Special Feature - 2022 Toy Fair Review

Nice to see you, to see you nice

Well – wasn’t it nice to be back at Toy Fair? Last year just didn’t feel the same following the understandable cancellation of this (usually) unmissable show, which in 2021 was one of many that fell victim to the impacts of Covid. Having recovered from an exceptionally busy three days, Toy World takes a look at Toy Fair’s hugely successful return to the trade show calendar and finds out from attendees what made it such a hit.

Toy World readers who frequent LinkedIn will know that towards the end of January, their feed was completely taken over by posts about Toy Fair: who was going, the companies that were showing, the products people were most excited to see. It was a daily deluge of posts from giddy kidults just clearly over the moon to be back at one of Europe’s greatest toy trade events.

This year’s overhaul to the usual floorplan, necessitated by comprehensive (and largely unnoticeable) redevelopment works to Olympia, appeared to be quickly accepted by all. Indeed, the Toy World stand, situated between the two halls on the ground floor, has never been busier – thanks to all those that stopped by to say hello to Anita or anyone else from the team who happened to be there at the same time.

Majen Immink, director of Fairs & Special Events at the British Toy and Hobby Association, told Toy World: “It was fantastic to open the doors at Toy Fair 2022 and welcome back the industry after not being able to have a show in 2021. Providing a platform for suppliers and buyers to do business in person once again, all under one roof, and to get hands-on with the new product launches was invaluable. There was a great buzz of positivity around the show, kickstarting business for the industry in 2022 and we hope this carries on throughout the year for the toy industry. I’d like to say a big thank you to all participants who attended the show for their ongoing support of Toy Fair. Without the support and demand from the industry for Toy Fair to go ahead, it just wouldn’t have been possible to put on such a successful show. Congratulations and thanks to our exhibitors who were patient and supportive in light of the ever-changing government guidance and adapted accordingly in line with the rules around Health and Safety.”

Majen added: “We are receptive to all feedback which we welcome with a view to continually evolving and improving the experience for all participants and we look forward to welcoming the industry back again in 2023, with exhibitor applications opening at the end of March.”

While visitors were throwing themselves into meetings with exhibitors, Day 1 of the show saw the 23 winners of the 2022 Toy Fair Hero Toys awards unveiled. Viewed by many as a barometer for what themes will be fashionable in the year ahead, the winners spanned a selection of popular licences, including Spider-Man, CoComelon and Hey Duggee, products that represent family play, and STEM toys, from household names to first time exhibitors.

“Despite challenges in 2021, this year’s list of Toy Fair’s Hero Toys represents the creativity and continued commitment to innovation by the toy industry to enhance children’s play experiences,” commented Rebecca Deeming, Public Relations & Events manager for the BTHA. “The competition for selection has been strong, and the list is filled with the potential biggest sellers for 2022. While many themes are represented across the 23 winners, educational toys are clearly becoming more popular with consumers, reflected in the higher demand for STEM toys. I’d expect more toy companies to respond to this demand in 2022.”

The awards continued later the same day, with the announcement of the winners of the 57th annual Toy Industry Awards by the BTHA and the Toy Retailers Association (TRA). The Barbie Day to Night Dreamhouse, Mattel and Smyths triumphed, winning Toy of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Toy Retailer of the Year respectively.

Ty, which won Plush Toy of the Year win for Squish-A- Boo, was overjoyed with the accolade. Speaking to Toy World, Ty Warner, CEO & founder at Ty Inc, commented: “I’m delighted that the British Toy and Hobby Association has awarded the prestigious Plush Toy of the Year award to our Ty Squish-a-Boos. We appreciate this recognition and thank the retailers, especially our independent partners who we continue to support. They have always shown huge support for Ty, making our Squish-a-Boo range such a big success.”

A TRA Outstanding Contribution Award was also presented to Dream Toys’ Gary Grant for his individual contribution to the Dream Toys event over many years. Dave Middleton, meanwhile, took home the award for Independent Multi-Store Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 10 stores). In a post on LinkedIn, Dave was quick to thank the suppliers that supported Midco Toys in 2021, in his words ‘especially the ones who go above and beyond’.

Dave also took the time to highlight the role the Toymaster buying group has played in the success of his business, noting that while he’s been ‘a pain in the ass over the years’, the Toymaster team has always supported him. He added: “The fact that no matter who won the award in our category was a victory for Toymaster, as all finalists were members, shows the strength of the group and I would urge any independent toy retailer to speak to them.”

And many did: the Toymaster Lounge on the Upper Gallery was a hive of activity throughout the show, as prospective new members sat down with Paul Reader (marketing director), Yogi Parmar (managing director), Brian McLaughlin (business development manager) and others to find out about the many perks the group offers indie retailers. Brian told Toy World: “It was great show for Toymaster and for our members, who were able to see many new products and ranges for the first time in nearly two years. We had lots of good enquiries from independent retailers about Toymaster and the support we provide to our members. If any independents out there are interested but didn't have time to come and see us, then they can still contact us, we are happy to speak with them. And of course, a special thank you must go to the BTHA for organising a great show.”

Back on the show floor, there was a palpable buzz in the air throughout the three days. Press Day, as always, played host to a number of famous faces: the Toynamics UK & Ireland stand welcomed the retail entrepreneur, investor and reality television personality Touker Souleyman (whom many will know from BBC’s Dragon’s Den) to the stand to talk about Timio, the new screen-free educational audio device, while Matt Edmondson, the British television and radio presenter turned games designer, was on hand at Asmodee’s stand to demo the latest titles from his company Format Games. Popular gameshow host Stephen Mulhern also made a return appearance to raise the profile of Asmodee’s In For A Penny game, and renowned child psychologist Professor Sam Wass, known for his work on the Channel 4 programme The Secret Life Of…, told visitors to the Melissa & Doug stand how the company’s toys help early years development.

While meetings were taking place, there was also plenty of time for fun. Over on the Just Play UK stand, Toy Fair visitors were asked #ThinkYouCanSlink? with a staircase wall and three attempts to get their Slinky from the top to the bottom in the fastest time possible. Tuesday’s winner was Cat Robinson from Disney, with an overall fastest time of 3.48 seconds, while Wednesday’s was Viral Talent’s Laura Edwards (3.73 seconds) and Thursday’s was Alison Coates (3.87 seconds) from Universal Creations. Marketing manager Katie Gritt told Toy World: “Our #ThinkYouCanSlink? challenge was extremely popular, and it was great to give visitors the opportunity to have some fun with Slinky. There was certainly lots of laughter, which was great to hear.”

Over at Golden Bear, meanwhile, people were spotted dressed up in cow ponchos, desperately pumping an ‘udder’ faster than their opponent to avoid being squirted with water, and MV Sports offered visitors the chance to win an incredibly cool Batmobile style electric ‘scooter’. Day 1 of the fair also saw Toy World publisher John Baulch and Pittilla PR’s Julie Pittilla ambushed by cake and the BTHA in celebration of their support of 40 Toy Fairs. Debate may have raged about whether it was John’s 40th or 41st event, but who’s counting?

The Editors Choice Awards were announced on Day 2, with Rainbow Designs’ Talking Paddington, HoloToyz’s AR stickers, books and more, and Build Your Own’s Pinball Machine revealed as the top three exciting toys of the show, as voted for by attending journalists. As first-time exhibitors, Kate and Declan Scott were understandably very excited that Holotoyz was recognised with the second-place award, while Build Your Own’s Editor’s Choice award was one of two racked up on the Wednesday; the company also took home one of the best stand awards for its impressive use of recyclable cardboard - some of which was used to create a rather lifelike gorilla.

This year, it was noted that numerous companies had opted for a far more open stand design than in previous years; indeed, one of the Best Stand Award categories was for ‘Best Covid Adaptation’. Casdon bagged that one for its light and modern stand, reflecting the company’s brand refresh. Steve Richardson of SJR Associates, UK distributor for Dolu, said his own open-sided stand approach resulted in far more impromptu meetings than he expected, sentiments echoed by Schleich’s trade marketing manager, Paul Dearlove. Paul said: “Covid considerations meant our stand design was simpler, more open-plan and more focused on new products than ever before, and that proved to be a successful strategy that we will be taking forward for future shows. Like many suppliers, we had strongly encouraged retailers to make advanced appointments, and the subsequent regulated flow of visitors really helped with stand management. That said, we still had lots of ‘walk ons’, some of whom had made last minute decisions to attend the show, and we also saw several European customers, who would normally only attend Nuremberg.”

Casdon Toys won Best Adaptation of a Stand in a Covid year, due to its spacious and easy to clean set up.

Paul added: “In terms of visitor quality, it was without doubt a marked step up from recent years, both from the majors and the independent trade. We’d go as far to say it was the best representation we have ever seen on our stand. If the overall numbers were down, then it felt like it was the casual visitors, marketing suppliers and influencers who had stayed away, so we could really focus our time and efforts with our loyal customers. And we would like to thank every single one of them for taking the time to visit our stand and share in our exciting plans for 2022. I’m not sure if it’s a case of us all being two years older, or just out of practice, but it felt as if it took a little longer to recover this time around. The adrenaline is still pumping though, and we’re already looking forward to London 2023.”

The return of Toy Fair provided several first-time exhibitors with the opportunity to get their products in front of the largest assembly of toy buyer’s the European trade show calendar is likely to see this year. It’s been a challenging period in which to set up a company, let alone keep one running, and it was wonderful to see start-ups and newbies finally able to make use of the enormous networking opportunities that Toy Fair offers.

“This was Reydon Sports’ first time exhibiting (and visiting) the Toy Fair, and what a first experience it was,” enthused Andy Griffin, marketing director at Reydon Sports. “The atmosphere was fantastic across the whole three days, and we met with some great clients inside and outside of the industry. Our exclusive B2B distribution of Franklin Sports and Nerf for this year was one of the key USPs we wanted to showcase at the Toy Fair; within the first hour of the show we had interest in these brands, so it was mission accomplished from the get go. Our first-time advertising in Toy World magazine also made a huge impact. Shouting about our business model, USP and stand number generated lots of leads. In summary, it was perfectly organised and offered super engagement, and we will 100% see everyone again in 2023.”

The Greenhouse once again played host to a number of smaller companies and start-ups, and always seemed to be very busy no matter the time of day. When Toy World managed to have a proper catch up with Nazneen Yasin, founder of traditional toy company Fabula Toys - a new entrant to the UK toy industry - she told us she was absolutely overwhelmed at the response from buyers and visitors alike, as well as the warmth and inclusiveness of the top players in the market. She added: “Over the three days, we clocked multiple orders from independent shops across the country as well as distributors internationally. Simultaneously we met with some of the key names in the business, who weren't just open to discussing collaborations, but also extremely helpful at pointing us in the right direction. And we got some great media coverage too - which has nicely covered the holy trinity. Overall, we feel like a proper part of the industry after just one event, and that's so much more than what we were expecting."

Of course, the majority of Toy Fair exhibitors were familiar faces, but for some it was still the first trade fair following the establishment of new regional teams and/or offices. Magic Box is one such company. Long a familiar Toy Fair face, the company introduced its new Magic Box UK Team shortly before the three-day event kicked off, and says it enjoyed an overwhelmingly positive reaction to both the Magic Box stand and all its new products. Nicola Bergot, UK managing director, added: “Clearly, two years cooped up doing video calls resulted in everyone being enthused and happy to be meeting face to face again. It made an enormous difference being able to have real conversations and get proper feedback, presenting ranges in front of the product instead of via a camera. You really can’t beat it, and it was evident how much it has been missed. We are hopeful that those positive and productive meetings will translate into great business.”

By the time the show drew to a close, it was clear it had been nothing short of a resounding success. You hear those words about trade events a lot: sometimes it’s an accurate appraisal, sometimes it’s a little generous. But in the case of London Toy Fair 2022, every bit of praise heaped upon it (and then some) is well deserved. The feedback the Toy World team received from visitors and exhibitors throughout the show was nothing short of exemplary, and though we went home with very sore feet (and in the case of one of us, no voice), it was worth it. What a comeback. Congratulations must go to the entire team at the BTHA for putting on such a magnificent event, and for working so hard to keep all attendees both safe and happy at such a challenging time.

For this piece, we’re giving the final opinion Howard Shaw of Chester Toy Wholesalers, who wrote to Toy World to share his opinion on the event in the days immediately following the show. Howard’s done a lovely job summing up why the show was so special this year: you can read his thoughts below.

“I’m travelling back from Toy Fair and reflecting on the last two days,” Howard says. “This was the first large scale event of any type I had attended since Toy Fair and Spring Fair 2020. In the past two years, our industry has adapted as smoothly as possible: online meetings, personalised video follow up pages - I was even grateful a customer had dragged me on to WhatsApp. And the numbers don’t lie; it seems that on the whole, we’ve coped admirably. But it takes an event like Toy Fair to make you realise something was missing.

No matter what the tech experts would have us believe, there really is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting, nor viewing new products in the flesh (as many a buyer on AliExpress can attest). Personally, I get the added bonus of meeting with both suppliers and customers in one go. Getting instant feedback and discussing potential new ranges can prove invaluable. Virtual showroom tours serve a purpose, but it’s a bit like playing Virtual Reality Golf. It may be good, but it’s not the same as the real thing.

Toy Fair also offers those chance meetings; catching up with a friend you might not have seen for too many years, or saying hello personally to a customer you recognised from their Livestream sales. When the other big toy fairs have had to postpone for yet another season, I think the BTHA, exhibitors and visitors can be rightly proud of a show well executed. The general positivity around the whole event proves we are an industry that likes to get stuck in, and crack on. That has to be celebrated.”

The Best Designed Stand (Shell Scheme) was won by Build Your Own – it was made of cardboard to reflect the company’s green credentials.