Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - July/August 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS 15 ROCKET LICENSING ANNOUNCES NEW INDOOR FORMAT FOR VHC DAY FUNDRAISER THE GIANT WIGGLE Leading independent licensing agency, Rocket Licensing has announced that plans for VHC Day and fundraiser, The Giant Wiggle, are going ahead in a new indoor format during COVID-19 restrictions. The agency, which manages the consumer products programme for The Very Hungry Caterpillar in the UK and Eire through the worldwide agent, The Joester Loria Group, acknowledges that as The Hungry Caterpillar brand enters its 51 st year, the world is a very different place. However, publisher Penguin has brought caterpillar play and learning to family homes for Very Hungry Caterpillar day on May 4 th , 2020 with online storytelling and craft activities. A special activity sheet has been created to encourage children to colour in butterflies, write down something they are hopeful for and spread their messages of hope by displaying the butterflies in their windows for other children to see. Now in its seventh year of fundraising for Action for Children, The Giant Wiggle is another activity that fans can get involved with at home during lockdown. Families are being encouraged to sign up to host a wiggle-y fundraising play day at home between May and August in a bid to help keep little ones engaged and active during this uncertain time. When consumers sign up at actionforchildren.org.uk/giantwiggle they will be sent a free activity pack with everything they need to get ready for the day, including crowns to decorate, treasure hunts and a collection box. Everyone who gets involved will also receive a certificate and sticker to congratulate their efforts. Families are being encouraged to donate £2 each to Action for Children to help give vulnerable children across the UK a safe and happy childhood. Jessica Taylor, Head of Community Fundraising for Action for Children said: “However you take part in The Giant Wiggle it is always so much fun! It’s a great way to help toddlers develop through reading, communicating, and being curious. Children can learn so much about the world around them through activities like interactive storytelling, role playing, and arts and crafts. Little ones can make a big difference even at this time and every penny raised helps Action for Children in their work supporting vulnerable children to have a safe and happy childhood.” Charlie Donaldson, Joint MD of Rocket Licensing, comments: “We’re excited to be able to bring the promotional activity for The Very Hungry Caterpillar into the homes of UK families, offering some fun, engaging activities for young children who are missing out on nursery, preschool and school. Continuing to support the fantastic work carried out by Action For Children is really important to us and we’re looking forward to seeing all of the fun that fans have at home with their favourite caterpillar.” Visit www.rocketlicensing.com BLADE & ROSE CELEBRATES 10 TH BIRTHDAY Award-winning British childrenswear brand Blade & Rose celebrated a decade of business with exclusive offers and competitions throughout the month of May. Launched in May 2010, Founder Amanda Peffer designed and developed her first range of knitted leggings, each with their own unique and trendy design on the bottom. Whilst on maternity leave, Amanda struggled to find leggings which were durable, functional, would wash well and most importantly, that were soft and kind to her baby’s skin, so she set about designing her own. Inspired by their children Harvey Blade and Issey Rose, the Blade & Rose business started in Amanda and husband Jon’s front room. After three prototypes, they found a product they were happy with and launched their first three designs; Cupcake, Strawberry and Daisy. For the next five years, their collection became increasingly popular. Blade & Rose expanded the range from its collection of knitted leggings which it became synonymous for, to include coordinating tops, footwear and accessories. In the years that followed, Blade & Rose won several prestigious awards including Junior Design Awards, Love by Parents, Made for Mums and a Gift Of The Year Award. In 2018, Blade & Rose collaborated with WWF UK and within a year raised £11,000 for the charity, with the sale of its exclusive WWF UK Collection. The brand has continued to grow and is now available worldwide, with stockists in 33 countries including Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Greece, Japan, China, Taiwan, UAE, New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Visit www.bladeandrose.com GLOBAL LICENSING GROUP AND LICENSING INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH VIRTUAL LICENSING WEEK Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group has joined forces with trade association Licensing International to launch Licensing Week, which took place from 15-19 June. The week-long virtual event featured five days of virtual keynotes, educational and topical seminars, matchmaking, networking and a digital exhibition. The event aimed to bring together the global licensing industry and connected licensing businesses with retailers, manufacturers, experts and media at a time when physical networking and deal-making is proving impossible. The event complemented and supplemented the flagship Licensing Expo (August 11-13 in Las Vegas, NV) and Brand Licensing Europe events (October 6-8 in London), and helped to bridge the gap between opportunities for real life industry engagement. Speaking ahead of the event, Anna Knight, Vice President, Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets, said, “Doing business within the licensing industry is simply not possible without connections – whether that be making new ones or reinforcing and nurturing existing ones. We know from speaking to our colleagues that it’s business-critical for them to have the chance to connect in early summer, which is why have pulled out all the stops to create this new event in June.”