touchingbase
2024
My Toy Fair As Toy Fair celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, exhibitors tell Toy World what they are looking forward to and share their favourite memories of the show.
Malcolm Ottley - Senior vice president, Funko For Funko, 2023 has been all about our amazing launch of Bitty Pop! These micro-sized collectibles of some of the world’s favourite properties have been a huge success and really resonated with our fanbase around the globe. We’ve seen tremendous growth and excitement with this category release. In fact, we’ve seen Bitty Pop! rise to being the fifth brand in Action Figures and Collectibles subclass across the UK in October 2023 and eighth in the category YTD, after a release in only July. In 2024, we’re expanding the range to feature even more licences and form factors to ensure fans can continue to grow their Bitty Pop! collections in new ways. I always look forward to the social side of Toy Fair, getting to see former colleagues, industry contacts and customers alike makes London Toy Fair a richly rewarding experience. Having side chats during coffee or reconvening after the show for a stronger drink in the evenings is a real pleasure. There are so many wonderful and talented people working in this industry and we often don’t get to meet as much as we’d like, so London Toy Fair is a fantastic opportunity to regroup and come together to both catch up and do business.
Kate Gibson - Managing Director, Gibsons Games I am extremely excited to launch our new comic range of puzzles, Jokesaws. Featuring comedy moments in every corner, there are three fantastic designs to choose from, with more to follow later in the year. With 1000-pieces, themes include Midsummer mayhem and all the mishaps of a country fair. My fondest Toy Fair memory is our centenary year in 2019 - any opportunity for a bottle of bubbly on the stand! As well as being interviewed live for BBC London evening news, we had a lucky dip for customers and a special display of our games from the 100 years we had been trading. It was an extremely proud moment for our company. This year’s show will be just as special, as it is our first as a certified B Corp, meaning we are part of a global community of businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental impact. At Gibsons, we provide quality with a conscience and will continue to use our business as a force for good as we enter this new era.
Chris Lohmeyer - Managing director, DKB Toys & Distribution The range I am most looking forward to showcasing at this year’s Toy Fair must be Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty. We have come a very long way in 18 months with this brand, and we are only just touching the surface. We will be showcasing new designs, new product types, even an entirely new segment. Buyers will 100% want to stop by the DKB stand to see this and all the other awesome things we have on show. The fondest memory I have of Toy Fair is seeing all the hard work from my excellent team come together. DKB is such a tight group of people; we love working together and achieving a united goal, and Toy Fair is just one of those goals. Bearing in mind that DKB Toys has only been around for three years, the scale of our Toy Fair stand really is something to behold. I can’t wait to welcome everyone to the stand to see all our brilliant ranges - plus a couple of new ones we are set to unveil.
David Kelly - VP Sales and Marketing, Skillmatics At London Toy Fair, I'm most looking forward to showcasing our Guess in 10 range. It's simple, fun and the kids can develop many key skills like problem solving, decision making and creative thinking, as well as social and communication development. Our Guess in 10 range also boasts great licensed products such as Marvel and Harry Potter. Although this is probably a funny moment for your readers, it wasn’t so much for me at the time, but nevertheless it's a lasting memory. Many years ago, at a previous company, I was showing a couple around our stand, and I referred to the gentleman as the lady’s father. She turned to me and said, "That's not my father, that's my husband." At that moment, I had an out of body experience as the ground opened beneath me, and I slowly fell into the abyss. Luckily, they saw the funny side and ended up becoming good customers.
Toy World 194
