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With bank holiday changes normally announced 18 months to two years in advance, the bank Holiday date change to the 8 May 2020 was announced on 8 June creating an unprecedented financial and production impact on the calendar industry.

The change of date was decided upon by the government to directly coincide with the 75^thanniversary of VE Day, something Allan & Bertram fully supports. However, the detrimental financial impact will be felt throughout the entire company. 

As makers of the World’s Finest Calendars, Allan & Bertram made the decision that despite almost all 2020 stock being printed, they would need to be changed. This tough decision will have a huge, irreversible financial impact. With over £500,000 of stock already printed and an estimated £200,000 needed to rectify the dates on existing stock. In addition, Allan & Bertram will have to bring in temporary staff, working 24/7 to ensure all their stock can be delivered on time. 

Managing Director, Andrew Bennett commented saying “We totally agree that it is right to celebrate VE day and moving the bank holiday seems entirely sensible but waiting so late is just unacceptable. We are now having to-reprint vast amounts of stock to ensure our calendars are correct. As with all calendar manufacturers, our stock is prepared well in advance and almost everything is printed for 2020. It is hugely frustrating, and we feel that the Government simply hasn’t considered the implications; this change could have easily been decided a year ago, but it wasn’t, and we are faced with dealing with the consequences. We considered various options including stickers and inserts but as the manufacturers of The World’s Finest Calendars we simply can’t let our range leave the factory knowing that it’s wrong.
 
We are incredibly proud of our entire team that have all pulled together to start the mammoth undertaking of changing these pages – we will get it done but it is certainly a level of unprecedented pressure that was totally avoidable”.

Being synonymous with quality, not changing the stock would be detrimental to brand reputation! Almost all of Allan & Bertram sales are in the third quarter of the year. Someone who orders a printed product in September would expect it to be correct. Allan & Bertram will ensure it does not lose any quality despite this late change to the Bank Holiday Date. 

Allan & Bertram is calling for the Government to take responsibility for this impact, but also, as a Made in Britain Manufacturer, looks forward to commemorating VE Day in 2020. 

Further information available on the BBC website

As producers of the worlds finest promotional calendars, we will be
running three prize draws where you could have up to nine chances to win
great British brands.

See our February Prize draw and full competition details below.

WIN LUXURY BRITISH BRANDS 

Across January, February and March you could have the chance to win one of nine prizes. 
How? When you order our promotional calendars for 2020 during Q1, you will be automatically 
entered in the draw. 

Order your promotional calendars in:

– January: Nine chances to win
– February: Six chances to win
-March: Three chances to win

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

January Prizes: 
Chase Distillery Gin and Vodka, Waterford Crystal Champagne Flutes and Nyetimber Sparkling 
wine (Magnum), Mulberry Tech Pouch.

February Prizes: 
Links of London Luxury Pen, Thomas Lyte Conference Folder, Aspinal of London Stationary Rack

March Prizes:
Jo Malone Gift Set, Fortnum and Mason Wine Hamper, £500 Harrods Voucher

WHY ALLAN & BERTRAM PROMOTIONAL CALENDARS?

Allan & Bertram Calendars are designed to turn heads. Putting your brand in front of those who 
matter to you most, 365 days a year. Produced to the highest quality, no detail is spared, a 
synonymous partnership of luxury from our brand to yours. View our full range

We want to help you turn heads for your 2019 marketing campaigns. That’s why we have put together a list of our top 5 promotional products to help improve your brands awareness.

With a growing focus on being green, retro products and technology, the following promotional items will help get your brand in front of your customer in 2019.

5) Smartphone Accessories 

On average, we spend almost one day a weekon our smartphones. Providing screen protectors, cases and sleeves will always be practical for your clients. As smartphones rarely leave our sides, make sure your brand stays with your clients with standout accessories. 

4) AR Apps

We love innovation. That’s why AR Apps are on our 2019 list. This is a great way to wow your audience and get people talking about your brand. AR allows the consumer to build an emotional connectionto your brand, which is key when developing brand loyalty.

3) Water Bottles

Consumers are going green. Providing a sustainable solution not only promotes your brand but improves your brand image in the eyes of the consumer. With plastic waste becoming a constant battle, re-usable water bottles are perfect for promoting your brand in 2019.

2) Notebooks 

With most people spending the majority of their time at work, items that are practical for work lifeare always well received. A high-quality Notebook stays with the consumer wherever they go, keeping your brand with them.

1) Calendars

The rise of the vintage consumerover the last few years has led to many product comebacks. From vinyl’s to drainpipe denim, we love vintage. Luxury Calendars combine that vintage feeling with the practicality consumers love. With 94% of people saying they would keep a promotional calendar, they are a must for your next campaign. (*Stats from PPAI).

We hope you enjoyed reading about our top 5 promotional products for 2019. You can learn more about our promotional products here.

We’re eagerly counting down to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the excitement levels are running pretty high here in the Allan+Bertram office. We’ve been delving into the history of the Olympic Winter Games and have put together our top five interesting facts…

1. 10 Times More Athletes Compete in The Games Today

The first Olympic Winter Games took place in 1924 in Chamonix, with 16 Nations and 258 athletes competing. Fast-forward to today and the size of The Games has snowballed, with 90 Nations and 2500 athletes set to compete in PyeongChang 2018.

Team GB will be sending 59 athletes to PyeongChang 2018 and are targeting their best ever medal performance – Go Team GB!

2. Nothing Will Stop The Games – Not Even a Lack of Snow!

A lack of snow threatened The Innsbruck 1964 Games. But the show still went on thanks to the Austrian Army. They scaled snow-capped mountains to bring more than 50,000 cubic yards of snow to the ski courses and 20,000 blocks of ice to the luge and bobsled tracks!

3. Norway Reigns Supreme

As much as it pains us to say, it’s undeniable that Norway rules the Olympic Winter Games. Norway has won a whopping 329 medals, including 118 gold, trumping all other nations.

If this wasn’t enough, Norway is one of only three countries to win more medals in the Olympic Winter Games than the Summer Olympic Games.

4. Ice Hockey and Figure Skating Made Their Debut at the Summer Olympic Games

Yes you read that correctly. In 1908 women’s and pair figure skating were first held in the Summer Olympic Games, with ice hockey being introduced in 1920. Both sports moved to the Olympic Winter Games when they were established in 1924.

Incidentally, figure skating has proven to be Team GB’s most successful winter sport – accounting for 8 out of 26 of their Olympic Winter Games medals. This year, Nick Rutland and Penny Coombes will be taking to the ice to represent Team GB in their quest to bring back gold.

5. 72 Dogs Made a Short-lived Appearance in 1932

As avid animal lovers we had to sneak in a fact about man’s best friend! 72 dogs made a brief appearance in The Lake Placid 1932 Games, as part of the demonstration sport of sled dog racing.

The winter sport saw five contestants from Canada and seven contestants from the United States battle it out on a 25.1-mile course with six dogs pulling each sled. Much to our disappointment, the sport didn’t gain official event status and subsequently hasn’t returned to The Games.

Want to support Team GB in PyeongChang 2018?

Allan+Bertram are the exclusive producer of Team GB promotional calendars – an ideal corporate gift for every business. 20% of the profits from every calendar will go directly to Team GB, providing athletes with valuable support while they’re competing. Click here to view the 2019 Team GB calendar range.

Allan+Bertram – producers of ‘The World’s Finest Calendars’ – have received four international awards at The World Calendar Awards 2018.

The latest haul of awards sees Allan+Bertram’s most successful year at The World Calendar Awards, taking home four gold awards for the first time.

The following titles received awards:

• Face2Face – Gold award, Best Animal Photography
• Art – Gold award, Best Classical Art
• Swarez – Gold award, Best Contemporary Art
• View – Gold award, Best Scenic Photography

Andrew Bennett, Managing Director said, “It’s an honour to receive four gold awards for our 2018 range – at Allan+Bertram we’re committed to continually pursuing excellence so it’s fantastic to have our efforts rewarded. Well done and thank you to all the Allan+Bertram team for their hard work and passion that makes Allan+Bertram calendars The World’s Finest.”

Founded in 1963, Allan+Bertram is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of quality promotional calendars, working with only the very best photographers, artists and image libraries worldwide to create its range of beautiful, awe-inspiring wall and desk calendars.

View the full 2019 range of calendars by clicking on the “Corporate Calendars” tab here.