Hard to believe that the The Toy Association’s 115th North American International Toy Fair wrapped-up a week ago already, but it did, and I’ll still be presenting content from Toy Fair here in the virtual pages of The Rock Father™ Magazine and over at The Toy Insider for some time to come. The annual event is significant, and outside of the toy industry, I’m not sure that the general public has any real idea of the magnitude of this thing – it’s MASSIVE. Today the official numbers came in, and in all 26,236 professionals attended the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere. The Javits center played host to hundreds of thousands of toys and games across 442,700 net square feet of exhibit space – the equivalent of about seven football fields! Curious for more data? Check this out…
2018 Toy Fair by the Numbers:
- Exhibiting Companies: 1,049
- Retailers, wholesalers, entertainment executives, importers, and buying groups in attendance: 11,000
- Countries represented: 97
- International visitors: 3,802
- Mass Retail and Specialty Buyers: 8,775
- Retail Outlets: 3,900
- Global toy buyers: 1,589
- Members of the Media in attendance: 974
The top five countries represented at the show, not including the U.S. and Canada:
- China
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- Mexico
- Japan
From The Toy Association’s official wrap-up: From veteran toymakers to first-time exhibitors in the “Launch Pad” section of the show, Toy Fair’s exhibiting companies showcased new product lines and key drivers in front of 8,775 mass and specialty buyers, including delegations from over 3,900 unique retail outlets and 22 of the nation’s top 25 toy sellers, such as Amazon.com, Walmart, Target Stores, Kohl’s, American Girl, Costco, Best Buy, Family Dollar, Disney Store, Lego/Legoland Mail Order, and Dollar Tree.
Licensing executives from NBCUniversal Brand Development, Netflix, Nickelodeon Consumer Products, Paramount Pictures, Sesame Workshop, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, and others were also on-site to scout new trends and forge licensing agreements with toymakers.
The vast range of attendees eagerly explored every square inch of the convention center, which was teeming with brand-new toys and games, including collectibles, plush, dolls, action figures, nostalgic and retro playthings, innovative tech toys, family board games, outdoor toys, licensed playthings, and everything in between. Participants also enjoyed a range of practical educational sessions that provided insight into global safety standards, toy trends, licensing, specialty retail, entrepreneurship, and much more.
“New York Toy Fair 2018 was a business and media buzz success! The booths and aisles were packed with highly-qualified toy buyers, licensors, investors, inventors, and media from around the world, generating feedback that was overwhelmingly positive,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “Toy Fair delivered all the energy, creativity, and innovation of the global toy industry and solidified its role as a critical gateway to the $27 billion U.S. toy market and both thriving and developing toy markets around the world. From order-writing and networking, to trend-spotting and professional development opportunities, our guests were busy from the second Toy Fair opened right up until closing day.”
“For over a hundred years, buyers and sellers of toys have come together at New York Toy Fair to share with each other what’s new, what’s exciting, and what they expect to succeed at retail – and this year was no exception,” added Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. “We are proud that the show continues to draw an enthusiastic crowd of global guests who consider Toy Fair to be THE place to spot the next hit toys and games. It truly is unlike any other toy show in the world!”
The global toy industry will come together once again next year at the 116th North American International Toy Fair, taking place Saturday, February 16 to Tuesday, February 19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Save the date for The Toy Association’s long-lead fall marketplace, Fall Toy Preview, taking place October 2 to 4, 2018 in Dallas, TX.
