Kiddicare.com has signed up as the broadcast sponsor of the new Michael Ball Show on ITV1. The sponsorship deals run across thirty episodes to be screened each weekday afternoon over the next six weeks, with the first show airing this Wednesday from 3-4pm. The deal also includes brand coverage on ITV.com and the Michael Ball Show home page.

At the beginning of September, Save the Children is taking three of the UK’s best known mummy bloggers to Bangladesh to meet other mums. They will hear women talk of losing their children to illnesses like malaria and pneumonia and find out what measures the country has taken to stop these needless deaths.

The Launchpad has sold out at Harrogate Nursery Fair’s new Autumn show with over thirty companies snapping up space fast! To meet demand, the event organisers have now opened a new Launchpad section for innovative new products in Hall C.

Sonja Bjornsen, Country Manager for Bugaboo commented: "We are looking forward to supporting something new to the UK trade industry and we are especially excited to unveil our new training program in connection with our innovative all-in-one-and-only campaign in an interactive stand that’s not to be missed!” 

The Little Green Sheep is proud to announce that internationally recognised sleep expert, Chireal Shallow, has officially endorsed its entire organic product range!

Spanish company Bedding Industrial Begudà (B.I.B) has hired top parenting PR & Communications Agency PJP, to handle UK PR for a launch of B.sensible, a new innovative range of bedding for babies and children with sizes from Moses Baskets upwards.

bumpPR is the newest PR consultancy to hit the parenting sector and the fresh thinking agency, which specialises in the all things babies, parenting and health, is already making quite an impression. 

Maclaren has signed up to join the Baby Show for Trade, joining the 114 brands already contracted to exhibit, most recently Cheeky Rascals and Vital Innovations.

After only 6 months in the Bath Toy market, VTech has the number 2 item in the category for June 2010 (NPD Group 2010) with the popular Sing and Splash Fish.  

The i’coo Pluto 10 incorporates mobility and individual style, utilising high quality materials and stand alone colours. The Bizziebaby tester panel reviewed it over a 4 week period.  It was put through its paces, taken out in all weathers and they ensured every aspect of this innovative stroller was tested thoroughly. 

Andrew Lambeth and Chris Armstrong from Team Out'n'About will be taking part in the Twentyfour12 mountain bike endurance race on 24th/25th July 2010. They will be raising money in the name of Medecins Sans Frontieres, and Riverbank Children's Ward at Bedford Hospital.

Summer Infant is the latest major brand to announce that they will be exhibiting at Harrogate’s Autumn event, which is gearing up to be the show of the season!

Britax is always striving to offer maximum protection for children as they develop, and with recent research revealing that 1 out of 4 car accidents are side collisions, which account for 20% of all child car crash fatalities it has decided to discontinue its booster cushion - the Britax HORIZON – in August. Whilst booster cushions are better than no child car seat, they offer no side impact protection.

There are now 94 brands contracted to exhibit. Commenting on his decision, Chris Armstrong, UK Sales Manager for Out ‘n About said: "The Out'n'About team is looking forward to working with Clarion on The Baby Show for Trade and it's great to be returning to Olympia. Having personally worked with Clarion on The Baby Shows for the general public, I am only too aware that these guys can put on a really great show and, more importantly, get people through the door! We will be using the exhibition to showcase the Phil&Ted’s and Mountain Buggy brands and, if you're lucky, this may include a few little surprises!"

Harrogate’s infamous party is set to continue this Autumn... and the drinks are on us!  It’s a great chance to network with leading industry figures in a lively and informal setting. 

Said TIPS: "The design of this bath is quite different from others on the market. Designed and made in Denmark by A Real Cool World®, the Flexibath™ has an ingenious folding mechanism, which makes it ideal for people who don’t have a lot of space. It is particularly useful for trips away as it folds flat with a clever locking device. The Flexibath™ is light but strong with smooth edges. It comes in six colours to suit every taste. It is made from safe plastic that is free from phthalates and heavy metals. The manufacturer’s advise that the bath is for babies from 0 to 4 years of age, but some of our  Testers felt it was best suited to infants over six months. This is because from that age, they can sit without being supported and really enjoy using all the space in the Flexibath™ for toys. This helps make bath time even more fun."

The Eurotest, which is carried out by Stiftung Warentest, ADAC and ÖAMTC, is the most important annual assessment for the safety and quality of child car seats. In the test results published last Thursday, the CONCORD TRANSFORMER T was the overall winner in its group, which included a total of 18 child car seats. It was given an overall mark of 1.8 (Good), which was the best overall test result achieved in the car seat group ll/lll.

Just a quick reminder that time is slipping by for you to confirm your attendance at both the NEW Autumn Nursery Fair in OCTOBER, and also to retain your stand space for next years’ Spring Nursery Fair in MARCH 2011.

The essential new My Carry Potty has appointed parenting and social media specialists as Clear as PR to undertake a targeted consumer PR campaign that will bring increased awareness of toilet training and brand awareness of My Carry Potty.

Over 30 BPA members have joined the UK Pavilion this year making it a key attraction for international retailers at Kind + Jugend. 

Theraline, Europe’s established manufacturer of mother and baby comfort brands has appointed leading PR Company, PJP PR & Communications to work alongside them to strengthen their UK message.

Clarion has announced that over 80 brands have now confirmed and contracted with the Baby Show for Trade, with more in the pipeline.

Heidi Brown from Hemel Hempstead has been appointed as Sales Manager for the ethical baby company, Close Parent.

Jackson Reece based in Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland has won a Gold accolade, awarded by the UK’s leading parenting magazine Mother & Baby.  Their Kinder by Nature soothing herbal wipes were voted 2009/10 Best Baby Wipe at a recent awards ceremony held at the Park Lane Hilton, London. Readers of the publication reported that they ‘loved the texture, scent and quality of these environmentally friendly wipes and felt they were excellent value for money.’ 

FQ magazine, ‘the essential dad’s mag’ has launched itself into the digital era with the FQ eZINE! This easy to use interactive online magazine will now not only feature the same great articles as the printed copy but also offers super fast loading video, animated graphics to enrich the already great FQ reading experience!

ACTOR Jason Durr and HIS WIFE, TV presenter KATE CHARMAN were blessed with twins last summer. Here Jason juggles with the twins, Felix and Velvet in a pair of Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix car seats while enjoying the sunshine.

The National Literacy Trust’s Talk To Your Baby conference will help early years professionals prepare for the coming National Year of Speaking and Listening by exploring best practice, sharing radical new research and highlighting key areas of importance to the sector.

BabaSlings Ltd, manufacturer of the fashionable baby carrier the BabaSling™, has announced the appointment of John Donovan as UK Sales Director.

News reports are currently quoting that a recall of baby clothes at ASDA were supplied by Baby Basics. Baby Basics (UK) Ltd, T/A Baby Brands Direct would like to re-assure all customers that this is a different company to them and has no connection at all with the company who has supplied the substandard merchandise to Asda.

Taga is excited to announce that its innovative Taga stroller bike has been chosen to receive the Silver Award from the leading Bizziebaby parenting website. The panel of three young mums reviewed the Taga stroller/bike over an extended 3 month period and quickly discovered that they loved the product and the practicality and freedom it offered them as a family.

The Cybex Aton from Mamas & Papas has been voted ‘Best Value Group 0+ car seat’ in the May issue of Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine. Described within the magazine as ‘a well-designed seat that’s sturdy and well padded, yet still very portable,’ the ultra lightweight infant carrier was awarded full marks for ‘ease of use’ and ‘comfort’.

Following the successful opening of House of Baby’s Bedford superstore in April, the baby product specialist has now launched its online emporium. Stocking the latest nursery equipment from leading brands including Bloom, Boori, Bugaboo, Maxi-Cosi, Phil & Teds, Quinny, Silver Cross and Stokke, customers will find a wide range of choices to suit both their lifestyles and budgets – all available at the click of a mouse. House of Baby is also one of the few independent retailers to be selected by Mamas & Papas to stock the über-cool Mylo pushchair and also the Morph baby carrier which ensures a perfect fit for both parent and child.

60 mothers (children, a couple of dads and some grandparents!) marched up Whitehall today to deliver their message-in a bottle directly to the Government - in a bid to put mothers’ and their families’ needs on the political agenda and in light of recent news, their timing could not be better.

Claire Mitchell won the National Women on Their Way Outstanding New Product Award at the awards ceremony at Aston Villa Football Club on Friday 19^th March 2010 for her product Chillipeeps, which was the winner of the BPA Concept and Innovation Awards in 2009.

Baby healthcare brand JOHNSON’S® Baby, is launching its first ever digital out of home campaign on Baby TV, the screen network located in antenatal clinics across the UK.  The brand building activity started on 1^st April and will run on the Baby TV network for 10 months and reach over 63% of all pregnant women.

The leading nursery brands in the UK have committed to support their industry and exhibit at the new Autumn Harrogate Nursery Fair in conjunction with your Baby Products Association.  

Hippychick celebrated its 10th birthday year with the introduction of three exciting new ranges at Harrogate. Moover toys, a luxury brand of Danish designed mobile wooden toys was there to make its debut. So too was the Wilkinet baby carrier, which will be distributed exclusively by Hippychick this Spring. My Buggy Buddy Clip and My Buggy Buddy Lock were also unveiled as two new 'must have' pram accessories. No surprise then that the Hippychick stand was busy throughout the event, with Kate Hutchings reporting a 'brilliant show' well attended by buyers.

easidream is delighted to announce that its innovative baby sleep products will shortly appear on the JoJo Maman Bebe website.

Baby Brands Direct is always trying to offer its loyal customers the best prices. As an extra incentive they have now launched a new voucher code system to offer customers an extra incentive to buy on-line.

Kindle Entertainment, the BAFTA nominated and award-winning independent production company, has announced two new license deals for top rated CBeebies pre-school show, Big and Small.  Character sticker packs by Paper Projects and celebration cakes from Elisabeth the Chef are key expansions for the long-term Big and Small licensing programme. 

Harrogate Nursery Fair 2010 is only just over one week away and with over 200 companies to see and with Hall D added to accommodate the increase in the number of exhibitors, it is a must for every retailer to visit; it is also very important that you leave enough time to see the whole show as there are now seven Halls to visit.

Leading business women from across the UK, including secret millionaire Hilary Devey, have been short-listed for the It’s a Woman’s World Gala Evening which takes place on Friday 11^th June at The ICC in Birmingham.

Kiddy, the manufacturer of innovative, top quality car seats has brought itself right up to date with a new global brand identity which reflects the company’s strong sense of innovation and modernity.

Baby Brands Direct is always striving to stay ahead of the competition by offering its customers the best service possible, and to achieve this it has added a selection of product demonstrations and video music clips to its website.

GMTV is pleased to announce the renewal of Chicco’s sponsorship of pre-school brand The Fluffy Club and sponsorship of the station’s mother and baby series, The Baby Breakfast Club.

Dorel is voluntarily recalling all Maxi-Cosi FAMILYFIX bases sold before 4 March 2010.

Business Recovery Experts, Bridge Business Recovery LLP, have successfully brokered a deal for a consortium of high profile business experts to buy nursery brand retailer Two Left Feet out of administration.

The Harrogate Nursery Fair has expanded this year. 2010 now offers a total of six halls with the opening of Hall D. Taking place from Sunday 28th to Tuesday 30th March at Harrogate International Centre, in the beautiful environs of a town rooted in Victorian heritage; the Fair offers a lively mix of business and pleasure.

Harrogate is situated in the North of England, West of the City of York. It is easily reachable from within the UK and from abroad.

Discussing ‘Music and Cognitive Development’ online resource KidsDevelopment highlights a recent Canadian study which compared a group of children aged four to six who took lessons against children of the same age who did not. The findings clearly indicate that the student who took the lessons scored higher in general intelligence tests, literacy and maths ability and also performed better on simple memory tasks.

Since its launch only four weeks ago, over 30 brands have committed to the Baby Show for Trade including Silver Cross, Bambino Mio, Tutti Bambini, One Life, Funky Feet Fashions, Koochu, Lollipop, Griptight, Babyboomboom, Babyface, Nuvo, Ritmo, Konfidence, Buggysnuggle, Aquasolari, Nappy Wardrobe, Cheeky Wipes, Gifted by Nature and Angels First Aid. Many more are on reserve and will be announced shortly.

KJG Ltd has announced that top licensee Shreds has signed a deal to produce a variety of products featuring Pip, the cute cat from Henries-finalist Over the Moon.

The social networking revolution has empowered the consumer like never before. In the nursery sector, customers spend time researching products, reading customer reviews and participating in blogs to see what other parents think before they even leave the house. Communicating with your customer with the right message at the right time, through a channel that is relevant to them, is Key to ensuring continued and improving custom. Whether it be regular email blasts sent out to your (up to date) customer database, more targeted emails with product news linked to baby’s age and stage of development or advertising to your target group on social networking sites such as Facebook and the local consumer press – you must remain visible to be successful.

The Baby Products Association has opened its 2010 Concept & Innovation award programme that encourages product innovation within the nursery sector.  For the finalists over the past seven years, it has proven to be a key channel for promoting and even launching their new products.  

Baba Me Ltd, European distributors of the multi-award winning bumGenius nappy range, have launched a ground breaking campaign to give away up to 90,000 bumGenius All In One Extra Small nappies!

Clarion has announced that the link for buyers to register their interest in visiting the Baby Show for Trade is now live. 

The organisers of the Practical Pre-school and 5-7 Awards are urging companies to get their entries in before Friday 14^th May (tomorrow) as this year’s deadline is fast approaching!

Now in its second year, the ToyTalk Awards are open for entry.  The awards are run completly online, from the entry of products right up to a live online awards ceremony later in the year.

A new arrival represents the ultimate gift buying event and it doesn't stop there. Parents, relatives and friends will visit your store to make purchases before baby is born and on numerous occasions afterwards. Be it a baby shower, new baby, christening, birthday or christmas gift event, there will be plenty of reasons for your customers to go shopping in the months and years ahead. It is vital, therefore, that you have a range of gifts and 'useful purchases' available that make parent's lives easier and help with the rising cost of parenthood.

The Baby Products Association is pleased to announce the launch of its new-look website: www.thebpa.eu

The site has been redesigned as a key resource for the industry, a one-stop-shop for all of your needs.  It will be regularly updated with the latest industry news including breaking news from the BPA and its members.

Clarion Events, organisers of the newly launched Baby Show for Trade at London Olympia (10-12 October 2010), are delighted to announce key media partnerships to support the event.

Harrogate Nursery Fair and the Baby Products Association are launching a new joint trade show on the 19^th & 20^th October 2010.  The flagship event will be held at the industry’s favourite destination venue, Harrogate International Centre.   

The kiddy infinity pro has been voted Best Value Group 1 car seat in the May issue of Prima Baby magazine. The design, which has already picked up two awards from Which? magazine for coming top in its class continues to go from strength to strength.

Supervised water play plays a vital role in baby's development both in and outdoors.“Letting your baby play with water encourages development of the senses and opportunities for exploration, discovering new concepts and learning new vocabulary,” reveals advice forum Babyzone. Baby's first opportunity to play in water normally takes place at bath time and there are a variety of products available to make it more enjoyable...

Treasure Trove Nursery division is pleased to announcement that Paul Devlin will be responsible for BRIO Nursery products from Treasure Trove Nursery Division with immediate effect across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

How long have you been established and how has the industry changed in that time?

Baby UK has been established just over 2 years now; we were previously known as 4 Littleuns & Baby, until we acquired the name Baby UK Ltd in June 2009.  We moved location into a large and busy national retail park, trading alongside the likes of M&S, Tesco, Vodaphone, Mothercare, Game and O2.  In the short time we have been in the industry we have already seen a big change towards customers being happy to buy from the internet to save a few pounds. 

BabaSlings' real focus for this year is to work with retailers and provide them with as much support as possible to help drive sales.

Cheeky Rascals is pleased to announce that it has been awarded exclusive distribution in the UK and Ireland for My Carry Potty from March 2010. 

My Carry Potty is the perfect solution to today’s busy lifestyle - it’s lightweight, leak-proof and completely bag-free. Easy to use wherever you go, it has been designed with a lid that provides a completely watertight seal. It’s ideal for shopping trips or long car journeys, when there is nowhere suitable to dispose of the contents!