Christmas in July Festival renamed The Big Christmas Press Show and moves from July to September in 2021.
Courtney Rogers
The CIJ Group, formerly Christmas in July, has announced several key changes to its operation. With the company entering its fifth year, and having previously specialised in Christmas events, founder Courtney Rogers has decided to rename the business and expand its remit. The newly rebranded CIJ Group has expanded into a year-round business, offering solutions to connect brands & retailers with the media, both virtually and in person.
Formerly known as the Christmas in July Festival, The Big Christmas Press Show not only has a new name but has also moved from its traditional timeslot in July to 15th-16th September. The annual event, which previously welcomed around 100 brands & retailers showcasing their new launches to over 900 journalists & influencers, will remain at the Business Design Centre, London.
To complement the show, CIJ has introduced virtual Power Pitching events, enabling PRs and journalists to meet on a more regular basis. 17 events are scheduled for 2021, including Mother’s Day, Easter, Toys & Games, Back to School, Mother & Baby and Black Friday.
In addition, the company has launched PressFix – a digital platform where media can get their daily fix of latest products, hi-res imagery, press releases and PR contact information from over 160 brands & retailers.
CIJ Group’s Founder, Courtney Rogers, told Toy World: “We’ve invested in our virtual and digital solutions to support our clients for every new product launch, season and occasion within the annual retail calendar. Our future growth is based on a hybrid approach that we have carefully adapted to fit with current but also future industry forecasts. Our rebrand as CIJ Group reflects our year-round solutions beyond Christmas, plus the recent acceleration in changes to the retail and media landscape, meaning July is now too early for many brands, retailers and publications when it comes to launching for Christmas.”
Speaking about the virtual Power Pitching events, founder and managing director of Playtime PR, Lesley Singleton commented: “We have been impressed with the way in which CIJ Group has adapted to meet the needs of this new world we live in. The events for us have proven successful time and time again. My whole team loves Power Pitching days, as the relationship-building side is so important for underpinning our campaign work. These events form a crucial part of our campaign plans, enabling us to get our client’s products, latest trends and offerings in front of a really high calibre of media, leading to quality coverage which complements the team’s outreach efforts across the whole calendar.”
For more information, visit the CIJ website or follow @cijgroup on Instagram
