A successful Spielwarenmesse encourages the toy business

 

There were great expectations for the 2023 edition of the Spielwarenmesse, the largest and most representative toy fair in the world, after a gap of three long years when the event was cancelled due to the pandemic, and they were met, or even exceeded: although 700 exhibitors were missing as compared with the 2019 show – 2,100 companies from 69 countries participated this year – and visitors dropped by 8% to 58,000 from 128 countries, the German toy exhibition, held for the 72nd time in Nuremberg (February 1-6), was considered a real success by anybody concerned. It is obvious that the war in Ukraine and the compulsory visa for Chinese visitors kept both exhibitors and visitors from several territories away. On the other hand, attendance from the US toy market was higher than ever, growing by almost 10%. Since most international toy markets registered turnover decreases in 2022, the positive feeling that was manifest in the Nuremberg fair halls pointed to better results in 2023.

All the leading companies in the international toy business were present. New products and concepts abounded. A significant shift toward sustainability was on the forefront everywhere. The Toys Go Green area enjoyed great acceptance with its presentation of the sustainability theme in four sections. There was strong focus on one of the three trends selected by the Spielwarenmesse together with the international TrendCommittee, namely Meta Toys, which opens new technological horizons for the toy business. The other trends were Discovery and Brands for Fans.

The usual itinerary through the halls underwent some changes as a few major companies were moved to different locations but those exhibitors eventually expressed satisfaction with the new placement. A survey revealed that 95% of exhibitors rated participation in the event as important or very important, and 92% declared themselves satisfied or very satisfied with the way it went. Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG, announced that 83% of the exhibitors were already making plans to take part again.

On January 31st, during the Spielwarenmesse Press Preview, six products received the coveted Toy Award: among them, there were EverEarth 7 in 1 Space Activity Cube by Ever Earth Europe (Baby & Infant Category, 0-3 years) and Yummy Bear Scale by Topbright (Preschool Category, 3-6 years). Paw Patrol AR Tattoo & Stickers by Holo Toyz was awarded a Toy Award for the Startup Category. Among the Soft Toys, Wooden Toys and Educational Toys areas, we met a broad selection of products relating to babies and infants. We noticed Montessori-inspired articles for the children’s room, extended employment of eco-friendly materials, wooden outdoor play equipment. Baby and infant toys were exhibited in several other halls of the Spielwarenmesse.

The next Spielwarenmesse’s dates will be announced within the end of February.

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Kind + Jugend Asean shifts its inaugural edition to 2023

by | Dec 7, 2021 | Articles

Kind + Jugend Asean, the first satellite event of the world’s largest trade fair for premium baby and toddler products Kind + Jugend, will move to 5–8 April 2023.

© Koelnmesse

Over the past months, the launch of Kind + Jugend Asean in Thailand has received strong interests and excitement from the industry. The event was on track to deliver a first of its kind industry gathering for this region.
Despite Thailand reopening its borders to vaccinated travellers coupled with a strong progress in vaccination rollout within Thailand and surrounding Asean countries, travel restrictions still pose a challenge for some international visitors and partners. This would not have allowed us to kick-off with an impact, befitting for an inaugural edition.

After in-depth analysis on the situation in Thailand and around the world; and close consultations with the Thailand government, key stakeholders and partners, the team has decided to postpone the first edition of Kind + Jugend Asean to 5–8 April 2023, at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) in Thailand.

“As much as we would have loved to bring the event to life in 2022, the current situation has compelled us to reconsider the impact of Kind + Jugend Asean’s inaugural edition. The ability to host a successful event was outweighed by the complexity for some international visitors and partners to participate smoothly. Today, we confirmed our decision to postpone the live event to 2023 instead,” expressed Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director of Koelnmesse Singapore, the organiser of Kind + Jugend Asean.

He added, “With the new dates, we are confident that the industry would be better prepared and ready to jump onboard with the recovery of the global economy and resumption of the new-norm. In the meantime, the team will work towards bringing greater understanding of the Thailand and Asean market to you and your partners, leading up to the 2023 dates. Let’s grow together, in building a stronger first edition of Kind + Jugend Asean in 2023!”

Kind + Jugend Asean will be held from 5–8 April 2023. For more information about the event, visit www.kindundjugend.asia or follow Kind + Jugend Asean on the social media platforms.