Feature - Nuremberg Preview

Coming up at Nuremberg

Spielwarenmesse 2022 opens its doors from 2nd-6th February after being postponed and ultimately cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Firmly still on the calendar come late December, Toy World sums up what’s on the agenda for the leading German trade fair.

At the time of going to print, the latest from the organisers of Spielwarenmesse 2022 was that the show would be going ahead as planned, with strong support from exhibitors indicating the depth of feeling surrounding the importance of this event to the trade fair season. Uncertainty remains, particularly following the announcement on 19th December that Germany was to ban travellers from Britain in an attempt to slow the spread of the Omicron variant – a ban which may or may not have already been extended or rescinded. But for now, Toy World is going by the information provided, which is that the show must go on.

It’s been a tough couple of years for all those involved in the toy trade, but arguably even more so for young companies and start-ups, with a lack of trade shows and other opportunities to present their products to buyers in person. To rectify this and provide additional support, Spielwarenmesse 2022’s New Exhibitor Package was designed to help companies showcase their portfolio at this year’s event at particularly attractive rates.

Hall 8 will play host to the Start-Up Zone, highlighting German and international start-up companies, and is also the location of both the Trend Gallery and an area showcasing the winners of this year’s ToyAwards.

The ToyAwards welcomed a new category this year in Sustainability, reflecting the increased demand for eco-friendly/sustainable/recyclable/biodegradable toys and games. Further highlighting this growing sector is the Toys Go Green Area (Hall 3A), where visitors can find out all there is to know about this topic on four themed islands, discover and try out products, and deepen their specialist knowledge at the daily sustainability presentation in the adjacent Toy Business Forum (Hall 3A). On Wednesday 2nd, Belgian consultant Joeri Van den Bergh will tackle the question of how sustainable sustainability is for a brand, while US toys and trends expert Reyne Rice will turn the spotlight on sustainability and innovations. Thursday 3rd sees speakers including Axel Dammler of Iconkids & Youth discuss sustainability in toys and games.

The Toy Business Forum will be hosting a plenty of presentations on other topics, too, with top speakers lined up from across the globe and all sectors of the industry. The new Live on Stage programme kicks off with LicenseTalks from Wednesday to Saturday from 10.30 -11.30am. From 1-3 pm each day, the focus shifts to the changes and challenges facing retail in general and the toy sector in particular. In the late afternoon, in the Live on Stage programme allows companies to present their businesses, product portfolios and new products to visitors in handy 20-minute slots. All presentations, which are free and do not require registration, will be live-streamed for those that cannot attend in person, and will be simultaneously translated into German/English.

Games fans, meanwhile, have welcomed the news that the Bavarian Games Archive will take place on the Friday of Spielwarenmesse as the Internationale Spieleerfindermesse – Game Inventors Convention. Games developers will present their prototypes at individual tables in front of their target audiences, and a networking event to follow will allow participants to continue their conversations with games critics, publishers and trade journalists in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Tech2Play area (Hall 4A) has been expanded for 2022 and now houses more tech and electronic toy specialists than ever before. This highly interactive area is a popular and much-frequented part of Spielwarenmesse, inviting visitors to discover a wealth of technological innovations Robot Toys, RC Toys, Virtual Play and Electronic Learning. Service providers for retail and industry will also benefit from their own exhibition area for the first time, with the Service Providers’ Area (Hall 3A). Here, companies will showcase the solutions on offer in areas such as marketing, production materials, packaging, shopfitting and stand construction. Test and inspection institutes will also present their services, while the Future of Exhibition stand will highlight new, futureoriented technologies suited to our post-Covid world.

From mid-January, ticket holders will be granted access to the show’s new platform, Spielwarenmesse Digital. The platform offers assistance to retailers preparing for their visit to the fair, providing targeted searches for companies and product groups, as well as helping to manage contacts and arrange meetings – whether virtual or in person at the fair itself. Owing to the current situation with Covid, trade visitors can only purchase one-day tickets online - there won’t be any ticket counters at the exhibition centre itself. Admission screening and sanitiser stations will further increase on-site safety and testing will be offered too, while frequently used surfaces will be regularly disinfected. On site catering services will also adhere to stringent legal requirements. Visitors are assured that all safety and hygiene measures are being frequently updated as the situation evolves: the latest information can be viewed on the Spielwarenmesse website.

Christian Ulrich summarises: “The hygiene concept we have developed with the health authorities and venue operator NürnbergMesse will ensure that the Spielwarenmesse is held under safe conditions. Given the precautions and measures we are taking, we firmly believe that we can host a successful Spielwarenmesse that will serve to further boost the industry.”

Over the following pages, Toy World takes a look at some of the ranges set to be showcased at the 73rd Spielwarenmesse. Hope to see you there.