NEWS ANALYSIS
THE NY HOT LIST
From singing stars to viral sensations, the US Toy Fair certainly ramped up the glamour factor as the toy world rolled into New York City for the final stop on the trade fair tour of 2014. Samantha Loveday braved the snow and sub zero temperatures to check it out
IT’S NOT every day you come face to face with a Grammy Award winning US star. Or one of the biggest internet sensations of the moment. Yet both happened on the first day of US Toy Fair last month. Alicia Keys opened the
four-day event at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York, using the show as a platform to present the latest addition to the successful interactive children’s app she co- created, The Journals of Mama Mae & Lee Lee. This was almost eclipsed
by the appearance of Grumpy Cat, who attracted huge crowds clamouring for photos and strokes everywhere she went. Of course, she remained completely nonplussed by the whole thing. More than 30,000 visitors
were expected at the biggest US Toy Fair yet – exhibit space totalled a record-breaking 412,000 net square feet, with upwards of 1,150 toy companies, 285 of which were exhibiting for the first time.
Much has been made
over the last few years about international attendance at the show,
12 March
with some suggesting that visitors across Europe found Spielwarenmesse more useful and were choosing not to make the trip. However, Marion Bossard, VP of meetings and events at the Toy Industry Association – the organiser of the show – tells ToyNews: “International participation in Toy Fair has grown every year for the last number of years and this year is no exception. Toy Fair 2014 has seen an increase in international attendance overall (up nine per cent) and an 11 per cent increase in international buyer attendance specifically. “With 94 countries attending this year’s marketplace, those who
question whether the NY Toy Fair plays a key role on the international stage have their answer.” For me, on my first visit to the show, I didn’t have the same kind of strict agenda which usually defines my time at the toy fairs in London and in Nuremberg. This meant I was free to wander the halls at leisure and take everything in. And there was a lot to see. The big guys were there of course – Mattel even had its own floor, and the likes of LEGO, Mega Brands, Bandai, Melissa & Doug, TY, Spin Master, Tomy and VTech among others all had significant size booths. For me though, the main point of the trip was to
TOY OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Activity Toy of the Year: Rainbow Loom, Choon’s Design Boy Toy of the Year: Despicable Me 2 Special Feature Minion Dave Talking Action Figure, Thinkway Toys e-Connected Toy of the Year: LeapPad Ultra, LeapFrog Educational Toy of the Year: GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine, GoldieBlox Game of the Year: Boom Boom Balloon, Spin Master Girl Toy of the Year: Rainbow Loom, Choon’s Design Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Big Hugs Elmo, Playskool Innovative Toy of the Year: Zoomer, Spin Master Outdoor Toy of the Year: Razor Crazy Cart, Razor USA Pre-school Toy of the Year: Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-Up Center, Just Play Property of the Year: Minecraft, Mojang Specialty Toy of the Year: Rainbow Loom, Choon’s Design
check out some of the firms that I wouldn’t normally get the chance to see. It was good to hear that
Inkoos was doing just as well for The Bridge Direct in the US as it is for Flair in the UK, while some of the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleslines on the Playmates stand looked fantastic, including Half Shell Heroes (aimed at a younger age group) and a new Blimp play-set. USAopoly had some great
branded Monopoly and other game lines – including The Big Bang Theory, due to launch in the US around July time, although there’s no word yet on the UK. TMI Toymarketing International’s stand was
always busy – the firm was celebrating 30 years of its vinyl Rody Horse, which have apparently looked exactly the same since they were launched – while Underground Toys, situated just opposite Funko, the firm it has just done a European distribution deal with, was enjoying good footfall when I dropped by to say hello. Galt Toys, Bigjigs and
Casdon were also doing good business on the showfloor, while I also saw execs from Paul Lamond Games, John Adams, eOne, Coiledspring Games and Wow Stuff walking the aisles. If you’re looking for a fully
rounded toy trade fair experience, then a trip to New York should be on the cards. It’s much more international than you might think and there are gems to be found. Admittedly, there are
products on display clearly aimed at the US market – the same can be said for parts of Nuremberg – but the TIA has worked hard to ensure there is something to attract everyone. Next year, they just need
to make sure Grumpy Cat actually cuts the ribbon on day one.
www.toynews-online.biz
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