Fall Toy Preview Total Buyer Attendance Grows by 3%; Global
Participation Jumps Nearly 10%
October 8, 2012 | The Toy Industry
Association’s (TIA) Fall Toy Preview 2012 opened its doors last
week in Dallas, Texas to more than 700 buyers from around the world,
welcoming a 3% increase in total buyers who visited the Oct. 2-4 event
to get a first look at the hottest new toys and games for Holiday 2013.
Foreign buyer attendance grew 9% year-to-year.
Members of the international toy industry visited Fall Toy Preview
from 34 countries (+10%); the top five countries represented by buyers
were Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia and Hong Kong. More
than 340 retail outlets (+4%) were in attendance, including 20 of the
Top 25 Toy Sellers in the U.S. and 27 of the Top 250 Global Powers of
Retailing, such as Amazon, Big Lots, Costco, Family Dollar Store, Sears
Holdings Corp, Toys “R” Us, Target and Walmart Stores,
Inc.
A record-breaking 348 companies exhibited their latest product lines
in open, closed or combination booths and showrooms, including Alexander
Doll Company, American Plastic Toys, Famosa, Hape, Inc., Melissa and
Doug, Playmobil, Ohio Art, Blip Toys, Safari Ltd., and Razor USA.
“We are thrilled to report that Fall Toy Preview 2012 was a
great success! Many exhibitors on the show floor reported being
booked with
back-to-back buyer appointments and were abuzz with the positive
feedback they were receiving,” said Marian Bossard, TIA vice
president of meetings and events. “Additionally, increased
attendance numbers across nearly all categories made for a dynamic,
energetic crowd of people who were there to conduct serious business
over the course of the three-day show.”
Sponsored by Techno Source and presented by Carlin West Agency/NFL
Rush Zone, the opening night party (Oct. 2) raised funds for the Toy
Industry Foundation and gave participants a chance to relax, have fun,
and even meet Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who took
photographs and mingled with partygoers.
Held annually at the Dallas Market Center, Fall Toy Preview is a
by-appointment-only event designed to give toy buyers from long lead and
mass market retail outlets a central marketplace in which to meet
one-on-one with their vendors 12-15 months in advance of in-store
delivery. To participate, exhibitors must currently sell to mass
market accounts; all products shown must be available for fourth quarter
sales in the following year.
Information about Fall Toy Preview 2013 (October 1-3, 2013) will be
made available in the coming months at FallToyPreview.org.
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