Toy Fair 2010 – Largest Toy Trade Show in the Western Hemisphere – Opens This Weekend in New York City
NEW YORK, February 12, 2009 – The 107th American International Toy Fair will kick off for a four-day run this Sunday, February 14th, bringing the excitement, innovation and inspiration behind the $75 billion global ($21.4 billion U.S.) toy industry to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Toy Fair is an annual event that is owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA).
“Toy Fair is an exciting time for the industry,” said Marian Bossard, vice president of meetings and events at the Toy Industry Association. “The event draws close to 32,000 people to the Javits Center for this showcase of top products and the creativity of one of the most innovative industries.”
The largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, Toy Fair brings together more than 1,100 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from nearly 100 countries to showcase their toy and entertainment products. From classic toys to interactive entertainment and everything in between, exhibitors will feature an estimated 100,000 products, to the over 7,900 unique retail outlets scheduled to attend.
But there’s a lot more than toys at Toy Fair … many special events and activities take place during the week.
Details about educational seminars, drop-in learning centers and special events –can be found online at Happenings @ Toy Fair page on the Toy Fair website. Updates from the show floor will be featured on Twitter (#toyfairny and #toyindustryassn), Facebook (Toy Industry Association), and the Toy Talk blog.
A summary of special events follows:
- TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards (Chelsea Piers, Pier 60)
Saturday, February 13 – 6:00 am (tickets required)
Toy Fair week kicks off with an exciting start as the annual TOTY Awards honors the best in toys and children’s entertainment. The tribute includes eleven industry award categories and one overall “Toy of the Year”. Another highlight during the evening is the Toy Industry Hall of Fame induction honoring individuals who have made a significant mark on the American toy industry. The 2010 honorees are John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering and Sam Walton, founder of Walmart Stores.
Awards will be announced live via Tweets (#toyindustryassn), Facebook posts, and updates to the www.toyawards.org website.
- Photo Opportunity: Opening Ceremony (Javits Center - Crystal Palace)
Sunday, February 14 – 10:00 am
Toy Fair will officially open with a parade of best-loved, costumed characters accompanied by the fun and whimsical Clown Band.
OPENING PARADE OFFERS GREAT VISUALS FOR PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Members of the media are also invited to attend all Toy Fair-hosted educational seminars as guests of TIA. The following sessions will be located in the Special Events Hall of the Javits Center unless otherwise specified.
- Toy Fair Annual Safety Update
Monday, February 15 – 9:00 am
Keynote address by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum
This session will provide an update on state and federal legislation and regulatory activities affecting the toy industry, including a report on implementation of the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). An update will also be provided on efforts that are now underway to advance the harmonization of toy safety standards from around the world. The presentation is free to media and TIA members. The non-member fee is $149 and includes admission to the Toy Safety Certification Program presentation.
- Toy Safety Certification Program Presentation
Monday, February 15 – 11:00 am
The TSCP is a comprehensive initiative to help assure compliance with the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and enhance the safety of toys sold in the United States. Toys certified under the program will begin to appear on retail shelves throughout 2010; the program was launched on October 1, 2009. The presentation is free to media and all TIA members. The non-member fee is $149 but includes admission to the Safety Session.
- Marketplace at Sears.com Session
Monday, February 15 – 1:00 pm
Julia Fitzgerald, CMO of Toys and Seasonal at Sears Holding Company, will show small toy companies how the Marketplace at Sears.com is making it simple for them to get their products online and in front of consumers. Attendance is free.
- Toy Trends Tea (Media Briefing - Press Room)
Monday, February 15 – 2:00 pm
Members of the media can get up-to-the-minute minute trend information from TIA’s toy trend specialist, Reyne Rice. Using examples from the show floor, Reyne will highlight what the top trends at the show are – and where to find them. Reyne will be available to answer questions. The session is free but only open to members of the media.
- Growing Green: A Toy Industry Update on Environmental Sustainability and Bottom Line Growth
Monday, February 15 – 3:00 pm
Targeted to toy company principals, quality assurance staff, sales and marketing personnel, product managers, purchasing agents and operations managers, this session will educate, encourage and inspire attendees to increase their eco-friendly practices in order to run a more sustainable business and increase the bottom line. The session is free to members and $149 for non-members.
- A Guide to Exporting: The Toy Industry – Challenges and Opportunities (Room 1C02)
Tuesday, February 16 – 11:00 am
U.S. Department of Commerce representatives will offer tips and techniques for developing an international outreach strategy. Commerce staff will also be on hand in the International Buyers Lounge throughout Toy Fair to match buyer interests with exhibitors who are export ready or already trading overseas.
Tuesday will also be the debut of the Engage! Expo (previously “Virtual World Expo”) conference which will co-located for the first time this year with Toy Fair at the Javits Center for a two-day conference and exposition.
Engage! offers both a full conference program and a tradeshow floor to help major entertainment companies, youth brands and advertising agencies learn how to combine existing products – cameras, communication and music devices, online Internet sharing software, social media, virtual worlds and web-connected toys and games, and more – with the unparalleled engagement opportunities and revenue streams of online media.
About the American International Toy Fair®
American International Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere.
American International Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere.
The 107th annual trade event runs February 14-17, 2010 in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. More than 21,000 retailers, wholesalers, importers, buying groups and trade guests from nearly 100 countries have pre-registered and are expected to attend. The 16,000+ pre-registered buyers represent more than 7,900 unique retailers. More than 1,100 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 21 countries will showcase their toy and entertainment products; nearly 285 of these are first time exhibitors.
From classic toys to interactive entertainment and everything in between, the Toy Fair playground includes: action figures and dolls, games and puzzles, construction toys, arts and creative activities, bicycles, tricycles and ride-ons, radio-controlled vehicles, infant and preschool toys, cars, trucks, and trains, puppets and plush, audio and video cassettes, computer software and video games, playground and sporting equipment, Halloween, Christmas, books, stationery, party supplies, and much more.
Additional information about the show is available online at www.toyfairny.com. Show updates will also be posted to Twitter (#toyfairny and #toyindustryassn), Facebook (Toy Industry Association), and the Toy Talk blog.
About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales.
TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe play.
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales.
TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe play.
