Progressive Party Europe May June 2015 by Max Publishing: Print, Digital Media + Events (London)

May/June 2015

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CONTENTS The home of market leading trade magazines

The home of market leading trade magazines max-publishing.co.uk The Thehome homeofofmarket marketleading leadingtrade trademagazines magazines March/April 2013

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Welcome to the Party It’s traditional for party retailers to start thinking about Halloween at this time of year - just as the days are getting longer and warmer, our thoughts begin to turn towards the darkest night of them all. What’s particularly unusual about this year is that we’re not alone in this. The unseasonal interest in Halloween has come about through a set of particularly unfortunate events; the most important of which - and one that needs to be kept in mind at all times - is that a young child was badly burned last year. The accident, which took place while the eight-yearAbove: Progressive Party’s Rob Willis and Jacqui Parr old girl was trick or treating, saw an unattended (courtesy of Palmer Agencies). candle (placed in a pumpkin on a doorstep) set light to a fairly typical witches costume - stripy tights, flowing cape, dress and hat. The costume caught light extremely quickly, with the synthetic materials proving difficult to put out and the tights, in particular, melting onto the skin. What may have been seen as a terribly unfortunate accident had it occurred under other circumstances instead made national headlines, as the child in question was the daughter of television presenter Claudia Winkleman. At the time, Claudia was presenting Strictly Come Dancing, one of the BBC’s flagship shows, so her absence was particularly notable. Some months later, Matilda has undergone a number of surgeries and is now well on the road to recovery. As she begins to stabilise, it’s perhaps understandable that her mother is turning her attention (and considerable media sway) towards what she sees as the cause of this accident. Less excusable is the oversight from consumer programme Watchdog when conducting a report into the issue, in a segment which was broadcast at the end of May. The programme declared that there was a ‘legal flaw’ in safety regulations, which meant that fancy dress costumes are classified as toys rather than clothes. As we’re sure everyone in the industry now knows - even if they didn’t before - there is no flammability safety standard for clothing, while toys are subject to EU regulations EN-71, part 2. So to reclassify would see the safety standard lowered. A number of suppliers, including Smiffy’s, Palmer Agencies and Fun Shack, have issued official statements regarding their costumes and assuring retailers that they adhere to the relevant safety standards. But it’s the customers in-store that will need the most reassuring - in the week following the Watchdog investigation and national newspaper coverage, social media was awash with concerned parents calling for new regulations and a 38 Degrees petition, which has over 31,000 signatures at the time of going to press. Of course, we’ve taken a look at the issue in both our news pages and a wider feedback piece, where we’ve spoken to a number of you to see whether this misrepresentation of the dangers is likely to affect this year’s Halloween business. The consensus seems to be one of a common sense approach - warning consumers of the dangers of naked flames and reassuring them that the costumes are safe. But as with anything of this nature - watch this space. In the meantime, we must turn our attention to the real business of Halloween - taking a look at the scariest, goriest Apologies! and most exciting costumes and other party accessories Having printed Mask-arade’s phone to enter the market this year. We’ve got some great new number wrong more than once, PPE has lines for you to look at, with Mexican-themed Day of been informed by the magnificent maskmakers that failure to print a correction the Dead collections making a colourful splash for the will result in punishment by way of upcoming season. wearing Dumb and Dumber face-masks We’ve also taken a look at the festival and summer party for a whole year. Contact them to stop this market, which is looking to be as much fun as ever, as well punishment by calling 01926 814292. as the risqué side of the party industry. We’ve also explored the rapid growth of face-paint and make-up as a year-round party essential - the YouTube generation are obsessed! So with all that in mind - party on! Have a great few weeks - and don’t forget to stay in touch! @Prog_Party_Eu

Jacqui and Rob – Progressive Party Europe

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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CONTENTS

What’s inside: May/June 2015

35 NEWS

The latest happenings from the world of party, costume, balloon and retail.

THE JESTER

Progressive Party’s columnist tells it like it is.

LICENSED TO PARTY

Progressive Party rounds up the latest licensed releases.

NEW PRODUCTS

New products don’t come much better than this.

FEEDBACK

We find out what the industry makes of the latest costume controversy.

07 17 21 23 26

29 35 39 49 53 55

THRILL SEEKERS

PPE takes a look at the raunchier side of the party market.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

PPE talks to Widmann, Italy’s premiere party supplier.

DAY OF THE DEAD

Getting our multi-coloured spook on for fright night 2015.

SUMMER TIME

From festivals to summer fetes, it’s all about colour and fun.

HEY, GOOD LOOKING!

The Importance of face paints and special effects make-up.

BEST SELLERS

Retailers share what’s been keeping their tills ringing.

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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S y t r a P p o t S e n Your O “Don’t forget, Halloween falls on a Saturday night this year, sure to boost sales!”

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. .. n e e w o ll a H r o f p o Sh We’ve got an array of coordinating ranges inspired by key Halloween themes:

Day of the Dead

Family Friendly

Zombies

Creepy Carnevil Classic Characters Plus many more including: Haunted House, Vampires & Sinister Surgery ! Pumpkins

You are in for a treat this year with Amscan’s extensive Halloween collection of themed partyware, costumes, decorations and balloons for your customers to create a delightfully frightful party setting! Featuring the latest trends and innovations, whether it’s the new Day of the Dead theme they are after or classic witches and devils, Amscan have it all. View our full Halloween range online. 06-07_PP_May June 2015.indd 7

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It’s party time with PAW Patrol! In support of Nickelodeon’s popular action-adventure series PAW Patrol; Amscan have launched a vibrant new range of over

30 party products and balloons!

New

AirWalker® Coming soon!

©2015 Spin Master PAW productions Inc. All rights reserved. Paw Patrol and all related titles, logo and characters are trademarks of Spin master Ltd. Nickelodeon and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

TEL: +44 (0)1908 288 500 E-MAIL: sales@amscan-uk.co.uk WEB: www.amscan.co.uk

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NEWS PAGE

NEWS UPDATE A Question Of Costume Safety The safety of children's costumes has been coming under scrutiny in recent weeks, following a BBC Watchdog investigation into a firerelated accident which took place last year. The accident in question took place last October, when the eightyear-old daughter of TV presenter Claudia Winkleman was trick-ortreating. The witch costume she was wearing caught fire when it brushed against a pumpkin which had a real candle in. In an emotional interview on the BBC One programme, Claudia

Fashion vs Fancy Dress Following on from the main story above, the much-quoted official accident statistics show that 94 people in England were admitted to hospital as a result of their clothing either igniting or melting last year, of which 21 were children under 18. However, this includes normal, everyday clothing, and is not restricted to dress-up. If the official campaign does gain traction then it will be interesting to see how the childrenswear fashion industry reacts. “If you use a fire retardant all you are doing is slowing down the flames because by their very nature garments will burn,” said Elizabeth Fox, of the National Childrenswear Association.”Polyester is a fireresistant thread but it tends to melt, so the burns can be worse. The message is that you’ve got to keep flame away from garments.”

Right: Party clothes and candles often go hand-in-hand.

Are the costumes the problem – or the naked flames associated with this time of year?

explained how quickly her daughter Matilda’s dress caught fire, saying that; "She went up, is the only way I know how to describe it. It was not like fire I had seen before." She later compared the rate and type of burn to candles, saying; "It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and then they come back. We couldn't put her out. Her tights had melted into her skin." Matilda has since had several operations, although she is now thankfully on the mend. Her surgeon, and Claudia herself, are now actively calling for tougher fire safety laws on fancy dress outfits. However, what hasn't been made clear in the national media coverage, the Watchdog investigation itself and the online campaign which has followed

the broadcast is that fancy dress costumes are subject to stricter fire safety regulations than regular clothing. The outfit, which Claudia had bought from a supermarket for just £5, would have been classified as a 'toy' under EU regulations, where flammability is specifically highlighted under EN-71, part 2. Children's clothing – other than nightwear – is subject to no such safety standard, meaning that dress-up is officially safer than 'normal' clothing. Suppliers, including Smiffy's and Palmer Agencies, have issued full statements to their customers outlinig this in full. It is key that party retailers are aware of this discrepancy (mistakenly assuming clothing was subject to higher standards, Watchdog called it a 'legal flaw') in order to reassure concerned customers who may be nervous about buying children's dress-up following the media coverage of the unfortunate accident. How this story will affect this year's Halloween sales is yet to be seen, but so far the party market at large seems to be taking a measured, common sense approach of patient reassurance. See pages 26 and 27 for more feedback from the industry.

Views On The News ■ “It's important to note that a light summer dress would burn in a similar way to this costume… Children's costumes are tested to a higher standard than normal clothes – but to a lower standard than nightwear. We believe that children’s costumes are an integral part of the role play element that any child needs to develop as a person.” Sergio Battaner, marketing director, Palmer Agencies ■ “We can't emphasise enough how important it is for parents/guardians to be sensible and aware of the dangers, especially when using home-made costumes which have been made from cardboard, cotton wool, crepe paper, etc in the vicinity of candles, open flames, fireworks and anything that might burn you and your children to death! Common sense? We highly endorse it!” Kate Moore, owner, JollyJesters Have a Frightfully Good

Halloween Party!

A Great Balloon Race! Balloon arches are a popular sight at many races, from long-distance marathons to more family-friendly 10ks, and a huge amount of work goes into creating them. For the 12th year running, Paul Gillen of Balloon Creations in Manchester had the honour of creating the balloon arches and columns for the 10k Great Manchester Run. Building the arches and columns required a team of three to be working in a local conference venue overnight. Set up began at 5am and then – when the last runners have finished – the team has to dismantle and remove everything. Around 5000 balloons were used to create the mile markers. “It's incredibly hard work,” Paul told PPE, “but we're all

immensely proud to be involved in it, as its the biggest event of its kind in Europe, broadcast through the BBC live across the world.” Below: The start of the 2015 Great Manchester Run, complete with balloon columns and arches.

Get your Halloween party balloons here! • Haunting Decor • Creepy Bouquets • Spooky Characters

Halloween Promotions Balloon expert Qualatex has designed a Halloween Poster to help retailers promote balloon décor and gain more business this Halloween. Shops can download this 'Have a Frightfully Good Halloween' poster from the Autumn Business Booster on www.Qualatex.com for a professional marketing tool to attract more customers. Above: Halloween poster from Qualatex.

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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U.S. Patent No. 6,782,675

New Disney balloons are available in 10 popular properties in a variety of shapes and sizes. Premium Quality • Stunning Prints • Bright Colours Visit www.QualatexEurope.com for more information.

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PARTY NEWS

The Crazy Cost Of Kids' Parties As any party retailer – or parent of a young child – will know, children's parties are not what they used to be. Even the simple at-home affairs are ususally themed, with costumes and related games the order of the day – all of which is great news for party stores of all persuasions. The fragmented nature of the party market – including cake, hall hire and entertainment – makes costs difficult to monitor. But new research has highlighted that on average, parents spend £135 on their child's party, with one-in-six parents admitting to splashing out over £300, according to parenting website Netmums. With nearly eight million families with dependent kids in the UK, this means that the children's party market could be worth around £1.1bn. However, the dramatic rise in 'outsourcing' a child's birthday party – even for the very youngest age groups – can eat into what is essentially a yearround staple of any party retailer.

Children's parties are a lucrative business.

While luxury events organisers such as Quintessentially Events & Weddings might grab the headlines with their £100,000 temporary ice rinks and Disney on Ice team performances, more affordable for many parents are the group bookings in soft play centres, local leisure complexes and other local party organisers. "There's a real sense from parents that they want to do something different from the usual parties," says The Young Film Academy director James

Walker, who organised 150 children's film parties last year. These events eat into the traditional party at home market, with décor and balloons suffering in particular. But there has been a recent backlash against this type of celebration, with parents calling for the pressure to throw increasingly fancy parties for primary-aged children to be removed, particularly when the children involved are too young to have any real expectations beyond 'cake'.

New Party Shop For Folkestone A boutique style party shop complete with pick and mix sweets, handsewn paper garlands and decorations including a giant confetti bubble balloon opened in early May at Evegate Business Park in Folkestone. Sarah Dillow realised her lifelong dream when she opened Think Bubble Party Studios on May 9 after leaving her London-based job of five years to spend more time with her daughters, Sophie, 15, and Georgia, eight. "My mum used to do brilliant birthdays for me when I was growing up, I guess that's where this dream comes from,” said Sarah. "I had been working in London for five years but working 12-hour days and still being there for your children is a nightmare. I thought there must be something I can do!" Below: A fabulous window display at Think Bubble Party Studios.

Record-Breaking Costumes More than 37,000 people took part in this year's 35th London Marathon, which sees increasing numbers of runners taking part in fancy dress each year. Many of these 'fun-runners' were doing so with the aim of making it into the history books. Here are just some of the fancy dress records which were set at the London Marathon 2015. ■ Dressed as Spiderman, Paul Martelletti earned the crown for the fastest marathon as a superhero, completing the race in 2:30:12. ■ The fastest marathon in a nurse's uniform was run in 2:46:48 by Neil Casey, ■ The fastest marathon dressed as a lifeguard was 2:55:54 by Terry Midgley, ■ The fastest marathon dressed as a leprechaun was 2:59:30 by Adam Jones. ■ The fastest marathon dressed as a video game character (Sonic the Hedgehog) was 3:09:28 by Neil Light.

Inset: Adam Jones had the luck of the Irish behind him for his recor-breaking run.

The Word On The Street Inset: Brett Smith, commercial director.

New Face At Pioneer Pioneer Europe has announced the appointment of Brett Smith as its new commercial manager. Brett will be responsible for sales team leadership, developing national account relationships, and other general management responsibilities. Brett joins Pioneer Europe with over 23 years experience in retail store operations, marketing and procurement, and field staff management. “My experience and passion have always been driven by retail and managing and developing teams of people,' said Brett. “To be at Pioneer working with the sales team and selling directly to retailers is a perfect mix of all things for me.” Marie Gransbury, managing director for Pioneer Europe, said: “We are delighted to welcome Brett to our team. Not only will he bring a tighter focus to our sales team development and organisation, but he will also be a great asset in the establishment and maintenance of our national accounts.”

For those of you interested in keeping up with the latest gossip and news taking place throughout the party industry (and let's face it, who isn't?!), it might be worth checking out a new blog from party stalwart Mark Brett, Boland Party's UK agent. Online at www.thepartyblog.org, Mark has already been discussing important changes and developments throughout the industry, all from his own personal perspective. “My intentions are that the blog will be of interest to anyone with a connection to the party market,” Mark told PPE. “While I will be focusing on the party market, there are areas of general retailing that I would like to chat about that will have some sort of impact or relevance to our market place both here and in Europe.” Below: Mark's blog at www.partyblog.org is well worth a visit.

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PARTY NEWS

A Perfect Paintopia Party Taking place in Norwich at the beginning of May, Paintopia is the biggest bodypainting (not just faces!) festival in the UK. Paintopia made its welcome return for 2015 and was bigger and better than ever, with new sponsors, categories, and hundreds of excited attendees and competitors. Held from 8 – 10 May in association with Kryolan UK and Illusion Magazine, this year's theme was 'The Art Of Music' and artist tickets and competitor slots all sold out in record time, thanks to the promise of three days of competition and colour. A variety of workshops and demonstrations took place throughout the duration of the

Above: Bodypainter of the Year 2015 (with assistant) - Karen Harvey assisted by Clare Jeffery (model Rosey Lee). Left: Solo Bodypainter Of The Year 2015 Roxanne Horn (model Simmone Taylor).

festival, covering everything from eye make-up and SFX, to glitter body art and festival eyebased artwork. A huge variety of trade stands also offered the inspired artists plenty of opportunity to get shopping! A packed timetable saw things kicking off early on the

'Air' To The Throne

Friday with the Body Painter of the Year 2015 competition, where some of the best bodypainters in the world competed to paint gorgeous, musical creations. The deserving winner was Karen Harvey (assisted by Clare Jeffery). The Freehand Glitter Tattoo Artist competition took place on Saturday morning, with the theme of Glam Rock - Sabine Vogel's fabulous creation won her first place. Novice Face Painter of the Year and Face Painter of the Year were decided in the afternoon (Stacey Erotokritou and Roxanne Horn, respectively). Sunday saw the Student Body Painter of the Year (winner; April Hernandez) and Professor’s Apprentice Bodypainting competitions take place, with the latter seeing Alison Bessant teaming up with her apprentice Karen Harvey to scoop first place. World-renowned artists – including Pashur, Nick Wolfe, Matteo Arfanotti, Maria MaloneGuerbaa, Carolyn Roper, Pinkstylist and Victoria Gugenheim – also attended the event, competing, freestyling and providing demonstrations. For more information, and to find out about the 2016 event, please visit www.paintopiafestival.com

Industry-leading trainers will be on hand to help you grow your business and offer the chance to learn new skills and brush up on old techniques, including Chris Horne (Anagram Decorator), Graham Lee (twisting), Mitch Gilbert (balloon drops and exploders), Matt Lewis (big balloon décor), Guido Verhof' (Link-o-Loon), John Preston and Peggy Butland (distortion technique) and award-winning facepainter Liz Bylett. For full details visit the NABAS website www.nabas. co.uk or get in touch at info@ nabas.co.uk or 01989 762204.

Below: Joanne with her royal creations.

Funky Pigeon Embraces Party

NABAS Event NABAS – The Balloon & Party Professionals Association – is inviting all balloon professionals to join its latest event, taking place from 18 – 19 October in Knebworth. Two full days of education, fun and networking have been designed to take your business to another level, with the complete package costing just £349, which includes all classes, food, refreshments, accommodation and an exhibition. Alternatively, day passes cost just £139, which covers all classes and refreshements throughout the day.

Balloon artist Joanne Anderson – AKA Betty Balloon – spent 16 hours creating this right royal tribute to William, Kate, George and newest addition to the Windsor family, baby Charlotte. The life-size balloon figures are an unusual tribute to the royal family, but Joanne is delighted with how they have turned out. "I had the idea of creating Will and Kate and the royal baby when she was pregnant,” she explained, “I think they're a really nice memento. People do paintings and make china but I don't think anyone's ever created them out of balloons!

Qualatex Balloon Training Qualatex is committed to furthering industry education and helping its customers to develop more profitable businesses. As such, an extensive education programme is taking place throughout the UK and Europe this year. There are courses for different types of businesses and for any levels from beginner to more advanced. The following courses are running throughout June and July: ■ B alloon courses for beginners – Walsall (11 June), Leeds (18 June) and Basildon (3 July), ■ R etail essentials – Germany (21 June), ■ T wisting – Surrey (9 & 10 June), Cardiff (17 June), Birmingham (23 June), edding décor 1 – ■ W Switzerland (6 July), and ■ W edding décor 2 – Leeds (25 June).

The Funky Pigeon brand – owned by WHSmith and previously specialising in personalised greeting cards and gifts – has recently branched out into the party market. The online retailer, which is successfully launched its first ever brand extension; www.funkyparty.com. The new party website carries over 20,000 products, ranging from themed tableware, balloons and decorations to fancy dress and accessories. Funky Pigeon itself continues to trade from a dozen bricks and mortar sites, while the online business continues to grow. "We continue to see good growth in our volume of traffic and, following further investment in the website and apps, we saw increased conversion across mobile devices," said chief executive Stephen Clarke.

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Balloons for all occasions

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IBC_Appointments_Layout 1 31/03/2015 14:44 Page 79

Record Breaking Heroes!

Superhero fans from around the world came together on April 18 to set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as DC Comics Super Heroes. Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) and DC Entertainment (DCE) urged their fans to help them set the record, which resulted in thousands of fans gathering around the globe in a single 24-hour period to take part in the DC Comics Super Hero World Record Event Above: A shot from the LA branch of the global event. Fans needed little persuasion to dress up in their favourite costumes Queensland, Australia, and came inspired by DC Comics' pantheon of to a commemorative close in Super Heroes, including Batman, Los Angeles, USA. Within that Superman, Wonder Woman, The 24-hour period, additional events Flash, Green Lantern, Batgirl, took place around the world in: Supergirl, Aquaman, Cyborg, Robin, Manila, Philippines; Kaohsiung, Green Arrow and many more. Taiwan; Madrid, Spain; Rome, Italy; "Thanks to all the fans of DC London, Birmingham, Warrington Comics Super Heroes around and Cardiff in the UK; Sao Paulo, the world who joined us to set Brazil; Paris, France and Mexico. a world record—a record that Fans highlighted their celebrates the power and appeal participation in the heroic of these iconic characters," said event using #DCWorldRecord Brad Globe, president of WBCP. on Facebook and Twitter. The The world record attempt official Guinness World Record kicked off on April 18 in count is yet to be confirmed.

Amscan Launches 2015 Training Programme

Amscan International has announced dates for its new training course programme to suit all balloon decorating abilities, taking place at the Milton Keynes showroom from June 2015. Using the extensive selection of Anagram foil balloons and high-quality latex balloons, each training session will equip attendees with the product and guidance to build some stunning balloon decorations. In addition to beginner, intermediate and advanced courses, speciality sessions are also available including; weddings, event décor, seasonal events and balloon modelling. Also new for 2015 is an exclusive course combining party products and balloon décor to create a beautifully coordinated theme. “It’s a recognised fact that education in any field results in marked improvements in all aspects – and balloon décor is no different,” said Chris Horne, Amscan’s k and quote ref: PG-Apr15 creative projects manager.

Below: Amscan's fabulous new showroom.

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PIONEER EUROPE LTD VACANCY FOR FIELD SALES REPRESENTATIVES

We are loo

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“With Amscan’s unbeatable range of co-ordinating products and stellar line-up of highly qualified instructors, this new programme of training courses is specially designed to give you the very best information available – all in the inspirational surroundings of the Amscan Showroom.” Each course will cost just £120 per person, which includes a full day of training with lunch and refreshments, in addition to £50 worth of Amscan Decorator vouchers. Courses will begin 11 June and run throughout the year. For further information and to register to attend please visit www.amscandecorator. co.uk or call 01908 288508.

APPOIN

Agents Wanted

connect outlets. E

Con

Due to continued sales growth and outstanding success with Sales and Marketing strategies, Pioneer Europe Ltd is increasing its current Sales team. As a market leading manufacturer and supplier of latex, foil and bubble balloons, along with an exciting and growing party ware range, we are looking for experienced sales professionals who share our passion to succeed.

Candidates should be friendly, outgoing and professional taking full responsibility for managing their territory. This would include servicing existing retailers, SME’s and online businesses as well as developing new points of distribution. You will possess good personal organisational skills and understand the importance of working to deadlines as well as sales and margin budgets. Experience of selling to the greeting card, gift store and party store markets would be beneficial. However, as full training will be provided, a tenacious sales approach and a passion to deliver outstanding service will be key to succeeding in this role.

Part of our customer service programme includes demonstrating good product knowledge and the ability to deliver basic instruction and training in balloon decor to the customer.

Although this training is not the primary focus of the role, candidates should understand the importance that it plays. You will need to be prepared to stay away from home on occasion and this could include occasional weekend working. A full driving license is also required.

If you feel you have the qualities that we are looking for and wish to work for a progressive, professional and market leading company please send your full and current CV, plus letter of application, to carmens@qualatex.com or post for the attention of:

Carmen Stillwell Pioneer Europe Limited 9 Stortford Hall Industrial Park Dunmow Road Bishop’s Stortford CM23 5GZ

COME & SEE FOR YOURSELF AT NO AGENCIES

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PARTY NEWS

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01/06/2015 12:42

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The Jester Says

THE JESTER SAYS

Writing freely, from behind a magical cloak of confidentiality, The Jester draws on an entire lifetime of party experience to bring us controversial opinions, interesting viewpoints and all the latest industry gossip, fresh from the grapevine...

To Hire or Not To Hire

“T

o be or not to be that is the question, whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles.” This is a famous quote from Hamlet, but I believe that Shakespeare was wrong. The quote should be more aimed at the party industry and should read:

“To hire or not to hire that is the question, whether ‘tis still possible to make a living from hire?” When the party industry first began, we hired fancy dress costumes and sold a few – but how the world has changed. In just a few years we went from having 50 hire Father Christmas costumes and selling the occasional cheap disposable suit, to having just one hire suit that we lend to charities free of charge, and selling well over 100 suits priced up to an eye-watering £300. The problems that I see with hire is that it has changed over the years. Once I only worried about whether a stain would come out of a costume. Now I mainly worry whether a costume will be

returned! Yes I do take all the safety checks I can, driving licence, credit card and a hire agreement that was written by a solicitor. But not returning a costume is still theft, and I for one am not going to the police station to report it – I am sure they have more important things to worry about than a Napoleon costume that has gone missing and the small claims court is more hassle than its worth. Then let’s take a closer look at the costs; firstly what can you realistically charge? I know what I would like to charge, but customers would argue that they could buy a costume for that and still get change. So we are limited to what we can charge, but 20% of that is VAT, we have to consider cleaning cost (electric Right: Amateur dramatics costumes – like this one, ideal for a budding Hamlet – were once a popular hire line, but are now more likely to be bought outright. Below: Of course, hiring costumes isn’t always practical...

used for washing machines, the machine itself, detergent, water costs and staff). Of course, the most important cost is the costume itself. While some hire companies use costumes from Rubie’s and other manufacture’s, they are not necessarily built for hire and there may be issues with copywrite and licensing, as the main character licences may have only been granted for resale not for hire. Rubie’s do a great range of hire quality costumes and the British Costume Association also has a long list of manufactures of hire quality and bespoke costumes. But here we hit the big hurdles; cost and durability. If a hire-quality costume costs the retailer around £300 and will last in top condition for 20 hires, that’s a cost of £1.50 (after VAT) from every hire. Retailers also have to remember to add another £1.50 to the hire cost, as it will need to be replaced and that should be built that into the calculation. Retailers also need to consider what would happen if the costume was badly damaged before those 20 hires – a security deposit is unlikely to cover the cost of purchasing a replacement, leaving you out of pocket. The large amount of space needed for hiring costumes also has a cost per square foot – and I haven’t even touched on keeping costumes in different sizes, those costumes you thought would be a surefire success but which have stayed firmly on the rail and the seasonal costumes that only get hired two or three times per year. Adding all these costs up and a hire business will be lucky to clear 15-20% profit on each item. If this was the profit that you received on your normal goods you would be out of business soon! So maybe I will think again about hiring costumes and turn the space over to much need retail selling space... All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages where he will in all honesty probably buy his costume, not hire it.

“

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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The first licensed lines have now been added to the ever-increasing OppoSuits collection. These official Batman and Superman suits are expected to be extremely successful and will be ready for the market in mid-August, in plenty of time for both Halloween and Christmas.

Amscan has extended its latex balloon offering to introduce a new range featuring a vibrant four-colour print. The five Disney and Marvel designs include; Frozen, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Disney Princess and Spider-Man. All are in stock and available now within the UK.

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The 2001 comedy hit Zoolander has finally got a sequel, due for release in 2016. As such, Smiffy’s is excited to launch its officially licensed Zoolander costume range later this year, and customers can look forward to both Derek and Hansel costumes. Available from July onwards.

Following the hotly anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron, Star Cutouts has the full range of the characters from the film available as both life-size cut-outs and face masks. The range includes Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Thor, Vision and of course Ultron.

Following the success of the Disney ‘Cinderella’ live action movie which was released in the spring, Rubie’s has introduced a new Disney-licensed adult costume of the blue ballgown from the film. The dress comes complete with butterfly details and is available in three sizes from June.

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Feedback

Inset: Can it ever be a good idea to mix children and naked flames?

FEEDBACK Fancy dress has been making the national news again in recent weeks, with extensive television and newspaper coverage following an incident in which a child’s Halloween costume caught fire last year, badly burning the eight-year-old girl (see news story page 7 for more information). With consumer petitions calling for updated safety standards and BBC’s Watchdog programme promising to follow up on the news, PPE asked the industry for its expert opinions on the matter. Here’s what you told us...

Safety Standards

TAKING SAFETY SERIOUSLY

IS SAFETY PARAMOUNT?

“At Karnival Costumes we take safety very seriously and will welcome any initiatives aimed at improving the safety and well-being of children. We put together some general advisory notes for consumers and published them on our blog. The key thing for consumers to note is that under EU regulations children’s fancy dress costumes and dressup items are defined as toys. This ensures that they are subject to tighter controls on flammability than most items of childrenswear, with the exception of nightwear. The fact is that there are very few legal requirements dealing with the flammability of everyday children’s clothing. While the situation for fancy dress costumes and dress up may not be perfect, all CEmarked children’s costumes and dressup is regulated. Our advice has to Inset: Halloween costumes come be that retailers and in all styles and fabrics – some consumers do not are naturally safer than others. buy cheap dress-up costumes from any unrecognisable source and do not trust counterfeit goods as it’s extremely unlikely that these will have been tested. We will never attempt to hide the fancy dress costume brand from our customers and do not import items that have not been properly and fully tested to European regulatory standards. Cutting corners to save costs is not ususual, but there is clearly some value in paying a little more for children’s products.”

“Obviously what happened to Ms. Winkleman’s daughter was extremely distressing and there is understandable sympathy, but on the other hand unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Ms. Winkleman purchased the outfit ‘from a supermarket’ for a fiver. A mass-manufacture market has grown on the back of an internet age where people feel they are time-poor. It is far easier to buy off the internet or from a supermarket, along with their other shopping. Manufacturers have responded in kind by producing cheap costumes to cater to the throwaway age. Many costume firms (including ourselves) have all but given up stocking children’s costumes for sale. We cannot (or will not) compete with supermarket/ chain store prices, especially at Halloween when even retailers who usually have no interest in costuming enter the market for their slice of the action. The fact that costumes then become a commodity means that perhaps quality and standards get cut. The situation is not helped when consumers, many of them parents who would protest that the safety of their children is paramount, are happy to purchase cheap outfits and create the market. Most major supermarkets and suppliers have rushed out press releases in the wake of the Watchdog publicity about their own safety standards. Fine, but given that we have now passed the trade show season where Halloween orders have been placed (and we know of several of our colleagues who are already receiving their Halloween stocks), if the Government does decide to change standards in time for next October, where does that leave suppliers and retailers? We live in interesting times.”

Kevin Sinclair Karnival House, Essex

Peter and Anne Rigby Antrix Costume Hire, Kent

PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE MAY/JUNE 2015

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Feedback

NO EFFECT ON BUSINESS “Our children’s sales have not been affected by the publicity at all, as yet. We all know this could take a few weeks or so to filter down and hit sales, but if I’m perfectly honest, after 28 years in business we have never had any issue and don’t see it altering our sales at all. We have approximately 68 foot of wall space dedicated to children’s costumes, as it is such a big part of our dress up sales. This will not be changing in the near future and we have had no questions at all from our customers who seem to be buying with the same confidence as before. It’s good to see suppliers and manufacturers making statements on their own goods. This issue ultimately falls at their feet and they need to be making the necessary steps to fulfil whatever standard is put in front of them and do more to ensure this can’t happen Above: School uniform – subject to less stringent safety again. Obviously bringing in the standards than fancy dress. reclassification would help ease public opinion, but what cost would this have on the industry? It is also down to the retailer to educate their staff and customers on what the industry is doing to combat this problem. We will be reassuring customers that the suppliers and manufacturers we take stock from are all reputable and pass the current legislations. This is an isolated incident and one that I personally, being in the industry for 21 years, never have heard of before. Let’s be honest, you’d have more chance injuring yourself in a car accident, but we have no hesitation in making that car journey.”

Dan Parsons director, Fun ‘N’ Frolic SAFER THAN SCHOOL UNIFORM

“As a compliant retailer, I have recieved two supplier statements that detail the European EN71 directives that they test child costumes against. So I am happy and confident that the child costumes we sell are safe and include correct labelling warnings. The key fact for me is that as a toy, children’s fancy dress is tested to a higher standard than normal day-to-day clothes, such as school uniforms or football kits. So in theory it could be safer for a child to go to school in costume than school uniform! That said, the media coverage is correct in that child fancy dress is tested to a lower standard than certain nightclothes – but if children’s costumes were not seen as toys, they would not be tested for flammability at all. In essence, it’s a good thing children’s fancy dress is deemed to be a toy. It would be fair to draw the parallel that should children’s fancy dress be tested to nightwear safety standards, then so should school uniforms, plus underwear, t-shirts, blouses, skirts, pretty dresses and trousers. As a parent myself, I appreciate the importance of the story, but we need to be aware of the media spin doctoring here!”

Mark Lewis director, Joker’s Masquerade

FEEDBACK C

REGULATIONS NOT ENOUGH “The great debate on fire regulations and children’s costumes. Without doubt the regulations are confusing, and I know that I personally do not see costumes or dress-up as toys – they are items of clothing and so should be treated as clothing. As I’m sure many parents will attest; if a child recieves a costume or a dress-up outfit, the child will want to wear it and wear it and wear it. This simple fact should be recognised and acknowledged. In fact, the dress-up, fancy dress, party, princess, hero or whatever costume should offer the same protection as nightwear. I would imagine that plenty of children go to bed and sleep in their favourite character costume. The industry needs to stop hiding behind the current regulations as these have been designed for toys (real toys!). Companies claiming they have followed all the necessary regulations may well have done, but that is simply not enough. To say it is is just a cop out to try and justify their lack of real responsibility and recognising that costumes are not toys, they are dress-up. Let the fancy dress industry not be part of another potential accident to a child. It’s time to make these costumes properly fit for purpose.”

Peter Denton chairman, British Costume Association AWARE OF DANGERS “The vast majority of the party market supply base is very aware and conscientious about product safety. This is not purely altruistic but also commercial. Above: A snapshot of the BBC Much of the supply base big and small Watchdog investigation into are family businesses and they are very flamability rates. aware that they design and supply a great deal of product that is deemed to be used by children. Within the EU we are, in this case fortunately, policed by a variety of EU regulations designed to protect children. The majority of which come under EN71 toy regulations for flammability. Certain sectors of the press and media have taken this to task saying it is not strict enough – but they are comparing it to the regulations for nightwear. No clothing is inflammable, but the test for nightwear is tougher than that of the toy regulations. So the initial reaction is that maybe they have a point? What is being overlooked is that no other form of children’s clothing is subject to any regulations whatsoever, including school uniform. What caused this horrendous accident was the naked flame. Dark winter nights, small children and naked flames are not a good mix. If comprehensive research by the EU found cause to reconsider children’s fancy dress regulations, then I am sure that no established supplier in Europe would baulk at meeting the new standards. But the reality is that any form of clothing if exposed to a naked flame is dangerous. So if you are in any doubt during Halloween 2015, make your customers aware of the dangers of the naked flame!”

Mark Brett UK agent, Boland Party MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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The Risque Market

THRILL SEEKERS Risque, suggestive and daringly close to indelicacy, many party retailers will have a dedicated hen and stag area or a sexy dress-up section instore. With the Erotic Trade Only (ETO) Show taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on 28-29 June, PPE looks at the latest provocative costumes and accessories.

s the UK’s inaugural trade-only event for the erotic market, the ETO show really is the place to go if you want to source the latest in risque dress-up and costume-play – and many other things besides. With 65 exhibitors and 1,400 visitors expected to attend this year’s show, there’s nowhere better in the UK to browse a tantalising display of titillating products. Following on from last year’s tenth anniversary, a ‘record breaker’ according

The 50 Shades Effect As for ‘50 Shades of Grey’ having an effect on the market, the books and subsequent film seem to have fed peoples imagination, leading to a variety of new (or at least re-marketed!) products, tailored to the ‘bedroom kinkster’! “We have a whole range of 50 Shadesinspired products,” said Alix TurtonWilson of Creative Conceptions, “from masquerade masks and ticklers, to furry handcuffs and Fifty Days of Play bondage tape. We have something for every budding Christian or Anna!” With more 50 Shades films set to follow in the next couple of years, PPE predicts that this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!

to organiser, Jonny Kirk, this year’s event is showing all the signs of reaching the bar that was raised so high in 2014. So what exactly does Jonny expect from the 2015 show? “There are a couple of exhibitors with some big surprises this year, making the show the largest floor space we have ever had,” he explained. “We have all of the regulars and a good number of first time exhibitors from Europe and the US.” Jonny continued: “We try to keep the concept simple and make the experience, for exhibitors especially, as easy and painless as possible. If one company can meet 100 buyers in two days, that saves an awful lot of time and money during the rest of the year.” What can visitors to the show expect to see? Jonny says: “Lingerie is the largest

Above: This Fifty Days of Play bondage tape from Creative Conceptions can also be used for stag do pranks and as a versatile dress-up accessory.

Above: New Temptations is launching new lines of Dreamgirl dress-up lingerie at the ETO show.

part of the show this year, with around 25 brands represented such as Fever, Baci, Seven ‘til Midnight, Coquette, Dreamgirl, Rene Rofe, Avanua, Irall and Shirley of Hollywood.” ETO is renowned and loved, not just for lingerie, but for offering a vast array of everything erotica under one roof, including the slightly tamer elements that Progressive Party Europe is particularly interested in: hen and stag accessories, dress-up, suggestive games, and the like. This makes it the perfect platform for hunting out your naughtier products – so what exactly are this years’ exhibitors hoping to gain from being part of the top erotic trade show in the UK?

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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The Risque Market

Above: A garter leg wrap set – like this neon line from Leg Avenue – is a great way to add ‘colour’ to a regular costume! Below right: This sexy masquerade mask from Creative Conceptions lets customers live out those masked ball fantasy in the comfort of their own castle. Also ideal for actual masked balls!

“The ETO show is a fantastic opportunity to see our lovely customers, at the same time as meeting the new players in the industry,” said Faye Simcock, business development executive at New Temptations. “The catwalk that’s been launched in recent years at the show is a great opportunity to showcase new styles.” New Temptations will be on stand E36 this year and will be showing, among other products, its Dreamgirl dress-up lingerie, a range that ‘inspires passion, desire and excitement’. New Temptations has been nominated for best lingerie brand and best lingerie distributor in the ETO Awards again this year and is hoping Below left: Catsuits are a great way of looking sexy without bearing all, like this East Rider suit from Leg Avenue. Middle: The nurse is a classic line in risque costumes; this one is from Amscan. Right: This sexy bunny costume is a best-seller for Pam’s.

to bring home another gong... or two! There’s no doubt that anyone attending ETO this year will have a lot to look at, but in more general terms, it’s also interesting to see how much of today’s party industry revolves around the risqué costume, accessory and novelty market. It’s a female-dominated area, so are sexy costumes and novelties still a popular choice for a night out (or in!)? Has the ‘50 Shades of Grey’ brand had any effect on sexy sales? “Fancy dress costumes have become more revealing and shorter, and novelty accessories have become cheekier,” said Carl Taylor, sales director at Pam’s. “The girls are getting more and more confident and prefer to dress up in sexier, slinkier outfits, rather than a novelty fancy dress costume. The Sexy Bunny is one of the best sellers at Pam’s.” Charlotte Cox, marketing executive at Amscan agrees, adding: “If you’re looking for costumes ideal for hen and stag dos, Amscan has a cheeky collection, including the new sexy nurse outfit.” Classic ‘sexy’ lines like the ever-popular nurse are unlikely to go out of fashion any time soon, and so are a great staple for any fancy dress rail. Sexy and risque costumes don’t always have to be short to make their point, says Joyce Mallo, marketing and communication manager at one of the best-known secy costume suppliers, Leg Avenue. She said: “Risque costumes are definitely highly wanted. In order to be desirable, it’s important to follow upcoming trends, and even become a trendsetter. Catsuits can be placed in the risqué costume section, which are more covering but can be just as feminine as short dresses.” Joyce goes on to say: “Not only are sexy costumes are a big hit, club dresses in combination with fun and sexy accessories are popular as well. The garter leg wrap set is one of Leg Avenue’s bestselling items.” Sex-related comedy gifts and novelty accessories have been a staple part of the party industry for some years now, and for many retailers, stocking a range of products catering to hens and stags, or themed parties, is a necessity.

One For The Boys Traditionally, the sexy and risque market has been aimed squarely at the female party-goer – but in 2015, sexy isn’t just for the girls. “The saucy range from Rasta Imposta is one of the most popular for the boys,” said Carl from Pam’s, “with costumes having a hidden surprise to reveal on the night!” Emma Angel, director at Angels Fancy Dress agreed, saying: “The risqué market has become a lot more novelty-based these days, but it’s fair to say that stag dos are as naked as they have ever been!” She continued: “Mankinis are as in demand as ever, and products such as ‘The Big Pink’ and ‘Happy Halloweenie’ (Rasta Imposta’s most outrageous duo) are getting more and more popular with the stag market. We’re also seeing a renewed interest in the typical look of dressing the stag up as a woman or in a woman’s padded naked suit – ‘Anita Waxin’ and ‘Camille Toe’ costumes are very popular.” Above left: Another Rasta Imposta favourite is the Camille Toe – not for the faint-hearted! Right: This tongue-in-cheek Rasta Imposta chef costume (available from Pam’s) is a best-selling line.

From furry handcuffs and card games with a sexy twist to boobie and willy-related sweet treats, these saucier items range from the subtle to the outrageous, and it’s well worth always

Right and above: Classic hen and stag night fare from Pam’s includes these dare cards and jelly boobs.

having these in stock so that all your customers are satisfied. According to Carl at Pam’s; “As one of the best selling saucy treats we carry, our cheeky jelly sweeties are still as popular as ever.” It would appear that the old saying is true... sex really does sell. But then again, so does humour, so putting the two together makes for a winning combination. It looks like the risqué market is here to stay for the party industry!

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Face to Face: Widmann

Inset: A new 1,200 sq ft showroom, based in Milan, allows Widmann to showcase its newest lines.

Costume Connoisseurs Making the most of its prime position in the heart of Italy’s fashion capital Milan, Widmann is a costume company with a difference. Taking its lead from the hottest catwalk lines and the most exciting fancy dress trends, PPE spoke to Charles Dulles, Widmann’s head of export sales and business development, to find out more.

family-owned company, Widmann has now been around for 64 years. Originally founded in Milan, the business started off selling toys before beginning to source jokes and novelties to complement its existing lines. It was in the 1970s that it began to really embrace the more traditional festival and carnival markets, moving into more traditional fancy dress and party lines. “The business really shifted gear at that point,” said Charles, “and it wasn’t long before the original Mr Widmann soon realised that in order to ensure the business continued to grow he needed to go international.”

A Little Something Extra Accessories are extremely important to Widmann’s overall offering, making up 60% of the total catalogue listing and bringing real character and creativity to the business of dressingup. “Playing about with accessories can create completely individual looks and characters,” Charles said. “It’s those essential little touches which allow the consumers to put their own touches to their look.”

It was a move that paid off. Now active in 42 countries around the globe, the vast majority of Widmann’s business is conducted outside Italy, making the party and costume supplier truly international. “We have local agents and distributors in all of our key territories,” explained Charles, “so we are able to ensure that our customers get the service they need when they need it, which isn’t always possible from the other side of the Alps!” As a family business now in its third generation, the Widmann family remain in active management and continue to make decisions on a day-today basis, particularly in buying and merchandising. Charles has been working with the family since late 2013, bringing with him a strong background in international sales and distribution channels. “I was completely new to Above: Charles Dulles, Widmann’s head of export sales and business development. Right: Wellknown for both quality and value, Widmann is careful to cater to both ends of the party market.

Get The Look Choosing and creating the right costumes is a mammoth task, and one which requires a concerted effort right across the business. “Our creative team really have their work cut out designing the costumes in a cost-effective way,” said Charles. “But they are fantastically clever and seek out new ideas and inspiration wherever they can!” the party market,” laughed Charles, “and the product side of things was very different to what I was used to. It’s such a fun industry though!” Charles certainly has his work cut out, working with around 90 suppliers right across Europe. “Securing a certain level of quality is essential in order to stay on top of the game,” said Charles, “and the Widmann’s have always put a great deal of importance into maintaining the strong relationships they have developed with their suppliers.” As a relatively niche industry, Charles describes the world of dress-up as being a ‘defined market with no defined areas’. Elaborating on this, he explains that the overlaps between costume, fashion and entertainment are now more relevant than the link between toys and fancy dress which originally drove the business. MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Face to Face: Widmann

“Accessories and new trends continue to open up incredible opportunities within the industry,” he explained. “Being based in Milan has been really helpful in that respect as we are able to remain on top of all the big trends while Right and below: Theatrical creativity gives both adult and children’s ranges the fright factor.

Gory Growth “Halloween is expanding - and not just in a geographic sense. The whole event is getting bigger in general, with better celebrations which last longer. The general public are embracing more themes and celebrating on a whole different level. While gory product is becoming more acceptable, only about 50% of our Halloween sales come from specific Halloween product. Long may it continue!” also bearing the key party seasons - such as carnival and Halloween - in mind.” The last few years have been challenging for the European retail market, and while business remained steady for Widmann throughout, the last year and a half has seen a welcome return to growth. “Generally speaking, growth is returning to many of the Northern European markets,” said Charles, “with the UK, Germany and France all doing well and driving the smaller markets forwards, particularly over the last 12/18 months. More significantly, Widmann’s own growth has been outpacing the improving market itself.” One of the reasons that Widmann is in such a strong position throughout Europe is its ability to utilise its wide-ranging distribution network to track the market and monitor sales and trends, before reporting the findings back to its customers. “We help out wherever we can,” Charles explained, “sharing what is and isn’t doing well in certain territories. We’re in a great position to show trends and illustrate the way the market is moving. Lots of retailers still work from a gut feeling and

more general observations, but we can help them back that up with more refined analytics. It will either confirm their original thoughts or open up new opportunities - it’s a very focused way of working, and means our relationship with the retailer goes far beyond stock levels and quality control.” With over 12,000 individual party and costume items in its portfolio, keeping track of the changing themes and products is a job in itself. While some collections are completely new -such as the Pride festivals range for this year - many others are classics which are continually updated and refreshed. “By keeping our offering broad, we are able to be more targeted where that is needed,” said Charles. “We can be more creative with the overall collection, which allows retailers to select exactly which elements of a trend suit their stores - more of a mix and match approach!” This allows retailers to choose from a wide range of price points, across a variety of different lines. “It’s particularly important that specialist stores are able to offer something extra,” explained Charles. “It is often better for shops with limited space to offer fewer themes, but with more options within each category,” he continued. “This means retailers can keep their offering fresh and new, offering the consumer more varied options. It’s important to remember that consumers don’t use party shops all the time, so when they do return it’s nice to be able to show them something different.” This focus on the retailer/consumer relationship is just one of the reasons that Widmann has been so successful. A keen appreciation of the importance of the in-store environment means that each and every distributor and agent is always looking for new Above left: Animal costumes come in various opportunities that will guises, accounting for make a real difference to any potential fussiness! Right: Children’s costumes the consumer experience. have been a key focus of And while it’s true growth for the new season. that is less applicable to online retailers, Charles is quick to emphasise that route to market has an important value of its own, driving business and raising awareness of the industry as a whole. “You need both business streams,” he explained, “as they they feed off one another, driving the market as a whole.” As we move into the 2015/16 season, Widmann is introducing a further 1,400

Above: Popular themes are highlighted in the showroom, helping to inspire retailers create their own retail environment.

items into its catalogue, right across the fancy dress spectrum. “Some of these will form completely new collections,” said Charles, “while others will extend or refresh existing categories.” These developments are inspired by the customers themselves, who report directly to the local sales forces. Some of the new lines are specific to certain regions, while others work on a broader level and can be rolled out right across Europe. The new season will see a vastly extended Halloween offering as well, as the company responds to the remarkable growth of the Halloween season across Europe. “People are using it like another type of carnival,” said Charles, “so we’ve really responded to that with our new lines.” Children’s costumes have also been identified as a key growth area for the business, with a marked upturn in sales focusing attention on the younger end of the market. “We’ve been placing a lot of emphasis on fastenings and comfort,” Charles explained. “As any parent knows, a young child can be quite determined about what they will and won’t wear!” For example; a range of animal costumes has been produced in three separate styles (onesie, jacket and cape), catering for all possible tastes - and making the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved! It’s clear that at the heart of Widmann is a company which really cares about meeting the needs of those ultimately using its product. An ongoing drive to make costumes simpler to wear, easier to accessorise and better value is what keeps consumers - and retailers returning to Widmann time after time.

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Halloween Horrors

Day Of THe Dead

Inset: Bright colours and sugar skulls adorn Creative Party’s Day of the Dead tableware and décor range.

With momentum already building for this year’s fright night, it’s time to start thinking about preparing for Halloween 2015 – the highpoint of the year for many in the party industry. Suppliers are becoming increasingly creative; focusing on accessories and providing retailers with an innovative – and occasionally gory – selection of products....

o longer content with being the biggest event in the party calendar, Halloween is now a key season across the entire retail industry, with the British Retail Consortium reporting a significant year-on-year increase in Halloweenrelated sales in 2014 (12% overall). The last few years have seen Halloween spend begin to increase again, as consumers loosen their purse strings in order to fully embrace the festival – the third most popular (and lucrative!) celebration in the UK, following Christmas and Easter. However, for sheer party-power, there’s little that can beat the Halloween season, when even the most fervent anti-costume consumers are tempted to slip in a pair of fangs and add a splash or two of fake blood... Indeed, much of the current Halloween popularity can be attributed to the influence of popular occult television series and films such as Twilight, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, and The Walking Dead, with zombies in particular making a huge impact on the market in the last two or three years. While these themes are likely to remain as strong as ever, the Mexican-influenced Day Of The Dead theme, which features bright colours, ornate sugar-skull designs and flambouyant lace décor, is the hottest new trend for this year.

Above left: This year the Qualatex Zombie collection includes a 36” R.I.P. Tombstone which is expected to be a good seller. Above right: Day of the Dead is a fantastic new ensemble from Creative Party, featuring traditional sugar skull motifs coupled with an on-trend bright colour pallet perfect for a Halloween party or celebration.

“We really saw the trend for the Mexican Day of the Dead start to cross the pond last Halloween,” said Creative Party’s Holly Forder. “The trend for all things sugar skull started to be seen across the country at Halloween parties, covering décor and particularly fancy dress and face painting.” The increasing online influence from bloggers and YouTube videos has also had an effect, with numerous tutorials detailing how to create the perfect sugar skull look for Halloween. “We expect to see this trend grow with further influences from the Dia de Muertos,” Holly continued. “The sugar skull has also made an appearance in festival

Above: A fun and colourful ‘Day of the Dead’ themed style from OppoSuits, called El Muerto.

Right: Angel of Death from Palmer Agencies, stands an imposing 7’6” tall.

fashion, and even homewares where the emblem is coupled with supplementary traditional Aztec surface pattern, really cementing the popularity of this design.” One of the most exciting things about this latest trend is that it brings a whole new bright colour pallet to Halloween, with fashion colours such as bright lime, purple and aqua blue making a welcome appearance. Amscan also has strong expectations for this trend, with its new Day of the Dead collection already performing well and currently on track to be one of the supplier’s key trends this year. “We have high expectations for Halloween this year,” said marketing executive Charlotte Cox, “particularly as the occasion lands on a Saturday; providing an even greater opportunity to increase sales!” It’s widely accepted that Halloween landing on a weekend gives adults more opportunity to hold or attend a party, while children can trick or treat safely throughout

Freaky Fashion “Halloween is one of the key events in the dress-up calendar and Rubie’s will be freshening its Halloween range by introducing new outfits for women, expanding on Rubie’s already extensive collection of ghosts, ghouls and witches. Halloween falling on a Saturday this year makes it tricky to predict if it will make a difference. We were predicting an uplift last year when it fell on a Friday but that didn’t materialise and sales figures remained at a similar level to previous years – although 2013 was a record year for us so not surpassing that level was not surprising. It’d be nice to have another record Halloween but in any case it’ll be a busy time for us. Our licensed Batman Dark Knight range always does well, especially the various Jokers, but our Edward Scissorhands costumes for men and women always prove popular as do the Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice and Nightmare On Elm Street ranges.” Struan Robertson, trade marketing manager, Rubie’s Masqerade

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Halloween Horrors

Far left: This unique Death Dealer costume from Leg Avenue is a showstopper and perfect for shop windows. Left: Pam’s has fully embraced the Day of the Dead theme, with costumes, accessories and decorations aplenty.

the day – rather than after school, when the dark nights are already drawing in. Charlotte continued: “This year we are particularly excited about our extended collection of Halloween costumes and a whole new variety of wearable accessories which complement the ranges of seasonal partyware and balloons.” Amscan has also taken a slightly different approach this year, grouping product by theme to make the browsing process as simple as possible. Bristol Novelty also expects Day of the Dead to feature promenently this year, and will be offering plenty of new stock as its offering is boasted by new Forum costumes and accessories. “We’ll be making use of Forum’s extensive American Halloween experience,” explained Geoff Rees. “It should be a bumper year with lots of new exciting new products.” The team at Pam’s also expects to see Day of the Dead being a popular theme right across the board, and has bright coloured funky costumes and decorations available accordingly. “We are currently working through the Halloween stocked lines and adding more and more new products to our already huge range,” said Carl Taylor, sales director. “We have over 1,000 lines already in stock, including fancy dress costumes, costume accessories, party supplies and decorations – and there are some new additions still to come!” As a company tuned in to the international trends which so often set the scene for the UK Halloween market, OppoSuits has also been quick to launch a Day of the Dead design

for 2015. “Day of the Dead has been strong in the US in recent years and I have seen it more often recently in Europe, so it is likely to be a theme that will do well here,” explained co-founder Jelle van der Zwet. “As a fast-growing brand, we are of course very excited about this Halloween season!” Of course, it’s not all about sugar skulls and bright colours – the gory and scary is still very much in vogue. “We have had a slight change of direction for many of our Halloween styles for this season,” Jelle continued, “and have focused on trying to make them as scary as possible!” As a result, OppoSuits has a range of new suits which can be teamed with either a mask or face paint to create something quite special and very different. With a number of these exciting new themes emerging for Halloween 2015, Smiffys has introduced various new ranges and extended successful ones. Zombies are continuing to perform extremely well, and this has been reflected in the new additions to Smiffys’ 2015 Halloween collection. “We have found that zombie events are becoming popular all year round,” said marketing executive Grace Hutchinson, “with a demand for zombie-themed products outside of the typical Halloween period. Retailers should stock up in preparation!” A vastly extended offering from Fun Shack has seen the company responsing to feedback from retailers to create a Halloween offering which covers all themes from sexy to scary. “We’ve ensured there’s something to suit everyone on a variety of different budgets,” explained marketing manager Kerrie Stapylton. “Already proving to be best sellers for us so far are the wind-up deadly doll, zombie factory worker, scary rag doll and creepy clown.” Widmann has also extended its ranges dramatically this year, ensuring it can fulfil the weird and wonderful needs at this time of year. The vast range of over 10,000 costumes, wigs and accessories really does provide something for everyone this Halloween.

Creatively Gory “Halloween being on a Saturday this year means more celebrations as people know they can let loose, either at private parties or organised public events, without having to worry about work the next day. The growth in popularity of Halloween year on year means the market has got a lot more creative and gory with twisted characters, grisly zombies and almost anything else you could think of. Day of the Dead will be one of the strongest themes this Halloween as it is growing every year and is quite a fashionable choice, allowing party goers to get creative face-paint wise. Expect classics like gore and zombies to be really popular too as these themes get bigger and bigger every October 31.” Emma Angel, director, Angels Fancy Dress Props and décor have been growing more and more spectacular each year and to keep up with this trend Widmann has also added more new items to its selection of talking, moving and light-up pieces to help create the perfect scary atmosphere. In fact, strong sales within the decorations category over the last few years have encouraged investment across the board, with many suppliers championing new decór collections this year. Some things, of course, never change. Halloween parties can be many things, but understated is rarely one of them; the horror-themed holiday provides consumers with the perfect environment to get their teeth into the real theatrics of the season. Props are great for adding that extra spooky touch in-store and at home, and traditional Halloween decorations – from spider webs through to skeletons – are a fun and affordable way of getting into the spirit of things. Get Spooking!

Above: The Delights Direct 2015 Halloween range will feature a great new range of props and décor as well as their biggest costume range to date. Above right: Skeletons are a strong theme for Bristol Novelty in 2015, and these gloves and other accessories are great add-ons. Right: The gruesome Graveyard Gathering collection from Neviti is likely to be popular this year with adults taking advantage of the Saturday as a perfect chance to have a party. MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Get ready for the ball with a Cinderella dress by Rubie’s

www.rubiesuk.com

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Halloween Horrors

Wicked Wardrobe

Rasta Imposta’s Halloween range includes the ‘Zombie Banana’, ‘Zombie Penguin’ and ‘Zombie Hot Dog’; which all offer a ghoulish twist on popular top sellers.

These moustaches (and beards and sideburns and eyebrows...) from Mustache get top billing across many Halloween dress-up themes.

Scary and gory is the order of the day for Palmer Agencies.

New lines for the Halloween season from OppoSuits include the Skulleton suit, Zombiac and Bloody Harry.

InCharacter has pulled out all the stops with gruesome lines such as this OktoberFeast costume.

This range of brightly coloured, funky fancy dress costumes in the Day of the Dead style from Pam’s is expected to be popular this year.

This photo-realistic t-shirt from Boland is a great way to take the hassle out of dress-up.

A new female Halloween collection from Rubie’s includes this fabulous high-quality Sinder Ella gown.

Dress to impress this Halloween with Amscan’s sinister new Dapper Death costume available from ages 8-10 up to adults. Fuller figured party-goers will love the ‘Fitting Characters’ collection from InCharacter which offers customers an exceptional range of high-quality costumes including Midnight Vampire.

This Day Of The Dead Sugar Skull costume from Smiffy’s features a dress with train, a lace up corset and eye mask.

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Halloween Horrors

Wicked Wardrobe

This Wind-up Deadly Doll from Fun Shack is just one of the company’s new lines for this season.

For older kids, InCharacter offers a great selection of costumes for tweens and teens, ilike this stunning Vampiress costume.

The vast range of over 10,000 costumes, wigs and accessories offered by Widmann provides something for everyone this Halloween.

Family-friendly designs from Amscan are as popular as gruesome themes, such as this new Sinister Surgery range.

The adorable baby and toddler range from InCharacter includes Count Cutie and Witch and Famous, among others. The high-quality costumes feature non-slip pads on the feet, as well as poppers to allow for easy nappy changes. A Deluxe Bride of Frankenstein costume from Leg Avenue offers a new twist on a classic costume, while the Sexy Soul Stealer costume is scary but highly feminine.

For 2015 Fun Shack has also launched a range of children’s’ Halloween costumes such as this Scary Scary Rag Doll, which is already proving to be popular.

Amscan’s spooktacular new range of Halloween wearable accessories includes this stunning Scarlett Temptress Cape.

Wilbers has added some products ideal for younger Halloween party-goers, including Hokkaido the Pumpkin and Jolly the Happy Ghost.

Skeletons are key for Bristol Novelty this yearand this long dress is just one of the many new items for 2015. All new for 2015, these Big Mouth Tattoos from Tinsley Transfers includes six designs 5” wide and 11.5” tall. Looks include ‘Cheshire’ and ‘Evil Grin’. Halloween hats are still one of the best selling accessories from Pam’s, so the range has been increased once again with some fantastic horror hats.

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Halloween Horrors

DEVILISH DECOR

The range of aptly named Spooks ‘n’ Spells party boxes from Colpac is available in a mix of six designs, perfect to create the right atmosphere for Halloween.

These two new Monster Bash designs from Qualatex feature on-trend Chevron print.

Amscan’s new Day of the Dead range inspired by the Mexican celebration is right on trend for Halloween 2015.

Halloween cookie cutters from Creative Party are ideal for creative fun spooky shaped party food, from shaped mini pizzas, to sandwiches, to traditional decorated cookies.

This Mighty Sugar Skull (27” Mighty Bright shape) and Halloween Owl (32” Holographic shape) are just two of the new 2015 lines from Betallic.

Unique Party’s new Halloween ensembles allow partygoers to serve up Halloween fun on scary plates, with a hauntingly good selection of party accessories.

This versatile new long-lasting Spider’s Web Bubble from Qualatex is perfect for Halloween window displays, shopping centers and party decor

The Trick Or Treat collection from Neviti is ideal for family gatherings, featuring friendly Halloween characters perfect for younger children to join in with the festivities.

Scary spider props from Boland Party – just the thing for any arachnophobes out there!

Photo booth props are a popular item for 2015, and Unique Party’s Halloween range caters for both ends of the market.

This spiral hanging ghost from Unique Party is just one of the Halloween lines, which include window clings, cutouts, accessories, decorations, balloons, piñatas and more. The Scream Machine 2015 Halloween range from Davies Products is bigger and better than ever, with a great selection of new products for the 2015 season.

Bristol Novelty offers several light up props to make an impact on those dark gloomy October nights - this Evil Pumpkin changes through a spectrum of various colours.

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Summer Fun

Right: Rainbow butterfly 44” foil from Qualatex.

As the summer season starts to get underway, Progressive Party Europe takes a look at which party trends will be adding an extra bit of heat to the summer season.

SUMMER TIME

he sun is out (hopefully) and the knew that our product does well in wellies are on (just in case) – it’s the summer. We’ve secured prominent time to grab a beer and head to the exposure with OppoSuits at big festivals nearest gathering for another summer of such as Glastonbury and Secret Garden festivals, fairs and other outdoor events. Party resulting in lots of brand awareness,” The summer season has always explained co-founder Jelle van der been a time for people to let Zwet. “The festival consumer fits in well go and enjoy themselves, with our brand as they are looking for and festivals, fairs and something fun to wear while fêtes right across Europe maintaining a sense of style.” have fully embraced this. With the sheer range of festivals The notion of fancy on offer in the UK and Europe, there dress and summer parties is no one theme that can possibly and festivals is now so dominate, as Bristol Novelty’s intertwined that much Geoff Rees explained. of the audience “Whether party-goers attend in carefully want mainstream created, outlandish music or more accessories. Comedy specialised tributes to headline festivals, there acts at festivals are often is an event very popular and many covering that organisers have started genre. From introducing different themes Iceland to Bulgaria, Above: These Leg Avenue each year, with fancy dress Rainbow Fairy Wings are the festivals see perfect colourful addition. Right: parades and competitions attendance figures colours are ideal for Pride to encourage participation. Rainbow from a few hundred to parades, from Palmer Agencies. According to Emma over 15,000 – there’s Angel, director at Angels Fancy Dress; no doubt that the “Festivals are on the up! With the weather scope for sales is getting being so unpredictable, everybody needs bigger every year.” a distraction and there’s nothing better Geoff also points out that than festival chic to cheers ourselves up. people are more mobile People love any excuse to get dressed up these days, so an 80s event and they tend to embrace the ridiculous!” in Bristol might generate sales in Leeds, One company which is fully embracing Cardiff or even Berlin. “It’s important the idea of summertime style is OppoSuits, to offer a range of costumes and which has just launched a summer accessories to maximise profits, range of its popular patterned suits. because the next sale might be “We didn’t originally target the for an event miles away!” summer/festival market, but had “This year the festival such a positive response that we scene is embracing fancy dress more than ever,” said Smiffy’s marketing Temperature Rises executive Grace Hutchinson, “with As the temperatures rise the Download choosing a opportunity for outdoor parties, wrestlers theme, and picnics and bbqs increase, and the Bestival encouraging party industry depends on warmer ticket holders to dress weather to boost sales. Amscan has up – the wilder the better!” extended its range of tableware, with party decorations designed to create a back garden paradise! Above: Amscan – getting tropical. Right: The new summery OppoSuits include The Jag.

Family Fun

Over the years festivals have become hugely popular as family events, so this year Pam’s has increased its range of inflatable toys with some ‘must have’ items. It has also brought in a new rainbowcoloured range for the increasingly popular Pride festivals. Right: Novelty inflatable monkey from Pam’s.

Stocking up on a wide range of themes is important, but it’s also sensible to carry festival staples – wings, animal masks, ponchos, cowboy hats – just a few of the fancy dress items which can be seen across almost every festival in Europe. “We know that fun hosiery, wings, accessory kits, masks, and hair accessories always work well for summer parties and festivals,” said Trudy Pjinacker, Leg Avenue’s operations manager, “but some consumers need tips and tricks on how to combine fun accessories with festival outfits, so it’s important that we are able to inspire them.” Delights Direct has recently added a range of exciting UV/neon body and face paints which it believes will be essential to the summer party market in 2015, while Boland recommends a good stock of novelty hats as they offer protection from both the sun and the rain. The festival season has been an important part of the summer for many years, but it’s clear that the industry now sees it as a key season in the party calendar. So retailers should stock up on eye-catching, attentionseeking, funny costumes and accessories – and then get out there and join in the fun! MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Summer Fun

SUMMER TIME

Perfect for Secret Garden Party’s ‘Childish Things’ theme, Rasta Imposta has a wide range of toys and games costumes including this brand new ‘Pin The Tail On The Donkey’.

A new range of humorous unisex costumes from Amscan includes a banana and hot dog, ketchup and mustard bottles and ‘Breakfast Buddies’!

These UV hair gels – stocked by Pam’s – are great sellers for summer parties and festivals, and are expected to be a big seller for 2015.

Rock out with InCharacter this summer! This ‘Voodoo Vixen’ costume is perfect for festivals and looks great with wellies.

This new Fiesta-themed party range from Amscan includes everything from tableware and decorations, to coloured margarita glasses and Mexican wearables.

Novelty pool floats from Big Mouth (via Rosetta Brands) include this fabulous pizza slice and gigantic donut. Too good to eat,but perfect for the pool.

A unique range of festival hats in ten different colours from Boland are ideal for customising, and are easy to wear and carry.

Delights Direct is pleased to offer an exciting new range of UV/neon face and body paints, guaranteed to add colour to any event.

In addition to a vast range of single colour balloons, I.T.I. now carries giant pennant bunting – available in nine individual colours plus multi-coloured – and is suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

The perfect costume for Bestival’s ‘Summer of Love’ theme is this outfit from Pam’s. The new Summer Supplement has plenty of complimentary accessories as well.

Planning for any weather! Bubble pop suit from Bristol Novelty.

This Super Star Hero kit from Leg Avenue is ideal for almost every festival, as it puts the hero in the spotlight (and can be worn over regular clothes for chilly days).

From the pencil to the handlebar, moustaches are a musthave and are a fabulously simple way of standing out at a festival or summer celebration. These, from Mustaches, are handmade from top-quality materials.

This Fancy That collection from Neviti is inspired by a traditional English garden party featuring a stylish floral and polka dot design and vibrant summer shades of pink, green and blue.

This year, Rubie’s will be expanding on its existing ‘I Love The 80s’ t-shirt with new I Love The 70’s and I Love The 90’s versions for those looking for a retro edge.

Party-goers can party on whatever the weather in one of Smiffys’ fantastic Party Ponchos! Perfect for festivals, garden parties and outdoor adventures alike.

Star Cutouts always sees its stand-in cut-outs soar in sales during the summer, as they are perfect for summer fetes and garden parties.

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Face Paints and Special Effects

HEY Good Looking

Where would the party industry be without face paint and, increasingly, special effects make-up? From classic face paint to intricate latex pieces, contact lenses, coloured hairspray and temporary tattoos, PPE decided to find out what’s in store for this growing market in 2015. Left: Bristol Novelty’s Zombie latex comes in a neat blister carded pack and is competitively priced. A must for Halloween. Right: These PaintGlow UV gels are taking the world by storm – Pam’s latest addition is a fantastic glitter gel perfect for festivals, clubbing, dancing events and fancy dress.

body paints and we are continuing to increase this range by adding more and more lines as they become available.” Carl continued: “Snazaroo continues to be an important range to us and the small sets remain popular for kid’s parties. As the quality of make-up develops adults can now create amazing special effects worthy of a horror movie, so the faces at Halloween are usually spectacular!”

deal for the festival, Halloween and children’s party market, there is increasing demand for high-quality face paints and make-up throughout the party calendar. Whether it’s destined for a complicated full face design, a basic butterfly eye-mask or just a clown’s red nose, the sheer versatility of party make-up has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. With YouTube tutorials and other online guidance readily available, face painting has become more accessible to the general public – which in turn has seen the professional standard take huge leaps forward both in terms of deisgn, innovation and skill. As a result, this is an area of the party industry which has become increasingly sophisticated, with Top right: Davies Products Scream Machine range offers face painting, special effects a great range of face paints and special effects all year and other forms of dramatic round, with Halloween character sets such as Zombie, Devil, make-up now considered Vampire, Witch and Horror Clown. Above left: Amscan has an extensive collection of face paints and accessories by essential to many businesses. leading brand Snazaroo, including this Special FX kit, ideal “We have found, like the rest for gruesomely realistic injuries. Above right: ‘Trauma Series’ is the latest Tattoo FX range from Tinsley Transfers. of the industry, that make-up These realistic tattoos include ‘Mauled’, ‘Diseased’, ‘Possessed’ and many more. sales at Halloween have increased Below : Smiffy’s Day of the Dead kit includes face paints, in line with the move by certain face tattoo, gem stickers, crayon and applicators. sections of customers to keep costs down by using face paints to create effect,” pointed out Bristol Novelty’s Geoff Rees. “The quality of scars and wounds have also improved, allowing people to achieve impressive results at home.” Geoff also commented on the increasing popularity of effect lenses, indicating that while the three-month and one-year versions are proving hard to shift, the one-day, disposable lenses have continued to be popular, with sales steadily increasing. “In general face paints remain an important staple product for Pam’s and we are always on the lookout for new ranges,” agreed sales director Carl Taylor. “At Spring Fair we found an amazing range of UV glow-in-the-dark face and

However, while special effects make-up and scary face paints are generally used for Halloween, Smiffy’s marketing executive Grace Hutchinson points out that the growing popularity of various zombie events throughout the year has seen special effects make-up become more popular in general. “Retailers should ensure they stock a variety of face paints and make-up all year round to capitalise on these additional out of season events,” she explained. “We have also embraced the catwalk-inspired trend for temporary tattoos and gem stickers, with two brand new face design kits which can be easily applied as the perfect finishing touch to a witch or Day of the Dead outfit.” With so many different options on the market, consumers have plenty to choose from – regardless of how good they are with a paintbrush!

Face Effects “Thanks to Pinterest and YouTube, DIY videos featuring special effects make-up are increasing in popularity year on year. Gone are the days of armies of white-faced vampires. Now you can add a vampire brow from Tinsley, eye accessories, moldable custom fangs and realistic blood – the works! Tinsley Transfers make it so easy to create a professional look that we can see these getting more and more popular. We are always asked for glow/neon make-up and we know PaintGlow’s brand new range is going to be very popular.” Emma Angel, director, Angels Fancy Dress

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Market-leading title Progressive Party has extended its readership to become Progressive Party Europe. Following the huge increase in UK exports to Europe, the magazine now reaches party and costume buyers in all European countries, both online and in print format. This hugely extended readership allows UK-based suppliers to reach their total possible buying audience, while also giving European manufacturers the opportunity to include the UK retail market as part of their target market. Progressive Party Europe is read by retail buyers and distributors within the European Union. • Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Croatia • Republic of Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom

“

Like most major manufacturers to the costume trade, the UK is just one market we serve. As a global business, the news that Progressive Party has become a UK and European magazine is thrilling. It will act as a vital tool to help us promote to such a huge territory, and we also completely trust that the usual high level of content the magazine offer will also help us better understand these international markets”

Fraser Smeaton, director, Morph Costume Company

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“

This is an exciting time for Progressive Party Europe as we develop our offering further in order to continue serving the party product market to it’s fullest potential, recognising the advancement of international trading. To find out how to be a part of Progressive Party Europe, or to discuss this exciting development further, please contact me directly on 0203 370 4752 or Jacqui Parr on 07742 822425”

Rob Willis, publisher

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Jan/Feb 2015

New Orleans, LA February 6–9

behind

the mask. The circulation and reach of Progressive Party Europe encompasses all European countries. The complete database currently stands at just over 1,600 party and costume buyers. This isRin addition to @ the egisteR foR fRee H alloweenPaRtyexPo.com market leading UK circulation already achieved.

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March/April 2015

■ CONTENT European content in the news, product and retail pages of Progressive Party Europe act as an information point not just for suppliers, but also retailers who may seek inspiration from events outside of the UK.

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May/June 2015

■ ADVERTISING Progressive Party Europe advertisers benefit from this huge additional visibility to advertisements without having to take additional space. In addition to traditional retail leads, it also paves the way for new distribution enquiries.

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For further information please contact Rob Willis on 0203 370 4752 or Jacqui Parr on 07742 822425 54-55_PP_May June 2015.indd 3

01/06/2015 12:25

Best sellers Hijinks/Aha Ha Ha CAT E G O R Y

Summer is on its way and the excuses for a good party just keep on coming! Last month saw Easter, St. George’s Day, Mardi Gras, the London Marathon, and even a royal baby! PPE finds out what April’s best sellers were...

Cathi Cowan / Edinburgh

M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

Both shops are in the Old Town of Edinburgh, a popular spot with great shops, restaurants and parking.

COMMENT

Adult Costumes (licensed)

Rubie’s

Jabba the Hutt sold really well! We think this is the start of the new Star Wars themed party craze.

Adult Costumes

Wicked Costumes

Onesie animal costumes are good for the stags, and the crazy photos look great! Wicked’s new range of pink capes are great for hens too.

Hen Nights

Smiffy’s, Pam’s

Smiffy’s Pink Lady jackets and scarves are hen night best sellers, easy to wear for all ages. Willy straws, sashes, banners and novelties are all popular too.

Accessories

Bristol Novelty

A big display of great masks has always been a speciality of ours, and Bristol has a fantastic range for women and men.

Anything else?

Ravensden

Celebrations CAT E G O R Y

Adult Costumes

Wicked Costumes

We specialise in kids toys, animals and pocket money things. This is dinosaur year!

Family-run business in the centre of Oxford, which has been established for 22 years.

Darren Dixey / Oxford M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

Morphsuits

Rubie’s

COMMENT

Morphsuits have been popular for the rugby. We sold 14 in two weeks – a record for us.

California Costumes

Accessories

A variety of manufacturers.

We have a huge section for pirate costumes and accessories in the shop as pirate parties seem to be a common theme.

Masks

Bristol Novelty

There is always a ball happening somewhere in Oxford! We stock a huge range of Venetian masks in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Masquerade balls or parties are a less expensive alternative as guests don’t have to buy or hire a full costume.

Anything Else?

Smiffy’s, California Costumes

Oxford is a student town with a lot of student parties and so we keep a wide range of wigs in stock and they always sell well.

Morphsuits

PROGRESSIVE PARTY MAY/JUNE 2015

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Best sellers

continued

Costume Closet CAT E G O R Y

Costume Closet is a small hire business in a high street location with free parking.

Jemma Robinson / Ipswich

M A N UFACTURE RS/RANGES

COMMENT

Adult Hire Costumes (mascot)

Sandroy

We have a couple of mascot-style Easter Bunny costumes, which both hire well this time of year.

Adult Hire Costumes (period)

Theatrical, Mardi Gras and custom-made.

We rented out 20 Elizabethan costumes from our eclectic hire stock of quality and vintage costumes for a hen weekend in the Suffolk countryside.

Adult Hire Costumes (murder mystery)

Sandroy, Make Believe

Murder mystery parties are also popular, with customers both hiring and buying. We catered for a hen party doing a 1920s themed murder mystery this month.

Adult Hire Costumes (themed)

Pixies Den

Alice In Wonderland / Mad Hatters tea party themes were popular in April. Our new Tweedledum and Tweedledee hire costumes from the BCA show went out straight away.

Accessories

Bristol Novelty, Pamarco

Accessories compliment our extensive hire range, with items like cigarette holders and false eyelashes.

Make-up

Snazaroo, Pam’s of Gainsborough

Three colour theme packs have been popular this month. Overall, April was a good month for us with a continued growth to the hire side of our business.

ABC Costume Hire Ltd CAT E G O R Y

Nicky Hannell/ Berkhamsted

M A N UFACTURE RS/RANGES

1920s style

Pamarco

ABC has a convenient high street location, next to Papa Johns Pizza, with parking nearby.

COMMENT

Adult Costumes

Opposuits

In particular, the Testival and the new Harleking suits have sold well, both online and in our shop.

Accessories

Smiffy’s, Palmer Agencies

Everything 80s had steady sales in April. 80s seems to be the new 70s! The Gold Sultan Turban from Palmer is good value and deluxe quality for the price.

Make-up

Paintglow

Neon UV facepaint and hair gel sold very well for Comic Relief and has continued to sell well. We found the product and company at the Spring fair.

Anything Else?

Creative Apparel

Faux Real Tees have sold really well and we’ve seen especially good sales overseas for this product.

Opposuits

Palmer Agencies

MAY/JUNE 2015 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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