Feature - Nuremberg Preview

The show must go on

Publisher John Baulch looks ahead to Toy Fair Season ’22, and the return of the Spielwarenmesse.

Toy Fair Season ’21 literally didn’t happen. For the first time in living memory, not a single toy trade show took place around the globe. Exhibitors and retailers plugged the gap with virtual meetings, zoom presentations and mass distribution of samples. The digital realm provided a short-term workaround to keep the selection process flowing, but no-one pretended that online presentations could genuinely replace meeting customers or seeing product in the flesh.

Building relationships; touching and feeling product; making new contacts and finding new suppliers or retail partners – all of these crucial functions are far better suited to in-person meetings than via a screen. Undoubtedly then, the toy community will be delighted that Toy Fair Season ’22 looks likely to go ahead as scheduled – albeit, as we have repeatedly seen over the past 18 months, cast-iron guarantees are still difficult to come by.

Most people will have seen the headline news coming out of Germany in recent weeks: Covid cases increasing rapidly (65,000 and rising each day), low vaccination rates (only 63% of Germans are double jabbed) and Bavaria – home to Nuremberg - being the second worst-affected State. All of the superficial evidence was pointing one way, and lots of people started to put two and two together.

Fortuitously, Spielwarenmesse director Christian Ulrich visited BLE a few weeks ago, so I was able to get some direct feedback on the situation. Thankfully, it appears that things may not be as bad as they first look. The German government has proposed some shortterm measures, but at this stage, lockdown doesn’t appear to be on the cards. Nor are trade shows thought to be in danger – some mass events such as concerts and football matches could be temporarily put on hold, but trade events are being treated separately. There is talk of unvaccinated people not being allowed on public transport, and even a possibility that bars and nightclubs could have a curfew imposed.

However, unless the situation deteriorates rapidly and the German government is forced to consider even more draconian measures, the feeling is that the show will go on. There will almost certainly be fewer visitors from some regions (chiefly Asia and the US I would imagine), but the core German domestic, mainland European and UK audience will hopefully be fine to attend – as long as you have been double jabbed.

So, what can visitors to the show expect this time round? The Spielwarenmesse is traditionally the largest Toy Fair in the world, both in terms of visitors and exhibitors – and that isn’t likely to change. However, there will be some noticeable differences next year: inevitably, there are likely to be fewer exhibitors and visitors, with people from the Far East and perhaps the US market finding it more complicated to participate in the event. Nevertheless, visitors and exhibitors from the show’s core demographic – Germany, mainland Europe and the UK – should hopefully be fine to attend.

The change in exhibitor numbers has resulted in a few minor changes to the halls, with Hall 11.1 not being part of the plan for next year. However, other areas are being extended and new sections introduced: the Tech 2 Play section in Hall 4A is being expanded for ’22, so that exhibitors have more space to demonstrate product to customers. There will be a new Service Provider section in Hall 3A, comprising companies from the testing, packaging, logistics, marketing and production technology markets. A new Insights-X section – showcasing Stationery and Back to School ranges – will make its debut at the show, while Hall 8 will play host to a Start-Up Zone, highlighting German and international start-up companies. The Trend Gallery also moves to Hall 8, where it will be joined by a presentation of the nominations and winners of the Toy Award ’22.

Another new initiative for next year will be the Game Inventors Convention, which will be integrated into the Spielwarenmesse for the very first time on the Friday of the show. There will be meetings and events during the day, and an evening networking function, all aimed at bringing together games inventors and games companies.

Each year, the Spielwarenmesse works with the Trend Committee to identify key industry trends, which it presents to visitors at the show. For ’22, the Committee has settled on one ‘mega trend’ – Toys Go Green. There will be a special area in Hall 3A dedicated to this theme, with product presentations and knowledge sharing at its heart. Four key categories will be highlighted: Made by Nature, Inspired by Nature, Recycle & Create and Discover Sustainability. In addition, results of a special international toys & sustainability consumer study will be unveiled, while the Nuremberg Toy Awards will see a new Sustainable category introduced.

Exhibition organisers around the world have been working closely with local health authorities to ensure a safe working environment for attendees, and the Spielewarenmesse team is no exception. Regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, a complete change of air several times an hour in the halls, safe distancing and masks are all going to be pre-requisites for trade shows for the foreseeable future, while preregistration to attend the show is now mandatory – so please make sure you register in advance to buy your entry ticket. And while it is not confirmed at the time of going to press, it is highly plausible that proof of vaccination will be required to enter the show.

Thankfully, the essence of the Spielwarenmesse remains intact –retail buyers from across the globe will be able to see new launches from the vast majority of the main toy companies, all under one roof. Over the following pages, we bring you a selection of new lines which will be unveiled in Nuremberg in February. Next month, the January issue will include a further Nuremberg preview section, featuring those companies that were still finalizing their new ranges at the time this issue went to press.