Left to Right: Florian Hess (Member of the Board Spielwarenmesse eG), Steve Totzke (President &Chief Commercial Officer Mattel), Sebastian Trischler (Vice President eCommerce Europe & Managing Director DACH Mattel), Sanjay Luthra (Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Mattel EMEA), Lisa McKnight Executive Vice President, Global Head of Barbie & Dolls Portfolio Mattel), Richard Dickson (President and Chief Operating Officer Mattel), Jens Pflüger (Member of the Board, Spielwarenmesse eG) | Source: Spielwarenmesse eG/Alex Schelbert

The 72nd Spielwarenmesse international trade fair marked a return to form as the global toy community came together in Nuremberg, Germany, over the past week.

The in-person reunion was the first live version of Spielwarenmesse since 2020 in the days on the cusp of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are very happy with this positive result, which at close to pre-pandemic levels, has exceeded our expectations,” says Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG. “The high level of enthusiasm that was apparent in all aspects of this year’s Spielwarenmesse is even now shining a light on the next event: 83% of exhibitors are already making firm plans to take part again. Against the background of current changes in the trade fair landscape around the world, the Spielwarenmesse provides a stable anchor for the sector.”

Organizers state that 95% of the exhibitors rated participation in the industry event as “important” or “very important” while 92% said that they were satisfied with the turnout.

Related: The Play Date is the Toy Industry’s Top Spot to Exhibit 2023 Products to Exclusive Media Guests

“We’re just delighted. It’s wonderful to see visitors’ eyes light up again after three long years,” comments Markus Grossweischede, General Manager, North Europe at Hasbro.

More than 2,100 exhibitors from 69 countries presented new product ideas in Nuremberg this year. A total of 58,000 retailers from 128 countries attended the show, an 8% drop versus previous years due to the absence of guests from Russia and China. Organizers note that attendance from representatives of the U.S. toy industry — including our own Jackie Breyer, Vice President and Group Publisher at Adventure Media & Events, publisher of The Toy Book — grew by nearly 10%.

With the 2023 event closing tonight, organizers are already looking ahead to the 73rd Spielwarenmesse, set to take place at the end of January 2024. A formal announcement of the dates and details will be made toward the end of February.

About the author

James Zahn

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.

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