On Sunday night, I made my way down to Houston for the Halloween and Party Expo 2012. This has become an annual journey for me mainly because, you know, we are a party supplies provider, and it’s a good way to connect with our vendors and/or find new ones. It’s also a good way to discover what’s new and what the entertainment trends are that will likely lead invariably to party supplies licensing.
The Halloween and Party Expo boasts over 350 vendors and over 1,400 booths. Models walk around in the trendiest new costumes. Classes are available for everything from improving store sales to making balloon creations. Cool and scary party decorations are everywhere. And, while this year’s trip for me was a brief one (only one day) and I basically stuck to the exhibit floor, attending this show is still a pretty fun experience.
So, what were my big 3 takes from this year’s H&P Party Expo?
1. Angry Birds is popular. Having recently introduced the Angry Birds party supplies line on our site, we already knew first-hand, but Angry Birds costumes, party supplies, wall displays and giant balloon arrangements abounded. With a game theme like Angry Birds doing so well, one wonders if other game themes would be successful. Would Halo party supplies do well? Plants vs. Zombies? Fruit Ninja party supplies?
2. Zombies are still a big deal for Halloween. Zombie costumes are everywhere and many are very cool. They’ve got a Walking Dead line now (they may have had this last year and I just missed it), and there’s still, of course, zombie party supplies. The lifelike zombie figures are amazing (I especially liked the ones from Morris Costumes), and I can only imagine the reactions you’d get from placing one of these in your yard for Halloween. Little kids beware!
3. In the party tableware area, there are less new themes and more sequels this year than last. Batman, Spiderman, Madagascar, Star Wars and some other themes are all getting redesigns. Some are in anticipation of new movies, while others simply need a new look. Even new themes, like the Avengers, carry a lot of the same characters (like Captain America and Thor for example) that we’ve seen on their own in recent movies.
Some of the other things seen and heard: Many at the show are quietly expecting big things from the upcoming movie Snow White and the Huntsman…I found it funny to see LMFAO costumes. I guess they’re cashing in while they can…Brave party supplies looks like a winner. Pixar’s new feature starring the lovely, red-haired Princess Merida (due out this summer) is a rare new film in a sea of sequels…The Avengers remind me of last year’s trio of Captain America, Thor, and Green Lantern; steady but nothing too sensational. I expect the Avengers movie to probably do about as well as those movies did…The Justin Bieber fever seems to be dying down a bit, although I did hear that they’re doing a redesign of his Bieber party supplies which will include an updated haircut (I think I just heard a million tweenage girls squeal.)
This year’s Halloween & Party Expo is over, and I’m back in Michigan. Stay tuned as we roll out some of the cool products and other fun stuff in some future posts. And, I apologize in advance for my nonexistent photo and video skills.
Rob Robinson is the COO and resident sports expert of DiscountPartySupplies.com. While relatively easy going, he hates bad drivers and commuting in the Michigan snow. When he’s not working, he spends his days planning vacations and birthday parties for his family.
