If you're exhibiting at Harrogate this year, and the figures show that being a resilient sort of industry, the halls are full again, you're no doubt feeling rushed off your feet. It's bad enough most years, but in 2009 it's even more important that good manufacturers sell their socks off with brilliant displays, exotic offerings and an irresistible patter that makes retailers want to spend more time with them.

The world's leading construction toy brand has secured the rights to develop toy lines based on three Disney properties for 2010 The LEGO Group and Disney Consumer Products has just brokered a multi-year licensing agreement that gives the construction toy brand access to an extensive portfolio of renowned Disney and Disney•Pixar properties. LEGO® and LEGO DUPLO® products are currently in development for three franchises - Disney•Pixar's Toy Story and Cars, and Prince of Persia, all of which are scheduled to launch in 2010.

Soundari the Amur Tiger, one of Longleat Safari Park's most famous residents, took a liking to a distinctly similar new occupant today.At a trial event ahead of the park's opening on Valentine's Day, the three year old big cat displayed rather amorous intentions to ‘Tipu', the latest ride-on kids' suitcase Trunki, one of the most popular Dragon's Den rejects.

The sticker company, FunToSee, is thrilled that Funberry Farm, its latest Room Make-Over design finished runner-up in this year's ‘Best Home Product' in the Spring Fair Awards. Finishing second with their farmyard themed sticker kit confirms that they are the stickers of choice for childrens' bedrooms.

Online voting is now open for a national award scheme that celebrates the best activities for young children in the UK. The 2009 What's On 4 Little Ones Awards which has been sponsored by Organix Savoury Pots for Babies on the Move, are now in their third year.

Hippychick is about to supply the children's charity Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence or ERIC, with its Mattress Protector range. The charity has given the products their coveted seal of approval.

2009 is the 40th birthday year of the famous Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle's classic storybook was first published in 1969 charming children and parents worldwide. Licensed gift company Rainbow Designs is launching a collection of new gifts featuring the distinctive characters from Carle's timeless tale. The colourful new arrivals include a selection of Plush, Hand Puppets, a Developmental Lion and Elephant and wooden gifts set coming out later in the year.

Graco has entered a new area of baby products in 2009 and launches a new Baby Essentials range at Harrogate. This includes a sophisticated Prenatal Heart Listener for use from 26 weeks, a NasalClear aspirator, a One-Second Ear Thermometer and a Digital Baby Scale. Visit Graco on stand Q60 or for further information visit www.graco.co.uk or call 0844 412 1205.

Children just want to get outside and play especially with the famous first car, the Cozy Coupe, rrp £49.99. This well-known play icon is celebrating its 30th birthday this year and remains a great seller in spring.For indoor use the new Giddy Up Pony offer hours of fun and is still solely powered by feet! Retails at £149.99

If your customers want to make the most of their babies' fast developing minds, take a look at babyboomboom's multi-lingual CDs and toys.

Ethical children's soft furnishings company Olli & Lime has just expanded its range of bedding to include a baby range of ‘bib and burp' set, baby sleeping bags, blankets and changing mats.Designed to appeal to style-conscious parents who want practical yet stylish organic day-to-day essentials for their children, the new products compliment the ‘george, billie and egg' soft furnishings range. The ‘bib and burp' set and changing mats rrp is £15, baby blanket £30 (70 x 90cm) and baby sleeping bags retail £35 (suitable for babies 0-6 months). For further information call Olli & Lime on 0844 561 6781 or e-mail orders@olliandlime.com

A new approach to online shopping is about to be launched called Fudoso, where the shopping experience is made as close to real-life as possible. In a hybrid supermarket and shopping mall setting browsers will be able to ‘pop in' to virtual stores.

Medela producer of technologically advanced breast pumps, and BabaSlings Ltd have teamed up with Babybase, wholesaler of baby products to the independent nursery trade, to help bolster their position within the nursery sector.

(American Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal played VIP at Central Park Zoo in New York recently, when she unveiled the new Fisher-Price Precious Planet collection. Gyllenhaal also announced the company's $250,000 donation to the Wildlife Conservation Society, dedicated to helping animals from across the world.

At Babytec we specialise in producing those ingenious devices that make everyday life more comfortable for babies, toddlers and parents alike.

This month sees, the Baby Products Association, launch its 2009 award programme encouraging product innovation within the nursery sector.As the trade association representing the nursery industry, the BPA actively promotes new product development through their BPA Concept & Innovation award programme.For the finalists, it has proven to be a remarkable channel for promoting and even launching their new products.

Say No to Second Hand Child Seats

One of our objectives at the BPA is to highlight issues that not only affect the whole industry but are vitally important to the consumer too. Our ongoing campaign highlighting the dangers of second hand child seats has always been important to us, but now with the increased pressure consumer spending we have major concerns that the incidence and therefore the dangers will increase.

A small number of retailers are doing better that they have for a while, showing where the public is putting its money. There are also plans for new shopping developments in the pipeline and recent figures show a drop in inflation. Business consultant Graham Hoyle searches out the few positive points for retailers right now...

The news is so doom-and-gloom-laden these days that even the most dedicated media junkies seem to be losing heart.  But is it as bad as it seems?  Do those of us in the nursery industry need to join in the national orgy of misery or do we work in a sector that's naturally recession-proof?

Emma Wimhurst of EMpwr is a business success. Her company, Diva Cosmetics, achieved near £3m turnover, with fantastic profit margins, in its fourth year of trading. At that stage she decided to sell it and concentrate on motherhood. Now, three children and a happy work-life balance later, she is on a crusade to motivate other business people to achieve success. Here she explains how to take your nursery-based business to the next level.

The speed of change in Employment Law is bewildering for many employers. Just when you think you are on top of things, the goalposts move. And when margins are slim, mistakes are not affordable. In case you do not have an HR department but rather rely on a good PA to cover this important area, Michael Morse considers key developments in the course of 2008 that she or he needs to be aware of.

Tracy Townend and Jo Stone met at antenatal classes and became friends. They regularly took their children swimming but disappointingly couldn't find any local baby-focussed lessons. After intensive research and training of the unique methods based on the findings of Francoise Freedman, which encourages total submersion of babies during swimming, they launched Puddle Ducks in 2001.

Babybase Wholesale has been looking after retailers big and small since 1998 and from the way the business has grown, it is obvious that they are doing something right. Originally Babybase opened 21 years ago as a retailer and it is in this role that Kate Shrubb learned all about the nursery trade. The retail shop finally closed in September 2007 but the product knowledge and customer awareness that it bred are still with the company. "We are always happy to give advice and help to our customers" says Kate. "We know a lot about the products we sell".

Lots to see this year on the Babystyle stand so give yourself plenty of time. The New PRESTIGE range is available in a wide range of colours with coordinating car seats and a choice of modern swivel wheel or traditional sprung chassis.

Azaria, the baby and parenting specialist PR Agency, has been busy getting their clients' products and services tested by their regular focus groups made up of mums and children. The focus groups are now firmly established in the company offering - and are free to all Azaria clients.

HABA knows how to make a good toy and recognises that a busy baby makes for happy parents. This concept is applied to all that HABA creates and is evident throughout the collection available at Harrogate.

Many parents know how disruptive travelling can be to a baby's sleep routine and are all too familiar with the way a sun-filled hotel room can trigger a 5am wake-up call! Such weary parents will welcome the launch of the innovative Content&Calm Cot Canopy. This unique product is specifically designed to help parents maintain their baby's routine by creating a darkened environment in which baby can sleep peacefully - wherever they are in the world and whatever accommodation they find themselves in.

Many families will opt to holiday in the UK this summer and support many struggling local economies. The benefits of staying at home for a family with a baby or young children are not only in their pocket, but also in their frame of mind, since in the UK, baby products and services are never far away. So where should they go? Our hard-pressed coastal towns suffer terribly in the winter months so visiting these resorts is a positive step to helping them bloom in summer.

For parents of young children who are heading for the sun, this year's essential piece of holiday kit has to be the OUTLOOK® shadea- babe^TM. Available in a stunning range of coloured sun visors to complement this season's most exciting pushchair fabrics, the latest model also features a handy central panel that unzips for quick and easy access to the child. A must-stock item for every nursery retailer, the shade-a-babe offers unbeatable (SPF 50+), hassle-free sun protection. Its unique, patented 3 layered mesh design blocks up to 99% of harmful UV rays, reduces glare, acts as a windshield, and keeps irritating insects at bay, whilst giving great visibility and ventilation.

An award winning toothbrush holder and bristle guard, Flipper is the latest oral care product designed especially to get preschoolers to brush their teeth.

Traveling and visiting friends and family with your baby is made easy with the award winning Tri-cotti^TM cotton sling. It is one of the many Fair Trade & 100% organic cotton slings that babyhut distributes in the UK.

Magmatic Design - those clever people behind the award winning Trunki suitcases - launch a smart new travel buddy this month. Yondi is the ultimate travel cushion for safe and comfortable child dozing. The iconic shape keeps little heads and necks fully supported, whilst clever neck hugging paws connect underneath the chin via secret magnets for a secure neck rest. A ‘big' kid Yondi even has space for an iPod - perfect for long flights or car journeys. Yondi comes in a variety of sizes and colours and is CE marked with the EN71 safety certificate. RRP from £11.99.

Whether its outdoor functionality pushchair's or travel system compatibility, Britax's range of pushchairs and travel systems allows for extensive versatility and lifestyle flexibility.

New European research has just been published that shows babies are able to detect a beat in music at just two or three days old. Researchers at the Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation of the University of Amsterdam term the phenomenon ‘beat induction' and believe it may well contribute to the origin of music.

Making a noise can often be a baby's favourite pastime, but with the new musical toys by Branching Out from John Crane Ltd, the melodies will be music to their ears.

babyboomboom® multi-lingual musical products familiarise little ones with the sounds of other languages. The CDs contain original recordings of wellknown songs and nursery rhymes played first in English, with each verse repeated in the second language - available in French, Spanish, German, Italian and Polish. CDs are also available in a band-bag containing four musical instruments. Poster and discount are vouchers available for nurseries and preschools.

Vital to baby's early development, music is an important feature in the popular Playgro^TM range of developmental nursery toys. Music encourages listening skills, stimulates imagination, improves coordination and enhances general well-being.

Encouraging little ones to discover their mobility and explore their senses, the award winning range from Yes! SuperBaby is packed with a multitude of auditory, tactile and visual activities for a baby to explore.

Taf Toys strongly believe in the positive contributing factor that music has on a baby's development. Music is commonly recognized as an ideal tool to sooth, entertain and even stimulate baby's imagination. This is why Taf have created such a wide variety of toys that incorporate diverse melodic styles such as classical, jazz, rock, country and more which have been edited or composed by their very own musicians.

Health Editor Sarah Stacey has twice featured Baby Cello in The Mail on Sunday, YOU Magazine: "What do you think it's worth to weary mums to have something non-invasive to soothe fractious babies into sleep? Since I wrote about Baby Cello last December, conductor Geoffrey Simon has been inundated with calls from grateful parents-and even one great-granny-testifying to its effectiveness. The warm, deep sound of the cellos works for grown-ups, too: I float off almost immediately."

Jo Jingles is the UK's leading provider of fun music, singing and movement classes for babies and young children. They have recently launched a new range of lively musical products including a fun and interactive musical DVD and 2 themed CDs to enable children to get musical in the home or nursery.

Making music is one way to get creative! The Marbel Range of products offers children of different ages to get their hands on a variety of instruments. Starting with the toddlers, the Melody Mix leads the way in musical fun and learning, with many instruments to pick up and play with, the child will certainly have fun while making music!

Although swimming now features on the school National Curriculum in Year 5, so every child in a state school has the opportunity to have a swimming lesson once a week for 6 weeks when they are rising 10, when it comes to water - the sooner the better.

The fabulous Splash About swimwear range launches in 2009 with exciting tropical colours! Splash About's best-selling products are specially designed to enhance childrens' comfort and security in water. Featuring the leak-resistant nappy insisted upon by UK baby swim schools. The Happy Nappy is made from soft, supple neoprene and has unique snug-fitting ribbing for ultimate performance and containment. The protected design requires no poppers, ties or Velcro^TM and is soft and comfortable against delicate skin.

The exceptional selection of K's Kids bath toys features six fun, educational and developmental toys. The Hungry Pelican in Bath provides great training for babies fine motor skills. The fun pelican is getting hungry, press the handle to flap the pelicans wings and open its mouth to eat its dinner. Mimi Loves Fish is a cheeky cat who just loves to catch fish. Great for developing hand-eye co-ordination the idea of the game is to collect the brightly coloured fish in Mimi' net.

Water has the ability to calm and soothe even the most fractious baby and is a constant source of fascination and delight as children develop and grow. Water play presents great opportunities to learn and discover and is a wonderful time to interact and have fun with a baby or young child.

Alpha Egg Baby offers a sleek and functional range of bath time and toilet training products. The brand was started from a desire to create a range of products that would look stylish and be functional in a modern home. The beautifully moulded contemporary Bath has been ergonomically designed to make a baby feel safe and secure, and ensure that every bath time is a pleasure. The shape is rounded to make it comfortable to hold and support baby while the bath tray and easy draining plug make it practical and easy to use.

The most inspirational CONCORD Collection ever will be shown at this year's Harrogate Baby & Child Fair.

The 40th Harrogate Nursery Fair is nearly here and despite the current economic climate, there are a record number of over 160 exhibitors booked for the 2009 exhibition. To make your entry easier, it pays to pre-register online by visiting www.nurseryfair.co.uk

On show at Harrogate will be Chicco's 2009 collection, featuring the new Polly Magic highchair. Suitable from birth to 3yrs of age, it adapts easily as the child grows. From birth it's the perfect newborn chair, with entertaining toy bar and the height adjustments mean baby can be at the correct height for mum whenever and wherever. From 6 months it becomes a high quality highchair for weaning, and then to an adjustable chair for eating at the table with the rest of the family.  On show will also be the other great new 2009 products; full of innovative features and contemporary styling, you can't afford to miss!

Companies are still seeking fresh consumer PR assistance despite the imminent recession reports leading parenting PR consultants PJP. They have recently been appointed to launch two sophisticated brands, Cantaloop^TM a new Scandinavian collection of maternity lingerie and DwellStudio a coveted New York brand. Both are exhibiting at Harrogate.  

Cushi Tush® introduce the Cushi Therm bottle insulator, an extension to the popular Cushi Tush^TM product range. It is lightweight and durable, making it ideal for mums on the move.

Ranked amongst The Independent's Top 50 Must Have Children's Items, Skibz's funky dribble bibs are big favourites with babies and toddlers.  A survey of retailers indicates Skibz are outselling dribble bibs by four to one, as trends steer away from plain bibs in favour of designer items that accessorise a child's outfit.  Skibz are highly absorbent and fit snugly under the child's chin, drawing moisture away from the skin to eliminate soreness and chaffing. With its wide range of funky designs, it's no wonder Skibz are both a practical choice and the current trend-setter for dribbly babies.

After a great year in 2008 Infantino are excited to be back at Harrogate to continue building the UK business in 2009. New items launching this year include the great new TripleComfortRider 3-position carrier with memory foam cushioning, breathemesh fabric and adjustable lumbar support for the ultimate in comfort, style and versatility. Also on show will be a host of fantastic new infant toys from teethers and rattles, to shape sorters and new activity plush characters. With so many great new products on show, be sure to visit Infantino's stand.

The innovative Bump Belt (RP £19.99) and Carramio Baby Carrier (RP £24.99) are excellent examples of how Clippasafe has used its 50 years of industry know-how to create products that combine both outstanding comfort and safety for young children and mums-to-be.  

Kurvi - with one eye on fashion and the other on making life easier for new parents, Kurvi folds effortlessly from pram, into rear-facing stroller, into forward-facing stroller, and back again...

Dorel's stand is a 'must visit' at this year's show, with a new brand and exciting new products launching.

Don't miss first time exhibitors Dr Brown's Natural Flow Feeding System brought to you by CMS.  Regularly featured in the consumer press, the award winning Dr Brown's Natural Flow Feeding System is a fully vented vacuum free feeding bottle, that's widely recognised as the most effective way of preventing colic symptoms caused by regular bottles and teats.

Azaria, the leading baby and parenting PR Agency, is always on hand to support their clients at trade shows. Amber Steventon, Managing Director of Azaria, says: "History shows that in times of recession there is often a baby boom, so now is the time to be showcasing products to capitalise on future sales!" Harrogate always proves itself to be a key show in the baby and parenting calendar." Amber and her team will be available at the show on 24th March.

Its show time!  Retailers are encouraged to get into the ‘sling' of it with BabaSlings at the Harrogate Nursery Fair.

Ten new building blocks will tower above most toys at the Harrogate Nursery Show as John Crane Ltd introduces Stack Up from Branching Out!

The Content&Calm Cot Canopy is a lightweight portable canopy that fits over standard cots and travel cots to provide a darkened environment that helps a baby to sleep well, even when the lights are on, or the sun is shining. It gives parents peace of mind that their baby's sleep routine can be maintained wherever they are.  Perfect for weekends away, room-sharing at home or away, at the child minder's and of course on holiday... 

Buggysnuggle was started in 1998 by Jo Ellis and Sarah Wickins, when as proud new mums they realised there was absolutely nothing cosy, stylish and fun on the market to keep their babies warm whilst out and about in their buggies.The Buggysnuggle comes in many colour ways and fabrics to suit all tastes, budgets and buggies. All are machine washable, easy to use and long lasting.

Cuddledry, creators of the original organic baby apron bath towel - as seen on BBC TV - return to Harrogate with exciting new additions to their award-winning range.  The Cuddledry brand is all about making bathtimes with babies and toddlers easy and natural for new parents, so each new product focusses on this.

After three years of successfully distributing the Dreambaby range of Home Safety Products, Emmay are pleased to announce the launch of their own Home Safety & Child Care ranges under the Emmay Care brand. The launch was prompted by their own existing success in the market yet tempered with a disappointment in the category environment overall. Suzanne Hall, Managing Director of Emmay Ltd said, "This represents a significant investment in the home safety category by Emmay and will provide the consumer with highest quality safety product, both competitively priced and carefully considered in retail appearance, meeting the needs of all parents who are naturally concerned that the home is a potentially dangerous place for children under five." A young mum herself, Suzanne has a passionate interest in making the home as safe as possible for little people.

Travel Cots are an integral part of parents lives. With busy lifestyles, and the demands on portable items, Hauck have realised the vital importance of delivering a versatile and comprehensive Travel Cot range.

Hippychick will be once again exhibiting at the Harrogate Nursery Fair. 

Brand new this year is the contemporary and stylish new range of Hippychick Waterproofs.  Coming in 4 styles, in sizes spanning from 12 months to 10 years, they are tough and hardwearing for boys, pretty and practical for girls.

Jellybean, niche distributors to the baby and toddler sector has a large range of new and funky products that will be unveiled for the first time at Harrogate.  They have been proactively sourcing the very best products from around the world for distribution throughout the UK and Europe and know instinctively what young, trendy parents are looking for.

A couple of years later, however, and Tippitoes is a wholly different proposition.  The Company's range is far too extensive to list.  The growth of the number of products on offer and the increase in the routes to market continues unabated, all the more impressive because there has been no sacrifice of standards along the way.  Manufacturing quality remains to the forefront whilst equally the Company refuses to compromise its core philosophy of combining optimum service to the retailer with maximum value for the consumer.

The brand of ‘kiddy' is well-known in Germany, being a well respected family owned business for over forty years. Kiddy's seats are simply different and they believe better than the rest, because the design team has a refreshingly innovative way at looking at what's really required when children travel in cars.

The ‘comfort pro car seat by kiddy' was voted Top in its Class by the leading German consumer panel ‘Stiftung Warentest' in summer 08. Its unique adjustment mechanism allows it to ‘grow with the child', so it lasts from 9 months to around 11 years. Plus its unique ‘impact shield', helps reduce the risk of neck injuries. RRP from £175.

The infinity pro car seat by kiddy, is a superbly designed child seat that has won many industry awards. At the beginning of this year it achieved the highest score possible for two test criteria in Which magazine, gaining 100% for both ‘side impact protection' and ‘avoiding incorrect use', in a test of 54  international models. It is suitable for babies and toddlers weighing approximately 9kg to18kg and can be fully adjusted with one hand to ensure a correct fit. Rrp from £130.

Bottle Buddy is a unique baby formula dispensing product which accurately counts a predetermined amount of powdered baby formula into a bottle - invented by a parent to make parent's lives easier.

breastfeedingpouch is an innovative multifunctional product that has been designed and invented by a mother to enable mothers to breast-feed their babies discreetly and comfortably in public.

From Harrogate onwards Kim's are proud to announce that we will be changing our trading name to Obaby.  To avoid confusion and further promote what is becoming a leading brand within the nursery industry we have decided upon this inevitable change.

Gro-group has grown up fast! The success of Grobag and our other innovative products has led to rapid expansion of our company... and a new name! We have been christened The Gro Company - ‘The little big ideas company'. The Gro Company will be the umbrella brand but the original premier safe sleep brand will remain as Grobag. 

Grobag has added two fabulously fresh new designs to its award-winning Grobag Baby Sleep Bag range for spring/summer 2009, so babies will look cute as well as being tucked up safe and sound all night.

The Cheeky Rascals stand is a must-stop for anyone visiting the show. With loads of new products to launch and brand new collections from the existing favourites, you'll be as excited as we are.

Catch up with Rochingham at the Harrogate Nursery Fair. After all, they are the UK's leading baby and child mattress manufacturer, and have been developing safe and snug mattresses for years.  Every Rochingham product guarantees a cosy natural sleeping environment, so parents too can rest assured that Rochingham offer only the best, safest and most innovative mattresses on the market. And for retailers, there's an all-new marketing support package running alongside each product, attractive point of sale material, and even more products to choose from, including the latest collection, ‘My First Little Bed'. 

Dandelion is pleased to announce that in January 2009 they became partners with Caroline Jane International Ltd.

VTech, a world leader of age-appropriate learning toys, will be exhibiting for the first time at the Harrogate Nursery Fair this year and will be using the show to launch VTech Nursery - a brand new range of VTech products dedicated to parents of newborns at stand number: Q50.

Alongside an already extensive range of 3-in-1 pushchairs, tandems and car seat products, Jané has extended its family and introduced a Solo Reversible Pushchair a city 4-wheeler with a fully removable and reversible seat unit, weighing just 8.5kg with the flexibility of forward or rear facing seat modes. Other choices new to the Jané range are the EXO car seat, Strata platform base and the new Montecarlo car seat Group (2-3).

2009 sees the launch of Britax's new range of AA approved car seats. The new range, currently available exclusively at Mothercare until July, has been developed in association with the UK's biggest breakdown provider following research that found that two thirds of child car seats are not fitted correctly and over 83% of drivers are not aware of UK car seat legislation.

Celebrating nearly 50 years in business, G and J offer independent retailers in the UK unrivalled choice and quality.  The introduction of our website www.gandjcashandcarry.co.uk was a milestone.  It had to be more than just a few images -   an entire product range with large, clear images giving confidence when purchasing.  Knowledgeable and experienced staff are available at the end of the line who can offer friendly advice and build customer rapport.  With 35 years experience in the nursery trade Kate Fane, MD, continued: "The growth of our business year on year and the widening of our customer base to Scandinavia and ever increasingly into Europe shows that we are heading in the right direction".

Making its debut at Harrogate is the revolutionary baby sleep aid Easidream®. This totally unique product settles young babies to sleep by recreating the soothing womb experience within the cot itself.

The celebrity favourite - the CONCORD NEO travel system - has been relaunched in a delicious new range of colours - hot Chilli, beautiful Bamboo and perfect Polar.