The December issue of Progressive Party Europe is available to read now, packed full of great content including in-depth supplier interviews, industry news and opinions, product updates and much more.
It came and went in a flash of clown wigs, blood-stained cleavers and vampire teeth, but by all accounts Halloween 2019 exceeded all expectations. This year’s mid-week date saw the festivities stretching out over two weekends, with retailers and haunt attractions alike making the most of children’s discos, family parties, boozy adult gatherings and of course the all-important trick-or-treating.
According to all reports this year – statistical evidence, sales figures, consumer reports and adecdotal feedback (aka industry gossip) – it seems that Halloween 2019 was a resounding success (see our Feedback feature for more).
There was no clear trend taking the industry by storm this year – in fact, the only clear theme was that people were doing whatever they wanted! Retailers were reporting best-sellers over the Halloween period that weren’t scary or spooky at all, indicating that the UK market may be beginning to follow in the footsteps of the US, where anything and indeed everything goes.
In the meantime, it’s never too early to start your planning for Halloween 2020, as is shown by everyone looking forward to the upcoming Halloween and Party Expo. H&P Expo is also partnering with popular haunt tradeshow HauNTcon for the third consecutive year, ensuring it will continue to be jam-packed with events, workshops, exhibitors and attractions. Of course, the hugely popular parties, catwalk shows and the competitions will also be taking place again, allowing everyone to make the most of the networking opportunities available.
Progressive Party Europe is proud to be the international media partner for the show, so naturally we have also previewed the world’s only dedicated Halloween, party and celebration trade show in this issue – and with more than 350 exhibitors showing off their latest lines there’s a lot to see!
Of course it’s not all about Halloweens past and present in this issue, we’ve also got features on Valentine’s Day, Carnival and Mardi Gras as well as a full-length interview with the team at Amscan about their extended relationship with Warner Bros.
We have also included all the regular features you have come to know and love as well, with a particularly useful Word on the Street column for anyone looking to expand their business in the new year.
As ever, please drop us a line with any news, views or anything else you’d like us to look at in the future.