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Women in Toys Collaborates with Walmart at Toy Fair 2014

November 24, 2013 By

WIT.WalmartWomen in Toys (WIT) and Walmart will once again collaborate to help women-owned businesses pitch children’s products and brands to Walmart buyers at the 111th annual American International Toy Fair in New York City in February.

Scheduled for February 18, the Second Annual WIT-Walmart Women’s Global Economic Empowerment Initiative will kick off with a morning panel discussion featuring Raquel Taylor and Kelly Deimel of Bobo Buddy. Immediately following the panel presentation, by-appointment-only pitch meetings between women-owned toy companies and Walmart buyers will take place in Room 1C01 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Companies that would like to apply for Walmart pitch meetings must complete the online application form by December 30. Accepted applicants will be notified by February 1. More information is available through Patti Becker at PBecker@BeckerAssoc.com or at (203) 321-6813.

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Toy Business Forum Brings Knowledge to Spielwarenmesse eG

November 21, 2013 By

ToyBusinessForumThe Toy Business Forum offers extra knowledge for exhibitors and visitors at Spielwarenmesse eG. At the forum, scheduled for January 29 to February 3, experts speak on the latest toy trends as well as unusual marketing tools.

Christian Blümelhuber, professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, will tackle the subject of future management; while toy specialist Reyne Rice will reveal the latest developments in the international toy market. Meanwhile, Andreas Haderlein will discuss what strategies tomorrow’s shops should adopt.

The following daily presentations are scheduled for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Hall 3A:

  • Wednesday: ToyKnowHow—Recognizing Trends, Shaping the Future
  • Thursday: Multichannel—Successful Use of New Opportunities
  • Friday: Future Retail—Tomorrow’s Shop
  • Saturday: Marketing—Retail Branding
  • Sunday: Multichannel—Offline and Online for Success
  • Monday: Live Actions

A detailed overview of the topics is available at www.toyfair.de/toybusinessforum. The presentations will be given in German and English.

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Buildex Furniture, Vehicle Lines Launching During Nuremberg and NY Toy Fairs

November 20, 2013 By

The Buildex brand from Kids Preferred will launch a new line of kids furniture and wooden performance riding vehicles at Spielwarenmesse and American International Toy Fair in New York City. All the new items will be available for purchase globally in the spring. Developed in conjunction with toy designers at Chelona Wooden World, the new line is designed to encourage children to develop 3-D thinking, as well as an appreciation for construction, movement, and design.

Buildex1The Buildex line of kids furniture features durable wood constructions and ergonomic designs, which require no tools or hardware. All Buildex furnishings use the company’s exclusive connecting systems to safely secure all components in place. The furniture line includes the Rocketeer Table & Chairs Set, Daisy Table & Chairs Set, and more.

Buildex2Similarly, the Buildex line of wood performance riding vehicles assemble securely without the use of tools or hardware, and have natural suspension that works in combination with functional steering. The wood performance riding vehicles line includes the Max-Tractor, Super-Scoot for boys, Super-Scoot for girls, and more.

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Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair Returns in January 2014

November 10, 2013 By

HKTDCThe HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair will return next year from January 6 to 9 in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The fair allows the industry to get a head start on strategies planning for the year ahead.

Last year’s show drew more than 39,000 buyers from 126 countries and regions. This year marks the 40th edition, and more than 1,900 exhibitors are expected to bring their latest collections on display, ready to meet their potential business partners. The fair will include group pavilions such as Chinese mainland, Indonesia, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and World of Toys Pavilion in the coming edition, further testifying to its internationality.

The fair highlight Brand Name Gallery is geared towards the needs of buyers seeking top-notch branded toys from quality names. Renowned brands include B, Beleduc, B Kids, CMC, Color Rich, Daniel & Co, Dragon, Ein-O-Science, Enesco, Hape, Intex, Moulin Roty, Plan Toys, Welly, Viking Toys, and VTech.

With the trend of combining traditional toys and modern smart devices plus app functions, a wide range of innovative toys and games is available for kids, teenagers, and adults in the new Smart-Tech Toys zone. Exhibitors include Calm Island Co. Ltd., Maksco Toy Ltd., and Roam & Wander Ltd. [Read more...]

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Licensing Expo, American International Toy Fair Announce Collaboration

October 1, 2013 By

licensingAdvanstar Licensing, organizers of Licensing Expo, and the Toy Industry Association Inc. (TIA), organizers of the American International Toy Fair, have announced a new collaboration to cross-promote attendance at their two complementary trade events next year.

Through this new alliance, Advanstar Licensing and TIA will introduce Licensing Expo exhibitors to current and emerging toy trends, and inform Toy Fair exhibitors of licensing issues and opportunities in emerging international markets. The collaboration will also provide cross-promotional opportunities via direct mail and electronic marketing, editorial content, and co-hosted seminars.

The American International Toy Fair will take place February 16 to 19 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Licensing Expo, which is sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, will take place June 17 to 19 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

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COMMENTARY: DYO Arts and Crafts Kits Remain on Top

March 8, 2013 By

As the design-your-own (DYO) trend continues this year, more and more companies are jumping onboard and attempting to woo the world’s crafty tweens. A lap around the arts and crafts section at this year’s American International Toy Fair revealed no shortage of bands, bracelets, or buttons just waiting to be adorned.

These are a few of my favorites:

Crafty Bands

Crafty Bands

  • Crafty Bands (Epiphany Crafts): Designed for kids ages 8 and up, Crafty Bands allow kids to create their own charms using the included Shape Studio Tool. Unlike some other paper punches, this one is super easy on the hands and has a cap to ensure that the newly made charms don’t fly away. The Crafty Bands Starter Kit includes the Shape Studio Tool, four Crafty Bands (pink, purple, blue, and lime green), 20 Crafty Snaps, 20 Bubble Caps, and adhesive. beware though, you’ll need your own adhesive to adhere the paper to the snaps. I tried a glue stick, but that wasn’t quite strong enough. Some quick-dry liquid glue should do the trick. For more information on Crafty Bands, visit www.craftybands.com.
  • My Image Button Maker (Choose Friendship): This kit allows kids to turn their favorite photos and graphics into buttons. They can choose from one of 36 preprinted images or upload and use their own on myphotosizer.com or the My Photosizer iPhone and iPod touch app. My Image Button Maker comes with 12 pins, 12 magnets, 12 button fronts, 12 button pages, and six pre-printed image cards. For more information, visit www.choosefriendship.co/.
  • Rainbow Loom (Choon’s Design): Designed for kids ages 8 and up, the Rainbow Loom allows you to create a “woven” bracelet using rainbow rubber bands. The loom and bands can look a bit intimidating, but the whole endeavor only takes about 10 minutes. It was definitely worthy my time! The kit includes all the supplies necessary to make up to 24 bracelets and more than 600 rubber bands. For more information, visit www.rainbowloom.com. (Check out the cool instructional video below!)

For more commentary from Sierra, check back each Friday afternoon. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

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Toys Account for 45 Percent of Global Market for Licensed Preschool Properties

February 25, 2013 By

Courtesy of Toy Industry Association

According to a new report released last week at the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) Content Connection, an educational program for licensors attending the American International Toy Fair, retail sales of licensed merchandise for character-based preschool properties totaled $10.4 billion worldwide last year, up 1 percent over 2011.

The Global Market for Preschool Properties research study was presented during the seminar held on February 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

According to the report, toys accounted for 45 percent of the total on a global scale, up from 38 percent in 2005. The second largest merchandise category was apparel, accessories, and soft goods (24 percent), followed by publishing (9 percent), DVDs (8 percent), and paid apps/electronic content (5 percent).

For more information, visit www.epmcom.com/preschool.

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Toy Insider Mom Shows GMA Live the Hottest Toys from the American International Toy Fair

February 19, 2013 By

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President of The Alexander Doll Company Receives Wonder Women of Toys Award

February 19, 2013 By

Gale Jarvis, president of The Alexander Doll Company, was named Manufacturer of the Year at the Women in Toys’ 9th annual Wonder Women of Toys Licensing and Entertainment Awards dinner held during the American International Toy Fair. The annual dinner recognizes and celebrates the most outstanding women in the toy industry. The Wonder Women of Toys award was presented to Gale Jarvis by Shirley Price of Funrise.

During Jarvis’ tenure, the Alexander Doll Company has developed licensed brands, including Madeline, Eloise, Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, Radio City Rockettes, Peanuts, Olivia, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and more.

Jarvis spearheaded and is credited with the company’s venture into a new category of fashion dolls, which has included couture dolls styled by innovative fashion designers like Jason Wu. She has also been responsible for adding to the classic family of familiar faces with new sculpts for dolls from the Alex doll line, as well as one of Judy Garland, Greta Garbo, and Marlene Dietrich for the company’s Screen Legend Series.

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Disney Infinity Provides a Sneak Peek

February 18, 2013 By

Disney released new images from Disney Infinity, its most ambitious gaming initiative ever, during the American International Toy Fair, held in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Center from Sunday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 13. Disney Infinity is an all-new gaming platform that combines Disney’s most popular franchises with one of today’s hottest trends in toys: interactive figures that come to life in video games. Players can place real-world toy versions of their favorite Disney characters onto a device called the Infinity Base and transport them into the virtual game worlds of Monsters University, the Incredibles, and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as into a giant Toy Box where they can create their own Disney experiences.

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