Progressive Party May/June 2018

May/June 2018

 +44 (0) 28 9064 7119

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halloween

2018

now with over 50 new halloween styles!

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WELCOME The home of market leading trade magazines

The home of market leading trade magazines max-publishing.co.uk The home of market leading trade magazines The home of market leading trade magazines March/April 2013

The home of exhibitions The home of exhibitions The home of exhibitions The home of exhibitions

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Welcome to the Party It’s no Halloween, granted – numbers-wise, it’s not even a New Year’s Eve – but there’s something about the frequency of smaller scale events which makes this time of year perfect for keeping business moving during the party ‘off-season’.

Most of these gatherings won’t even register on the party radar – impromptu drinks in the local pub garden ‘just because’ don’t usually require a trip to Above: Progressive Party Europe’s the local party shop first – but with a wedding here, Rob Willis and Jacqui Parr. a school fete there and a couple of birthday parties in the mix, there’s generally enough business around to keep things ticking along quite nicely. And of course the festival trade, which is already in full swing, is great for fancy dress.

With one eye on the steady summer season, party retailers will also be starting to look forward to Halloween, planning what new stock to buy in, working out the best way to decorate the shop, how to drive customer interest and engage with social media followers… There’s a lot to try and stay on top of, but as Halloween has become an increasingly important season for the supermarkets and high street retailers then party specialists need to capitalise on their area of expertise as much as possible.

The high street itself has been having a difficult time of late. Business is likely to become even more cut-throat in the coming months, with prices being slashed and sales extended as stores battle to keep customers coming in and spending money.

At the time of writing, it has just been announced that discount bargain high street store Poundworld is going into administration – which many in the retail trade will undoubtedly have mixed feelings about. While it’s always sad when a business runs into difficulties, Poundworld carried a great deal of low-cost party product, particularly at Christmas and Halloween – so it’s understandable that party businesses with a local branch will be keeping one eye on the news to see how the story unravels in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we’ve spoken to all your favourite suppliers to find out what will be keeping things scary this Halloween and what will be keeping things magical at those all-important children’s birthday parties (hint: unicorns and mermaids may feature).

Happy Halloween planning!

@Prog_Party_Eu

What’s inside: MAY/JUNE 2018 07 29 17 31 19 33 21 43 46 27

Max Publishing Ltd, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP T: 020 7700 6740 F: 020 7607 6411 www.max-publishing.co.uk hello@max-publishing.co.uk

NEWS

The latest from the party world.

BAPIA

Conventions and competitions.

WORD ON THE STREET

Grabo’s Jonathan Grassi on the web.

FEEDBACK

Licensed to thrill, in the party world at least.

NEW PRODUCTS

ISSN 2058 797X

Brand new and twice as exciting.

EUROPEAN NEW PRODUCTS

European suppliers latest.

LICENSED TO PARTY

The latest licensed loveliness.

HALLOWEEN 2018

Order now, things do run out!

KIDS PARTIES

Warning: may feature unicorns...

BEST SELLERS

Retailers share tales from the tills.

MAY/JUNE 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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NEWS PAGE

NEWS UPDATE BAPIA Safeguards The Industry By Not Supporting Balloon Releases Balloon and party association BAPIA (Balloon and Party Industry Alliance) has announced that it does not support balloon releases, in an effort to support the industry and reflect the feelings of its members. The move comes in the wake of numerous bans taking place in various councils, cities and countries around the world.

BAPIA’s decision has been made following a recent survey of its members, with the result based on the 150+ responses received.

Both EBPC (European Balloon and Party Council) www. ebpcouncil.eu and PEBA (Pro

Environment Balloon Alliance) www.peba.com.au have taken similar stances and now BAPIA is adding its voice in an effort to protect the UK balloon industry.

“This decision has been taken based upon the views of our members and the desire to save the balloon industry,” said BAPIA chief executive John Bowler. “With only 37% of respondents showing any support for balloon releases and 70% agreeing that balloon releases create litter, we feel that the majority of our members are strongly in favour of this action.”

John concluded: “As always,

Mask-arade’s Royal Wedding Success The build-up to the recent royal wedding saw party mask company Mask-arade fulfilling orders of up to 11,000 masks in one day as the Great British public got behind the nuptials in its own unique way.

Harry and Meghan are now officially Mask-arade’s best-selling masks over the last 11 months – despite the fact that they launched less than six months ago. The company has reported sales in excess of 100,000 masks, which have been shipped to customers right across Europe and the USA. Retailers can now place orders directly with the Mask-arade team (Ray and Joe) on 01926 814292.

Partyware Retailer Opens In Bingley New UK partyware retailer Gather has opened in Bingley, West Yorkshire. Based on a traditional concept, it relies on face-toface contact and ‘good old-fashioned shop service’ to sell stylish décor and partyware.

“I often worked with brides who had ordered things on the internet and they weren’t quite right,” explained owner Liz Farley. “I wanted to offer something where people could come into a shop and see things for themselves – and have a good old-fashioned shop service.”

Customers can also pop in for advice and a bespoke theming service.

NABAS Clarifies Balloon Release Position Following BAPIA's statement on balloon releases, George Oustayiannis – chairman of NABAS and managing director of GO International – wrote an open letter to the industry, responding to calls for clarification on NABAS’ official stance on balloons.

George responded openly to the situation, saying that; “I know how emotive this topic is, so I apologise in advance for

those of you that have a different viewpoint.”

He goes on to explain that NABAS does not support balloon releases, but that it does support its members in their legal right to continue to provide balloon releases if they want to do so – as long as they follow the NABAS Code of Conduct.

He also gave a voice to the frustration felt by many in the balloon trade and emphasised the importance of education to consumers and the media.

The open letter can be seen in full on www.

PartyWorldwide.net

Balloon Lady Stars In Ed Sheeran Video A balloon lady plays the love interest in one of YouTube’s most popular videos as she takes centre stage in Ed Sheeran’s latest music video, for his current single, Happier.

The video features a puppet version of Ed losing his balloon-based girlfriend to another puppet. He then drowns his sorrows in a bar made entirely of twisted balloons, right down to the beer pumps.

The bar was created

by California-based Nifty Balloons’ Shana and David Brenion – along with Darren Saari from Twiist Balloons –

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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BAPIA is looking to increase the professionalism within the balloon and party industry and is currently looking at a strategy to do this and to help safeguard the future of our members and the industry as a whole.”

using Qualatex balloons.

“This was definitely our highest-profile balloon project to date,” said Shana.

“The director loved the Chrome details!”

Below: Ed's balloon girlfriend is left to float away in the video.

H&P Expo Prepares For 2019 Show

Preparations are already beginning for North America’s biggest Halloween and party trade show, H&P Expo, which will be taking place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans from 25 – 27 January 2019.

Expectations for the 2019 show are high, as feedback from both buyers and sellers reported that buying activity across this year’s show showed a marked increase on 2017 activity. The 2019 show will once again be co-located with HAuNTcon, bringing the two complementary industries together for the benefit of both exhibitors and buyers.

Urban Expositions, the company behind Halloween & Party Expo, has released details about the hotels available for next year’s show and is encouraging visitors to book now to secure competitive rates.

“As North America’s only event celebrating all things Halloween, party and haunt, the Halloween & Party Expo is the launch pad for new releases for the upcoming season,” said Mike Carlucci, senior vice president of Urban Expositions.

He continued; “For the 2019 show we are more committed than ever to showcasing what’s new and next and have many plans in development to bring these new products to the forefront of the buyer experience.”

Visit www.halloweenpartyexpo. com for more information.

Pioneer Party Launches To Trade Pioneer Europe has launched a brand new trade website www. pioneerparty.com, showcasing the full collection of partyware and décor found in the Pioneer Party Collection catalogue for 2018.

The new website focuses on Pioneer Europe’s partyware collections, which include a number of both licensed and generic designs and were officially launched to the trade at Spring Fair in February.

The new Premium Partyware collection features seven design-led, on-trend ranges featuring Disney’s Bambi, Princess, Mickie Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Little Mermaid, as well as Marvel’s Avengers and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars. Other partyware licences include PAW Patrol, Trolls, Spider-Man, Star Wars and Marvel’s Avengers.

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PARTY NEWS

The War On Single-Use Plastic Gains Pace The EU has announced that its restrictions on ‘single-use’ plastic will include a ban on balloon sticks and party plates, as well as plastic straws and stirrers. The announcement came just a few weeks after UK prime minister Theresa May declared that plastic straws and stirrers will be banned throughout the UK by the end of 2018.

The prime minister's announcement in April called on the Commonwealth heads of

EBPC Issues Single-Use Plastic Guidance To Members As the leading industry voice in Europe, the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC) has issued guidance for its members, outlining the organisation’s position on the recently proposed single-use plastic legislation and advising companies of the best way to proceed.

The advice – which is not member-specific – will help party retailers and suppliers prepare answers for and deal with any media or customer enquiries that may follow.

“It is important [the party industry] maintains a unified approach and voice,” said EBPC operations manager, Suteesh Chumber. “We will provide further guidance on how to provide feedback in the coming weeks.”

The organisation is also currently using a legal team to undertake a comprehensive technical analysis of the proposed SUP directive. These will allow EBPC to engage in constructive dialogue with EU policy makers for the benefit of the industry.

Suteesh explained that all members will be contacted shortly, with further details of how the EBPC will ensure that their voices are heard. “It is important we are all delivering the same message both politically and socially,” he explained.

“We will keep everyone updated about how they can get involved and share the message.”

A media response pack is also available to EBPC members looking for guidance on how to reply to enquiries. Contact EBPC directly for more information or to find out how to become a member.

government to join the UK in the fight against single-use plastics.

“The Commonwealth is a unique organisation with a huge diversity of wildlife and environments – so it is vital we act now,” she said. A consultation will start later this year and a complete ban could be enforced as early as 2019.

The European commission's move was announced at the end of May as part of its plan to ensure that 55% of all plastic is recycled by 2030. It has prompted

Left: Proposed EU single-use plastic ban to include party basics such as balloon sticks and straws.

BAPIA Launches Facebook Competition BAPIA has launched a new monthly initiative for its members with a new balloon décor competition and prizes being offered for both the winner and runners-up.

The inaugural round of the Facebook-based competition has got off to a strong start, with over 30 creations already submitted for judging.

The category for June 2018 is ‘General Balloon Work’ –

which means anything goes!

Organised and overseen by the Balloon and Party Industry Alliance, the winners will be decided by the number of ‘likes’ each picture has by the end of the month.

For more information, or to vote for your favourite, simply visit the BAPIA Facebook page and select the album ‘Photo competition June 2018’.

Nick Wolfe Holds UK Masterclass Face and body painting school Facade Academy will be holding a Nick Wolfe Masterclass later this year, focusing on scary faces and the ‘dark arts’.

Internationally renowned face painter and prosthetics artist Nick Wolfe (founder of Wolfe FX make-up) will be coming from the USA to join UK students at the Academy.

The UK classes will be held on Wednesday 10 October in Hemel Hempstead and Friday 12 October in Bristol – just in time for Halloween!

There are also plans in place for workshops in both Manchester and Scotland. Full details are available at www. facadeacademy.co.uk Right: The masterclasses will cover ‘the techniques of brush and sponge, the theories of light, shadow and colour and the philosophy of design and balance’.

Trick Or Treat Studios Signs Halloween Licence US-based Trick or Treat Studios has been named the official costume licensor for the new Halloween movie and will be making the new Michael Myers mask available to the public soon.

Other accessories will also be available, including new coveralls and a replica prop knife.

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

News_PPE_May June 2018.indd 9

urgent calls for the environment secretary, Michael Gove, to guarantee that the UK will follow Brussels’ lead after Brexit.

The document states that: “Single-use plastic products

for which suitable and more sustainable alternatives are readily available should no longer be placed on the union market to limit their impact on the environment.”

Where there are no readily available alternatives, the EU says member states must respect a ‘polluter pays’ principle. This means that manufacturers will have to cover the costs of waste management and the clean-up of marine waste, along with measures to raise awareness to prevent and reduce litter.

Trick or Treat Studios made the announcement on Facebook and Instagram, saying: “We are thrilled to announce that Trick or Treat Studios is the official costume licensor for Halloween 2018! This mask is awesome!”

Halloween opens in UK cinemas on 19 October, 2018.

Be Part Of The Big Balloon Build Bookings have opened for balloon décor professionals looking to be a part of the second Big Balloon Build, taking place on Monday 6 August 2018 in Ipswich.

The one-day build, named ‘Balloon Forest’, will see the venue (Willow Suite at Greshams) transformed into a star-lit forest, complete with pink castle. The course is once again being run by Samuel Stamp-Dod CBA, founder of VIP Balloons, and is supported by both BAPIA and Balloon Market.

“I can’t wait to create another big build,” said Samuel. “Last year’s project was such a great success we had hardly finished before I was being asked ‘when’s the next one?’!”

The event is a great opportunity to work with an award-winning team and add something truly impressive to your portfolio. Visit www.vipballoons.co.uk for more information.

Palmer Agencies Appoints New Sales Agent Party and Halloween company Palmer Agencies has appointed Adam Crispin as its sales agent for the south west.

Adam, who has vast experience in the toy and novelty trade, will be covering the beautiful counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset and is thrilled to be part of the Palmer Agencies team.

“I am delighted to incorporate professional and enthusiastic agent in the south west,” said sales and marketing director Sergio Battaner. “Adam has a tremendous work ethic and his honesty and personality will not go unnoticed by our customers.”

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PARTY NEWS

Poundworld Enters Administration

Smiffys Opens European Showroom

Below: The new European showroom is based in Amsterdam.

Fancy dress expert R H Smith and Sons, brand owner of Smiffys and Fever, has opened a brand new European showroom in Amsterdam.

With over 5,000 products on display, the complete R H Smith collection is now even more accessible to its global customer base. The company’s second showroom (in addition to the original, which is based at the Gainsborough HQ) is located just 12 miles from Schiphol airport.

“We’re very excited to be opening the new showroom in Amsterdam,” said director Dominique Peckett. “This new addition to our footprint – which includes offices and warehousing

Party Exhibitors Thrive At PG Live 2018 Greeting card trade show PG Live 2018 took place in early June and played host to a handful of party favourites, such as Pioneer Europe, Neviti and Mask-arade, who were delighted with the response they received.

“PG Live is the friendliest show we attend and we’ve had a really fun time,” said Mask-arade’s Ray Duffy.

“We’ve taken orders, made some great new contacts and have opened a number of new accounts – we even made a fresh contact over lunch!”

“PG Live is a great show, it’s really well organised,” agreed Neviti’s director Tracey Cooper.

“We’ve seen some really big retailers here as well as a number of international buyers.

We’ve had some great feedback on our designs and quality and we have some great new leads to follow up on. The hard work begins now!”

“This show is great because we get some really strong leads,” said Pioneer Europe’s regional account manager Michelle Stephens. “This year has been a great opportunity for us to show off our brand new everyday fashion party range as well as our premium licensed range, both of which have gone down really well with customers.”

Next year’s PG Live will be taking place from Tuesday 4 – Wednesday 5 June 2019.

around the world – will help us improve our customer service levels to our European customers and make it much more convenient for them to view the full Smiffys and Fever range.”

R H Smith currently distributes over 7,000 products

Spirit Halloween Scoops Major Licensing Award North American Halloween and party retailer Spirit Halloween was presented with a top honour at LIMA’s International Licensing Awards 2018 for its ‘Stranger Things’ programme.

The prestigious event – held

by LIMA (the international Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association) announced the winners of the 2018 awards at an exclusive event held on Tuesday 23 May – the opening night of Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

Below: Netflix series Stranger Things has been a huge hit and is a popular dress-up theme.

Party City Eyes Up Toy Trade North America’s biggest party supplies retailer Party City has been named as one of the retail groups likely to step into the big box space left behind now that Toys R Us is out of the picture.

According to the New York Post, Walmart, Target, Amazon and a number of other chains — including Party City — have been increasing their toy orders as they look to carve out a share of the US toy industry, currently worth around $22 billion.

The last of the Toys R Us branches in the States are expected to close their doors in early July, leaving a significant chunk of that toy business up for grabs.

Party City buyers attended the TTPM toy fair in Manhattan, giving weight to the rumours that it will be adding toy lines to its current portfolio and is planning to open pop-up toy shops in the run-up to the Christmas season.

Party City’s current retail operations include 803 companyowned Party City stores and 148 franchise stores. It also opened 16 new stores, acquired 36 franchise stores and eight independent stores and closed seven stores.

Fun Shack Looks Forward To Christmas Fancy dress and accessory company Fun Shack has released its new Christmas 2018 catalogue, packed full with traditional classics and new innovative costumes.

Product ranging from Santa suits to novelty glasses is available to pre-order now. Highlights include a range of seasonal Lift Me Up costumes, featuring a gingerbread man, penguin and Santa.

Customers are advised to place any pre-orders they would like to make by 29 June in order to secure the best stock. Visit www.funshack.com for more information and availability dates.

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

News_PPE_May June 2018.indd 11

to 5,000 stockists around the world, with over 26 million items shipped every year from warehouses in the UK, Germany, Australia and USA. A full report on the new European HQ will appear in the next issue of PPE.

Discount retailer Poundworld is the latest high street retailer to go into administration following the collapse of rescue talks with a potential buyer, R Capital.

Administrators Deloitte have stressed the stores - which were a popular choice for consumers looking for budget-friendly partyware options - will continue to trade as normal, with no redundancies at this time.

An official statement from Deliotte said: "Like many high street retailers, Poundworld has suffered from high product cost inflation, decreasing footfall, weaker consumer confidence and an increasingly competitive discount retail market."

A spokesperson for TPG, which owns Poundworld, said filing for administration had been 'a difficult decision’, adding that: "Despite investing resources to strengthen the business, the decline in UK retail and changing consumer behaviour affected Poundworld significantly."

Despite serving two million customers a week from 355 stores, Poundworld has been losing money for the past two years. Losses for the financial year 2016-17 were £17.1m, up from £5.4m the year before.

Rubie’s Updates Popular Disney Pet Partnership The animal-focused branch of Rubie’s Masquerade – Rubie’s Pet Shop Boutique – has renewed its US licence with Disney Consumer Products for officially licensed pet costumes.

Rubie’s Pet Shop Boutique is developing a number of new products for 2018, with plans for more new styles to launch in 2019 and beyond.

Costume collections include Mickey and Friends, Disney Princess, Winnie the Pooh and Pixar’s Toy Story. A new line of pet costumes from Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas film will include Jack Skellington, Zero and Scary Teddy.

“We are absolutely thrilled to collaborate with Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media to create pet costumes of everyone’s favourite classic characters,” said Erin Breig, director of Rubie’s Pet Shop Boutique. “In addition to Star Wars and Marvel brands, these classic Disney and Pixar properties are the perfect additions to round out Rubie’s Pet Shop Boutique’s collection of fun products.”

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PARTY NEWS

Chris ‘Skipper’ Isitt celebrates 20 years with Rubie’s

EBPC Launches ‘Partysafe’ Consumer Website

Industry organisation EBPC (European Balloon and Party Council) has launched a consumer-facing website with the intention of providing education and fun materials to the general public.

The website – www.partysafe. eu – promises the party industry an new exciting era of education as part of a wider consumer reach programme designed to improve the industry image.

As part of the EBPC’s new strategy, the online portal is strategically aimed at three target

audiences; the education network, consumers and retailer members.

The Education Network currently includes some basic lesson plans aimed at targeting schools and children from a younger age, with further videos and materials to follow.

Consumers can enjoy a basic overview of the industry, along with how to use products and tips to stay safe.

Members (retailers, balloon artists, venue decorators or party entertainers) will be able to access a wide range of materials

NABAS Combines Business And Balloons The 2018 NABAS training day and AGM was held at Birmingham’s Manor Hotel on 23 April, combining business-focused courses with valuable hands-on balloon training.

The one-day event focused on a number of key areas, calling on experts from the fields of digital marketing, personal growth and time management as well as dedicated balloon decor expert Romina Finali.

The balloon and party association NABAS has recently benefited from the hard work and dedication of an entirely new committee, led by chairman, George Oustayiannis, founder of GO International.

“Our main goal is to support our members and we want every single one of them to grow and develop within our industry,” said committee member Paula Ardron-Gemmell. “We listen to their needs and requests and closely follow the market trends, so we can tailor our training days to bring the best of everything to those who wish to continuously improve.”

HAuNTcon Announces Regional Programmes

Adele Shines Spotlight On Historical Fancy Dress

HAuNTcon, the US tradeshow and conference for haunted attractions which is held alongside the Halloween & Party Expo (New Orleans, 25 – 27 January 2019), has announced a new programme for regional haunt groups and associations.

The initiative is specifically designed to connect the industry by providing HAuNTcon members across America with expanded benefits and year-round networking opportunities. It will also allow regional groups to expand their member benefits, share their expertise with the industry and reach potential new members at the event.

Associations participating include: Alabama Haunters Alliance, AZ Haunters, Canadian Haunters Association, Northwest Haunters Association and East Coast Haunt Club.

For more information, visit www.hauntcon.com.

Well-known for her love of fancy dress, global superstar Adele recently celebrated her 30th birthday with a Titanic-themed costume party.

Initially hitting the headlines for the usual star-studded reasons, not everyone thought the theme was a good idea. Adele dressed up as Rose for the event and posted a number of photos from the party on her Instagram account. One shot in particular attracted a lot of negative attention across social media, with many criticising the singer for choosing a distasteful theme.

The resulting controversy instigated a conversation about historical fancy dress and what is and isn’t appropriate. An article in The Independent asked whether the amount of time which has passed since a tragic event can make it less poignant in the eyes of society – and if so, how long that should be.

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

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Above: The EBPC consumer website promises the party industry an exciting new era of education.

and tools as well as an exclusive insurance deal.

The EBPC comprises of over 35 key manufacturers and distributors across Europe, with products spanning the globe.

Premium Balloon Accessories Releases The Twin Gas Sizer The latest addition to the Premium balloon accessory range is now available in the UK and across Europe.

The machine electronically and digitally inflates and sizes two latex balloons at once and can use either helium or nitrogen. Balloon artists can inflate two balloons simultaneously, using one or both nozzles while the inflation counter allows users to track the total number of balloons inflated.

It is also designed so that it can be used with Premium’s 3-In-One (for inflating all types of balloons including highpressure balloons).

For more information contact John Bowler on John@premiumballoon. com or by calling +44 (0) 7955 270679 Below: Premium's new twin gas sizer.

Chris Isitt, Rubie’s vice president UK, EMEA and Australia, enjoyed a surprise celebration recently to mark nearly two decades with the company.

A surprise celebration in Oxfordshire saw over 30 staff, close friends and colleagues coming together to celebrate Chris’ 20 year anniversary, including Rubie’s US president Marc Beige, his wife Phyllis and US general manager John Clausen.

During some heartfelt speeches, Marc Beige said: “When we first came to Europe in the nineties this was little more than a wing and a prayer. We’ve built up quite a collection of world class companies in Europe and Chris has shepherded the company through all the challenges.”

The ‘Skipper’ himself added: “It’s been an incredible journey from what was more or less a start-up [in the UK] to where we are now. It’s been a real adventure and it has been a real pleasure to be part of the Rubie’s family for all this time... Thank you very much everybody.”

Marathon Runners Embrace Fancy Dress Thousands of marathon runners defied warnings from race organisers as they took to the London streets back in April, wearing all manner of creative costumes in what turned out to be the hottest London marathon on record.

More than 40,000 people took part in the race on Sunday 23 April, which – at 24.1C – was the hottest ever on record. The temperature wasn’t the only record broken though, with more than 98 participants attempting to break 90 records on the day itself (most involving fancy dress).

An impressive 34 people managed to battle through the heat to break their Guinness World Record, with titles including the fastest marathon in a two-person costume, fastest marathon dressed as an emoji, fastest marathon dressed as a film character and the fastest marathon dressed as an insect.

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Party City Celebrates Q1 2018 North American party supplies retailer Party City celebrated its Q1 results for 2018 after reporting a smaller loss than expected and maintaining its full-year aims.

The company reported a loss of $1.2 million for Q1 (ending 31 March), compared with a loss of $4.7 million for the same period in 2017. Analysts had predicted a loss of $3.5 million this year.

Revenue rose by an impressive 6.5% to $507.8 million, a significant increase on 2017’s $477 million. Retail sales increased by 7.2%, driven primarily by growth from new stores, while same-store sales increased by 2.4%.

“I am pleased with the start of 2018 as both top and bottom line objectives were met, along with accelerated EPS growth,” said Party City ceo James M. Harrison. “The strength of our vertical model fuelled gross

Norway’s Balloon Ban Is Openly Enforced A nationwide helium balloon ban was recently issued during Norway’s national holiday celebrations on 17 May, and was openly enforced at a number of locations, with police destroying balloons which appeared during the celebrations.

Oslo and at least 28 other municipalities banned the sale of helium balloons during the national day celebrations, arguing that they pose a litter problem.

“We went out and confiscated balloons or destroyed them on the spot,” said Oslo police spokesman Tor Jøkling.

“Some of the balloon sellers apparently refused to accept the ban while others just decided to take a chance.”

At least one balloon seller who lost out on revenue during the national celebrations intends to challenge the legality of the ban.

margin expansion, while good progress was achieved against many key growth strategies.”

The total revenue forecast for 2018 is $2.44 billion – $2.49 billion, while profit is expected to be between $143 million – $154 million.

Above: Party City operates from over 900 retail outlets across North America, including approximately 150 franchise stores.

Master balloon artist Tony Twist held his first ever UK-based twisting workshop in April, giving 25 delegates the opportunity to take their balloon twisting to the next level.

The Qualatex-sponsored course was attended by a mix of seasoned twisting professionals and decor artists looking to add a new string to their balloon bow.

“It’s always worth coming to these classes,” said entertainer ‘Auntie JoJo’, who has been twisting professionally for the last 14 years.

“It’s nice to come along and catch up with industry friends, but it’s so important to keep learning.”

“I’m really pleased with how today has gone,” said Tony at the time.

“We’ve really focused on a lot of new techniques today and everyone here has done really well. It’s been a great class!”

As one of the world’s leading balloon artists, Tony has travelled throughout Europe, Dubai, Kuwait, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Abu Dhabi and the USA, bringing his balloonbased magic to the masses.

Right: Tony will be embarking upon an Eastto-West tour of America this September.

Sussex Town Gets Fancy A new fancy dress shop has opened up in the Sussex town of Uckfield, giving residents the opportunity to make the most of any costume parties they have coming up.

French’s Fancy Dress shop opened in early June, after owner Donna French found new premises to house the Barcombe costume hire business ‘Sublime to the Ridiculous’, which she bought following the owner’s retirement.

The new shop has costumes for sale and to hire, as well as accessories Balloon Progressive Ad Vertical Quarter Pageand HIGHmake-up.

RES.pdf 1 5/4/2018 to complete the Industry outfitsParty including wigs, hats, jewellery

12:27:26 PM

News In Brief

■ The Halloween Industry Association (HIA) is holding its first ever Member Retreat next month, from Sunday 24 – Monday 25 June 2018.

■ Four new officially licensed Iron Maiden masks have been added to the Halloween line of US supplier Trick or Treat Studios.

■ Discount store B&M – which has more than 550 retail outlets throughout the UK – has introduced a line of summer-themed costumes for dogs, including mermaids and unicorns.

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■ Balloon World's Richard Aylett is encouraging his team to ‘pay it forward’ by introducing a programme which will see all staff receive a paid day off each month to do charity work of their choice.

■ Trend-led party product company Creative Party has issued two 2019 Early Release catalogues – one stocked in the UK and one currently stocked in the US. Visit www.creativepartyltd. com to see more.

■ Costume and accessory party company Bristol Novelty has released its 2018 Halloween catalogue, featuring 200 pages of exciting new products. Get in touch at www.bristolnovelty. co.uk to find out more.

For the latest news visit PartyWorldwide.net

News_PPE_May June 2018.indd 15

Tony Twist Brings Big Balloons To The UK

“Finally we have a UK distributor for UGlu® Dashes. These are by far the best way to stick foil to foil, foil to latex, latex to latex, balloons to foam board. In fact they stick almost anything to anything” Mike H. (For Every Occasion Balloons) Rhyl Balloon World Unit 105 Golborne Enterprise Park Golborne, Warrington, WA3 3GR Phone 01942-719888 Website: https//www.balloonworld.co.uk/ “The Wholesaler That Works For You” MAY/JUNE 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

15

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Glitz & Glamour

Get the Hen Party started! With funky balloon-style lettering and shiny foil star motifs our brand new Glitz & Glamour collection offers a contemporary look and creates a fun party atmostphere with a hint of glamour from the get-go.

Design-led British brand for trendy party supplies and wedding decorations & accessories.

For more info contact our Sales team!

Email: info@neviti.com

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BAPIA

THE

BAPIA

ST BOO

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

PROTECT AND SURVIVE

In his latest column John Bowler explains the rationale behind BAPIA's recent decision to step away from balloon releases.

“M

any of you will probably have seen that BAPIA recently took the step to announce that we no longer support balloon releases. We did this as we cannot support littering and there is absolutely no question that balloon releases create litter; what goes up, must come down!

While we were committed to this course of action, I thought that it would be a hugely divisive issue – but I was surprised (although I really shouldn’t have been!) at how much support we received from right across the balloon industry. BAPIA members, non-members, UK and international, manufacturers, distributors and retailers alike. We have had so much support it feels very much like we have simply voiced the opinion that the majority already had.

Back in March I had a chat with the team from PEBA (Pro Environment Balloon Alliance www.peba.com.au) and they made me aware that there was a movement towards no longer supporting balloon releases. It was then that I started thinking seriously about where BAPIA should position itself on this subject. As I have previously mentioned, any balloon that is released has to return to earth and so creates litter.

I read a dissertation recently on ‘Mass Latex Balloon Releases and the Potential Effects on Wildlife’ and while it states that most animals are able to ingest latex balloons with no ill effects (turtles are not included in this) it did say that, of those latex balloons that could be traced after a monitored balloon release, approximately 12% burst into small pieces and 81% were recovered with half the balloon mass intact.

As an industry I believe that we are very aware of our environmental responsibilities and I like to think that we listen to our members and take note of their opinions. So I felt that the best way to establish BAPIA’s position was to ask our members what they thought. We surveyed our members and had over 150 responses, with around 70% stating that they felt BAPIA should no longer support balloon releases.

I have since spoken to some of those who originally supported balloon releases and with more insight they have changed their opinion. In fact, there are a few who have now become quite vocal in their support of this decision!

Having looked through the responses, one of the points that was raised was the concern that the public would simply go

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

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

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

‘down the road’ to a high street chain to purchase their balloons and release them.

However, I believe that if the balloon industry sets the standard and is seen as being environmentally responsible it will not be long before those chains bow to public pressure and begin to follow what we have started.

I have to say that the response we have had to our announcement has been incredibly positive. We are hearing from people, that when they have used our Balloon Release Statement on their social media or in their stores, they are also receiving positive support from their customers and the public. Some are reporting increased activity on their social media; what a great way to increase your profile!

I know that there are some of you who feel this may be the wrong decision but I am 100% confident that not only is it the right thing to do, but it is the only thing to do if we are to survive as an industry. We are seeing so many different councils and governments across the globe starting to ban balloons altogether, and if we do not do something to protect our industry we will not have an industry left to protect.

If you would like to use our statement for your business, you can download it from our website at www.bapiaonline.com/ environment.

I will change the subject now as I wanted to let you know that as a result of the new GDPR regulations we have decided that we are going to delete our database of nonmembers so that we can start fresh and be sure not to disturb anybody who doesn’t want to hear from us. Therefore, if you are not a BAPIA member but would like to be kept up to date with what BAPIA is doing and any new benefits or events, go to www.bapiaonline.com/join and select the ‘Information only’ option and complete the application.

If you would like to know more about BAPIA and the many benefits of membership or to join, please visit the website or send me an e-mail at info@ bapiaonline.com MAY/JUNE 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Costumes at www.folat.eu

Folat BV - Diakenhuisweg 15 - 2033AP Haarlem - Netherlands

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Guest Columnist

Jonathan Grassi is the overseas manager at Italian balloon company Grabo International.

The Word Otn ee r t s e th

The latest in PPE’s series of guest columnists, Jonathan Grassi is the overseas manager at Italian balloon company Grabo International, which has been making high-quality foil balloons for the last 37 years. Taking an overview of the industry at large, here’s Jonathan’s take on how the internet has bought the world closer together and the effect it has had on the import and export market in recent years.

Going For Globalisation

“

I’m just stating the obvious really: the 21st century has tied us all closer together, made our connections quicker, our conversations easier, our range of choice wider.

Important business meeting in another country? Skype them. Can’t stand being separated from your loved one? Just hop on a low-cost flight, catch up for the weekend and be back at your desk by Monday 9am.

Of course, as we say in Italy, ‘not all that is shiny is gold’ (which means that not everything that looks good is always going to be good), but this is still a time of great change in which the positive points outweigh the negative ones.

In a fast-paced and infinitely interconnected world, the role of exports is certainly crucial.

Not only you can find a whole new world of products completely different to those offered in your local area, but you can also source better products, more products, better prices...

The Facebook and Instagram generation requires instant availability: everything must be accessible to anyone – anything one might find in a screenshot – and it must be there tomorrow, or sooner.

And of course, as suppliers and manufacturers have to face fierce competition and battle to do better than

opening it to many people, on the other hand they diminish the appeal and uniqueness of the artwork and product design. In doing this, they often end up killing off the added value of expertise and passion behind the efforts of many suppliers.

Unfortunately, even if the balloon and party business is protected by artists, passionate decorators and farsighted entrepreneurs, some

the next company, this widens the selection for the consumers, who are spoilt for choice and can finally find their needs and desires more than amply suited.

Of course, there are downsides to this type of cannibalistic globalisation and gut-driven exporting and importing. The cross-border reliability of business partners isn’t always solid: it often occurs that importers, when not affiliated, use imported products at their own end. On the other hand, exporters can – and, sadly, often do – sell low-quality product over and over again to different customers before the end user realises the product is no good.

These practices are all aided by new technologies such as eShops, social media and online shopping.

If, on the one side, lowquality and low-priced products serve to increase the size of the market

Left: Grabo distributes popular US brand Betallic balloons all over Europe and the UK. Below: The export market has helped make the world a smaller place for party buyers and suppliers

business-wrecking dumping is still being perpetrated by external agents and non-professionals.

In a culturally blended and intertwined world, exports have definitely empowered the strength of our joy-filling job. But let’s not forget that work – especially when its final goal is to create beauty and passion – is stuff for human beings. Let’s not forget to balance the added value exports give with the love that people put into the development of this great business. It is the stuff dreams are made of.”

Exporting Excellence As both supplier and wholesaler, Grabo operates globally on a number of different levels. Across most of the world, Grabo only works with distributors and wholesalers, with whom it has established firm friendship bonds over the years.

“Our wide and varied portfolio allows us to operate easily and effectively across the markets in Europe, South America, the Middle-East, Northern and Eastern Africa, Taiwan and Russia,” said Jonathan. “In Europe you can find our products in all the main distributing houses in all the countries, from the bigger ones right though to the smaller ones.”

He continues, “The Betallic line, which we took on last year, has now been uniquely distributed all over continental Europe and the United Kingdom.”

MAY/JUNE 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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Decoration at www.folat.eu

Folat BV - Diakenhuisweg 15 - 2033AP Haarlem - Netherlands

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12/06/2018 11:15

FEEDBACK RED HOT LICENCES THE BRANDS WITH BUZZ Licences have been playing an increasingly important role within the party market for a while now, but the last few years have seen an explosion in new licences hitting the market, covering everything from film and television to gaming characters and collectable toys.

As children - and adults - devote more time and attention to their favourite brands, Progressive Party Europe finds out to what degree that is reflected in the party market. “ In our London

stores, we’ve noticed a rise in the popularity of superhero costumes, especially over the last few years.

Classic characters such as Superman and Spider-Man have always been popular, but with the introduction of lesser known characters into big blockbuster films, more and more characters are in demand.

The release of popular films and books are the biggest influencers of licensed products. This year we saw a huge rise in children and parents asking for David Walliams characters for World Book Day, as his books have gained a huge following.

We expect current trends to remain for at least the time being, especially the love of superhero and supervillain characters, as there’s still huge numbers of movie releases expected in the coming future.

Some trends don’t change, with characters from Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and Star Wars always being popular, no matter the time of year, event or current releases.”

EMMA ANGEL, director, Angels Fancy Dress Right: Rasta Imposta’s Crayola range has always been a popular group costume.

“ With World

Book Day a firm fixture in the school calendar, children’s licence dress-up is fundamental to the year-onyear success of World Book Day for the party industry. As a result, licences play an increasingly important part of Smiffys’ offering.

As schools focus on the literacy aspect of the event, dress-up plays an important role in making reading fun for school children. Popular dress-up characters born from established book titles range from Where’s Wally, Goosebumps and Horrible Histories to the most recent successes of 2018, including characters from the World of Walliams, Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton.

Enduringly popular, Roald Dahl’s infamous characters enjoy best-selling status on World Book Day, but remain in demand throughout the year. Roald Dahl Day, an annual event (13th September 2018) is promoted as a Dahlicious Dress Up Day, affording another opportunity to bring characters to life through dressup, while raising money for his children’s charity.

Licensed costumes play an important role underpinning the success of the adult costume category at Smiffys, too. We see a continual demand for ‘retro’ licences such as Grease, Top Gun and Baywatch to name a few.

Carnivals, festivals and group events drive sales for a wide selection of classic licences including Where’s Wally and He-Man that have no expiry date. Last but by no means Above: This Violet Beauregarde least, Smiffys costume is just one of Smiffys’ popular also offer a wide Roald Dahl character costumes. range of classic “horror” licence characters for Halloween, including Chucky, Saw, Breaking Bad, and Michael Myers, among others.

We are continually developing innovative and exciting costumes through established and new licensed partnerships. Look out for exciting new characters and licences, and reimagined heroes coming soon!”

DOMINIQUE PECKETT director, Smiffys

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Y T R A P UR

O Y R O L O C

Tableware at www.folat.eu

Folat BV - Diakenhuisweg 15 - 2033AP Haarlem - Netherlands

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Feedback

FEEDBACK C O N T I N U E D “ In terms of

top-selling properties, Paw Patrol continues to perform very strongly.

PJ Masks is another key preschool property for us which we introduced fancy dress to our offering last year, alongside partyware and coordinating foil balloons.

Popular licences are influenced by the toys and games market which also make popular party ranges include Pokémon and LEGO; for which we have both a LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Batman collection. In relation to girl licences, DC Super Hero Girls is a main property which emphasises the trend for female-inspired superhero themes.

Summer 2018 will see the release of the highly-anticipated Disney’s Incredibles 2 in cinemas. We are excited to have launched an Incredibles 2 range of party accessories and balloons ahead of the new movie, as well as a Jack Jack Romper as part of the Disney Baby collection.

Looking ahead to 2019 we have a great variety of new ranges joining the portfolio.

These vary from well established brands such as Harry Potter and toy giant Nerf, to upcoming properties new to the market such as Nickelodeon’s Nella the Princess Knight and Rusty Rivets.”

MATT FRENCH licensing manager EMEA, Amscan Left: This fab Incredibles 2 romper suit is from Amscan.

“ We are so lucky to work with so many amazing

licences, the first half of 2018 has already seen a number of fantastic movies released – Black Panther and Infinity Wars, both of which have proved to be box office smashes.

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Star Wars Hans Solo and The Incredibles are all just around the corner, I’m sure these will prove to be hits with consumers as well. Our inflatable dinosaur range will see Blue the Velociraptor make an appearance. In addition to the inflatable dinosaur range we will have a number of great classic costumes and face masks.

Autumn and winter look really exciting for licensed lines this year. I’m sure The Grimes of Grindewald will prove to be a hit with children and adults alike and for a Christmas treat, Disney’s the Nutcracker is expected to delight many families!

We know how important it is to stay on top of new licences and to keep existing licences fresh, so our additions catalogue will be available in August, full all of our fantastic products and latest licences.”

TRACEY DEVINE, Above: Rubie’s Thanos head of licensing and marketing EMEA, costume from Infinity Wars is expected to be a big hit.

Rubie’s Masquerade

“ Licences can be such a tricky business! The fact that I liked something in my childhood is not a guarantee of commercial success for any licence. It’s a very expensive affair, with a lot of money in the line for an uncertain return.

Luckily, our key licensed products are delivering above expectations, with classic names like Gremlins selling consistently and getting many re-orders. It’s not just the masks that are doing well, but also the more unusual items like our new Gremlins life-size latex props – we have received so many orders for these!

But the star of our licensed rage is Ghost Face, the raison d’etre of the ever popular Scream franchise. For 2018 we will be offering Ghost Face in many varieties, including the standard mask with hooded shroud, in a highly collectable metallic finish, various colour changing styles, Mummy style, bleeding or even with electroluminescence LEDs! Not to mention all the décor, props and costumes... It’s a classic!”

SERGIO BATTANER marketing director, Palmer Agencies

Below: The retro vibe is strong with these Gremlins life-size latex props which have been selling well for Palmer Agencies.

“ Licences play a very large role in the

party market. It can be seen in costumes, accessories and decorations as well as in partyware and balloons.

We must follow all trends and prepare accordingly. We have noticed, however, that due to the fact that there are so many licences, customer preferences are changing rapidly. Often a hero is only popular for one season and sometimes even less than that!

“ We’ve seen great results in our Star Wars and Avengers balloon and

Only a few fairytales or movies have characters which live for several seasons and this can significantly hinder the proper selection of products.

It is not easy to predict which licences will succeed for several seasons and which will go unnoticed. We think that in the present times, the most difficult thing is to pick up the appropriate licences.”

KRZYSZTOF MALEWSKI director, Godan

partyware ranges thanks to the recent movie releases and expect to continue this momentum when the DVDs come out.

As far as new brands go, we think that Jurassic World is set to be huge, as the movie appeals to people who grew up with the original movies as well as a new crowd from the more recent movies. And every kid loves a big dinosaur balloon!

So far there has been a fantastic response to the new Incredibles trailer – which has been watched over 82 million times on YouTube. Pioneer is proud to launch a new range of Qualatex Bubble balloons and latex featuring the key characters.

The industry has changed over recent years – I would say that the biggest change is that there are now quite a lot of film reboots and series, rather than a one-off standalone movie. This means the licences attract a larger audience over a number of films which gives the product far more longevity.”

JULIE DOMMETT head of marketing, Pioneer Europe

Left: Pioneer Europe’s new Jurassic World range includes latex, foil, Bubbles and SuperShapes.

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Talking To: Folat

25 Years Of

FOLAT

There’s one stand that always attracts a lot of attention during Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair, helped in part by the oversized wheel of fortune which offers customers a fun way to secure a great deal on any orders and the resulting cheers that go up following a ‘good’ spin.

Folat‘s colourful stand is a core destination for any party buyer – so PPE hopped on a plane to find out more.

T

here’s always an air of prosperity on The Netherlands, at least in our opinion. It’s a notably friendly country where smiling at strangers is not out of the question and anything seems possible, despite the inherent realism of the Dutch. And so it stands to reason that one of Europe’s biggest party product companies would be born here – with a backbone built on fun and optimism.

Folat was a college project that got out of hand. Founders Alex Adrichem and Marc Mulckhuyse formed the company in 1993, having been tasked to create a business plan as part of an academic project.

Citing the potential as huge, dreams soon turned into reality and the business was launched from a small residential garage.

The company’s name, Folat, indicated its plans to sell foil and latex balloons to local stores with nothing more than a moderate ambition to make a few guilders and have some fun.

The pair attended local shows such as Horse and Hound and even went back to basics with some door-to-door sales.

After some success, the first big opportunity came when the company launched Balloonpost. The idea was that consumers could go

Right: (l to r) Folat’s founders Marc Mulckhuyse and Alex Adrichem.

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into their local post office and fill out a card for a friend or relative, which would then arrive at the recipient’s address along with a bright balloon. The new concept scored the company some valuable press coverage and from there things started to heat up.

The first big retail order came in 1998 from a kitchen and homewares retailer which today has more than 800 stores.

From there, the business continued to

Above: Robots, actual robots! Left: Always making noise at Spielwarenmesse - the Folat stand is not one you can easily miss.

grow within the Benelux region, with export trade taking hold in 2008. Over the following six years, rapid expansion saw the company beginning to offer fulfilment for other major partyware firms, which saw Folat taking on a more corporate structure, with a complete management team and huge new warehouses – yet still with the positive energy and fun ethic that formed the company’s roots.

As Greg de Jong, the company’s sales and marketing director (and chairman of the management team) drives PPE from Schiphol airport towards the warehouse, he prepares us for the scale of the operation, saying: “We specifically positioned the operation to capitalise on Amsterdam’s waterways. We have containers coming in from the Far East, docking at the major port, with product then heading down the canals into VelsenNoord where DistriParty is based.”

“DistriParty is exactly what it sounds likes – the distribution of party product,” continues Greg. “And not just Folat’s – we are also set up to provide fulfilment for other companies. This

MAY/JUNE 2018

14/06/2018 12:33

Talking To: Folat

Left: Folat’s DistriParty logistics hub.

is an option for anyone who wants a European hub with the ability to handle everything from multiple containers down to individual products.”

The warehouse operation is fascinating – and huge (as PPE can testify, having taken the tour while sporting a broken ankle and crutches!). As an industry, we can often get caught up in the idea that we’re a small, niche trade. A visit to the heart of Folat’s business operation reminds us that in fact we’re anything but, with hundreds of meters of racking holding party product running into the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individual items.

PPE receives a full tour, including a view of the robots (yes, robots) hard at work, and it’s easy to see why Greg is so confident in the operation – it is exacting yet calm, with each team member happy to say hello and talk about their role.

We head to Folat’s corporate headquarters in Haarlem, a short car journey west of Amsterdam, where we are greeted by familiar faces and the friendly team who make the whole operation possible. The combination of the impressive warehouse operation and sleek air-conditioned offices all makes sense, given the size and scale of Folat’s business model – which stretches far beyond being one of the most attractive stands at Spielwarenmesse.

As we sit down to lunch, we are joined

by Angela Reijenga, Folat’s marketing guru and begin to discuss exactly what Folat has to offer the world – and it is a lot! Attempting to put this into real terms, PPE starts to quiz the team in numbers.

We have over 12,000 products across all product sectors in the party market and we introduce 800 new products each year.

We aren’t just balloons or even just costumes – we are the whole party and everything in-between. As we say, ‘one garland does not make a party’!”

Among the various departments at Folat’s corporate headquarters is a fully staffed design section, with a team of in-house experts who take care of every detail across product, packaging and merchandising.

“We place a huge focus on attention to detail,” says Greg. “We love to use bright colours of course, but we also focus on the small things that make a product great; the length of a garland, a flag being printed on both sides, how easy a product is to attach to something – all these considerations are hugely important to us.”

With its own Chinese manufacturing set-up, Folat is able to retain complete control when it comes to quality assurance and testing – it’s an in-house process from start to finish. The Dutch party gurus are clearly well set up to supply product, but how does that tie-in with the retail distribution network?

“It’s a significant operation,” says Greg.

“We export to 38 countries and this is just scratching the surface of what we can achieve and what we are actually set up to do. It’s more than that, too. We also work with major retailers domestically here in Europe and have the ability to work with any major retailer worldwide – in fact we can offer own label with order on demand, there is no getting stuck with stock you don’t need to, yet every single product we have is always in stock.

It’s a perfect science.”

Folat’s commitment to its retail customers is obvious. The company offers full ranging and merchandising support to any retailer, whether they’re an independent, major or online partner.

While championing traditional retail, the company

is also realistic about the change in consumer shopping trends.

“Party products have become an everyday purchase,” Greg points out. “If you look at the number of celebrations out there, there really is some kind of party or event taking place every single day. There is always a reason to party!

In terms of the internet, sadly, low-priced product can be bought by everyone. But people want advice, too, and for that you have to visit a really great party store.

Yes, online is growing and consumers are changing – that’s across all products not just party. Ideally party retailers can offer both a traditional store and e-commerce and we can help with that.

A daily feed on stock situations, new products, price changes, comprehensive descriptions and images – it’s all there.”

Folat really is all-encompassing and PPE is thoroughly impressed. It’s not our first factory tour and retailers are encouraged to do the same – suppliers are always quick to tell us that the door is always open. To see the size and scale of the operation in person always helps – and if it happens to be in the happy country of Holland, then even better!

As Greg says, in summary, “We sell products that put a smile on the face of consumers – we sell happiness. So that is our daily mission. If you want to work here you must work with passion and happiness, it’s our total ethos. Professionalism might be important, but happiness is vital!”

Below left: Angela Reijenga, marketing manager.

Below: Greg de Jong, sales and marketing director.

Inset: DistriParty relies upon its impressive team of knowledgeable distribution staff.

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New Premium Party Collection! · 7 Bold New Ranges · Choice of Plate Shapes and Designs · Fun Photo Props · Stylish Paper Party Bags · Gorgeous Cupcake Stands · Full-Colour Paper Cups

© Disney

© & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd.

© 2018 MARVEL

© Disney

© Disney

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© Disney

®

To see the full range visit www.pioneerparty.com To enquire or order: Call 01279 501090 or email pelorder@qualatex.com Licensed Partyware shown is available to purchase in the UK and ROI.

00_PPE_May June 2018.indd 1

SB-PP1803045 ©2018 PBC

08/06/2018 12:05

What’s New? K e U 6655 e r t 1 7 ak

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Oaktree UK has introduced a new range of packaged tissue confetti which is both flame retardant and bio-degradable.

Available in in 55mm, 25mm and 15mm disks, it comes in 15 beautiful colours and two pack sizes of 100g and 14g.

There is also a beautiful heart shape, which is available in six colours and is perfect for special occasions.

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B low It Up

Last year Creative Party launched self-inflating balloon cake toppers in fashion-forward gold, which received rave reviews. After listening to demand Creative Party has now introduced three new colours to the line-up, with blue, pink and silver options now available in the company’s early release catalogue, (available on its website now).

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Priding itself on offering something a little different to the party market, Karnival Costumes has released a number of new generic costumes which are all available to order now. These allin-one abominable snowman costumes – which are available in both kids and adults sizes – are part of the company’s first ever Christmas range and are expected to be very popular.

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

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Bristol Novelty has recently released its brand new Halloween catalogue, with hundreds of new items available across costumes, accessories and props. The company is especially excited about its new BIG Head range of costumes and is predicting that these will be very popular for the Halloween season. Available to order now.

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S hake Pineapple!

■

One of the key trends and motifs for summer 2018 is the extra fruity pineapple, which can be seen across everything from greeting cards to homewares. Party retailers can get set for summer with Amscan’s new collection of foil balloons by Anagram.

This Totally Tropical pineapple balloon adds a touch of colour to any party whatever the weather.

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L et It Shine

A number of new fashion-forward tableware and partyware collections from Unique Party have been released recently, but this iridescent line is expected to sell particularly well.

It is Unique Party’s only new block colour addition for 2018 and will add a luminous shine lustrous colours to any event or occasion.

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What’s New From Europe?

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Talking Dirty

This fun collection from Folat is ideal for birthday celebrations for that very special friend. The ‘Happy Birthday B*itch’ and ‘Happy Birthday F*cker’ lines are perfect for modern, mickey-taking friendships and include themed plates, cups, napkins, bunting and banner. The collections are available in either vibrant pink or a stylish gold and black design.

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The Extra Touch

Since the launch of Globos Payaso’s extensive range of new pre-filled 36” confetti balloons at both the Nuremburg and Birmingham Spring Fair, sales on these lines have been tremendous. Now the selection has been added to with the inclusion of a gold and silver tassel tail 36” balloon pack. A large heart tassel balloon (29”) in both red and pink will follow later in the year.

What’s New?

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

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Let It Shine

When OppoSuits decided to bring out a pineapple-themed suit, there was only one thing they could call it. The Shineapple is here to stay for summer 2018 and is available in both regular and summer suit styles (with shorts and short sleeves). Ideal for anyone who wants to look tough on the outside and sweet on the inside!

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New from Boland Party for this year’s Halloween celebrations, this ghostly pirate wig, bandana, moustache and beard has been a great new product for 2018 and is already doing well throughout Europe. It transcends from the everyday category into Halloween and beyond like every good ghost should do!

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Going Loony

The Grabo Balloon catalogue is full of alphabet and numbers children’s balloons, all available in the mega 40” size. These new pastel colours (available in pink and blue) and animal-themed numbers are expected to be bestsellers and are perfect for themed parties. The pastel colours are perfectly matched to the baby Wonderloon line, which has a range of 3D options.

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Totally Tropical

This fun new partyware range from Godan has been designed to tick all the trends. With its summery, tropical colours it is bound to be popular over the coming months, while the black and white pug and giraffe motif add an extra level of fun! Items include plates, cups, hats and bunting as well as social stationery such as invitation and thank you cards.

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■H it It! This star shaped pinata is the latest addition to the popular L.O.L Surprise party collection from Unique Party. The hugely popular girls collectible brand based around the unwrapping YouTube craze was the best-selling girls toy over Christmas 2017 and the extensive partyware collection has been wellreceived both at retail and by consumers.

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Now the whole family can join in!

Novelty mask-maker Mask-arade has launched a line of Incredibles 2 character masks. This Disney/Pixar licensed range features character masks of the Parr family – Mr Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jack. The Incredibles 2 movie is released on 15 June and masks are available to order now.

Feel the force with Amscan’s new collection of Star Wars themed party accessories, featuring classic characters such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Han Solo. The partyware range includes these fun table decoration kits as well as swirl decorations, letter banners and candles. Pinatas, loot bag fillers and themed photo props also add to the fun.

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Celebrations

Getting behind the big hit of the summer, the Disney/Pixar movie Incredibles 2, Amscan has launched a brand new party accessories range including decorations, games, favours and foil balloons by Anagram. This 38” Airwalker foil balloon features Mr Incredible and baby Jack-Jack and will help fans of the movie looking to put the Parr in party.

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The young teen and tween market is a tricky one for Halloween costumes but Rubie’s Enchantimals range is full of vibrant colour to brighten up the spooky period. Based on the popular entertainment and toy brand from Mattel, the Enchantimal line includes five different costumes, one for each of the cute half-animal, half-human character.

Dinosaur parties are expected to be key this summer thanks to the new Jurassic World movie, which appeals to people who grew up with the original movies as well as the next generation. Pioneer has a range of new Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Qualatex balloons and partyware ranges launching this June, including this fantastic 38” dinosaur SuperShape.

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Halloween 2018

Welcome To The

FREAKSHOW

A

s the biggest party season of the year and one which is increasingly celebrated by the whole family, it can be difficult to predict what Halloween trends and themes will be popular each year. The holiday is still by far the most important season for the UK party industry – it was estimated that in 2017, Brits spent £320m on Halloween – and is getting steadily bigger in Europe every year, so it’s important that retailers get it right.

This year the big day falls on a Wednesday – which can be either a curse or a blessing, depending on who you are speaking to. The mid-week date lends itself to a more relaxed Halloween for retailers as consumers look to celebrate both on the day itself and on the weekend either side, helping (in theory, at least) to ease congestion in-store.

According to a Mintel report published in 2017, almost half of the UK population (46%) will spend money on Halloween celebrations, with older millennials the most

Halloween is one of the busiest and most important times of the year for fancy dress and party retailers. With so much at stake, it’s important to make sure you have the best selection possible, so PPE takes a closer look at the creepy costumes and disgusting décor on offer to see what’s in store for Halloween 2018.

likely to spend big. Some 30% of this demographic is likely to make significant impulse buys, offering a great opportunity for retailers prepared to upsell the latest lines.

“Halloween is a key event for the whole family,” said Tracey Devine, licensing and marketing manager at Rubie’s UK. “There’s an acknowledgement among retail brands that Halloween is now just as important as Christmas and with so many innovative costumes available it is simple for retailers to capitalise on this.

Brick and mortar stores are in a fantastic position, as people love to see innovation and theatre and any additional in-store experiences or competitions are a great way to bring in new customers.”

According to Mark Brett, UK agent for Boland Party, a number of retailers Fresh Stock are feeling quite “Halloween was a bigger challenge last year, as

Above: This dapper skeleton ringmaster is from Bristol Novelty. Left: No need to keep the kids indoors – this cheerleader from Delights Direct gets into the spirit of the season.

confident and expect to see some small growth on last year. “Many are in a better buying ‘frame of mind’ as they cleared a lot of stock in 2017,” he explained.

Mark can’t be drawn on trends, explaining that: “I no longer make predictions for Halloween. The consumer determines what sell now, they don’t just choose from what we put in front of them. Social media has a huge impact on Halloween and much of this does not start about four weeks before the event. To make the most of Halloween this year, retailers need to have an open mind, keep an eye on social media, be prepared to sell everyday product for Halloween and above all, be creative.”

Smiffys – which is still predicting trends – expects the demand for zombies, clowns

customers seemed to carry stock from 2016. We are positive about the conditions this year though, as we know many have cleared down before this year.

We are adding the biggest selection of new items to date and are really looking forward to the season.”

Stuart Wheeler, account manager, Delights Direct

Above: Add some style with Party Deco’s fabulously colourful Dia de Los Muertos partyware collection.

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Halloween 2018

Left: This gory garland from Henbrandt features a number of cheery severed limbs. Below right: A scary new option from Boland Party. Below left: Amscan’s black and white pumpkin prop adds a touch of drama to the proceedings.

a repeat of the usual suspects such as clowns, Harley Quinn, zombies, skulls and skeletons. Meanwhile, novelty lines are taking the place of classics such as vampires (albeit still strong), werewolves, witches and devils.”

And for retailers looking to offer the ultimate Halloween experience?

“Trying to compete with the comfort of buying

to be a popular choice,” Charlotte continued, “while classic witch costumes continue to perform strongly for children.”

The witch theme also crops up for design-led partyware experts Creative Party, who are confident Fashionably Fearsome that Halloween 2018 will bring a welcome “Halloween is one of the busiest times of the year for boost to trade. “Millennial us. Our Moon Terror brand specialises in the Halloween consumers are the most sector and so we have everything from blood lipsticks to likely to participate in themed nail polishes. We have also recently developed Halloween,” explained new Sugar Skull Halloween boxsets, which are perfect marketing director Holly for putting together these fashionable designs with and TV character-inspired looks to Forder, “so as the demographic just one kit. We expect these to be very popular continue to grow. The company has taken is growing we are confident this year.” note of the growing popularity of family there will be a boost to Hannah Nelson, account manager, dress-up and created a new range of themed trade in 2018. Instagram, Moon Creations costumes for the whole family, including Snapchat and Facebook the vintage clown costumes which are all have a lot to answer expected to be a big sellers for 2018. for and the desire to show off The fancy dress company also advises great products is strong!” having active and engaging social media “Witches, bats and black accounts as a great way for retailers cats, to name a few, are die to promote themselves to potential hard symbols for the Halloween customers. “Customers will appreciate Holiday season and remain trendy any ideas and tips for how to use special year after year,” Holly continued. effects make-up or how to style costumes, “We have a few classic highlights for wigs and accessories to impersonate this year and our top tip would be to stock their favourite characters,” it said. a good mixture of Halloween products Perhaps unsurprisingly for a alongside some bright coloured products supplier which prides itself on in oranges, blacks, greens and purples being a one-stop-shop for which can be used all year round.” party product, From a wholesale perspective, makeAmscan’s up company Splashes & Spills is already marketing seeing larger forward orders for Halloween 2018. “It’s great,” said director Adnan Rasool, “but like every year come July/August things will start Dia de Los Muertos heating up and then the two “Halloween is a special time for the party industry. weeks before Halloween Preparing decorations and product is very exciting will be manic!” and we have had great fun predicting what will be The company’s Above:Smiffys make it easy to send in the (terrifying, vintage) clowns. popular for the 2018 season. We decided to go with hero products for from home can prove difficult,” admits energy, colours and innovation, in the Mexican party this year are the special Sergio, “but if the retailer offers choice, style. Elegant masks with gold effects, colourful FX classics; fake blood, garlands and banners – each and every detail was quality, customer service, and makes it face paints and liquid latex, made carefully and with attention to the quality.” a memorable experience then it has an but Halloween box sets aimed Agnieszka Jaczynska, marketing, Party Deco extremely good chance of making at both children and adults are not just money, but also becoming also expected to be popular and a go-to Halloween destination. include in-depth instructions on Can there be anything how to apply make-up like a pro. more valuable?” executive The final word goes to Halloween Charlotte experts Palmer Agencies, whose Cox points out that: “As best sellers include the a key event that covers all company’s famous animated Be Prepared categories, Halloween is a real props, as well as the licensed boost for the party market, “We would always suggest that retailers should horror masks it distributes with opportunities to maximise have balloons inflated and out on display early, to for Trick or Treat Studios. sales across dress-up, face give people the chance to see what’s available. This Marketing and sales director paint, partyware and balloons.” means they can plan their own decorations but also Sergio Battaner expects this year Charlotte believes that Day of the Dead that they will keep your store in mind when eventually to be fairly steady with business will remain a key trend this Halloween, and making the purchase – which of course is likely to overspilling into both weekends.

Amscan has added to its colourful dress-up be highly concentrated around the day itself!”

“There will not be a sweeping Julie Dommett, range accordingly – even including a Day of trend like last year’s clowns,” he head of marketing, Pioneer Europe the Dead mermaid! “We also expect zombies predicted, “although we expect MAY/JUNE 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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@Rubies_UK @RubiesUK

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@rubies_uk

Browse the full range at

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Call us on:

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08/06/2018 12:08

Halloween 2018

WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW

These optical illusion tiaras from Folat are ideal for easy Halloween outfits and come with scissor, saw, axe and knife weapons.

Oopsie Witches Brew large foil shaped balloon and the Jack O Lantern Bubble from Qualatex are great ways to add fun to a kid’s party and were strong sellers in 2017.

Children’s costumes from Henbrandt include a number of cute toddler outfits as well as cool lines for older children.

Folat is predicting that the voodoo trend will remain key for 2018, with this fab new Voodoo dress and jacket set complete with feathered accents and other intricate details.

Get in the spirit of Howl-o-ween with Rubie’s extended range of ‘pawsome’ doggie Halloween costumes. As well as this spider, there are also a number of classic licensed lines such as Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice.

The Zombiac apocalypse is here and this stylish yet authentic Zombie costume from OppoSuits is perfect for Halloween with the walking dead.

A suit for psychopaths – this set from OppoSuits is as bloody as hell and will take your scare factor to the next level.

Eat your heart out Dexter.

Millennials looking to really get into the Halloween spirit with a great costume need look no further than this utterly terrifying nun from Rubie’s UK. Classic horror characters are now available now from Star Cutouts for customers to create the perfect party setting and retailers to create the best in-store theatre

A wide range of bloodied costumes including this bride and apron from Henbrandt ensures that there is a gory option for everyone.

The Dia de Los Muertos collection from Party Deco includes these fabulous 30cm balloons which add an element of fun and colour to the typical Halloween proceedings.

Masks are a popular choice at Halloween, especially for children who are reluctant to dress up or have their faces painted. Children can also copy the adults with these new kids masks from Rubie’s UK.

Qualatex is launching a new range of Halloween products this year in line with current trends and the emoji ghost, golden skull and spooky eyes are all expected to make a big impact instore.

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M I LANO

Party Fashion

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National UK Wholesaler/Distributor Tel. 01702 447676 - Fax 01702 447677 E-mail: sales@sanctointernational.co.uk

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08/06/2018 12:09

Halloween 2018

WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW

This funny collection of three 42” Linky Trick or Treaters balloons from Grabo Balloons is very popular and is always a big hit with professional decorators looking to set the scene.

Everyone dresses to impress at Halloween, but let’s not forget the house! Unique Party has a new range of stylish, grown-up accessories which will guarantee a happy haunting.

Retailers looking to add a stylish touch to their Halloween costume rails need look no further, as these Lord and Lady Gravestone costume from Rubie’s UK fit the bill perfectly.

Unique Party’s new Monster range is the perfect tableware for every little monsters this Halloween season, while the skeleton trick or treat range offers a fun take on the holiday.

Following the success of last year’s everyday Instant Kit range, Fun Shack has introduced a range of Instant Kits for Halloween, including this Mad Scientist and Witch, which have already proven popular.

This life-sized Death Row prop from Palmer Agencies features a 1.8m tall figure that twitches and shakes as if being electrocuted and is activated by sound or motion.

Great new matching adult costumes from Widmann include these voodoo costumes which are ideal for couples looking to dress up together.

Godan is focusing on smaller decorations and accessories this year, encompassing partyware and décor as well as masks, headbands, spider webs and hats, which all remain popular.

Are you looking for the perfect composition for the next Halloween? Here it is. The Maxiloons Scary collection from Grabo Balloons. Six linkable balloons come together to create the perfect Halloween atmosphere.

These Moon Terror face-paint boxsets from Moon Creations ave the perfect colours to create a haunting Halloween look!

An officially licensed Walking Dead baseball bat prop as used

by Negan’s Lucille by Trick or Treat Studios and distributed throughout the UK and Europe by Palmer Agencies.

Smiffys predicts that the demand for zombies, clowns and TV character inspired looks will continue to grow and this new vintage clown family is expected to be a big seller in 2018 as it responds to the popularity of family dress-up themes.

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Halloween 2018

WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW

InCharacter’s Halloween range is sure to be a smash hit at any party, with high-quality costumes including Vampira and Vampire B.Slayed.

A highlight for this year is Creative Party’s chic new Spider Spectacular collection which features a sleek spider motif with foil-stamped accents.

Amscan has expanded its dress up offering to include some fantastic new Day of the Dead styles.

These colourful spooky party boxes from Colpac set a playful tone for some freakishly fabulous Halloween party fun.

For a fun take on a Halloween classic, Rasta Imposta’s Pumpkin’ costume is a lightweight tunic, complete with pumpkin stalk hat.

This new and improved fake blood from Splashes & Spills is kind to sensitive skin and suitable for children and adults. The easy to wash off formula is non-staining and will leave skin smelling fresh.

Add a stylish touch to Halloween celebrations with Amscan’s new collection of tableware and accessories.

Boland Party’s scary new pumpkin range covers everything from bunting and flags to balloons and pinatas.

Tinsley Transfer’s FX Makeup Kits and Party Skull Face Tattoos’ will give the wearer a truly dramatic Halloween look that will stand out from the crowd.

Creative Party’s new Friendly Halloween line features bright colours, cartoon ghosts, bats pumpkins and Frankenstein characters, making it a perfect choice for children’s Halloween parties.

A new range of Halloween dress-up options including creepy clowns and voodoo children is available from Karnival Costumes.

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Heart

Children’s Parties

YOUNG AT

One of the main cornerstones of the party market, children’s parties are essential for keeping the party business moving during the quieter seasons. With themed events and DIY parties becoming more popular than ever, PPE takes a look at how retailers can capitalise on these celebrations.

“These days the party world cannot do without number and letter balloons, especially for the children’s birthday party market. There are so many new ones on the market and they are all suitable for children of all ages.”

Luca Signorini, marketing manager, Grabo International

Above: Smiffys offers a range of dress-up that is perfect for themed children’s birthday parties, including these great clown costumes.

T

he children’s party business is booming, with doting parents willing to spend both time and money on their little darlings. Even those looking to keep things simple find themselves going well over budget as they get carried away with party prep – so it’s no real surprise that parents regularly spend £100’s without even blinking.

Retailers carrying children’s party lines are able to capitalise on this increasingly lucrative market, as Holly Forder, product and marketing director at Creative Party explained.

“The children’s party market offers fantastic investment opportunities within the party industry. Parents are always so eager to create the perfect party setting for their little ones so spend above and beyond what they would normal spend just to create that perfect memory. This consumer drive will always keep the party industry alive.”

For 2018 Creative Party has capitalised on the current trendy magical, whimsical vibe by offering ranges full of colour, sparkle and fun. “Mermaids and unicorns may not be new but they are still very current, which gives us the perfect opportunity to bring out many different takes on that design and

Above left: Come one, come all! Bring the greatest show in the world home with this delightful partyware pattern from Unique Party, featuring circus animals over red and white stripes. Above: This sweet outfit from OppoSuits features a fun all over ice cream print – melting hearts are guaranteed. Left: Amscan’s magical Unicorn AirWalker balloon makes a stunning party statement piece.

style,” continued Holly.

“Unicorn Sparkle is our hero product for this year, it has been a huge success!”

At Unique Party, Jim Cairns – vp general manager for the UK – explains that; “Children’s parties are here to stay.

There will always be a need to celebrate with the little ones around and even in tough economic climates, parents continue to push the boat out every year, to ensure that special celebration.”

Unique Party is offering two new highly-anticipated licences for

2018 – the massively popular L.O.L Surprise and Hatchimals brands, which are both expected to do particularly well as party collections.

In generic collections, Jim says that unicorns and mermaids are dominating girls birthdays this year, while boy’s parties are staying steady with the more traditional trends of football, pirate and dinosaur.

“At Unique we feel that its is extremely important that retailers are able to offer a mix of traditional and on-trend collections,” he explains. “Licenses and trends come and go, but solid colours will always be an evergreen. They give customers the choice to mix and match both options, which will always help parents on a budget.”

Also sticking with strong licenses and traditional themes is Pioneer Europe, with its new Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Qualatex balloons and partyware ranges already selling well.

“Children’s parties are very important for both balloons and party,” added Julie Dommett, head of marketing. “And for every parent who wants to buy off-thepeg, there’s another who wants to create their own pintrest-inspired décor. We can help both, and what’s clear to us is that integrating balloons and partyware together to create an overall scene is becoming increasingly popular.”

There’s plenty of choice on the market for retailers who are looking to expand or update their children’s party collections. Just remember to keep your offering as varied as possible and – if in doubt – go with the unicorn!

Below: These great licensed party packs from Rubie’s come in a variety of designs, including Disney Princess, DC Comic, Marvel, Paw Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

“The children’s party market is relevant pretty much all year round and licences are often the key to doing well. That said, it’s a quieter time for strong licences at present, but luckily there are some very strong generic themes at the moment such as mermaids and of course unicorns.”

Stuart Wheeler, account manager, Delights Direct

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13/06/2018 17:58

Children’s Parties

YOUNG AT HEART

Unique Party is excited to launch its 42” unicorn foil balloon to compliment the new-for-2018 unicorn ensemble!

Animals are a popular party theme and Godan’s animal cloaks and masks are a simple way of getting children into the party mood.

The mermaid trend is in full swing and Creative Party has a spectacular, iridescent mermaid party range in candy pink and luscious lavender tones with foil accents to meet demand.

These oversized pastel number and letter balloons from Grabo are perfect for younger parties and special occasions.

Creative Party has a fantastic gaming collection in an eye-catching green and black. The line-up features classic retro gaming icons and is inspired by current popular games.

Unique Party’s magical princess ensemble is an enchanting design of princesses, unicorns and magic wands, which are sure to make any party feel like a fairy-tale come true.

Delights Direct has a huge range of kid’s party themes including this charming new Mermaid Wishes range with tableware, balloons, decorations and more.

Feel the #Birthdayvibes with this vibrant new party range from Amscan featuring an array of popular icons and phrases.

The trend for all things magical and mysterious has increased the demand for party costumes such as Fun Shack’s Green Pixie Fairy and Mermaid.

A number of new party bag designs and party bag fillers are new for 2018 from Henbrandt and are available in a number of different themes, such as unicorn, pirate or dinosaur

These Neon UV Body Crayons from Moon Creations are an easy way for children to paint their own faces, with the added touch of glowing in UV light.

Smiffys has a wide range of skin-safe, water-based face paints available in a variety of individual colours as well as make-up kits containing brushes and transfers.

Power up for a super celebration with Incredibles 2! Amscan has launched a great new range of licensed party accessories and balloons.

This fun new race partyware line from Folat is perfect for any young Grand Prix fans.

This 18” foil from Pioneer Europe is expected to be popular with kids going dinosaur-crazy this summer, thanks to the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom movie.

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Best sellers Mike Jones CAT E G O R Y

Foil Balloons

PPE asks a number of party retailers to share what’s selling well for them in recent weeks.

One Stop Party Shop Leamington Spa M A N UFACTURE RS/RANGES

Large numbers and letters (Qualatex, Unique, Amscan)

COMMENT

The Qualatex large numbers are still selling well. These are used for anything from birthdays to personal and corporate anniversaries. For letters we use Unique or Amscan and order in for bespoke orders but we do sell a lot of ‘love’, ‘mr & mrs’ and ‘baby’.

Licensed Balloons

Paw Patrol (Amscan)

Paw Patrol is really popular right now. We tend to sell the Amscan group balloon in the multi colours more often than single character or pink themed range.

Partyware

Sparkle range (Amscan)

We sell a lot of Amscan’s Sparkle range but there is a gap in the market for some new colour options. The Paw Patrol range also does well and unicorns are hugely popular, especially for party favours such as bubbles.

Anything Else?

Gender reveal (Qualatex)

Gender reveal is getting bigger. We sell a lot of black Qualatex question mark balloons and balloons in a box.

Claire Ridley CAT E G O R Y

M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

COMMENT

Unicorns, Flamingos, latex (Amscan, Qualatex, Unique Party, Boland Party)

Unicorns are here to stay, but we are starting to get lots of flamingo requests too, especially the Qualatex SuperShape. Black and gold has continued well for colour themes.

Partyware

Unicorns (Amscan, Creative Party) and football (Unique Party)

Themed partyware is all about unicorns of course! But we’re also selling a lot of the football partyware by Unique. We also sell a lot of the usual party bag items like stretchy men and bubbles.

Royal Wedding

Crowns, tiaras and tableware (Unique Party, Amscan)

People went all out for the Royal Wedding in the last couple of weeks.

As well as the crowns and tiaras it’s the full Union Jack-themed tableware and bunting from Unique Party.

Bespoke Orders

Confetti balloons and gender reveals (Eurowrap, Qualatex) sashes and games (Alandra)

We’re supplying partyware and balloons for lots of baby showers and gender reveals these days. Baby showers tend not to be gender specific with people opting for pastels and mint green as well as the more traditional pink and blue.

Anything Else?

Hen night accessories (Alandra, Eurowrap)

Alandra is doing a great range for hen parties with slippers and kimonos all branded as Team Bride. Also selling really well is Eurowrap’s Bride Squad range.

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Qualatex

Messages Party Shop Hertford and Welwyn Garden City

Balloons

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Amscan

Unique Party

Alandra

MAY/JUNE 2018

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Chris Mee CAT E G O R Y

Party Planet Watford M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

COMMENT

Adult Costumes

80s, licensed (Smiffys, Rubie’s) Smiffys Wigs, Smiffys Neon Range, Rubies for TV and film characters

The 80s have been big this month thanks to a big local Club Tropicana event. It is mostly accessories rather than full costumes and people usually go for either the neon range or a wig to dress up as a character like Madonna. For film and television characters the most common requests have been for Thor and Loki and Mr Incredible.

Children’s Costumes

Historical costumes (Smiffys)

There’s been no real trend with children’s costumes this month but the schools have been doing the usual Romans, Greeks and Egyptians so we’ve been selling lots of those.

Balloons

Confetti balloons, large numbers and letters, gender reveal (Qualatex, Amscan)

Thanks to Instagram more people are choosing balloons that make a statement, so we’re seeing lots of confetti balloons, lots of personalisation and giant numbers. Rose gold is still a big seller. Gender reveal of course is still doing well and we have sold a lot of Qualatex as well as nice Orbz by Amscan.

Tableware

Rose gold (Unique Party)

We’re still seeing a lot of rose gold themes.

There seems to be no trend at all on kids partyware, most customers just browse the range and choose their favourite!

Anything Else?

Union Jack-themed leis, tableware and hats, royal family masks (Amscan, Rubie’s, Mask-arade)

The biggest seller by far was the Hawaiianstyle Leis in red, white and blue. People were also preparing for Royal Wedding parties with the full tableware kits, bunting and flags from Amscan. The Harry and Meghan Maskarade masks sold well, as did bowler hats and felt hats.

Cathie Cowen CAT E G O R Y

Dress-Up

Rubie’s

Mask-arade

AhaHaHa Jokes and Novelties Edinburgh

M A N UFACTURE RS / RANGES

COMMENT

Pirates, Mexican sombreros and ponchos, flapper dresses (Smiffys)

Costumes continue to be pretty random at the moment. We are currently selling a lot of the old standards like pirates, nurses and vicars. The 20s is very popular, as is the 80s still. There’s lots of students here so we sell a lot more accessories than full costumes.

Novelty Dress-Up

Gimp costume, Pink Ladies jackets (Smiffys)

For the stags we’re not selling so many superhero costumes these days – but we do get lots of requests for the Smiffys gimp costume! For the hens, it’s mainly accessories like the tutus and tiaras, but official Grease Pink Ladies jackets do well.

Accessories

Wigs, overhead masks (Smiffys, Rubie’s, Bristol Novelty)

Dressing up as Donald Trump has been really popular. People buy the Smiffys or Rubie’s wig and some orange body paint and we’ve managed to source some ‘Make America Great Again’ red caps. The Bristol Novelty brown horse head is a social media favourite and is also selling very well.

Anything Else?

Horror masks (Rubie’s, Palmer Agencies)

A Horror Con event was recently in Edinburgh so there was a surge of sales in V for Vendetta, Saw Jigsaw and Friday 13th hockey masks, as well as fake blood, latex and synthetics.

Eurovision

Lumberjack beards

As well as the usual glitter, sequins and kitsch partyware, we also did a good trade in lumberjack-style beards.

Bristol Novelty

Palmer Agencies

MAY/JUNE 2018 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE

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