielwarenmesse.de/uk

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NEWS PAGE

NEWS UPDATE UK celebrates multi-million Halloween in style October 2018 saw most of the UK celebrating Halloween in style, giving a much-needed boost to the economy, with various retail reports putting the value of the spooky season anywhere between £491m and £690m.

So far, Halloween 2018 has been judged to be one of the most successful for years, with both retailers and suppliers reporting an unexpected increase in demand leading to many product lines selling out entirely.

In the days leading up to the event, a report from leading data and analytics company GlobalData predicted that Halloween would be a treat for retailers putting the event’s value at around £491m (up 2.1% on last year).

According to GlobalData’s forecasts, Halloween clothing and costumes were on track to make up over a third of Halloween spend and were expected to grow 3.4% on 2017.

“More clothing specialists are recognising the appeal of Halloween in the UK, with retailers creating visual displays highlighting Halloween clothing instore alongside accessories and make-up,” said retail analyst Zoe Mills. “The focus this year is clearly on accessorising costumes, with animal-ear headbands available from a number of stores.”

Meanwhile, VoucherCodes surveyed more than 2,000 people to find out how they were planning on celebrating Halloween and revealed that – by its calculations – the nation would have spent around £690m embracing the spooky spirit this year.

“Halloween continues to grow in popularity benefiting from the booming leisure market,

Balloons get the royal seal of approval The Prince of Wales arrived at one of his 70th birthday celebrations in November with a milestone foil balloon, adding a touch of levity to an otherwise serious occasion.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall were greeted by fans as they arrived for a tea party at Spencer House in London, celebrating 70 inspirational people marking their 70th birthday this year.

Royal reporters waiting at the event presented Charles with the balloon and a number of other novelty gifts.

Despite commenting; “Where do you find these terrible things?”, Charles kept a tight hold on his balloon for the rest of the walk about.

Below: One is very fond of one's balloon.

and is a perfect opportunity for retailers to create experiences for customers,” said Chana Baram, retail analyst at Mintel, which also predicted a boost in spend, at £419 million (up 5% from 2017). “Once again, sales are set to increase as retailers dedicate more shelf space and merchandise to this key seasonal event.”

The research also found that the average parent would spend at least £42.15 celebrating Halloween with their family this year and that around 40% of Halloween purchasers use social media for inspiration.

The National Retail Federation forecast that Halloween spending in the US woud reach $9 billion in 2018, the second-highest level in the survey’s 14-year history. (Last year, it predicted spending of $9.1 billion.)

The NRF study, which was based on feedback from almost 7,000 adults, estimates that at least 175 million Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, and those doing so will spend, on average, $86.79 per person, up from $86.13 last year.

About 68% of Halloween shoppers say they intend to buy costumes, which translates into a predicted spending of $3.2 billion on dress-up alone. Another $2.7 billion is likely to be spent on decorations, with 74% of shoppers buying decor for their house or party.

University issues fancy dress guidelines

Party hall to include new Showtime area at Spielwarenmesse The festive articles, carnival and fireworks section of Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair in Nuremberg will be featuring a new Showtime area for the 70th anniversary of the show, which is taking place from Wednesday 30 January – Sunday 3 February, 2019.

The new area will see the party and carnival product group – which is based in Hall 9 and is officially named Festive Articles, Carnival, Fireworks – showcasing a dynamic activity and promotion area and offering a number of innovative ways for exhibitors to get involved.

In light of the growing international character of the party, festive and carnival sector segment and in response to demand from exhibitors for a larger area, this vibrant category has now been extended into part of Hall 8.

The new, 200m² promotion area, dubbed Showtime, will play host to an entertaining programme of events each day. A catwalk show will take place three times a day, while other innovations from the sector will be shown in their best light during hands-on demonstrations.

“This step enables us to better reflect the diversity of this product group for buyers and retailers,” said Ernst Kick, ceo of the Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair. “It will also allow us to provide manufacturers with an even more effective marketing platform.”

Find out more and order your tickets at www.spielwarenmesse.de

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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US Halloween spending expected to reach $9 billion

The student union at the University of Kent UK has issued a number of fancy dress guidelines, banning students from wearing ‘offensive’ costumes which may potentially offend others.

New guidelines drawn up for those attending fancy dress parties within the university state that: “dressing up as a particular race, culture or stereotype is offensive and Kent Union will not tolerate [these] behaviours.”

The union said the draft guidelines were in response to ‘complaints’ it has recieved in recent years. The guidance, which has been circulated to student groups, says the union will not tolerate behaviours that seek to offend a ‘particular race or culture’.

Dozens of costume themes appear on the banned list, including Native Americans, cowboys, priests, nuns, ISIS bombers, Nazi officers as well as dressing like a ‘chav’ or other social stereotype or anything else which might ‘degrade someone’s ancestry in a derogatory way’.

Students have retaliated and are attempting to force Kent Union to overturn the proposed fancy dress guidelines. An e-petition has now been launched online although it has not yet reached the 500 signatures it is aiming for.

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PARTY NEWS

Angels Open Days announced for 2019 Angels Distribution is delighted to announce that it will be holding its Open Days event for the third year running. Next year’s event will run from Sunday 31 March until Tuesday 2 April and will once again be hosted at Angels’ North London head office.

Angels Distribution will be showcasing its new lines and classic ranges from Rasta Imposta, InCharacter and Tinsley Transfers, and will be joined by some amazing exhibitors, including Palmers Agencies, Bristol Novelty , Fun Shack, Leg Avenue, Morph Costumes and OppoSuits.

Morph Costumes get the Katy Perry treatment The American Idol judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were seen wearing Morph Costumes’ animal inflatables on Ryan Seacrest’s talk show on Tuesday 30 October, 2018.

The trio decided to get the Halloween fun started a little early when they appeared on an episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan. Bryan wore an inflatable eagle outfit, Katy was dressed as a sloth and Lionel as a panda.

“This is what my late night online shopping looks like,” added Katy, who had taken to the New York streets in her costume earlier that day, putting a number of fun videos on her Instagram story.

Below: Katy Perry makes the most of her inflatable costume from Morphsuits.

Angels will also be offering visitors the unmissable opportunity to tour the Angels Costumes warehouse, the largest costume house in the world, home to over eight miles of hanging costumes and over one million items.

A complementary light lunch will be provided and Angels would like to invite all party and costume retailers and buyers to attend what is sure to be a great event.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to our Open Days,” commented director Emma Angel. “The last two events have been a great

Trading Standards behind Halloween safety campaign The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) worked with the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) on a campaign to raise public awareness of the dangers surrounding Halloween costumes for the first time.

The debut campaign – which uses the hashtag #scaresafely – was designed to advise consumers to buy fancy dress and Halloween costumes from legitimate sources while also checking costumes carry appropriate safety labels.

success and we expect 2019 to be just as well-received.”

For more information, please email customer. services@angels.uk.com or call 020 8732 8879.

Below: As part of the campaign, CTSI has produced a number of digital resources for sharing on social media channels.

Above: Visitors will also have the unmissable opportunity to tour the Angels Costumes warehouse.

Balloon ban discussed on ITV breakfast show TV presenter Tom Heap, who believes that banning balloons would be an overreaction and environmental activist Zion Lights, who thinks that there should be a total blanket ban.

In defence of the balloon industry, presenter Charlotte quoted statistics which stated that of the total number of plastic items found on European beaches between 2010 and 2016, balloons represented just 1%, with most of those from releases.

Balloons and balloon bans were the subject of an in-depth discussion on an episode of the Good Morning Britain breakfast show, which airs on ITV, this November. The discussion followed the news that environment secretary Michael Gove is planning to accelerate the UK ban for plastic straws and other single-use plastics.

Hosts Ben Shepherd and Charlotte Hawkins were joined by environmental expert and

Party City shares drop in Q3 report costs and helium shortages and slightly lower sales than expected.”

The retailer also reported that its Halloween business was down on last year, with the strengthened online business and improved temporary store offering only partially offsetting the declines seen across the permanent store portfolio.

Based on its financial performance so far this year, the retailer will be revising its original fiscal predictions for 2018.

Leading US party chain retailer Party City has seen its shares sink by 11.2% after reporting that its Q3 earnings had been hurt by ‘operational disruptions, inflationary pressure, helium shortages and lower-thanexpected sales’.

“Our third quarter and fiscal October results were softer than expected,” stated ceo James M. Harrison, “impacted in part by temporary operational disruptions, increased inflationary pressures associated with distribution

Balloon World wholesaler relaunch is huge success Balloon and party wholesaler Balloon World has reopened in new, improved premises, as part of the latest business initiative from greeting and party stalwart, Richard Aylett.

The Merseyside-based business now also has a greeting card

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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party section will also enhance retail portfolios without breaking the bank.

The www.balloonworld.co.uk website will continue to operate as normal, while all greeting and gift enquiries should be directed to www.northwestgreetings.co.uk.

and gift arm for the first time.

Now with the capacity to offer more than 9,000 balloon and party lines, Richard and team have been building the infrastructure of the new warehouse for more than ten months.

A new, affordable, Christmas

Mask-arade launches new consumer website A brand new consumer-facing website has been launched by party mask geniuses Mask-arade, updating the company’s previous online offering and bringing the brand more in line with its current offering.

“As the original designers and manufacturers of personalised and celebrity masks, desktop standees and the new Party Faces – Goggle Eyes, Chinless Wonders and Bugalugs we have always strived to offer the best in class products as unparalleled well as customer service,” explained commercial director Ray Duffy. “Essentially, our old site was dated and slow and wasn’t as focused as we wanted it to be.”

The new website offers consumers an improved user experience, with a cleaner and more striking graphic approach, an optimised one page checkout and live global shipping rates.

“Our customers are able to get to the products they want quickly, pay for the goods and get on with their day safe in the knowledge we are working tirelessly in the background to fulfil their order,” explained Ray. “It represents our brand much more consistently and allows us to automate our consumer marketing.

We control the web site ourselves so we can react to trends immediately, ensuring that interacting with www.mask-arade.com is always a positive fun experience.”

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PARTY NEWS

Rubie’s antipiracy operation results in £10,000 fine

Smiffys 2017 accounts see turnover pass £55m Fancy dress and party experts Smiffys has seen its turnover climb over £55million, marking another successful year in the family-run company’s almost 125-year history.

The latest accounts to be filed

by Smiffys (officially trading as RH Smith & Sons) reported that its global turnover has passed the £55 million benchmark, increasing from £54.2m to £55.1m in the year to 31 December 2017.

Pre-tax profits dipped slightly in the same period though, from £4.2m to £2.9m.

The company’s UK turnover increased from £32.8m to £33.5m,

with international sales also rising from £21.4m to £21.6m. A statement from the board read: “The directors are pleased to report an increase in revenue, despite the challenge of volatile worldwide economic conditions...

Looking into 2018 and beyond it is clear that the uncertainty of Brexit will offer one of our biggest challenges. Our team are constantly monitoring and planning the optimum forward strategy for the company, pre and beyond March 2019.”

Director Dominique Peckett added to that, saying that: “Despite challenging trading

Fancy Dress Worldwide is named Export Business of the Year Online fancy dress and costume retailer Fancy Dress Worldwide has been named Export Business of the Year in the Startups Awards 2018, announced on 21 November.

The independently-judged awards are open to privately-owned businesses that have been launched in the last four years. For 2018, Fancy Dress Warehouse was shortlisted for two awards – Export Business of the Year and Consumer Business of the Year.

“It means so much to win such a prestigious award,” said founder Dom Portman, commenting on the Export Business win. “The whole team at FDW have worked so hard towards this, including during the launch of our new website fancydressworldwide.com.”

Fancy Dress Worldwide has rapidly scaled to reach customers in 85 countries in just two years and is set to grow by an impressive 500% in the next three years.

Right: Dom (centre) collects his business award at the prestigious event.

Save the date for WBC 2021 The venue next Qualatex World Balloon Convention, which is taking place from 23 – 15 March 2021, has been announced and the event will be held in Orlando, Florida.

The WBC is specifically designed for business-minded balloon decorators, twisters/entertainers, and party store retailers, as well as ambitious newcomers wanting to explore a rewarding and profitable career in the balloon industry.

Visit www.qualatex.com to find out more.

conditions, 2018 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year.”

Above: Smiffys currently employs more than 220 staff and ships 26 million items to more than 5,000 stockists across the world.

Halloween costumes fail Which? flammability investigation Consumer watchdog Which? has revealed that consumers should be careful when choosing their Halloween costumes, following an investigation which shows that some fail to meet fire safety testing standards.

Which? tested a selection of 20 children’s outfits bought from a range of online and high street retailers, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, B&M, Wilko, Amazon and eBay, assessing their flammability against current safety standards.

Two of the Halloween costumes (a Maleficent costume made by Fiestas Guirca and bought from eBay and a werewolf costume from B&M) failed the current legal requirements (BS EN 71-2) because the headpieces of the outfits ignited and burned too quickly.

“We were shocked to find Halloween costumes that claimed to pass the legal British safety requirement actually failed our flammability testing,” said Alex Neill from Which?.

Which? is now calling for all retailers and manufacturers to follow a more robust voluntary code of practice which has been initiated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

UK straw ban to come into force within a year A ban on plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds could be in place within a year under the latest government plans to cut pollution, announced on Monday 22 October by environment secretary Michael Gove.

Launching a consultation on

the proposals, the environment secretary vowed to ‘turn the tide on plastic pollution’ by removing the estimated 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion cotton buds used in England each year, many of which end up in rivers and seas.

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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The EU announced that it would introduce similar measures earlier this year, prompting calls for the UK to follow its lead. The propsed ban is expected to come into force at some point between October 2019 and October 2020.

A company which had been selling counterfeit children’s dressing up costumes was fined £10,400 on Wednesday 7 November 2018 at Antrim Crown Court in Northern Ireland.

Trading Standards Officers initially raided the premises in November 2016, where they found thousands of counterfeit children’s dressup costumes which were being sold online from the premises.

Around 4,400 suspected items were seized and another 2,400 later voluntarily surrendered.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the business had arranged for the items to be manufactured on its behalf in China.

Mike O’Connell, global head of anti-piracy at Rubie’s commented: “We are pleased with yet another fantastic result and would like to express our thanks to the Trading Standards Service in Northern Ireland for their ongoing support in tackling crime in the region.

Our extensive operations continue to yield success and we’re delighted to see another perpetrator brought to justice.”

Leadership change at Spring Fair 2019 A change of senior management at the UK’s largest retail buying event will see Spring Fair’s managing director Louise Young stepping down from her current role, with Julie Driscoll taking over the management of both Spring and Autumn Fair.

Louise will stay in place until the new year to help finalise plans for next year’s event – which hosts the UK party trade’s only dedicated buying show – with the show itself taking place just weeks later, from Sunday 3 – Thursday 7 February. So far, 14 party, costume and balloon companies have signed up to exhibit at next year’s Spring Fair.

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PARTY NEWS

Bristol Novelty’s business revamp includes new website and licensed lines Major changes are underway at costume and party company Bristol Novelty, with significant developments of the business taking place both internally and externally.

Backed by international costume giant Rubie’s, Bristol Novelty is building on its glowing reputation in the business with a complete transformation of the company and its offering. A brand new website has been launched, introducing plastic-free wig packaging and the first-ever Party and Events catalogue.

Bristol Novelty will also be stocking over 500 licensed products from the Rubie’s collection, including exclusive costumes from the Opus range.

“It’s a very exciting time for both staff and customers of Bristol Novelty as we are all pulling together to ensure we make our ambitious plans a reality,” commented marketing manager Fran Hales. “We’ve

certainly thrown ourselves into this dynamic project, which will see major changes to the way we are viewed as a company and how you view our products in stores and online.”

Fran continued: “It’s a busy period for us. Implementing major changes will take time, but with what we’ve got coming up in the pipeline and the passion we have, it’s exhilarating! We have just launched a new range of children’s costumes, updated our photography and stylised the packaging, not to mention the small matter of the revamped e-commerce website!”

Chief operating officer Mike O’Connell has been the driving force behind the changes. He added: “We’ve been working very hard behind the scenes to provide our customers with an improved

European parliament approves single-use plastics ban The European Parliament has voted for a complete Europewide ban on a range of single-use plastics by 2021 in a bid to reduce the rate of pollution.

In the vote, which took place in October, MEPs backed a ban on a number of single-use plastic items including plates and cutlery, straws, drink-stirrers and balloon sticks. The UK will have to incorporate the rules into national law if the ban becomes a fully-fledged directive before the end of a Brexit transition period.

Balloon artists and businesses had been coming together to contact their MEPs in the run-up to the vote, with EBPC, BAPIA, NABAS and Qualatex all calling on their respective networks to get involved.

At this stage, Parliament’s position is to remove balloons from the labelling requirements. Balloons will remain under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme which requires manufacturers to contribute towards clean up costs and raise consumer awareness.

To find out more or to get involved, visit www.ebpcouncil.eu

Bristol party shop Flingers closes Long-running Bristol party shop Flingers has closed its doors for the final time, after almost 30 years in business.

Flingers Party Shop opened in 1990 on Gloucester Road and was hugely popular with party-goers of all ages, stocking plenty of fun accessories and props, as well as costumes for stag and hen dos.

The family-run business closed for good in the first week of December, sparking a huge outcry of support from the community.

Long-standing customers have taken to Facebook to share their disappointment. “It’s a real shame,” said one. “Flingers has been around a long time and it means another empty shop and a good few people out of work right on Christmas time.”

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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Pet costumes expected to see 4% growth

wholesale experience from Bristol Novelty. It’s a giant step forward in the industry with our expansive range of costumes, party supplies and our innovative Fast Order entry system.”

“It’s also about the team here,” he continued. “We have brought in new faces to provide the perfect mix of fresh ideas with the team who already have years of internal expertise. Our new management team is almost complete and we will work together to grow and expand Bristol Novelty as we continue being the experts in fancy dress and accessories – both now and in the future.”

Below: All change at Bristol Novelty.

More than 31 million people across the US will be dressing their pets in costumes this year, roughly 4% growth on last year.

The report issued by the National Retail Federation (NRF) spoke to almost 7,000 consumers and found that the American public was expected to spend around $480 million on outfits for their furry friends over Halloween 2018.

“One of the biggest trends this year is the growth of spending on pet costumes,” said Prosper Insights’ executive vice president of strategy, Phil Rist. “Of the Americans planning to dress their pets in costumes, millennials (25-34) are most likely to dress up their pets, the highest we have seen in the history of our surveys.”

Gender reveal demand at all-time high

Counterfeit Halloween outfits seized by Trading Standards Lincolnshire Trading Standards, assisted by the anti-piracy team at Rubie’s Masquerade, has seized a large quantity of children’s dressup costumes from a home-based online business.

The seizure follows an operation carried out earlier this year, when more than 2,200 products were found to be counterfeit. They are not expected to meet the relevant safety standards.

“We consider matters of product safety very seriously and we work with manufacturers to detect counterfeit items on the market,” said senior trading standards officer Chad Saratoon. “Importers and distributors have obligations to check and ensure that the products they place on the market are safe and meet the required safety standards.”

Consumers and retailers are urged to take action if they see an item that they suspect is unsafe or fake by reporting it to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

The recent trend of ‘gender reveal’ parties has sky-rocketed in the last year, according to balloon brand Qualatex.

Gender reveal parties are viewed by many parents-tobe as a great way to celebrate revealing the gender of a new baby.

Balloon reveals – where large balloons are popped to reveal pink or blue balloons or confetti inside – are now more popular.

“Gender reveal has literally come from nowhere in the last two years,” said Stuart Davies, owner of Beyond Balloons store in Tonyrefail, Porth in Wales. “I cannot recollect much interest in gender reveal at all two years ago, maybe once or twice a year if that. Now we are undertaking three to four gender reveals a week!”

“The gender reveal trend has grown exponentially in the last two years, driven by amazing images on social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram as well as celebrity gender reveal videos on YouTube,” said Julie Dommett, head of marketing for Pioneer Europe.

She continued: “We’ve been thrilled to see Qualatex balloons play such a major part in the theatre of gender reveal celebrations across the globe.”

Above: The Qualatex giant 36” question mark popping balloon is popular for gender reveals.

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PARTY NEWS

The Party People named 2018 Retail Leader Of The Year Australian party and costume retailer The Party People has been named the 2018 Retail Leader Of The Year by The Australian Retail Association.

The family business, which runs two stores in New South Wales, was also named 2018 Online Retailer Of The Year and 2018 Independent Retailer Of The Year, claiming an unprecedented three awards on the night.

The business has been running for over 30 years and has over 40 employees. It is the market leader for online party supplies, while the Drummoyne branch

Peter Walker joins CTi Balloons Party industry stalwart Peter Walker has joined CTi Balloons as business development manager for the UK and Republic of Ireland and will be taking up his new position in January 2019.

Previously owner of A Party Shop in Hemel Hempstead, where he ran the store for 14 years, Peter has made the move to the supplier side of the business after taking the decision to close the shop last February. Since then, he has been working as a store manager for Card Factory in the Milton Keynes branch; one of their largest retail outlets.

However, upon being approached

by Manfred Jakobi, managing director at CTi Balloons, Peter was quick to return to the party world he knows so well.

“It was simply a question of ‘When do I start?’ I’m very much looking forward to the Spring Fair, where CTi have a stand. It will be a great opportunity to meet up again with my friends, old and new, in the balloon industry and to help drive CTi Balloons forward in 2019.”

“The balloon industry is such a passion of mine and I’m looking forward to visiting balloon shops and balloon decorating businesses across the country, to listen to their needs, share my experiences and to see how CTi Balloons can help grow their business.

I’m raring to get going!”

Right: Peter Walker has joined CTi Balloons as business development manager.

is the largest bricks and mortar party retailer in Australia.

Following on from winning last year’s title of Independent Retailer of the Year 2017, Brothers Dean and Peter Salakas have gone onto win three awards this year.

The Retail Leader of the Year award was awarded in recognition of the work undertaken to transformed the physical store and provide a competitive online party supplies platform.

The Online Retailer of the Year award recognised that The Party People have always been ‘ahead

Left: The Party People is Australia's largest party supplies retail outlet.

High-profile balloon documentary released in Australia A high-profile documentary calling for a ban on helium releases has been launched in Australia, calling for people to stop releasing helium balloons during weddings, funerals, birthdays and other celebrations.

Carly Wilson, from the Gold Coast, has created an

environmental documentary ‘Rubber Jellyfish’, which has been screened at a number of cinemas across Australia.

The documentary has already had an effect, with major companies (such as Ray White Real Estate, which previously used 30,000 balloons a year)

OnArt reports record-breaking attendance The 11th OnArt International Balloon Artists event, sponsored by Qualatex, has reported a record-breaking attendance, with almost 200 delegates attending from 26 different countries.

This year’s event took place in Barcelona, Spain from 5 – 7 October and once again brought together a variety of decorators, retailers and entertainers to celebrate balloon art.

The CBA exam saw 13 delegates pass their practical four-hour exam and earn their internationally recognised CBA (Certified Balloon Artist) designation.

“We were thrilled to sponsor this year’s OnArt event and loved seeing the truly incredible décor created as part of the activities,” began Anna Hickman, education and export marketing manager at Pioneer Europe. “We’re already looking forward to the next event!”

Training partnership between Balloon Market and Qualatex is a success industry for years,” said Greg, “and this seemed like a natural progression.”

The first two courses have seen delegates flying in from as far afield as Scotland to attend.

“We are delighted that the courses have been such as success,” continued Greg, “as we worked tirelessly to make the experience the best it could possibly be. After all, training is the best investment in your business.”

Future Qualatex training at Balloon Market for 2019 will be announced later this year.

The recent partnership between Balloon Market and Qualatex is now underway, with Balloon Market successfully hosting two Qualatex Fundamentals training courses at its new training venue; AFC Totton in Hampshire.

Greg Brown, the driving force behind Balloon Market, was keen to get BMTV regular, Mark Drury to lead the training courses as he knew that prospective attendees would benefit from Mark’s wealth of knowledge.

“Qualatex has been at the forefront of training in our

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

News_PPE_November December 2018.indd 15

of the online curve, predicting the online trend before it occurred.’

The judges were particularly impressed with the; ‘clear vision to create a global network propelled by the shift from party store to party planning centre.’

The Independent Retailer of the Year award reflected the team’s ‘consistent cutting-edge marketing strategies, innovative staff management programmes and strong leadership qualities’.

The awards organisers also praised The Party People’s overall approach to retail. “[They] continue to overcome retail obstacles and love turning potential challenges into prospering opportunities. This growing retailer has spread across Australia, increasing their store presence, growing industry employment and enhancing consumer experience, making them truly a retail force to be reckoned with.”

cancelling any future balloon use.

In the UK and Europe, balloon and party organisations EBPC, BAPIA and NABAS have all spoken out against balloon releases, with Code of Practises which advise against releases of any sort.

The Party Booth opens its doors A new party shop has opened in Overton (Hampshire, UK) stocking a wide range of decorations, balloons and other party essentials.

The Party Booth officially opened for business on Saturday, 1 December as Danielle Savine took her successful online business – which had previously been based in her garden’s summer house – to the next level, by opening a bricks and mortar store.

“I set up a shop at home and it took off quite quickly,” Danielle explained. “Then this store opening came up and I thought ‘should I go for it?’ I knew if I didn’t, I would regret it!”

The business offers everything from helium balloons to tableware and Christmas decorations and has been filled with all the latest decoration trends.

There are plans for cards and fancy dress hire to come along in the near future.

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Guest Columnist

The Word Otn ee r t s e th

Ray Duffy, commercial director, Mask-arade, seen here wearing some of Mask-arade’s brand new Party Faces products; Goggle Eyes, Bugalugs and Chinless Wonders.

The latest in PPE’s series of guest columnists, Ray Duffy is the commercial director of party mask company Mask-arade. Here’s his take on why trade fairs are so important – and what can the party industry can do to make the most out of them.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE “TRADE SHOW CIRCUIT

A

“

s an exhibitor at – and visitor to – various trade fairs for well over a decade now, I think I am fairly wellplaced to share an option or two about the annual merry-go-round that is the national and international trade fair circuit.

Hopefully, by now, I have gained some experience of them and may be able to shed some light on the whys and wherefores of exhibiting and attending trade fairs. It is not an inexpensive ‘hobby’ and deciding to exhibit at or attend a trade fair is an expensive pasttime. Are we getting enough exposure for the high prices we are charged by the exhibition companies? Is there enough footfall to make our investment pay off?

What can be done – indeed, what can we do – to make the show a success?

I think that the show organisers have a very difficult job on their hands.

First of all they have to sell us the space in a ‘good’ position so we can take advantage of the passing foot traffic. Then they have to make sure that the show is well-attended and publicised. Then they sell us advertising, encourage us to get in touch with our database and invite our customers to the show.

This seems a little one-sided to me, as the onus is then shifted on us to bring in the footfall. To their organised event. But they want the show to be a success to make sure that we keep on buying their space. Every year I ask, what are they doing to make sure that enough of our trade customers visit the show – I have yet to receive a plausible answer.

Another issue I have is that I sometimes wonder why a company has chosen to exhibit in the first place.

I find it frustrating to my see fellow exhibitors, apparently not interested in being at a trade fair, adopt a negative demeanour, almost actively putting people off visiting their stands.

I’ve seen it all – from customers being blanked

ABOVE: Not all the visitors at trade fairs are equally welcome.

RIGHT: Mask-arade made the most of their opportunity to exhibit at Autumn Fair 2018.

and ignored by exhibitors, to those who are only exhibiting as a ‘flag-waving exercise’ and are not really interested in meeting new customers!

That one baffles me if I’m

purchasing from your store?

What can we and the show organisers, really do to engage with the trade buyers?

How can we encourage trade customers to come and see

“I think that the show organisers have a very

difficult job on their hands. First of all they have to sell us the space in a ‘good’ position.” honest, surely you exhibit to showcase your new lines but also to attract new customers?

Otherwise, well, what’s the point? New customers are the lifeblood of any industry.

The flip side is also true. Exhibitors send out invitations, only to be told that: “It’s a waste of a day, it’s the same old stuff from the same exhibitors, it’s expensive...” When I hear this it’s like an arrow through the heart. There’s a big event full of stuff you can sell and you aren’t going? Surely you need to take every advantage possible to keep your customers interested and

our stands? How do we bring the excitement of FOMO (fear of missing out) back to a trade fair? How do we make the last day or two of the show busy again? The last day is a killer and time is usually spent getting to know your fellow exhibitors or the security staff!

But when the show is on, the hall is humming and you are engaging with customers, taking orders. There, right there – that’s the reason we exhibit. To meet customers, face-to-face. I won’t lie; this is the adrenalin rush I love, taking a live order and having a busy day. I absolutely love it. Two shows, in two different countries, back to back? Yes please, bring it on, more please!

Do we make the show shorter as they are suggesting?

Do we make the days shorter?

Maybe start the show at 9.30am and finish it at 4.30pm? That could take some pressure of a long day off the exhibitors. This could make the show more focused, make us cram more into the day? That could be an option to explore. Send your answers on a postcard please...”

DECEMBER 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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BAPIA

THE

BAPIA

ST BOO

John Bowler has been part of the party industry for more years than he cares to remember! John currently runs the Balloon And Party Industry Alliance (or BAPIA) and can be contacted on info@bapiaonline.com

PEBA COMES TO THE UK

In his latest column John Bowler considers the benefits of taking an international approach to environmental concerns and introduces PEBA UK.

“H

opefully many of you will have heard of, and even registered with PEBA (the Pro-Environment Balloon Alliance), but for those of you who are not aware of it, I’ll fill you in.

PEBA was set up by a group of Australian balloon artists who could see the potential threat to the balloon industry if positive action was not taken to protect it.

“The Australian balloon industry has come under intense scrutiny in the last 18 months,” said PEBA member Zoe Adams-Jones. “Corporate business and local councils have made moves to ban the use of balloons and the publicity around this has been huge.”

Decisions by policy makers are often based on exaggerated and one-sided claims about the impact of balloons and PEBA is working to provide a more balanced approach.

The balloon industry in the UK has had a long-standing policy of not allowing foil balloons to be released and we have often used the environmental benefits of rubber plantations to highlight our environmental credibility.

However, it is now time for us to be even more pro-active in our environmental responsibilities. PEBA UK has been set up as a UK arm of the original PEBA with the aim of encouraging UK balloon professionals to take a stance on balloon releases and educate the public in the

resource for industry associations and individual members. Under certain circumstances, it will all so be used as a referral point for environmental groups, government and the media.

environmental dangers of releasing balloons. The initial set up of PEBA UK has been funded by BAPIA as we believe that it is critical that we do this in order to protect our industry for many years to come.

The UK initiative was generated by four of our current committee members: Aimee Smith, Natalie Saunders, Mike Hurst and myself. We have since been joined by Greg Brown and Bob Armstrong who both have well-established stances on balloon releases.

■ Members will receive membership certificates, email signatures and continual updates in regards to all environmental matters.

We also ask our members to commit to the following: ■ No Balloon Releases – Members of PEBA do not support, condone, or facilitate the deliberate release of balloons.

■ Responsible Use and Disposal of Balloons – Members will follow responsible practices regarding the uses and disposal of all balloons.

So what does PEBA UK do? We have made a commitment to: ■W ork together with balloon professionals, environmental groups, government and the media to eliminate the organised, deliberate release of balloons and to educate our customers and the public on the responsible use and disposal of balloons.

■ Education – PEBA members will continue to educate the general public, clients and venue managers on the importance of not releasing balloons into the environment and correct use and disposal.

■ Establishing and maintaining a website where all members’ details are listed. The website will be regularly updated with relevant information and will be able to be used as a

■ Community – Members are asked to notify PEBA if they become aware of any environmental issue pertaining to balloons, or are having any difficulties dealing with anyone in regards to environmental issues.

What Is BAPIA? The Balloon And Party Industry Alliance, or BAPIA as it’s more commonly known, is designed to work for the party industry to promote the benefits of using industry professionals and to bring significant benefits to our members.

BAPIA is a member of the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC) and keeps members updated on the latest news, including the most recent initiative – the Code Of Best Practice for balloon retailers and professionals.

You can read more about this in BAPIA’s latest quarterly newsletter. Mailed directly to members, John is happy to send a copy of the latest edition to interested parties – simply email him at info@bapiaonline.com.

■ Awareness – Members are requested, where possible, to include a link to PEBA on their website, invoices and email signature to help raise awareness.

PEBA UK is here to educate those within the industry and the general public that releasing balloons can cause environmental damage and this could ultimately result in irreparable damage to our industry. Now is the time to take action and help protect the balloon industry and see it thrive.

Please take the time to sign up to PEBA on the website www.pebauk.co.uk and join the Facebook group facebook. com/groups/pebauk. We would also ask you to take any opportunity to educate your customers on responsible use and disposal of balloons. Thank you.”

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Feedback

FEEDBACK THE HALLOWEEN REPORT 2018 It’s the biggest season of the year for the party and costume industry, but did this year’s midweek Halloween live up to the expectation?

Here’s what you told us.

“This year was an okay Halloween. It certainly was not the best on record, but it was certainly not the worst!

Retailers have last year to compare it with and on the whole it come out on a level with 2017.

The beauty of a weekday Halloween is that the pressure is not as concentrated as it can be on a weekend dates and the parties are extended over a longer period, which spreads the workload a little!

Overall, 2018 was a solid Halloween, with no particular boom in sales but a consolidation of existing levels.

Animated figures came in stealing the show and in fact we had to say no to quite a number of lines as we were completely sold out! Michael Myers was resuscitated and became once again a central character to the celebration, as well as our own Ghost Face from Scream.

Costumes have been on the receiving end of negative media for a while now and this year was no different. First it was price, then it was safety (thanks to a few disreputable trades/ importers who have no respect for the health and safety legislation in place). Costumes still play a key part in any retailer’s Halloween programme, but they are certainly dropping their weight in the equation in favour of accessories, masks (which are the big winner here, particularly the better ones), make-up and décor.”

SERGIO BATTANER sales and marketing director, Palmer Agencies “In Italy, bearing in mind that Halloween is still relatively new, we’ve seen a slight change in trends - for Carnival Toys at least - from a primarily adult-based theme to more child; as such we’ve seen Dolcetto o Scherzetto (Trick or Treat) accessories go well, together with complete Halloween ready-to-go dress-up sets particularly for children which comprise a certain ‘look’ which would include maybe a headband, a tail or wings, a skirt and a bow tie or wand, for example. For adults, Steampunk is a trend that continues, and we expect to see this at Carnival 2019 as well.”

ANDY CRITCHLOW Carnival Toys

Inset: It was anything and everything for this year’s trick or treaters.

“The feedback I have received from a number of retailers was that 2018 was ‘ok’, however, there was little or no growth from 2017. I would say that prior to the event the expectations were probably slightly raised and consequently there was a mixture of disappointment and relief.

Realistically, I am not convinced there was any major fallout

from the bad publicity. Certainly my customers would buy from mainstream suppliers and I think in the main they were able to pass this confidence on to their consumers.

The reality is that with adults costumes are taking a backstage and the market is continuing to decrease as people are looking to dress up in a very different way. With adult Halloween costumes I would suggest that the trend is continuing downwards.The only common them I could detect was the continuing trend to ‘horrorfy’ everyday themes.”

MARK BRETT UK agent, Boland Party

“We are pleased to report an increase in sales over Halloween compared to 2017, with record sales achieved in October. We saw strong demand for our new costume designs, notably the Vintage Clown family costumes, which were sold out early on in the season. Day of the Dead continued to be a popular theme for both children and adults. As a result of the ‘Halloween’ movie reboot, we also sold out of our Halloween H20 Michael Myers costumes.

As in previous years we saw a strong growth in accessories sales along with the continuing trend for Halloween make up and Special FX. We were very busy with last minute orders and top-ups for independent retailers, and our extended opening hours ensured retailers were able to respond to the late customer rush.”

SHARON POULTER senior trade marketing manager, Smiffys

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Feedback

FEEDBACK C O N T I N U E D

“Accessories were popular this Halloween, in a year when customising is key! We’ve seen that customers are looking to create a unique look that can’t always be purchased with one costume. Customers want to stand out from the crowd, enhance their look and be noticed for their costume - this won’t necessarily happen with lines which are seen all year round. The customisation of an outfit was a standout factor this year and it reflected in the ratio of costumes to accessory purchases made. One clear trend we noticed was a drop in cat-themed items and a rise of Devil accessories.”

FRAN HALES marketing manager, Bristol Novelty

“Classic characters remained a popular choice this Halloween with ghoul costumes, as well as witches, werewolves and of course zombie styles performing strongly.

Our recently added Medusa costume was also a popular choice, while the sinister

“We have had a successful Halloween here at Fun Shack. Following on from last year, we have seen an increase in sales of everyday costumes around this period rather than purely Halloween lines. We sold out of our everyday Nun costume due to the release of the film of the same name. Our new Black Cat and Harlequin Cat Suits sold well, although our top kids lines were the Evil Dummy and Kids Black Cat, for the second year running. The negative press about costume safety had no effect on us as a brand. We pride ourselves in testing our entire collection of children’s costumes to all safety standards to ensure they are as safe as possible.”

ALICE KNIGHT, sales and marketing, Fun Shack

“With Halloween falling midweek Rubie’s saw three spikes; the weekend before, students’ nights mid-week and the weekend after Halloween. Retailers were supported with digital toolkits and in-store POS which created a great experience for the consumers. We saw retailers stocking a huge range of costumes to ensure they had something for everyone.

Superheroes were a popular choice this Halloween. Our DC range was extremely popular including Batman and Supergirl.

Halloween is such a creative time of the year and we saw a popularity in many people putting their own take on costumes.”

DANIELLE COSTELLO marketing assistant, Rubie’s UK

Right: Smiffys family costumes were popular this year and came in a variety of themes, including this popular Day of the Dead collection.

“Halloween was great for us in the end. However, we are seeing more and more sales being wedged into a shorter window.

This provides us with a bit of a logistical challenge which we then naturally have to work harder to meet. The surge seems to come later and later each year.”

STUART WHEELER account manager, Delights Direct “With Halloween falling on a Wednesday this year, the celebrations spread over two weekends and so we were busy up until the last minute. The trend of customers purchasing accessories and make-up to customise their look continues but costume sales were still strong. Halloween perennials such as witches and clowns performed well, but we also found film and TV characters were popular. We’re finding that we are selling an increasingly wide range of different products as customers want to stand out from the crowd.”

EMMA ANGEL director, Angels Distribution

circus theme was also a key trend this year with jester styles proving a favourite.

The gothic theme was popular in partyware with our gothic scene setter and glitter chandelier selling well. In terms of balloons our new Black Witch Hat SuperShape was a top seller, featuring a stylish satin finish. The new licensed Jack Skellington AirWalker was also very popular.”

CHARLOTTE TERRY marketing executive, Amscan

“Halloween is always a busy and successful time of year for us and depending on the market, you can see different trends coming through all the time.

We are seeing more and more of the public getting creative with their costumes, buying accessories and decorations to create their look themselves, rather than buying pre-made costumes. Overall the whole Halloween season has been great for us and we definitely expect 2019 to be even better.”

GEORGE MORGAN manager of graphic design and illustration, Henbrandt Right: This year’s celebrations saw people getting creative and putting together their own unique costumes.

DECEMBER 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Halloween & Party Expo 2019

Below right: McKenzie Farquharson. Inset: The showfloor was full of costumes, props and other attention-grabbing product.

HALLOWEEN’S

Greatest Show One of the party capitals of the world, New Orleans is the perfect location for the Halloween & Party Expo. Taking place over three days in January (25 – 27 Jan, 2019), the show is a fascinating mix of product, inspiration and new ideas from more than 350 exhibitors. PPE spoke to the Halloween & Party Expo’s McKenzie Farquharson to find out what’s in store for those making the trip.

T Inset: Jeff West, creative director at Cinema Secrets, won the 2018 Artist Battleground competition.

Pick Your Product “After last year’s show, we heard from retailers that they were keen to see a wider range of product, so this year we will be showcasing a wider variety of products such as accessories, costumes, novelties, make-up, business services, toys, party products and more,” said McKenzie.

“This means that buyers will have the opportunity to add more assortment to their inventory, including seasonal and festive product offering, so they can focus on driving add-on sales at their stores.”

here’s only one place on earth that is entirely dedicated to costumes, fancy-dress, make-up, special effects, balloons, décor, props and everything else a party retailer could possibly need. The Halloween & Party Expo is an unmissable opportunity to surround yourself with everything that is new and exciting for the party and Halloween industry.

“The 2018 show was another hugely effective trip for our team,” commented Pendra Maisuria, director of Escapade Fancy Dress in London, who spent time at the show last year. “We’ve been able to have productive merchandising meetings with current suppliers, but also the ability to source brand new product lines that we just won’t see unless we’re here. The organisers make it very easy to come here and do business.”

Last year’s event surpassed the expectations of many international buyers, retailers and exhibitors and the 2019 show is expected to go even further. More than 350 dedicated party exhibitors representing a wide range of product categories from costumes and accessories, to make-up,

H&P Expo Essentials ■ H&P Expo 2019, 25 – 27 January ■ Ernest N Morial Convention Centre, New Orleans ■ www.halloweenpartyexpo.com ■ Buyer’s Club info: kgillis@urban-expo.com or +1 203 202 3825.

toys, novelties, party products and more.

A number of exciting new attractions and initiatives have also been introduced for 2019, making show diaries a must!

The show will once again be co-located with HAuNTcon (The Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention, which has doubled in size for its second year), giving visitors and buyers access to more than 100 haunt vendors and thousands of additional product launches.

“We’ve got some great new attractions as well as some returning favourites,” said McKenzie. “The Artist Battleground will be coming back for the second year, but we’ll also have a brand new fashion show, new product spotlights being showcased

Right: Where else would you be served drinks from a Day of the Dead-themed dress?

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Halloween & Party Expo 2019

on the runway and more make-up and accessory Familiar demonstrations.” (scary) Faces Going into some A number of returning more detail about the exhibitors are always high unmissable attractions, on the list of exhibitors that McKenzie outlines some retailers will be looking of the highights. “The forward to seeing. These Haunted Trends Runway major players cover all sorts will be returning once of Halloween and party again but in a slightly business, and include: Rubie’s, different fashion,” she Cinema Secrets, Disguise, Fun explained. “Exhibitors World, California Costumes, will have the chance to Graftobian, Dreamgirl, showcase two different Bauer Pacific Imports, Roma Above: The Urban Expositions team joined in with the fun looks in one hourmerchandise credits and Costumes, Moon Creations, at Saturday night’s Brewing, Boos and Booze party. long fashion show on product recommendations Trick or Treat Studios, Kryolan Friday night once the – it’s a great way for international travellers who are looking Professional Make-up, Morris first day of the show is retailers to ensure they to begin relationships with as many Costumes and many more. over. Cocktails will also they don’t miss out companies as possible. And it’s great fun!” be available, making on anything which A brand new website has also given this a perfect opportunity to check out would be beneficial to their business. the show a boost for 2019, with the team costumes, accessories and props live on the Last, but definitely not least, is the using it to to highlight new products, new runway while networking and enjoying industry’s annual costume ball – The show features and new partners. It also the end of a successful first day.”

Brewing, Boos and Booze event, which hosts a preview video about the show and Essential to any retail trade show is the will be held on on Saturday 26 January, a number of other exciting new features. education timetable and the H&P Expo at Generations Hall.

“We are using the site has some great sessions planned, with daily “This is your time to to make sure that buyers New (scary) Faces panels and roundtable discussions taking get dressed up and dance stay informed about the Around 40 brand new place throughout the show (see Back To the night away,” said show, but also that the exhibitors will be showing at School below for more detail).

McKenzie. ”The ball is information we send H&P Expo 2019 for the first “This year, we have shaped these sessions always an unmissable them is as targeted and time ever. These include a based upon valuable retailer feedback event, as hundreds of as useful as possible,” real mix of party, Halloween from our online advisory board and people from across the offered McKenzie. and costume companies, really made sure that we are providing industry come together “Retailers should follow such as: BoneWare Cutlery, content that is relevant and useful,” (and dress up!) for us on Facebook (at Fizz Jewelry USA, Disfraces McKenzie revealed. “They will allow a night of dancing www.facebook.com/ Monalisa, SoNice Party, you to have meaningful conversations and networking. It’s theHPE) and Instagram Palamon, Salcedoe Invitations, with your peers and discuss solutions valuable for anyone but (@halloweenpartyexpo) A Leading Role, AMC Sales, to your biggest business challenges.” is absolutely essential to be the first to find out United States Postal Services, One of the most successful initiatives for anyone new to about new events.”As Imperial House Antiques, which the H&P Expo runs for retailers is the industry or for the only event in North Timeless by Design, YRU and The Buyers Club – a America to bring all Strange Cult, Willbermoon, programme which things Halloween, party, SV Kroma, Rubber Johnnies, gives key buyers haunt and celebration Suzhou Zhongshen, Golden the opportunity to together under one Shuttle, Malmey Masks make pre-scheduled roof, the Halloween and Direct International. appointments & Party Expo offers with exhibitors. retailers their first chance Left: The runway was They are also given ideal for showing off to see thousands of new products being new costumes and fresh concierge assistance released for 2019 and beyond. There’s designs. Right: The with registration, certainly a lot to be excited about!

Fun World stand drew a lot of attention last appointment setting, year with this fabulous exhibitor introductions, replica Zoltar arcade.

Back To School The carefully designed education sessions will help retailers solve their biggest challenges, from staffing to customer/brand loyalty and from merchandising to add-on sales.

Panel discussions include: Retail & Tech – realistic technologies every merchant should know about to help their business thrive (Friday, 11am); Retaining Customers – expert insight on increasing sales and strengthening brand loyalty (Saturday, 10:30am) and Tips & Tricks – how to diversify your

inventory assortment and increase add-on sales all year round.

The retail roundtables include: Balancing Physical & Online Stores – the realities of how this can work without frustration (Friday, 1:00pm); Merchandising – to increase customer engagement and store sales (Saturday, 1:00pm) and Strategies to Strengthen – covering employee engagement, staffing and other in-store employee management issues (Sunday, 1:00pm).

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Halloween & Party Expo 2019

Fun World

Morphsuits

Booth 3113 www.morphsuits.com Morphsuits has a smorgasbord of costume innovation at its H&P Expo booth this year. The creative costume company will be launching its brand new Screaming Demon light-up masks range. As the name suggests these masks are sound-activated, making them perfect for trick or treating and a killing it on the dancefloor. Designs include Skeleton, Unicorn and the President.

Morphsuits is also adding to its best-selling inflatable range with the Prancing Unicorn, Egg Plant and Game of Thrones inspired Dragons. Finally Laughing Jack (pictured) is the latest addition to the incredibly popular Urban Legends Morphsuits range; creepy and cool all at the same time.

J.Templeton

Booth 3131 www.fun-world.net A full line of creative and original generic costumes are available for a wide customer base. In addition, Fun World has one of the largest ranges of mens and ladies accessories you will find anywhere, whether to wear by themselves or as an accent to a costume. A full line of pumpkin carving kits that offers value to the retailer as well as their customers. Licensed product that features Ryan’s World, Michael Myers (Halloween), Popeye, Impractical Jokers, Hellboy and the icon of Halloween, Ghost Face, as seen in the Scream cinema franchise as well as numerous television shows and documentaries.

Other categories include masks, wigs, decor and the industry’s best spider web available.

Smiffys

Booth 1520 www.jtempleton.com J. Templeton is the leading source for all kinds of skirt for Halloween and costume occasions. It carrries a full line that includes schoolgirl skirt (in regular and plus size), leather skirt, tutu skirt, Bridal long tutu skirt and a whole range of many different colours. All these different kinds of skirt in every style imaginable are available in one booth!

OppoSuits

Booth 3116 www.opposuits.com 2019 promises to be another exciting year for OppoSuits as it continues to expand its collection in a lot of new and exciting ways. As well as adding new styles to both the OppoSuits and Suitmeister collection the company will also be introducing a whole new type of suit that will brighten up 2019! The last 12 months have been a very successful year for OppoSuits in regards to its Suitmeister licensed collection so it will definitely build on that the coming year for its Halloween collection. Drop by and see the team to see all the wonderful new collections and to discuss the options for 2019.

Booth 627 www.smiffys.com Every year Smiffys brings exciting new products to the costume and party industry and you will be able to get an exclusive first look at their new lines at the Halloween and Party Expo 2019.

Smiffys will be showcasing its new collection, including a range of circus costumes for all the family. From ring masters and fortune tellers to trapeze artists and knife throwers, the new circus range is excellent for groups and families. Visit the booth to also see the new wigs, inflatables and other accessories which are perfect for adding finishing touches to costumes.

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Halloween & Party Expo 2019

Kashi

Booth 3248 www.facebook.com/Kashi.of.India Hello again Halloween admirers! Kashi will returning to the H&P Expo this year with fresh new garments for the latest trends on the market. Pay them a visit and be transferred to the era of vikings, pirates, fairies and more.

Kashi brings fun and creative clothing, tapestries, scarves, leather belts and parasols as well as capes and gorgeous belly dancer garb. Lots of Kashi’s clothing is created from recycled saris with one of a kind patterns. This year’s show special is a Baker’s Dozen! The team at Kashi look forward to seeing buyers and showing off their quality, handmade and unique garments one more time.

Mustaches

Halco

Booth 3112 www.halcoholidays.com Halco has enough styles and sizes to suit Santa himself! As the makers of the original Santa suit, Halco has been around for over 70 years. Quality workmanship, timely delivery and superior customer service are what Halco believes in.

Halco is known for its Santa Suits, Mrs Claus and Santa’s Helpers costumes, as well as Christmas accessories perfect for enhancing any event!

Halco is looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the 2019 Halloween & Party Expo. The Belle of the Christmas Ball (pictured) has been introduced this year and has been an exciting addition to the Halco line.

Rubie’s

Booth 1831 www.rubies.com Offering today’s hottest trends and styles, Rubie’s can provide buyers with the best products and services in the industry. From children and tweens to adults and pets, the extensive line of licences continues to expand each year. Some of Rubie’s top licences in 2019 will include Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Shazam, SpiderMan: Far From Home, Star Wars Episode IX, Star Wars: Resistance, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Stranger Things, IT, Fantastic Beasts Crimes of Grindlewald, Godzilla King of the Monsters, Alita Battle Angel and many more! As always, Rubie’s remains dedicated to its non-licensed line of costumes, ‘Rubie’s Opus Collection’ for infants, toddlers, children, tweens, teens and adults. The collection includes hundreds of new styles and designs to accommodate the growing trend of family dress-up and for the whole family to enjoy!

Booth 3223 www.mustachesb2b.com As moustache mania goes global, party-supply stores, wholesaler and event organisers are going nuts about Mustaches’ huge assortment of quality false facial hair. Handmade in the heart of Europe, there are over 600 varieties available. Stylish and original, the moustaches all come with safe and reliable adhesive and are available for efficient delivery anywhere in the world. The new child-size fake beards and moustaches are a great fit for any mood or occasion and all items are certified safe under the EU’s strict standards for toys (EN 71-1, 71-2 and 71-3). Retailers get card-pack options and client-branded packaging is possible on large orders.

Banana Costume

Booth 1419 www.bananacostumesinc.com Banana Costumes is a wholesaler specialised in Halloween and other holiday-themed wigs and costumes.

In addition, it offers a wide range of contemporary apparel for various occasions and happenings such as sport events, music concerts and movie releases. Banana Costumes’ strength lies in its exceptional customer service, its flexibility to deliver high-quantity orders on time as well as custom-made items, completely tailored to your needs.

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The Party People

A VERY ANTIPODEAN

I

t’s not just any kid who can say every day is a party – but that was the case for Peter and Dean Salakas, the third generation of a family who made partying their business.

In the very early days, it all began with their mother Mala who was running a home-based clown business acting as ‘Patches the Clown’ and entertaining children at parties. The successful venture eventually outgrew the family home and in 1985 Mala’s passion for parties led her to start a small party store with her father Peter.

Based in Sans Souci, New South Wales, the retail side of the business was then able to really grow and just ten years later the store, which by now focused on balloon decoration and retail party supplies, moved into larger premises. By this point, The Party People was Australia’s largest store of its kind. An early adopter, the business started online sales in 1999, chalking up

The Shark Tank “We went on Shark Tank Australia in 2015 to try and secure an investment to open more stores. We received a $400,000 offer from Janine Allis which we turned down as we just couldn’t give away half our family business.

After appearing on the programme we received more offers with better deals but decided not to pursue investment as a method of growing. We are now investigating a franchise strategy.”

Dean Salakis, owner, The Party People

Inset: Where it all began; Mala as ‘Patches the Clown’ and her children.

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Above: The Party People is Australia’s largest party supplies retail outlet.

another first; this time as Australia’s first online party store, which was years ahead of its time and offered click and collect from the very beginning.

Eight years later, in 2007, her sons Dean and Peter took over the family business. Despite being the largest party store in Australia, at that time The Party People Shop had just two employees working in the shop.

Today the business has over 40 employees, is the market leader for party supplies online in Australia and has two bricks and mortar stores – the second, which is Australia’s largest party supplies retail outlet, opened in 2011.

“We use to get teased at school because our mum was a clown,” says Dean, “but

With 30 years of party heritage behind it, it’s no surprise that The Party People is Australia’s biggest party and costume retailer.

Progressive Party Europe spoke to ‘chief party dude’ Dean Salakas about the family business which started out in their front room more than three decades ago. today we wear it as a badge of honour.”

Dean was involved with the family business long before his mother retired, helping with the online side of things while at still studying at high school and then later while at university. “I even did my final year thesis on the business,” he adds, “which actually led to major changes and an acceleration in growth!”

More recently, the Australian Retail Association recently named The Party People as the Independent Retailer of The Year and the Online Retailer of the year, with Dean himself personally named Retail Leader of the Year. Scoring this hat-trick was no mean feat, so what makes The Party People so different to other party shops?

“We love what we do,” says Dean, simply. “But we also offer the largest range of party supplies in Australia.

Our Drummoyne store alone covers 1700sqm. Most party stores might carry one bay of Hollywood-themed product, but we have a 10m isle dedicated to it!

We also offer balloon decorating across both our stores, which is not something generally offered by the larger stores.”

The Party People also has a very heavy focus on seasonal events like Halloween, Christmas and Easter.

“We aim to offer the largest range possible for each seasonal event, so – for example - we convert an entire floor to Halloween at that time of year.”

At that key time of year, Dean and Peter also operate a local Halloween pop-up shop, which offers a condensed range of Halloween-related items available such as costumes, accessories, confectionery and decorations.

“Halloween has grown for us every year,” explains Dean, “and we have always tried to have the biggest range available.

We even had a decent range 20 years ago when Halloween wasn’t popular

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The Party People

Name Dropping “We work with some great suppliers; Amscan, Beistle, Unique, Creative Party.... They all treat us very well! We do like to support local independent suppliers and startups where possible as well – so for example we use 5 Star for our coloured tableware range.” in Australia at all, and we will continue to innovate and evolve our range.”

In keeping with its innovative approach to business, this year’s Halloween pop-up also trialled scan-and-go technology. “It worked very well for us; there wasn’t room for a checkout so checkoutless shopping just makes sense!”, he continues. “In the stores it won’t necessarily save us money in checkout staff, but it will help us serve customers better by freeing up our time.”

At the heart of the business is, of course, customer service; with the brothers continually looking for ways to evaluate and improve their offering.

“If you don’t provide a great experience, people will not come back,” Dean states.

“There are other options out there! I don’t think there is only one way to achieve good service, so we constantly evaluate our own customer service. We have mystery shoppers, we ask all our customers to review us and we constantly evaluate our business offer to ensure we do not miss any changes in consumer behaviour.”

The online element is essential to The Party People’s business model and is Australia’s most visited online party supply store, also serving international customers as far away as Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and America.

“Our website is the most sophisticated party store website in the country,” says Dean, explaining why the business was named Online Retailer Of The Year 2018.

“We have always been industry leaders in that respect. We were Google’s first Australian Adwords customer and we even piloted Facebooks now-popular accelerator programme. We added same day and express delivery options before

Above: Under pressure in Shark Tank Australia, where Dean turned down an offer for $400,000. Above right: Staff get into the spirit of the occasion, dressing up for Halloween and other key seasons. Below: Modern, on-trend ballon décor is a key part of The Party People’s business model.

the software was invented so we had to manage it all through spreadsheets!”

He continues; “The website drives traffic to our stores and the stores drive traffic to our website, so customers can buy from us either way. We continually go to digital and retail conferences to keep up with trends in other industries and we fully intend to remain the market leader online!”

The Australian party market is constantly changing and developing, with product trends and fashions driving demand across the industry. In Left: Dean with owner of redballoon.com.au after collecting The Party People’s hat-trick of awards from the Australian Retail Association (Online Retailer Of The Year, Independent Retailer Of The Year and Retail Leader Of The Year). Below: Dean (left) and Peter Salakas (right) pose with their mother Mala Salakas, who originally started the business with their grandfather.

particular, Dean says, the party market at present is seeing a great deal of supplier consolidation; old established party stores are closing down while new innovative party stores are continuing to grow.

Offering the right product at the right time is of course an essential part of any successful retail business. The Party People offers a wide range for consumers to choose from, with an approximate sales split of 25% costumes, 60% party and decorations and 15% balloons.

“All the product categories are strategically critical to the business,” Dean muses. “We don’t think we would be as successful if we just focused on one area.

We do keep an eye on overseas magazines and Instagram to see what people are doing and which trends are out there, but for us, the last 12 months have seen great sales in mermaid, unicorn and foil-stamped ranges.

I think all of these will remain strong over the coming months, but in the long-term I also see a lot more paper instead of plastic being used for decorations as the environment becomes a growing concern.”

Licensed products are very important but not critical to The Party People’s business.

“We carry a large range and we continue to see staples like Star Wars and Thomas do well while others like Disney Princess and Frozen fade away. Having said that, I do think Frozen will have a resurgence when the next movie is released in 2019.”

As far as classic best-selling lines go, it’s spider webs at Halloween and Santa suits at Christmas. “Believe it or not, for the rest of the year our best-selling lines are Hawaiian leis and inflatable coolers.

Naturally they sell better in summer, but they do perform well all year round.”

Any personal favourites? “OppoSuits!

We only just ranged them so I don’t know yet how sales are doing, but I wore one to a party and it was a hit!”

Clearly a man with a vision, Dean’s focus now is simple; to open more stores.

“We believe that a healthy combination of bricks and mortar and online will be the key to success,” he concludes. “We are very excited about the future.”

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Call us on:

08453 070707 Browse the full range at

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@Rubies_UK @RubiesUK @rubies_uk @Rubies_EMEA

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It’s A Hit! One-stop party and costume shop Amscan has launched its first ever line of officially licensed pinatas, putting the finishing touch to many of its themed party collections. Pinata options include a number firm party favourites spanning all ages groups, including Star Wars, Paw Patrol, Marvel Spider-Man, Minnie Mouse, My Little Pony, Pokemon and more.

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Merry Christmouse Star Cutouts is delighted to be able to offer these amazing new Disney Christmas cardboard cutouts, featuring Pluto, Donald Duck and of course Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Retailers will be able to sprinkle some Christmas magic into customer’s lives with these fantastic Star Mini Cutouts, which are part of a full Christmas range, all of which are available to order now.

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Here Be Dragons The latest new licensed release from Rubie’s UK is this brand new How To Train Your Dragon 3 range. The collection includes new Hiccup and Astrid costumes as well as two deluxe battlesuits for both characters. These clever jumpsuits are printed on both front and back and come fully-equipped with both wings and snood.

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Sweet Surprise The new L.O.L Surprise range is the latest addition to Mask-arade’s licensed offering and is aimed primarily at girls aged between five and nine years old, the same age bracket as the collectable toy itself. The masks are expected to be a very popular item for Christmas stocking fillers and New Year favours. “We are excited beyond belief to bring out these seven supercool L.O.L Surprise character masks,” commented Mask-arade’s Ray Duffy.

Power-Up Amsterdam-based OppoSuits has teamed up with Nintendo to create two colourful Super Mario suits, the latest additions to its ever-expanding licensed collection. An everyday and a Christmas design will sit alongside OppoSuits’ current branded portfolio, which already includes suits from Star Wars, Warner Bros., DC Comics and Marvel as well as Tetris and Pac-Man.

Party With Nella Amscan has added a great variety of new licensed ranges to their offering for 2019, including a great new Nella the Princess Knight partyware ensemble.

The TV programme, which is shown on Nickelodeon, includes main characters Nella and Trinket the unicorn which feature throughout the range of partyware and balloons.

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Carnival and Mardi Gras 2019

One of the biggest celebrations to take place across Europe, the carnival and Mardi Gras market is growing every year. Despite having no fixed date, it’s big business for party retailers, with elaborate costumes and extravagant décor, props and accessories making it a real celebration.

PPE finds out what’s in store behind the mask.

Dancing IN THE STREETS

O

nce the Christmas and New Year celebrations are over, party attentions turn to one of the biggest events in the European party calendar – the carnival season. An anything-goes celebration, carnival and Mardi Gras parties and parades take place across a number of European cities – and increasingly across the UK – in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras (the day before the Christian period of Lent).

Traditionally, Mardi Gras is the last opportunity to indulge before a time of reflection, but as with many fesivals which have their roots in religion, carnival and Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) celebrations have changed and developed over the years.

“Christmas may be the party season, but carnival is when everybody has a ball,” says Palmer Agencies’ marketing director Sergio Battaner. “It is a time to indulge in mischievous fun and let it all before Lent.”

“Places like Venice, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Cologne, Nice and Cadiz transform to create an atmosphere of colour and fun,” Sergio continues. “These are the main two characteristics of these festivals, along with groups dressing up together to mock an event or political character!”

In keeping with this, Palmer’s 2019 lines are focused on; “colour-driven outfits, wigs and accessories.

The brighter, the better!”

“Traditional devils and witches also have a place in this Christian-based celebration,” added Sergio,

“as well as the classic eye masks, traditionally colourful costumes and group outfits, which all take centre stage.”

A new line of foam hats is expected to take centre stage in the company’s carnival offering. “They are the best most fun accessory in any party,” says Sergio, “and are already proving very successful. It’s all about having fun and making sure everyone else is!”

As a Dutch company, carnival is a major event for Boland Party. “Boland is in pole position to take advantage of this potential market,” says Mark Brett, UK agent. “Many of Boland’s dress-up items were designed with carnival in mind.”

“However,” he continues, “as with Halloween, much of the carnival market is now being driven by trends and themes that are perhaps not especially traditional.

It may be clowns, it may even be witches or superheroes. We do have a cracking range of masks though, with over 12 pages in our catalogue devoted to them, but in reality with the 500 new products we launched in September a good chunk of them will be right for carnival! I do remember at the beginning of 2018 a number of online operators saying they were seeing a uptake in steampunk for carnival – so really, anything goes.”

Fran Hales, marketing

Right: The colourful foam hats collection from Palmer Agencies is a showstopping way to get in the carnival spirit.

The Italian Perspective Carnival has always been a key selling season at Smiffys, with a range of accessories such as masks, wigs and make-up all perfect for finishing off those colourful carnival outfits. The company’s exciting new Carnival Collection has been specially designed for the European market, while maintaining premium quality and affordable price.

The exciting range of costumes – which includes sailors, vikings, flamenco dancers and medieval knights – is packaged on hangers, making it perfect for a retail display with maximum impact, allowing customers to get their hands on the quality materials and close-up to the design details.

Left: Viking kids costumes are part of Bristol Novelty’s new kids costume range and are perfect for carnival celebrations. Right: Smiffys has a range of styles available for carnival, from circus-themed looks through to animal onesies and fruit costumes for all ages.

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Carnival and Mardi Gras 2019

“Carnivals are all about colour and Pioneer Europe often sees some amazing carnival décor using brightly coloured plain latex balloons. We even offer pre-selected Carnival Assortment packs – a mix of colours fit for celebrating in style!”

Julie Dommett, head of marketing, Pioneer Europe Below: Pioneer Europe’s large foil Mardi Gras mask shape from Qualatex is always a top seller for this season.

manager at Bristol Novelty agrees, saying that; “The great thing about Carnival is that it is so diverse. There are generic trends we can spot, such as medieval or Venetian clothes/accessories, but the beauty of it is the fantastic mix of traditional and modern cultures. It’s one big colourful and creative show with families and friends gathering to express themselves in their own flamboyant way. We absolutely love it and our costumes do not look out of place when paraded on the streets of Nice or Venice!”

One of the biggest markets for carnival celebrations is Italy, so it’s no surprise that costume and party company Carnival Toys is well-prepared for the event.

Right: A full range of masks from Carnival Toys includes this feathered masquerade eye mask.

It’s Carnival Time!

“It’s very important that we follow trends while also setting our own path,” said international sales director Andy Critchlow.

“We’ll be looking to expand our line of complete ready sets beyond Halloween and into carnival, focusing very much on children. We’re currently working on a new attractive packaging design, which will be revealed in time for the 2019 fairs in spring. We expect steampunk to continue trending, both for carnival and Halloween – the lines blur a bit! – and of course the Venetian theme is always popular, with Venice itself being so close to the Carnival Toys offices.”

Meanwhile, Carnival Toys continues to do well with its Italian-produced costumes, masks and wigs, together with its own confetti and streamers – all essential for a successful carnival season!

Based in Amsterdam, carnival is a big season for the team at OppoSuits, and the company’s Dutch and German business is very strong due to retailers across the spectrum carrying the colourful suits.

“The growth of our carnival style suits has been phenomenal over the last several years,” says head of sales Linda Shademan.

“We find that there’s no shortage of customers

Left: Fun Shack has an extremely popular carnival collection, featuring everything from quirky jesters to the currently popular circus theme.

who really want to express themselves with bright, bold, and patterned suits in their favorite colours!”

Linda also predicts that OppoSuits’ new collection of coloured shirts is going to be popular this carnival season. “From the standard white, black, and blue, to the not-so-standard pink, purple, and yellow, fans of OppoSuits can now complete their outfit by pairing their favourite patterned suit with a coloured shirt to create striking combinations.”

“For us, Carnival is about having a broad mix as we don’t see individual lines taking off in the same way as Halloween, it is more balanced overall.”

Stuart Wheeler, account manager, Delights Direct Also taking to novelty apporiach to carnival is London-based Angels Fancy Dress with its Rasta Imposta range. “We have seen massive year-on-year growth in sales for carnival,” says director Emma Angel. “Anything and everything goes, so we sell a wide range of different products in the lead up to it. Novelty lines are always a good seller,while group costumes have also become increasingly popular as they makes such a big impact.”

Carnival preperations should begin now – after all, it’s the perfect excuse to have a big, colourful party in what is otherwise a typically quiet time of year!

Fun is the name of the game for Bristol Novelty’s new range of carnival costumes with colourful, flamboyant dresses a Mardi Gras must-have.

The uniquely designed Carnival Collection from Smiffys features an exciting range of costumes including sailors, vikings and vibrant flamenco dancers for all the family.

Featuring the traditional Mardi Gras mask and classic gold, green and purple colour way, Creative Party’s new Masks of Mardi Gras ensemble makes the perfect party statement.

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Visit us at the Toy Fair Nuremberg!

Hall 9 Stand D-09 Folat BV - Diakenhuisweg 15 - 2033AP Haarlem - Netherlands - www.folat.eu

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Carnival and Mardi Gras 2019

It’s Carnival Time!

These new gold foil cupcake and petit four cases from Creative Party are the perfect complement to any Carnivalthemed party range. Also available in Silver and Rose Gold

These animal dress-up sets do well for Henbrandt at carnival time as a quick and simple costume option.

Bristol Novelty’s new carnival range includes a number of classic and traditional costumes, such as this cape and mask.

It’s a fabulously fruity carnival feel for Rasta Imposta with these watermelon and pineapple costumes, just two of the company’s popular exotic fuit range.

This carnival season OppoSuits will have the newcolourful Disco Dude style available which is expected to be very popular both locally and internationally.

Novelty new suspenders from Folat are ideal for those looking for an easy-to-wear costume and are available in sailor, police officer, clown and black tie.

This Cute Clown balloon shape is a favourite for Qualatex throughout Europe during the carnival season.

This stunning Flamingo queen mask from Boland Party is be a show stopper both for Mardi Gras and carnival.

For carnival Folat has a range of new easy-to-wear animal jackets for both adults (cow, dog, lion and tiger) and children (cow and a tiger).

These Venetian masks from Carnival Toys are essential items for the carnival season.

The new range of foam hats from Palmer Agenics is simply superb, with a range from fried eggs in pans to Carmen Miranda fruity hats and all manner of oversized fun in various shapes, colour and designs.

Delights Direct will have a vast selection of costumes and accessories for the Carnival season, including this popular Bishops costume.

Circus themes have been big news in the costume and fancy dress world over the past year and these three lines from Fun Shack show that won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

This will be the first carnival and Mardi Gras season for Fun Shack’s novelty costumes and they are expected to sell well, especially the lobster and octopus costumes.

Based on the latest worldwide trends, Smiffys exclusive carnival dress-up collection is perfect for groups, couples and families who like to dress up and party together!

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What’s New?

Looking for something a bit different? Then it’s time for an international shopping spree!

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The sub-culture Steampunk trend has been growing in popularity across the UK and Europe for some time and has been quickly picked up as a fun fancy dress style. Boland Party’s recent new product launch included some great new Steampunk items, such as this buzzsaw prop which is available now and already selling well.

Got something to say? Of course you do – and that’s where these new Script Letters from Grabo (Betallic) come in very handy. Using these means customers won’t need to rely on catchphrases, and instead can say whatever they want! Perfect for personalisation and making sure you say absolutely the right thing.

Need some hairy smiles for your small faces? These new child-size fake beards and moustaches from Mustaches are a great fit for any mood or occasion.

“Kids will always have a ball when you put something furry on their face!” All items are certified safe under the EU’s strict standards for toys: EN 71-1, 71-2 and 71-3.

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In a nod to both the athleisure and 80/90s trends currently swamping our high streets, Folat has introduced these two new fabulous training suit prints for 2019. With his and hers styles available, these are perfect for everyday dress-up, carnivals, festivals and of course, the ever-popular 80s and 90s parties.

Looking ahead to Halloween 2019, Carnival Toys will be previewing a humour/comic horror look (for adults at least!) and will be introducing a wider range of home decorations including larger-than-life props that will make for spectacular in-store displays in the runup to the bid scary day itself!

Fancy Feathers This fabulous headdress from Widmann is ideal for anyone looking to really stand out this carnival season.

Widmann has introduced a brand new fantastic range of feathered eye masks, boas and headdresses which are sure to put your customers centre stage!

Available to order now in time for the carnival season.

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Canine Crush This coming Valentine’s Day, Rubie’s UK is expecting to see a rise within the pet fancy dress market, based upon these fabulous canine bride and groom costumes. With consumers increasingly showing their love for their animals on this day Rubie’s predicts that a number of pet weddings will be taking place on Valentine’s Day 2019!

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Double Power This new Twin Air Sizer II from Premiun Balloon Accessories inflates balloons 25% faster, is 30% quieter and weighs 10% less. Packed with the digital technology to accurately inflate and size two latex balloons at once, the Air Sizer will inflate all sizes of latex balloons, from 160 to 3ft. It will also comfortably inflate double-stuffed 5” and 11” balloons without overheating.

What’s New?

New products don’t come much better than this...

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La la la Llama Decked out in colourful blankets and party hats, these llamas are ready to celebrate with Creative Party’s exciting new Llama Party range! Right on trend, this range is just right for a fun, funky party, complete with llama hats, funny photo props and a stand-out 3D centrepiece. Matching latex balloons and sugarcraft toppers are the icing on the cake.

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Doing It For The Kids Bristol Novelty is delighted with its new children’s costume range for 2019. Each costume has been created to inspire the imagination of the next generation of storytellers. Drawing from classic and modern themes, the new World Book Day range will provide customers with 20 new lines, offering more choice than ever before.

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Carnival Time!

Rose gold is the perfect colour combination for a stylish celebration!

This on-trend new range of party decorations from Amscan is ideal for a wide range of occasions, from birthdays to anniversaries. Individual items include a personalisable pennant banner as well as hot stamped fans, honeycomb decorations, lanterns and more.

Smiffys has released an exciting new range to the European market, maintaining its premium quality and affordable price. The uniquely designed Carnival Collection features a range of costumes including Sailors, Vikings, Medieval Knights and vibrant Flamenco Dancers, groups, couples and families who like to dress up and party!

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Valentine’s Day 2019

Far left: Amscan’s xoxo script ombre balloons combine plenty of current market trends. Left: The llama craze isn’t going away any time soon and CTI Balloons has released this for Valentine’s Day.

The traditional celebration of love, lust and libido, Valentine’s Day often acts as a the first major occasion for party retailers looking for a mini-season to kickstart the year. PPE finds out what’s in store for 2019 and gets the lowdown on the latest love-themed lines.

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he annual celebration of all things romantic is the perfect opportunity for party and costume shops to showcase the power of balloons, décor and other heart-shaped product. After all, it’s the power of love that made the UK spend over £650 million on gifts, cards, flowers, balloons and other Valentine’s Day essentials (according to GlobalData’s predicted 2018 figures) – a rise of 5% compared to 2017.

Last year’s increase in gift spend is a positive sign for party retailers who cater for the occasion, with people across the UK spending around £60 on their loved ones, on average (compared to £41 in 2016).

“There is also a new trend, recently imported from the US, for ‘Galentine’s Day’, which celebrates female friendships

Décor Delight

“These days Valentine’s Day is more about decoration items than anything else. Balloons in particular are strong and there are some nice new designs on the market this year.”

Stuart Wheeler, account manager, Delights Direct 50 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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for balloons, with opportunity also for party tableware and decorations.

“In terms of Valentine’s Day we have a variety of new balloons that have a stylish satin luxe finish,” she says. “From Mini balloons, through to SuperShapes and bouquets, there is something to suit any budget. We also have fun new Valentine’s llama, narwhal and mermaid designs and have expanded our phrase balloon range with new on-trend Ombre phrases including ‘love’, ‘xoxo’ and ‘kiss’.”

In fact, Amscan has introduced over 50 new Valentine’s Day balloons for 2019, with a great variety of different designs covering all themes from cute, to funny and romantic. On the party side of things, there are 25 new Valentine’s Day party items including tableware, decorations and accessories including XOXO fun glasses.

According to Julie Dommett, head of marketing for Pioneer Europe, the Valentine’s Day core business will remain the same, featuring ‘red hearts with traditional messages on them;.

However, she’s also quick to point out that the market for more light-hearted and fun messages is also growing and there are some great humour lines in Qualatex’s Valentine’s Day offering this year.

“Ombre is the latest trend,” says Julie, “and the new arrow gold perfectly combines the delicate tones of red ombre with striking gold script, making it the a perfect gift for a fashion-forward partner.”

It’s helpful to remember that balloons

on the 13 February,” added Eleanor Parr, retail analyst for GlobalData. “In 2018 more brands and retailers are expected to capitalise on this day, with moonpig.com and Etsy offering Galentine’s Day cards and retailers using the occasion to promote products suitable for females Dressed To Impress on social media sites.”

“Retailers need to ensure they are stocked up on a Never one to miss out on wide range on products to cater for everyone and the latest trends, Amscan really maximise the opportunity of Valentine’s Day. has also released a line of Products should be marketed to the maximum Galentine’s Day product to advantage to encourage up-selling and the lastcelebrate female friendships. minute purchases at the till.

“We have added some new With consumers increasingly showing their love balloons for this occasion for their animals on this day we also expect to featuring messages such see a rise within the pet fancy dress market this as GRL PWR and BFF,” Valentine’s Day, with many pet weddings taking place says Amscan’s marketing on Valentine’s Day!” executive Charlotte Terry.

Danielle Costello, marketing manager, Rubie’s UK “There are also new Galentine’s Day themed will always add a little something extra plates and letter banners.” to displays, she continues, having the Charlotte expects the traditional final word. “Simply adding some tassels Valentine’s Day to remain a key occasion to a design or stuffing a balloon with box of chocolates makes the products Above left: This fab 14” LOVE balloon foil kit is perfect for setting the scene and is available from Folat. Above: Gold, ombre and arrows – more interesting and adds plenty this heart-shaped foil from Pioneer Europe is totally Instagram-worthy. of value to what you’re selling.”

Below: Amscan Galentine’s Day line celebrates female friendships.

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Valentine’s Day 2019

VALENTINE’S DAY

This new Qualatex gold arrow from Pioneer Europe is perfect for Valentine’s Day and is a match made in heaven when used alongside Chrome latex and the brand new Chrome Microfoil balloons – a real in-store eyecatcher!

The sexy maid and naughty nurse costumes from Rubie’s are always popular choices to stock up on for Valentine’s Day, while popular male costumes include fire fighters and pilots.

Sweethearts with a sweet tooth will love this new Open-Heart Donut SuperShape by Anagram, available now from Amscan.

Make an out of the world statement with this cosmic new UltraShape balloon, available from Amscan.

Love is in the air at CTI Balloons with some of these great new 17” designs as well as a number of fabulous new large shapes and airfilled designs.

This fun new range of love-themed airfill shapes from CTI Balloons is perfect for Valentine’s Day or can be used all year round for anniversaries, proposals and other occasions.

Fall in love with Widmann with a range of items to set the scene this Valentine’s Day, from costumes to wigs, accessories and decorations.

Boland Party launched a complete Love range this year, including this classy and sophisticated designed 18” foil balloon which is perfect for Valentine’s Day. Delights Direct has a large selection of Valentine’s Day items featuring balloons, decorations and much more. Be sure to look out for this fab new Valentine’s llama SuperShape.

Two hearts, one love! This new jointed balloon from Grabo Balloons is expected to be the company’s best-seller for Valentine’s Day 2019.

Spread the love with this heart warming hanging canvas sign available from Amscan.

Creative Party’s new Watercolour Hearts party ensemble quickly transforms any Valentine’s Day table into a masterpiece.

It features artful painted hearts in red and gold, trimmed in bright red and is sweet, modern and ideal for all ages.

Pioneer Europe’s Qulatex emoticon poop featuring a ‘You’re stinkin’ cute!’ speech bubble is ideal for anyone who isn’t quite ready to say I love you!

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