I found myself wondering this week where the year has gone! Since I began here in March the months have flown by - first stop was the Harrogate show, then the much anticipated Kind + Jugend, and only last month my very first Baby & Child. As sponsors of the Launchpad I naturally felt very supportive toward Baby & Child and so I was delighted when the doors opened Sunday morning and the hall soon filled with excited visitors, all keen to discover the ‘next big thing'.

As the doors closed on BPA Baby & Child 2009 the general consensus from both exhibitors and visitors was that the move back to London was a good one. BPA Baby & Child offered a huge variety of products which was fantastic for retailers and many of the show's regular exhibitors reported their best show ever. As sponsors of the Launchpad, Nursery Industry talked with a number of new and established companies whose stories we bring you in our show review.

Baby Brands Direct has just announced that it has been given exclusive wholesale distribution rights for the Floppeze Nursing Pillow and the Botty Buddy Change Mat.

Now that K+J and Baby & Child have been and gone, Harrogate is the next major trade show in the exhibition calendar of the Nursery Industry so although March may seem a long way away, preparations are very advanced.

Tigex has won the coveted Kind + Jugend Innovation Award for its new Evolution Baby Bath with Removable Bath Ring in the baby care category. Key features include detachable arms so that it can be safely installed onto an adult bath; two ‘evolution' bathing spaces, each with a comfortable, anti-slip surface (one for newborn to 6 months, the other for older babies); and an innovative detachable bath ring.

Performance Brands is pleased to announce that it will represent the licensing rights of the Build-A-Bear Workshop. The Build-A-Bear Workshop offers the opportunity for children to build themselves a custom-made stuffed animal. The toys are fashioned in workshops and customers can choose from over 30 different animals and a variety of outfits and accessories.

Skibz is celebrating a record year when it comes to coveted industry awards. It won the prestigious Practical Pre-School Gold award 2009 for product innovation in September and in the same month was named as a finalist for the 2009 Practical Parenting awards and awarded Top Gear status by dad's magazine FQ.

Tippitoes is delighted to announce it has been awarded two accolades in the 2009/2010 Practical Parenting Awards. With a high volume of products entered, Tippitoes was up against stiff competition from the cream of the industry and ultimately scooped the top Gold Award in the Cot/Cotbed Category for its Littondale Cot and Silver in the Safety Gate Category for the Swing Shut Safety Gate.

Launched earlier this year, The Wean Machine picked up not one, but two BACRA awards at the BPA awards dinner. The Wean Machine was overall winner in the best Sucking & Feeding category and also won the highly coveted ‘Must Have' award 2009. With two more awards under its belt, The Wean Machine has certainly taken the UK by storm. Selina Russell, owner and director of Cheeky Rascals commented: "This has been our most successful launch ever and we're delighted, but not surprised, with how fast they are selling through stores".

John Crane Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Jonathan Thorpe in the position of Managing Director. He will take overall control of the general running and direction of the business in conjunction with the current management.

Becothings, the company producing ecofriendly alternatives to every-day products, is thrilled to announce the launch of the BECOPOTTY into nationwide John Lewis stores in 2010. The BECOPOTTY is currently stocked in JoJo Maman Bebe stores and other independent retailers.

babyboomboom has scooped another award, winning the 2009 Practical Pre-School Modern Foreign Language Award, for its fun and participative multi-lingual music CDs.

Lorna Smith, creator of Baby Aid, a great new take-anywhere first aid kit for babies and children was very pleased with what the show had to offer. Her product Highly Commended at the Baby & Child Recognition Awards, she said: "I have met buyers and taken some very good orders". A major department store and Independent retailer were at the show and snapped up Lorna's product - another example of what the Launchpad can do for start-up businesses.

The Tripp Trapp® trend collection early in the year saw the colour range of our best selling product grow even further. Now offering twelve contemporary choices - and with that, something to fit seamlessly into any modern or traditional interior.

It all started on a rainy day in January 2009. My partner and I were getting ready to head off to our respective jobs in different companies. We had known for a while that redundancy was on the cards because of the deep recession the world was diving into, but we didn't expect the postman to deliver both of our P45's on the same morning.

The consensus amongst exhibitors was that the timing of the show offered an ideal platform to launch new ranges to the UK market. The resounding opinion of retailers is that the industry needs an autumn show. Overall both exhibitors and visitors agree that the move back to London was a good one - but one that needs to be built upon and adapted to the needs of the visitor.

Making customers WANT to pay

The first step is to ensure customers want to pay within agreed terms. The very best way to achieve early settlement is to make it in their interest to do so.

To get a retailer's perspective, we caught up with Vicky Denby of Mummy and Little Me, which caters for the maternity market.

I think if there is one industry that has changed hugely in the last 30 years, it's the Maternity Industry. Twenty years ago when my elder sister was busy breeding, apparently unless you went down to some very posh expensive shop in London then there really was nothing on offer. However, thanks to a massive demand, fashionable maternity seems to be a must have...hoorah we say and about time too!

Highlighting the need to keep children safe from poisonous substances, Directgov says that every year around 26,000 children under five are taken to hospital with suspected poisoning. Kitchen equipment, cooking and food and drink meanwhile, are responsible for more than half of burns and scalds. Every year over 390,000 children under the age of 15 are taken to hospital with injuries resulting from a fall at home or in the garden. As an industry, we have a responsibility to provide products and advice that help guard against such accidents happening in the first place.

A child's home can be a dangerous place. Unfortunately, as they are there most of the time, it can be a place where accidents happen. There are plenty of things parents can do to make their home safer, but it's essential they have a well stocked first-aid kit to hand.

LCR Hallcrest's successfully launched range of child safety temperature monitors now incorporate the classic Mr Men® characters bringing fun, colour and safety into the home. Seven useful safety products are included in a handy gift pod: Mr Men® Fever Thermometer, Bedroom Thermometer, Mr Tickle® Bath Thermometer, ‘Too Hot' Safety Labels, a Colour Change Baby Feeding Spoon, a Mr Men® Anti-Scald Gauge and Mr Men® Fridge Thermometer.

Safety is paramount when it comes to children and Tippitoes has an award winning collection of products engineered to keep little ones safe around the home.

Awarded Silver in the Safety Category for the Practical Parenting Awards 2009, the Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate is easy to install, sturdy and secure.

At Splash n Bump we're over the moon since winning the BACRA Award for Best Bathtime Product 2009 during our brand launch at the Baby and Child Show.

The Splash n Bump Bath Bumper Set offers an exciting combination of fun and education but above all provides a safer bathtime environment for your little one.

How often have you seen a child with runny nose?!? Dr Bee is putting an end to that. Parents, as well as parents-to-be, who visited The Baby Show in Earls Court last month, showed lots of enthusiasm and interest in our nasal aspirator. Despite of approximately 80% of our sales going to parents of babies and toddlers, we had lots of great discussions with parents-tobe and provided them with information about our product, to buy when their precious baby arrives.

The key to their success? Lindam understand the importance a parent places on finding a brand that they can trust and rely on. The Lindam product range has been designed and developed to help parents and children make the evolution from newborn to baby to toddler as easy and safely as possible.

Peg Puzzles from Branching Out by John Crane Ltd are proving top sellers in this penny-pinching climate!

Offering exceptional value for money this collection of four brightly coloured Peg Puzzles for tiny tots are literally flying off the shelves. As parents and gift buyers tighten their belts more traditional toys see an upturn in sales, and the long-established Peg Puzzle harks back to toys of yesteryear.

Tippitoes stole the show at this year's BPA Baby & Child exhibition by showcasing a number of exciting products from the new 2009/10 catalogue. Quality and value, an integral part of every product in the Tippitoes collection, clearly won over visitors at the show.

It was an excellent show for Hippychick, orders taken were even higher than previous years and there was a constant stream of visitors. They had a bigger stand than usual, which was just as well considering the number of people jostling for space!

Chic ‘o' bello had a very successful launch at BPA Baby and Child. The products were received very well by visitors and exhibitors alike, and were shortlisted for the BACRA awards. The overwhelming reaction and feedback received was very clear; high quality products combined with the number of well thought out beneficial features, wrapped into a competitive and differential price point fill a much needed gap in the market. The breadth of styles and designs attracted independent and multiple retailers, with sales from the show reflecting this.

In terms of safety, a car seat is one of the most important purchases your customer will make, and they will expect you to have the knowledge and experience to help them get it right. It is vital that you check the selected seat fits safely in your customer's car before they leave your store. We also recommend that you fit the seat before teaching your customer how to do it themselves, so that should it be removed, it can be fitted safely back in place again afterwards.

‘Kiddy' has come up with a new fabric theme as part of the KIDDY DESIGN collection that appeals instantly to children and their parents at the same time. The new Capt'n Sharky range is full of fun with the pirate's favourite friends on board and a free bandana to wear, yet its colours are so understated and stylish it looks great against modern car upholstery. Deep black cotton is highlighted by soft jersey in grey with two white horizontal bands across the back giving a seafaring feel.

From the softly jangling Tag Along Chimes and friendly Barn Babies animals to super-cool multi-featured Dice Dice Baby and musical Car Seat Buddies, Infantino has a great range of baby toys that are perfect accessories for car seats and guaranteed to keep baby entertained on their travels.

Aussie brand Outlook®, makers of the popular shade-a-babe^TM, have added a multi-fitting car shade to their range. Designed to fit over the outer edge of the rear door, the Outlook auto-shade^TM effectively shades the entire window and will stay in place even if the window is opened.

ProtectiShade is the only product on the market that gives children 360 degree protection from the sun when travelling in the car. It's a unique portable canopy that fits over all standard car seats (from Group 0 to Group 2) that provides shade from the sun from all angles (and also allows a child to sleep on the move.)

The Neptune car seat is approved to EC R44/04, for Groups 1/2/3, suitable for children from 9 to 36 kg (from 1 to around 12 years of age). When the seat is used in Group 1 mode (from 9 to 18 kg) the child must be fastened in using the car seat safety harness. The 5-point harness has comfortable shoulder pads and an easy to use one-pull harness adjustment. The 5- point harness can be removed and replaced by the standard car safety belts for use in Group 2 and 3. For Group 3 use (from 22 to 36 kg) you can choose whether to use the car seat with or without the backrest.

The Gro Company is the exclusive distributer of car seats and travel accessories from the market-leading award-winning Norwegian BeSafe brand.

The Gro Company changed the way UK parents put their babies to bed by the invention of the Grobag and their mission today is to make parents in the UK aware that using rearward facing car seats up to the age of four is five times safer than using forward facing ones.

BoostApak is the latest ingenious product from the Trunki brand. With the law requiring all children under 12 years old or 135cm in height to use a booster seat it's important to have one to hand at all times. BoostApak is the ideal solution, a spacious, hand luggage approved rucksack which doubles as a booster seat, perfect for car-pooling and family holidays. Whether travelling by car, bus, taxi or hiring a car you'll never be a booster seat short again!

At the recent BPA Baby & Child trade show Britax won the BACRA Most Innovative award with the SAFEFIX plus group 1 ISOFIX car seat. The SAFEFIX plus incorporates unique safety features including the Click & Safe^TM audible harness system designed to aid parents when securing their child into the seat and also the unique, patented Pivot Link ISOFIX system, which reduces the movement of the child in an accident and diverts the forces mainly downwards rather than forward.

K&J and the BPA trade shows were an exciting time for Dorel this year as they launched a new range of car seats called the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix Collection.

The ultimate, no hassle travel solution represents the most advanced safety concept today. Winning three awards already the FamilyFix picked up the K&J Best Innovation Award 2009 and at the BPA the Pearl car seat (Group 1 car seat part of the FamilyFix) was Highly Commended in the ‘Innovation' category and was the winner in the Child Restraint‚ category.

Research has revealed that baby skin is a staggering 30% thinner than adult skin, with a large proportion of what is applied to the skin being absorbed. Worryingly, the majority of non-organic baby toiletries contain potentially harmful parabens, synthetic fragrance and mineral oils. Parents are right, therefore, to be asking questions about the products available to them and as retailers, it is vital that you have a full understanding of how a product promoted as natural, organic or environmentally friendly is produced, to enable your customer to buy with confidence.

Naturalmat is the market leading brand in natural fibre and organic mattresses and organic bed linen. From crib through to single bed sizes, as well as a made to measure service, there is increasing demand for natural fibre mattresses and organic bed linen across the industry. Incredible support, breathability and ventilation through the finest natural and organic raw materials. Hypoallergenic and anti dustmite, with no chemicals.

How can you resist? Try this best-selling mild and gentle natural babycare range - everything you need including our degradable eco nappy sacks, bodywashes, bubblebaths, body lotions, creams and biodegradable wipes. The range has won several prestigious awards, has a loyal following amongst mums, looks so cute on your shelf and offers great value for money. Fresh & Wild (WholeFoods UK) say "Earth Friendly Baby is our most popular baby toiletry range, its affordability and efficacy bring our customers back time and time again". Leading the trend towards more natural/eco products - make this your best-selling baby toiletry range!

Gabe & Grace have added more lines to their award winning luxury lambskins, following the success of their pram liners, which can be enjoyed by all babies and children. Now their range consists of pram liners, rugs, booties, footmuffs and bed underlays.

Lambskins are the ideal all year round natural solution for keeping babies and young children comfortable, while out and about in the pram; in the cot or play pen; or when used as a play mat.

The Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag is the first to be certified to the new British safety standard.

The 100% natural, International Award Winning Go Go Bag from Merino Kids is proving a safer sleep, and guarantees no more sleepless nights.

Gaia Natural Baby, the leading Australian range of organic baby skincare products has now arrived in the UK. Combining natural and certified organic oils & extracts all chosen for their abilities to be gently cleansing, moisturising and soothing. All products are Australian made from organic certified ingredients specially formulated for sensitive skin including eczema.

More and more people are seeking to use products from a natural source in everyday life. Organics and aromatherapy are the choices of the new generation. A fantastic range of quality consumable products suitable for the whole family, which will have customers coming back for more.

The beginning well being range from Maclaren is the perfect way to look after delicate skin.

Created exclusively from natural and organic ingredients as well as 100% pure essential oils, beginning promotes purity, nurturing and connection for mother and baby. Developed with delicate skin in mind and suitable for use with eczema, all beginning products are dermatologically tested on sensitive skin and do not contain any irritating chemicals or harsh additives.

With lots of different models to choose from, the most important features will be safety and functionality. A high chair needs to be strong, durable and as mess is guaranteed, easy to clean too. In today's modern homes, space is often an issue, so you need to identify which room mealtimes will be taken in to help your customer make the most practical choice. Where space is at a premium, online parenting resource babycentre recommends a highchair that is easy to fold and store away.

The Wean Machine helps prepare fresh baby food with no mess, no fuss and no noise. Simply fill the bowl, squeeze the handles together to puree the food and spoon-feed baby direct from the bowl. Ideal for use with a variety of foods including soft fruits, cooked vegetables and pasta dishes, the interchangeable small and large grills produce different consistencies for each stage of weaning. Dishwasher safe, it pulls apart for easy cleaning and fits in all leading sterilizers.

Shortlisted in this year's Mother & Baby Awards' High Chair Category, the Tippitoes Aristo High Chair has proved a great success with retailers and consumers. Crafted from solid beech, Aristo epitomises the current trend for contemporary styling yet without compromising on comfort and practicality. Available at a price that will certainly rival its competitors, the Aristo's natural finish and flowing lines are supremely elegant whilst the all over use of solid beech wood upholds traditional standards of craftsmanship. The result is a durable, long-lasting, stylish and affordable high chair, ‘must have' qualities for today's discerning consumers. The seat height is adjustable and the chair has a multi positional footrest. The "piece de resistance" of this stunning high chair is, however, clever integration of easy to use fixings for the adjustable features.

A masterpiece of design and functionality, the award-winning HandySitt is THE ‘highchair' of choice for today's discerning parents.

Beautifully crafted from sustainable beech wood, this stylish, compact seat attaches neatly and securely to most kitchen and dining chairs allowing children to sit up at the table and join in with family life. Suitable from around 6 months through to 4 or 5 years, the HandySitt is a great investment being a highchair and booster seat rolled into one, saving on space and on expense. Folded flat it's easy to store or take out and about - perfect for holidays, restaurants or visiting friends.

Playgro's feeding range is designed to make feeding baby fun and easy. Small hands will love grabbing the Soft Grip Cutlery Sets and Soft Tip Spoons, the ideal size for filling their little mouths. Food Pots make going out and about easy, with liquid tight seals and convenient storage day markers on the lid, they provide an on the go solution to feeding baby. The range also includes suction bowls - available with either a lid or dividers to suit the needs of every child. The Food Pots and Suction Bowls are freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe.

The recent BPA show saw a very successful UK launch of the new Chicco Jazzy highchair, where it picked up the top award in the BACRA's Home catergory.

Stylish and modern with all the practicality you'd expect from a Chicco highchair. Suitable from six months to three years of age, the spacious, well-padded seat has a fixed height, 3-position reclining backrest and a 5-point safety harness. The removable tray has 3-positions. Opens and closes easily and once open it's very stable. Compact when folded, its lightweight makes it easy to move and store.

JJ Cole Collections launched their new range of changing bags at Kind & Jugend to a resoundingly positive reaction.

The ‘Theory' bag keeps track of all babies' necessities in style. This high fashion item in a polished laminated canvas wouldn't look out of place on the catwalk. It does, however, integrate everything a modern mum needs to keep organised when out-and-about. Included in the roomy interior are a changing mat, wallet, insulated bottle holder and dummy pod.

The new unique and practical BumpBuddy from CN Sales & Marketing has been especially designed for the everyday little bumps, bruises and knocks that kids inevitably end up with.

Kept in the fridge at home, in the caravan, on the boat or even in the cool bag on days out the BumpBuddy is a soft gel filled pad that helps to bring a smile to a sad face when treating and soothing bumps, scratches, scrapes, insect bites, stings and minor burns.