The 71st annual Spielwarenmesse is less than a week away, kicking off on Jan. 29 and running through Feb. 2 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. This year’s show is set to feature diverse offerings, with 12 product groups on display across 19 halls and exhibitors from more than 70 different countries.

Services 

At the show, exhibitors have access to a variety of services. First-time exhibitors and startups are located in the Innovation Made in Germany pavilion and the New Exhibitor Center. To ensure these new products are marketable, the German Toy Industry Association will offer exhibitors at both pavillions a free toy safety check service for their products and advice on toy safety.

All Spielwarenmesse exhibitors have access to another new service this year: Leadtracking. This service and the corresponding app help exhibitors record customer contacts quickly and efficiently.

Special Areas

The activity and special areas at the Spielwarenmessegive retailers and buyers the opportunity to immerse themselves in various themed displays and demonstrations.

Showtime, most recent addition to Hall 8, will return as a space where exhibitors from the Festive Articles and Carnival product group can showcase their products via fashion shows and demonstrations.

The Tech2Play activity area in Hall 4A will also return with a new look this year, featuring the Flight Cage and Robot Run.

Other returning special areas include the Baby and Infant Articles between Halls 2 and 3 and Toys meet Books.

Trends

Every year, the international TrendCommittee chooses three trends to showcase in Hall 3A TrendGallery. This year’s themes are:

  • “Toys for the Future:” Toys that encourage environmental awareness or are produced sustainably from ecological materials
  • “Digital goes Physical:” Toys that feature characters and content that kids know from the digital world
  • “Be You!” Toys that promote the individual abilities of those with disabilities and encourage tolerance

The TrendGallery also showcased the nominees and winners of the ToyAwards.

Industry and Licensing Insights

Visitors can attend presentations at the Toy Business Forum (Hall 3A) throughout the show to get industry insights on current market developments and trends. Each morning features a LicenseTalk to provide insights specifically from the licensing world. This year, the expert talks are expanding by one day to take place from Wednesday to Saturday.

The Business Forum daily themes this year include #trend, #change, #digital, #retail, and #marketing.

New Visitor Services

This year, visitors will find a new experience zone in the passageway between Halls 3A and 4A, featuring an interactive social media station, games, and a catering area with seating. There will also be five VisitorLounges located around the Exhibition Center, featuring free water dispensers and mobile charging points.

For planning their days at the show, visitors can utilize the Spielwarenmesse app, the online catalog, and interactive hall plans. Visitors can also use their admission tickets for free travel on all local public transport for the full duration of the fair.

About the author

Madeleine Buckley

Madeleine Buckley

Madeleine Buckley was a Senior Editor at The Pop Insider, The Toy Insider, and The Toy Book. She covered all things toys and fandom, and has appeared on Cheddar and a variety of regional news networks to talk about the latest trends in both. She is a movie score enthusiast, mediocre knitter, proud Syracuse alumna, and Marvel lover. You can usually find her at the movies or hanging out at home with her super-pup, Parker.

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