Updated: 8/28/2020 with information regarding Toy Fair New York 2021.
Confirming months of rumors and rumblings, The Toy Association confirmed that it will not proceed with Toy Fair Dallas this year. The annual fall event was slated to take place at the Dallas Market Center (DMC) from Oct. 6-8.
“We’ve been in constant communication with the DMC, exhibitors, and buyers,” says Steve Pasierb, president and CEO, The Toy Association. “The DMC shared with us that given conditions related to the pandemic and restrictive guidelines, postponing to 2021 was the best option.”
The Toy Association remains committed to holding an in-person Toy Fair Dallas in October 2021.
Additionally, the Association made the decision not to go ahead with Toy Fair New York in February. In a President’s Letter issued on The Toy Association website, Pasierb says that plans are underway to create a spring Toy Fair offering of some kind while the Toy of The Year (TOTY) Awards and Hall of Fame induction will go virtual. The Association has already been hard at work on plans for a refreshed Toy Fair New York experience in the expanded Javits Center for February 2022. Dates for the next Toy Fair Dallas and Toy Fair New York will be formally revealed next month.
In the meantime, The Toy Association will host its third Toy Fair Everywhere virtual market week from Sept. 14-20. The digital platform brings together suppliers, customers, and other members of the toy industry in a manner that can facilitate both buyer and seller needs. Virtual market week attendees can explore a calendar of daily events, browse exhibitors by category, and book appointments for virtual demos and chats.
While the toy industry won’t be gathering in person in Texas, the Toy Book’s annual Fall Toy Preview issue is on the way! Our annual look at late-season holiday drivers and an early preview of the year ahead will hit subscriber mailboxes in October. Contact Group Publisher Jackie Breyer for marketing opportunities.
