School proms set to be bigger than ever this year

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According to recent statistics, school proms are bigger than ever this year with hotels reporting a surge in bookings for prom events of 500% in some cases, and limo hire companies revealing they are having to turn away customers as the demand for luxury limos is more than most can cope with.

The prom season in the UK runs from the middle of June for four weeks until the middle of July, although some schools opt to have their end of year leaving events before and after these four weeks, this is when most are held. With 9 out of 10 schools in the Essex area throwing a school prom within the coming six weeks, the next month is going to be busy one for suppliers of prom services.

Research into prom spending habits has found that parents are forking out £415 on average for each child to go to their prom. This includes the outfit, be it a prom dress or a hired suit, hair and make up for the girls and also accessories such as shoes, handbags and jewellery, and also limo hire and party bus hire so the teens can arrive in style at the big event.

With American TV shows such as High School the Musical and Glee popularising the school prom further, end of year parties for younger children is now one of the biggest growing trends. Junior proms for children as young as 11 are fast becoming big business for limo hire providers and hotels as these youngsters want to emulate their favourite TV stars from the popular teen shows.

The UK’s leading limousine hire provider, Limo Broker, has reported a huge uptake in bookings for proms for the next four weeks. According to the national limo hire operator, July 1st is set to be the very busiest day of the year for prom limo bookings with every single pink limo within their fleet booked out for a school prom from 6pm on that date.

The phenomenon that is the school prom is gathering some serious momentum in Britain and with the news that younger and younger children are demanding end of year parties as well as the senior kids, prom fever is unlikely to slow down any time soon.

School prom dress sales expected to bring £750k worth of business to UK retailer

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A school prom dress retailer in Staffordshire is bracing itself for a busy couple of months ahead of the peak prom season in the UK.

Fashion Factory near Cannock in Staffordshire are forecasting sales of prom dresses of £750,000 over the coming weeks as school leavers flock to their shop to search for their perfect prom frock.

The prom season in Britain runs from March right through until July, so the next few months are expected to be hectic for prom dress retailers, and also associated suppliers such as limo hire companies, hairdressers and beauticians.

The phenomenon of school proms originated from American schools, but has now made its way over to the UK where almost every single secondary school in the country now holds an annual prom, and in some cases, primary schools have also starting hosting end of year proms.

Prom dress retailers, Fashion Factory, have witnessed the meteoric rise of the school prom in the UK first hand. The shop described having just one rail of prom dresses for sale several years ago, but fast forward to the present day and the Staffordshire retailer has over 1,000 prom dresses in stock, with 200 girls visiting every Saturday and a dedicated team working on prom gowns and accessories. With prom dresses selling from anything from £50 to £500, not surprisingly prom wear is big business.

If you’re still looking for the perfect ride to your school prom in the UK, get in touch with Limo Broker today for the widest range of chauffeur driven limousines and party buses, all of which are available to hire at ultra low rates.

Hummer limo seized after VOSA uncover “shocking” number of faults

White limousine transporting 16 prom goers impounded in Wales

A white stretch hummer limo has been impounded by police after a “shocking” number of faults were uncovered by VOSA officials.

The luxury limo was transporting 16 primary school pupils to a school prom celebration in Llanelli, Wales, when the transport officials seized the vehicle. The party were en route to Trostre Retails Park to celebrate the end of the school year when the limo was inspected.

A member of the public had alerted the authorities to the hummer limo after noticing that one of the doors wasn’t closing properly.

After pulling over the white limousine for inspection, VOSA officers found that the vehicle didn’t have a valid MOT certificate, the brakes were defective, wheel nuts were missing, and the doors wouldn’t shut properly.

For the safety of other road users and the young passengers who were travelling in the faulty limo, the authorities were forced to take the vehicle off the road.

One of the officers involved the inspection of the hummer said he hoped that the impounding of the vehicle would send a strong message out to any rogue operators out there that this kind of practice will not be tolerate. He also added that the safety of limo hire passenger is “paramount” and their main priority.

The vehicle has now been impounded. The owner now has the right to appeal against the seizing of the limo.

Limo Broker featured in school prom article in The Independent

Limo Broker featured in an article in The Independent on proms for the under 12's

Just weeks after leading UK limousine hire company Limo Broker were approached by The Sunday Times to contribute to an article on school proms, another top UK newspaper, The Independent, has turned to Limo Broker for their take on the phenomenon that is the British School Prom.

The article published in The Independent this week, please see the following link, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/endofterm-discos-are-so-last-year-2026754.html concentrates on the rise in popularity of primary school proms. The tradition of the American school prom is to celebrate the end of school life as 16-year-old pupils go out into the world, to either University or work.

However the younger kids also want a slice of the action, and now proms for the under 12’s are being organised for pupils to wave goodbye to their primary school years in style.

While some parents and teachers welcome the new craze for proms for primary school children, others are despairing saying the grown-up events are robbing youngsters of their childhood. Love them or loathe them, one thing’s for certain, they’re on the increase.

Limo Broker is asked in The Independent article to recount its experiences of dealing with primary school proms. Martin Latner, from Limo Broker, explains where the biggest rise in limo hire for under 12’s proms has been seen saying: “Particularly in the Midlands and in London we’ve seen a massive boost,” Latner goes on to say, “I remember when I got my first call from an 11-year-old. I was definitely surprised. We’re expecting it to be twice as bad next year.”

With the popularity of the school prom gaining momentum year on year, this can only spell good news for the limousine hire industry. Some hire companies are even predicting that proms will take over from weddings as the most popular occasion for limo hire in the UK within the next two-years.

Limo Hire for 7-year-olds

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cheap-flower-girl-dresses-cover-2Children as young as seven have been hiring limousines to take them to their school prom. The American invention has caught hold in the U.K thanks to the popularity of films such as High School Musical where the prom is built up as the highlight of school life. Traditionally the prom is meant for 16 and 17 year-olds leaving secondary school however, not wanting to miss out on all the fun, primary school children have now begun having their own end of year celebrations – and there’s no scrimping on the prom experience.

£800 dresses, luxury stretch limousines, professional hair stylists and make-up artists are just some of the extravagances these mini-prom queens are indulging in. Not wanting to be outdone by their peers, children and putting their parents under significant financial strain in their quest to have the perfect prom.

The news has sparked anger from some groups who see the trend as worrying. They argue that dressing these little girls and boys up to look like adults is an unhealthy practice and one which is forcing them to grow up to soon.

Others, including many parents, see the prom as a fun diversion for their youngsters and revel in the fun of preparing their little ones for their big day. Adele Wilk arranged for her 7-year-old daughter Ellie to have “the time of her life” at her school prom in South Wales last year. The mother of two treated her daughter to a new dress, glitter make-up and a stretch limo to take her to the prom. She said “We hired a limousine for her and eight friends, which cost £12 each, and the limo took them around the village before dropping them at the school.”

The popularity of the prom looks set to snowball with kids looking for flashier and more extravagant means of transport; at a prom in the Midlands earlier this year, the group of sequinned youngsters arrived by helicopter. Love it or loathe it one thing’s for sure; limo hire businesses look set for a windfall.