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Contact:
Adrienne Appell
Toy Industry Association
646.520.4863
aappell@toyassociation.org
American International Toy Fair – February 10-13, 2013 –
Welcomes Surge in Global Visitors
Numbers Spike for Licensors, International Attendees and Global
Press
New York, NY | February 19, 2013 - The 110th American International Toy
Fair opened its doors to a surge in international attendees last
week, as tens of thousands of visitors from 92 countries descended upon
New York City to preview 150,000 innovative toys, games and youth
entertainment products at the largest toy tradeshow in the Western
hemisphere.
Owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association
(TIA), Toy Fair 2013 (Feb. 10-13) welcomed a 4% increase in
international attendees, a 9% rise in licensors, a 6% increase in
international manufacturer’s reps, and an 18% surge in foreign
press visiting from 20 countries. Total attendance during the four-day
show was 24,145.
A blizzard that hit the New York City-area on the Friday before Toy
Fair opened resulted in just six cancellations from the 1,066
pre-registered exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and
sales agents, who filled a record-breaking 375,000 net square feet of
exhibit space at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with the most
exciting playthings of 2013. Toy Fair welcomed 239 first-time exhibitors
who showcased cutting edge toys and games in the hopes of catching their
big break.
“Despite airport closures and flight cancellations, train
disruptions and the closing of major roads due to the snowstorm, Toy
Fair had a terrific turn-out, and the atmosphere on the floor was upbeat
and energetic right up until the very end,” said Carter Keithley,
TIA president. “The rise in international trade guests and press,
as well as the surge in licensor attendance, reaffirms Toy Fair’s
place as one of the most important and lucrative toy shows in the
world.”
“The continued growth of international attendance is a strong
trend for Toy Fair,” added Marian Bossard, TIA vice president of
meetings and events. “Our top-notch on-site resources for this
growing global audience were well-received, with many visitors from
abroad stating that Toy Fair is a must-visit destination each
year.”
Toy Fair ’13 welcomed nearly 9,500 buyers from 5,000 retail
outlets, including buyer delegations from twenty-two (22) of the
nation’s Top 25 Toy Sellers, such as Walmart, Target,
Toys“R”Us, Amazon.com and Kmart. The top five countries
identified with the highest attendance numbers were Canada, the U.K.,
Mexico, Japan and Australia, with a notable increase in visitors from
Mexico (+8%).
“We had a fantastic Toy Fair this year!” said Jason
Schneider, director of product development and marketing at
Ceaco/Gamewright. “Our initial concerns that the show would be off
due to the snow storm were quickly allayed by Sunday afternoon when our
booth was filled to near-capacity with both familiar and new faces.
Overall traffic was up and sales were stronger than ever. Nearly all of
our appointments showed up (most even on time!) and the general response
to our latest line of games and puzzles was overwhelmingly
positive.”
"This year was an excellent year for buyers that were at New York Toy
Fair, not only to look and choose toys, but to place orders as
well,” said Richard X. Zawitz, Tanglemaster and CEO for Tangle
Toys. “I felt the energy was really good – we were very
pleased with the show. It went exceptionally well and we are excited
already about next year’s Toy Fair.”
The top
toy trends for 2013 – which include So Retro!, Pop Culture
Persuasion, Construction Craze and Enticing Teens and Tweens –
were scouted by 979 members of the press from top-tier media outlets,
including New York Daily News, The New York Times,
Parents Magazine, TIME for Kids, The Huffington
Post, Los Angeles Times, CNBC, Reuters, Late Night with
Jimmy Fallon, Bloomberg Television, VH1 and PBS.
“Toy Fair provided its attendees with unmatched opportunities
to build their businesses, diversify their store shelves, market their
brands, gain global media exposure, and network with play professionals
from around the world,” said Bossard. “We are thrilled to
hear that it was once again a great success for all who
attended.”
The 111th American International Toy Fair will be held
February 16-19, 2014, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New
York City.
About the American International Toy Fair (www.ToyFairNY.com)
Toy Fair is an annual event that is owned and operated by the
Toy Industry Association (TIA). The largest toy trade show in the
Western Hemisphere, the show brings together approximately 1,000
exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents to
showcase an estimated 150,000 toy and entertainment products to nearly
10,000 buyers from 90+ countries.
About the Toy Industry Association (TIA) (www.ToyAssociation.org)
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association representing all
businesses involved in creating and bringing toys and youth
entertainment products to kids of all ages, representing more than 600
companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Toy
safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long
history of leadership in toy safety and works with government, consumers
and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.
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