Toy Association’s Anticipated 2022 “Toy Trends Briefing” Goes

In light of the cancellation of Toy Fair New York ’22, The Toy Association’s trends team is moving its “Toy Trends Briefing” to a virtual format. The video will go live February 21, 2022, and will unveil the top toy & play trends predicted to drive sales growth this year across multiple categories of play.

“From toys and games that let kids customize their play experience and create their own content, to toys that let kids and adults take a mental or virtual escape, the top trends that will dominate toys in 2022 underscore the exciting ways that toymak- ers are helping families prioritize play,” said Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association.

Retail buyers, media, play professionals, and anyone interested in toys and play trends will be able to view the trends briefing at toyassociation. org/trends and on The Toy Association’s YouTube channel on February 21. The team will unveil the top five trends of the year using product examples from innovative toymakers. ❖

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IMC Invests In Women-Owned Businesses Through Acquisition Of Dough

Founder Vanessa Bruce joins IMC as VP of Social Impact

International Market Centers (IMC) has announced the acquisition of Dough, an ecommerce platform focused on empowering women-owned businesses. This strategic investment will be the first in a series of initiatives designed to emphasize and support values-based commerce and bring new voices and perspectives to the IMC community of brands.

Vanessa Bruce, co-founder and CEO, joins IMC in the newly created role of VP of Social Impact reporting to Eric Dean, President of Juniper by IMC.

“Values-based suppliers are increasingly sought after in the gift, home and apparel industries,” said Bob Maricich. “And IMC is committed to developing merchandising and marketing strategies to connect these suppliers with our extensive community of buyers through IMC’s physical and digital platforms. Vanessa brings thought leadership and expertise in creating commerce as a force for good.” ❖

Atlanta Apparel Kicks Off 2022 With Most BrandExpansiveCollection to Date

Atlanta Apparel will surpass its prior brand and resource offerings at its premiere 2022 Apparel Market, presenting over 500 showrooms and 350 temporary exhibits, February 1-5 at AmericasMart Atlanta.

“The apparel industry is booming back, and exhibit sales and pre-registration are both strong leading up to our first market of 2022 as a result,” said Caron Stover, International Market Center’s (IMC) senior vice president, apparel. “We couldn’t be more excited for our vendors’ continued success, and we are looking forward to offering our buyers Atlanta Apparel’s largest-ever sourcing experience.”

NEW Showrooms and Expanded Exhibits

For its first 2022 market, Atlanta Apparel welcomes nine new showrooms and two expanded showrooms, bringing a wealth of new resources. Temporary exhibits continue upward momentum as well, with Atlanta Apparel’s first February tradeshow presentation across five floors. New in February, Atlanta Apparel welcomes new and expanded jewelry, contemporary, and men’s brands. Buyers will have further opportunities to source from familiar, notable Atlanta Apparel exhibitors. The full list of temporary exhibits and showrooms is at Atlanta-Apparel.com/exhibitor/ exhibitor-directory.

A number of new events and amenities - including curated lounges, food and beverage offerings and photo opportunity installations - will be introduced at the February 2022 Atlanta Apparel market. Buyers also will enjoy morning coffee, happy hours, live music, and new buyer orientation sessions.

Interactive Las Vegas Market Preview Is Available

An all-new interactive digital and print edition of the Las Vegas Market Preview spotlights the January 23-27, 2022 market in more than 180 pages and explores why buyers and brands love Las Vegas Market. The semiannual magazine is available at LasVegasMarket.com and in print. The online version of the Winter 2022 Las Vegas Market Preview is at https://www.angstromcreative.com/digital/flipbooks/ imc/lv/2022/winterpreview/#p=1.