Special Feature - New York Toy Fair

Back in the New York Groove

Publisher John Baulch reports from this year’s New York Toy Fair. And he thought it was going to be a quiet trip….

Back in the New York Groove

This year’s New York Toy Fair was the first –and as it turned out, the last – to be held in September. The move from February to a new autumn timeslot had been made based on feedback from a couple of years ago, which suggested that the pandemic had altered retail selection and ordering patterns. In hindsight, these new timescales turned out to be temporary, rather than representing a permanent shift. More of that later…

Before we consider what will happen with future events, let’s look back on what happened at the first North American Toy Fair to be held for over three years. Many had cited the weather as a key advantage to moving the show to September – however, the Universe wasn’t playing ball. Media reports of an apocalyptic flood in New York greeted our arrival at Newark, although thankfully by the time we reached Manhattan the storm had passed. To be fair, it did look pretty horrendous in the boroughs and outlying districts, and the storms saw many flights cancelled, including that of Walmart team, who I understand sadly never made it to the show.

The TOTY awards once again provided the Friday night curtain raiser for the Toy Fair. It was a hugely successful night for Mattel, who took home no less than seven awards, followed by Lego with five and Jazwares and Playmates with two apiece. You can find a full list of winners below. One thing which came over loud and clear from the award ceremony was the sheer sense of elation from the US toy community that it was able to come together for the first time since February 2020 – exactly as we had seen at the London and Nuremberg Toy Fairs, when they returned post-pandemic.

The following morning saw the storm clouds disappear and Toy Fair open. If the aisles seemed marginally quieter than usual, that was perhaps to be expected – the LA toy event had been taking place for the preceding six weeks, while media and investor attendance may have been impacted by the new timing. Nevertheless, the audience still comprised a healthy blend of the domestic and international toy communities, with many retailers (major and specialty) and distributors making the trip.

Many had wondered in advance how the change of date would affect the show. It was no secret that some of the biggest toy companies wouldn’t be exhibiting: Mattel, Hasbro, MGA, Zuru and more. However, over 1000 exhibitors did take space on the show floor, around 10% more than were showing back in 2020. That figure also included 300 first-time exhibitors, who arguably would have had a better chance of meeting with retail visitors with some of the ‘big boys’ not present. In terms of overall visitor numbers, we were told that the attendance figure was likely to end up around 20,000, which was essentially back to pre-pandemic levels.

Some exhibitors chose to showcase ‘holiday’ ranges, which certainly worked for US specialty retailers and media visiting the show – speaking to our US contributor Rick Derr during the show, he found several new lines that he placed immediate orders for. For me personally and I suspect most of the US and global major retailers who attended, we were hoping to catch a glimpse of ’24 ranges. Some exhibitors kept these lines firmly under lock and key, but many others had some great new lines which we were given a sneak peek at.

Exhibitors had gone to great lengths to design their stands to align with the goals of the ‘Toy Fair Reimagined’ initiative, with many opting for a more open look and feel to stand design and presentation. Of course, there were still secret rooms on a number of stands, but overall, the majority of stands had a more welcoming feel than has often been the case in the past. Despite some initial reservations about the autumn timing, I was genuinely coming round to the idea that there were decent foundations to build on for future years. Then came the bombshell(s)…

We were invited to attend a press conference on Sunday morning. There had been rumours on Saturday of an announcement about future plans for the show. One by one, twists and turns were revealed. No show in 2024. Then back to New York in March 2025. We were just trying to process this information when the real bombshell was dropped; from 2026, we were told that the show would be moving to the second week in January …and relocating to New Orleans. We certainly didn’t see that coming; in fact, a few of the international journalists turned to me to check that they had understood correctly what had been said. Once the news spread, there was inevitably much debate about these new arrangements. Most accepted the logic behind not running a show in ’24, the Toy Association having decided that Q1 is the right timing for the event, rather than Q4. Clearly, two shows held a few months apart wouldn’t work.

Some questioned the March timing for 2025, especially as the reason the show moved from its traditional February timeslot to September was because February was deemed too late – although we were told that this was the earliest available slot in New York that year.

That said, the real bone of contention was the move to New Orleans in 2026. There were two principal concerns: the new timing and the location. In terms of timing, the plan would see the show falling in the week after Hong Kong and before London Toy Fair. With Nuremberg the week following London, that theoretically meant some people would potentially have been visiting four shows in four weeks. No-one was relishing that punishing schedule –especially Brits and Europeans, for whom London and Nuremberg are key events.

As for location, it quickly became apparent that the lack of direct flights – both international and domestic – was going to be a significant challenge. Ultimately, it turned out to be a challenge the toy community won’t actually have to face. Several weeks after the show, an email was sent to exhibitors and Toy Association members by Arron Muderick, chairman of the board of Directors, announcing that New Orleans will no longer host the event from 2026. Following a March event in New York in 2025, the show now intends to head back to New York – ideally in its original February time slot – from 2026, although exact dates are yet to be agreed with Javits. Intriguingly, the Toy Association also said it will be exploring how it can support members with activity in LA in autumn ’24.

The email stated: “I’m writing to you today not just as the chairperson of The Toy Association’s Board of Directors, but as someone deeply embedded in this industry, just like you. Our board is a mosaic of twenty voices from all facets of the toy world: manufacturers of various sizes, retailers, licensors, sales representatives, and more. Though our perspectives may differ on specifics, our common goal is unwavering: the prosperity of the toy industry and the growth of our businesses through healthy play. Feedback received is that last week’s Toy Fair was a resounding success, testament to the strength and unity of our community. Beyond the bustling trade show floor, it was a hub for learning, networking, and celebrating the vibrant creativity that propels our industry forward. Feedback, not nearly as positive, was also received about future January show timing and relocation of Toy Fair away from New York City. In 2022, in response to consistent decade-long industry feedback and further fuelled by unique challenges posed during the pandemic, Toy Fair was shifted to the fall with a goal of aligning to evolving dynamics in the industry. However, as it became clear that travel and business behaviour was returning to more

historical patterns, new feedback was received that would result in a tradeshow returning to the beginning of the year, ideally in January. Because the newly requested timeframe could not be accommodated in our current location, a comprehensive nationwide review of cities was launched for a site that could host us in January. While we aimed to adapt to the perceived shifts in our industry, the announcement of that change was met with strong feelings of tradition and enduring memories of toy business conducted in New York. We were swiftly reminded of our industry’s passionate bond to a place that no amount of research, conversation and learning had sufficiently surfaced.

As a board we have heard clearly that this change was the wrong choice for our members.

It has become abundantly clear through the passionate reaction, that the PLACE holds as much or more importance than the DATE, and that the industry’s desired location for the great industry-wide coming together remains New York City. Thus, we have recommitted to New York and the Javits Center. We will return to the first available opening (March 1- 4, 2025) and are working with Javits Center leadership to confirm dates in February for 2026 and beyond.

While February may not be completely perfect for all, given

that Toy Fair has been held during this time for nearly a century, we expect that it can be perfectly imperfect for the vast majority of members, exhibitors and buyers. We are confident that this incredible industry, representing tens of thousands of people sharing a collective goal of enabling play and happiness will, without a doubt, come together and make it amazing — as we always have.

It has also become abundantly clear that it is not in the best interest of the industry to wait until March 2025 for our next gathering. We have been exploring what meaningful role the Association can play around Los Angeles, which has emerged as a hub for early fall previews. We are actively exploring ways to support members there, starting in August/September 2024.

We must extend a sincere ‘thank you’ for the wonderful turnout and your invaluable support for the recent New York Toy Fair event. We also offer kudos to your dedicated Toy Association team for executing this complicated and comprehensive trade show with excellence.”

Toy World will keep readers up to date with further developments on the timing of the future shows in New York, and how the Toy Association approaches activity in LA – and, of course, any further changes to the plan. For now, if this was the one and only New York Toy Fair to be held in September…at least we can say ‘we were there’.

2023 Toy of the Year Award winners

• Action Figure of the Year: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem by Playmates Toys

• Collectible of the Year: Squishmallows – Pokémon Collection by Jazwares

• Construction Toy of the Year: Lego Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ House by Lego Systems

• Creative Toy of the Year: National Geographic Hobby Pottery Wheel by Blue Marble

• Doll of the Year: Barbie The Movie Dolls by Mattel

• Game of the Year: 5 Second Rule Relay by PlayMonster

• Grown-Up Toy of the Year: Lego The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell by Lego Systems

• Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Laugh & Learn Mix & Learn DJ Table by Mattel and Lego Duplo 3 in 1 Tree House by Lego Systems

• Licence of the Year: Barbie Franchise by Mattel

• Outdoor Toy of the Year: Monopoly Splash by WowWee

• Playset of the Year: Paw Patrol Mighty Aircraft Carrier HQ by Spin Master and Playmobil My Figures: Pirates’ Island by Playmobil

• Plush Toy of the Year: 16” Squishmallows by Jazwares

• Pre-School Toy of the Year: Magna-Tiles Downhill Duo 40-Piece Set by Magna-Tiles

• Ride-On Toy of the Year: Extreme Drift Go-Kart by Radio Flyer

• Specialty Toy of the Year: KAI: The Artificial Intelligence Robot by Thames & Kosmos

• STEAM Toy of the Year: Lego Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance by Lego Systems

• Vehicle of the Year: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem Pizza Fire Van by Playmates Toys

People-focused category winners

• Champion of Diversity & Inclusion: Brent Bell, Art director at Moose Toys

• Champion of Sustainability: G.B. Pillai, founder at Wild Republic

• Packaging Designer of the Year: Suzanna Lakatos, director of Packaging Design at Mattel

• PR/Marketer of the Year: Lisa McKnight, executive vice president & chief brand officer, Mattel

Campaign-focused category winners

• Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative:

• Gold Winner: First Barbie Doll with Down Syndrome by Mattel

• Silver Winner: Playsponsible Campaign by Spin Master

• Bronze Winner: Lego Replay by Lego Systems

Marketing Campaign

• Gold Winner: Barbie the Movie Marketing Campaign by Mattel

• Silver Winner: Moose Toys Makes Marketing Magic for Reveal of Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball by Moose Toys

• Bronze Winner: LankyBox Secret Mission Toy Launch by Bonkers Toys