The Toy Book catches up with Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association, to discuss Toy Fair becoming a fall event in New York, shifting toy industry timelines, and a new Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards schedule.
Toy Book: What key information did you learn from exhibitor, retailer, and attendee focus groups as part of research for The Toy Association’s Toy Fair Reimagination Project?
Steve Pasierb: We learned that passions for Toy Fair run high, traditions are heartfelt, needs are swiftly changing, and there is no single answer providing a perfect solution. Toy Fair clearly serves both important business and emotional needs across the toy and play community. For the greatest number of our members, exhibitors, and retailers, their production and buying timelines had already shifted and were moved further by the pandemic — with no belief they will ever again be the same. February was no longer making sense for a surprising number, yet the love for Toy Fair was clear — and so was a strong desire to see change.
Meanwhile, for a portion of the industry, the early months of the year are still valuable. Ultimately, late September and early October timing — being mindful to navigate around key holidays — emerged and was debated and decided on by our board of directors. The initial work of the reimagination project drove a deeper understanding of the show’s significance and audience needs, that its timing was becoming less and less relevant, and that New York still holds value.
TB: What was behind the decision to keep Toy Fair’s location in New York?
SP: Once it was clear a shift in time of year was needed to meet the new reality of buying and manufacturing cycles for a large segment of the industry, our trade show committee and board each discussed the best location to host the show. Earlier research and interviews further proved the show serves diverse stakeholder audiences, each with goals and purposes well-supported by a Toy Fair based in New York. Ready access to major national and international media, investors, and the broader financial community were important points as well. Our colleagues at the Javits Center worked exceptionally hard to create a window in a full fall calendar to build, hold, and dismantle Toy Fair in late September 2023.
TB: Toy Fair New York’s new fall dates are replacing Toy Fair Dallas next year. How do these event changes reflect a new toy industry timeline?
SP: The canceled 2021 show was the final contract year in Dallas. The new and very different 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Marketplace being held from Sept. 20-22 is specifically in response to manufacturers and retailers asking the Association for a traditional trade show this year. Timing echoes the same needs expressed in research that for the majority, Toy Fair should shift to the fall. The calls for an interim 2022 trade show, opportunities for open booths, and tabletop displays showed it would be useful and successful. And, the Dallas Market Center is both a known quantity to retailers and many manufacturers and continues to be a supportive partner to The Toy Association. The TOTY Awards will also occur this September in Dallas while Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment (WiT) is planning to bring back their Empowerment Day and reception on the day before the show opens.
TB: How will the TOTY timeline shift with new Toy Fair dates? When will the TOTY Awards take place in 2023?
SP: The TOTY Awards will now be perfectly positioned to maximize promotion of both all the finalists and category-winning toys during the crucial fourth quarter selling season. Timelines for submissions, judging of category finalists and voting will be tighter. We’ve spoken with a range of company representatives and public relations firms, and while challenging, it is doable and seen as a benefit. The new timetable will be tested in 2022 with an interim TOTY Awards set for the Dallas trade show. We anticipate the 2023 TOTY Awards gala and Hall of Fame Induction to be on its traditional night before Toy Fair’s opening. While all category winners will be announced during the TOTY gala, it may be that the final Toy of the Year category is announced later in the fourth quarter as retail sales data, media buzz, and other key criteria for that specific award are clearer. All these steps will keep finalists and winners actively promoted during the most important time of the year.
TB: What other changes, if any, to Toy Fair can the toy industry expect?
SP: Stay tuned! There were many diverse new elements in the sold-out 2020 Toy Fair that were initial steps in making the show more dynamic for each stakeholder audience. … Heightening the vibrant nature of the show, refining the visitor feel of the floor plan, taking actions to limit high walls and provide open displays, and using new language around the show and its branding are just a few of many items actively being explored right now. … We have not lost sight of the importance of the first quarter of each year and The Toy Association is further exploring options to serve the industry during that time.
This article originally appeared in the May 2022 issue of the Toy Book. Click here to read more!
