Toy Fair New York to open its doors from February 22-25 with key licensed lines being displayed.
As the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere, the 116th annual Toy Fair New York hosted the equivalent of nearly eight football fields filled with toys during its four-day run in 2019.
For 2020, the marketplace has sold out all available space at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center from February 22-25, with toymakers from six continents on-board to showcase their lines to around 30,000 visitors.
This year will see the show expand its Creative Factor educational programme which aims to help inventors and designers, entrepreneurs, design students and other creative professionals forge connections, pitch their latest toy ideas, navigate new trends and tech innovations, and learn everything from applying for a patent to the toy lifecycle from concept to consumer.
In addition, the Toy of the Year Awards includes a licensed category, while there is also an entire track of educational programming dedicated to the sector. Seminars under the Licensing Content Connection series cover topics including licensing fundamentals, licensed product at retail, gaming and streaming.
“Toy Fair New York is a natural reflection of the global toy industry and all the changes, innovations and trends coming to market,” said Marian Bossard, evp of global market events at The Toy Association, the organiser of the show. “Licensing accounts for approximately 30% of US toy sales, with top properties including L.O.L. Surprise, Barbie, PAW Patrol, Pokémon, among others. Of note, digital-first brands (JoJo Siwa, Baby Shark, Ryan’s World, etc.) are having a bigger impact on toys than ever, and we will be seeing this impact at the show.
“We’re also offering educational programming to help attendees better understand how the evolving landscape of kids’ entertainment, social media and pop culture fandom are impacting the overall health of the industry and the opportunities for growth that come with them.”
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