ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2021 Shifts to August

ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy 2021 is moving back a bit.

Originally scheduled for June 6-9, the annual event will now take place from August 5-8, 2021 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

According to ASTRA, the decision was made “after many conversations with stakeholders and ASTRA members” with a focus on “creating a safe and healthy environment for attendees.”

In recent months, concern over the event’s close proximity to the rescheduled Toy Fair New York as well as the potential for another wave of social unrest following the scheduled trial of the officers charged in relation to George Floyd’s death had been brewing.

The new dates reflect a two-day trade show to be held on August 6-7 with educational sessions and networking events scheduled throughout the four days.

ASTRA organizers promise that exhibitor sales outreach will begin shortly with attendee registration set to open in March. Additional updates will be issued on the event site.

This year’s Marketplace & Academy was originally planned to take place in Orlando, Florida but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ASTRA pivoted to an online offering called ASTRA Camp that took place in August.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.