The Toy Book spoke to Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association, about the changes to this year’s fall marketplace.
There are some exciting changes to The Toy Association’s fall marketplace this year. What inspired the name change from Fall Toy Preview to Toy Fair Dallas?
Marian Bossard: Toy Fair Dallas is an extension of Toy Fair New York, so we decided it was time to align our branding to reflect that. Toy Fair Dallas is unique in that it’s tailored to mass, long-lead, and specialty buyers who want to see what’s coming down the pike more than a year in advance of fourth-quarter sales. The fall marketplace continues to be a one-stop shop for busy buyers, and it’s very forward-looking in terms of trends and product development. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. It’s the only place to kick-start the fall planning cycle, and the place where the hottest trends in toys and play are born.
Companies exhibiting at Toy Fair Dallas are encouraged to showcase this year’s holiday drivers, in addition to next year’s fourth-quarter products. Why?
MB: Exhibitors will have the opportunity to hint at what’s coming next year — even as they celebrate what is already on shelves this holiday season — to influencers and other media in attendance. Next year is important, but so is generating exposure and additional interest in what’s out there and what’s right for consumers’ holiday shopping.
Tell us about the FutureCast Gallery.
MB: Retailers have asked us for the opportunity to see what’s next, what’s coming, and what themes they should be embracing next year, so we answered the call with the new FutureCast Gallery. It’s a retail-driven, experiential initiative designed to highlight the industry’s best and brightest new toys and games in front of retail buyers and others exploring product at Toy Fair Dallas. The gallery will be guest-curated by Steve Starobinksy, founder of lifestyle brand Kid@Heart. He will select the top toys submitted across 10 different themes — from Radical Sustainability and Grandparent-Friendly to the Olympic Effect and Animal of the Year — that spotlight the future of the industry. Product submissions and ideas have been rolling in, and while I can’t give anything away just yet, I can say that the FutureCast Gallery promises to be an exciting and provocative touchpoint for the range of play professionals attending the fall marketplace.
So far, what toy trends are you seeing for next year?
MB: Trends that were hot this year will likely expand and evolve next year, including the unboxing craze and aspirational toys that foster STEM/STEAM learning and inspire children to imagine themselves in future careers. As for what will be new next year, only time will tell, but we do expect some of the FutureCast themes to materialize as trends on display at Toy Fair Dallas, as well as at Toy Fair New York. Toy Fair Dallas is the place to spot next year’s trends before anybody else.
What else is new to the show this year?
MB: We have new educational sessions this year that we are so excited about. First up is “Safely and Successfully Selling Your Toys in China,” hosted in conjunction with Global Toy Experts and Messe Frankfurt. It will be held on both Wednesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. on the 13th floor, and will feature speakers from China and the U.S. who will provide valuable information on how to secure enforceable intellectual property protections and to successfully sell to retailers, as well as provide information on demographics, price points, profit centers, packaging, and consumer data and insights.
Our second session is “STEM/STEAM Formula for Success,” hosted by The Toy Association. Taking place both Wednesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. on the 13th floor, the session will reveal 14 unifying characteristics of STEM/STEAM toys and engage participants in various interactive exercises.
Because influencers are increasingly becoming a major part of holiday purchases, we’re also hosting a tour for local toy influencers looking for the hottest products this holiday. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with this group and participate in a 10-minute product demonstration.
Last but not least, we are hosting a variety of networking events, such as the always-popular Opening Night Party on Wednesday, Oct. 2; an Ice Cream Social on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. in the FutureCast Gallery; an event for young professionals and those new to the industry; a “Magic Wheelchair” reveal of a custom wheelchair “costume” for a child in need; and more.
Information about these events and everything else happening at Toy Fair Dallas can be found at toyfairdallas.com.
This article originally appeared in the September/October issue of the Toy Book.
