Popular show runs from March 1-4 at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Last year’s Australian Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair attracted over 4,300 visitors to Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre.
At time of writing, over 80% of stands had been sold for this year’s event – which runs from March 1-4 – with key exhibitors including LEGO Australia, Hasbro Australia, eOne, Headstart International, Moose Toys and Mattel. Licensing International, Bugg Marketing, Funrise Australia, Toy & Hobby Retailer, VR Distribution and Totally Awesome TV are all sponsors of the event, along with licensors such as The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. and ViacomCBS.
“While the majority of visitors do come from Australia, the Fair also attracts overseas attendees and in 2019 we had around 200 international visitors,” explained Alice Sanderson, executive manager at the Australian Toy Association. “Those who attended were from Europe, Asia, the UK and US. The Fair provides an opportunity for UK and international visitors to source unique and homegrown products from developers and manufacturers such as Headstart and Moose who are at the forefront of innovative and unique products.”
Alice continued: “The Fair will also feature unique Australian licences such as Bluey, which is currently the number one streamed children’s show on ABC iView. The Australian market, like the international market, can be tough for all players but the licensing industry seems to be strong and our local brands, such as Bluey and May Gibbs’ Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, are enjoying successes.”
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