Playtime Paris SS17 - Supported by the European Fund for National Development

Playtime Paris  - take II

You may remember that about this time last year we wrote, what was only our third blog post, to tell you all about our first playtime fair in Paris. Well this year we were back there again for Playtime Paris' 10th anniversary and, for us, Playtime Paris in summer take II (We also been there for the winter fair)

The number two seemed to be quite significant this year as not only did the fair take place from 2nd to 4th July but we also had two stands this year - yes, two, with one stand flying the mara mea flag in the children's section, whilst the other stood proud in the maternity wear section. Of course, these would not have been mara mea stands if they had not been suitably adorned in typical mara mea decorations. With palm trees, cacti and three whole suitcases packed to the brim with decorations we were determined our stalls would stand out for their vibrant colors, and make it stand out we did. We had only just arrived at the fair when our stand was chosen as the most colorful in the maternity section, getting our second Summer Playtime Paris off to a good start. Customers were also interested in buying our decorations, making the three full suitcases seem worth it. But why did we decide to get two stalls this year? Well, our SS17 collection includes mara mea's new line of maternity wear which can be worn before, during and after pregnancy. Although having two stands, where Dorina and Maren were separated, was a risk, it most definitely paid off. Both stands were very successful and led to a significant increase in our contact list (hello to you all of our lovely new customers!) and also to a flurry of orders for our new SS17 collection. Thanks to playtime Paris we are able to spread the mara mea love further across the world as interest in our company continues to grow internationally.

But why all the fuss, you may ask. Well we believe our new collection really is something to get excited about. Our new Spring Summer 2017 collection includes new colors, new prints, and new accessories such as laptop cases and stroller organizers all of which were inspired by Mexico. Our biggest challenge, therefore, was not designing the prints, but rather having to choose the ones we wanted out of so much beautiful choice. Of course an integral, and also very fun, part of creating a new collection is coming up with the collection name. This time it seemed pretty simple. Mexico really had inspired us to be 'away from here' and to explore the world, and our collection portrays this through its exotic colors and prints.

But what about the future? Well, we know we will definitely be returning for Playtime Paris take IV, but who knows with how many stands. We're already thinking about how we can expand our collection further, with our attention turning to home accessories for inspiration, so look out for us at the 11th Playtime Paris.

Finally we would like to say a huge thank you to the IBB for the promotion of the fair as it has undoubtedly helped us and has made it possible for us to spread the mara mea love even.

Playtime Paris - Take II

You may remember, at this time last year, we had just written our third blog post. Back then, we told you about our very first trade fair: Playtime Paris. This year, we basically celebrated our first anniversary at Playtime. We exhibited at this wonderfully creative trade fair for the third time overall, and for the second time this summer. Playtime celebrated its 10th anniversary, and we were there for the first time. Yippee!

We were very fortunate to receive support from the IBB ; with financial support from the European Union, we were able to expand to two stands. Thanks to the European Regional Development Fund, we were able to afford a stand in the maternity section and one in the kids' section. That was a real stroke of luck. This meant we reached our kids' shops just as much as our maternity shops. Even though we were the only ones at each stand, the time and effort paid off. Both stands were hugely successful, and we are very happy with the results. Many new shops from all over the world were enthusiastic about our products. Our contact list has grown significantly, and we are more than satisfied with the outcome of the trade fair. There is hardly a better feeling than watching customers with shining eyes holding the new collection in their hands. Great trade fair, great feedback, fantastic success.

As always, we had a blast preparing for the event. We can always let our imaginations run wild with our booths. We traveled to Paris with palm leaves, cacti, and three suitcases full of beautiful things. It wouldn't be a typical mara mea booth without lots of colorful decorations. Many customers found our decorations so beautiful that they wanted to buy them ;)

We think our new collection is something truly special. You can already get excited. It will be in stores in January 2017. Today, we're giving you some exclusive insights into what's going on at the trade fair. Look forward to new products like stroller organizers and laptop sleeves. We have many exciting new developments in store.

In this collection we were inspired by the

And in the future? We'll definitely come back.

Many thanks again to the IBB and the EU for their trade fair stand funding. This was a huge help and enabled us to expand.