SHOW GUIDE TOY FAIR 2014 Back to the floor
This year’s Toy Fair is set to be bigger, bolder and better than ever before. So, what are you waiting for? ToyNews has put together a feast of show treats, ranging from what to expect from the big guys such as LEGO and Hasbro, all the way through to the first time Greenhouse exhibitors. Plus, we ask some key execs for their top Toy Fair moments
MY TOY FAIR
SAMANTHA LOVEDAY Editor,
ToyNews
How many Toy Fairs have you been to? 8
Favourite part?
The anticipation on the first morning, just before the doors open and the visitors pour in.
Worst part? Not having enough time to spend on each stand.
Early night or drinks after the show? Drinks – the evening networking is just as important as what happens during the day.
Hangover tip? Man up, and pretend it’s not there until the Friday.
Where’s the best place to take clients? The Alternative Toy Fair Party – hosted by ToyNews, Progressive Preschooland Aardvark Swift - on Wednesday, January 22nd.
Flats or heels? Heels. Always. Even if it snows.
STAND PLAN sorted? Product samples waiting to be shipped to Olympia? Appointment diary opened? Trade show haircut? If you answered yes to all of the above then, congratulations, you’re ready for Toy Fair. And you’re also 100 per cent more organised than we are. Would you like to come round and tell us what to do first, please?
In all seriousness, writing this piece in early December it seems like the annual pilgrimage to Olympia is still safely far in the future. However, by the time you read this, the Christmas and New Year festivities will have passed, it will be the second week in January and Toy Fair will be a matter of days away. Putting together this
year’s show guide, it was heartening to see the wide
range of firms that are exhibiting – established, newcomers and start ups alike. The show floor sold out earlier than ever before, despite extra space having been added on the gallery level (this year’s show will have the largest floor area since 2008
There are the ‘must- sees’, of course. LEGO, Flair, Character Options, Vivid and Hasbro should all be on your list to visit. But the true beauty of Toy Fair is that you never know what you’re going to find simply wandering the aisles. You can easily stumble across
Eyes down, marker pens at the
ready and take a look through the next 40 + pages to start planning your show.
apparently), underlining further Toy Fair’s importance to the trade. Indeed, during a time of belt tightening you might have expected exhibitor numbers to fall, but the opposite is true. The toy trade are fiercely loyal to their show.
the next big thing and the Greenhouse area, for example, is packed with gems this year. Other highlights include the return of Toy Fair TV – this time across all three days of the event, allowing even more suppliers to get
involved and have time in front of the camera – along with the demo zone, a new venue for the revamped Toy Industry Awards (held on Tuesday, January 21st), the Toymaster members lounge and the Relaxation Garden. So, eyes down, marker pens at the ready and take a look through the next 40+ pages to start planning your show.
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