This one is going in the history books. New York Toy Fair is officially dead as they are not getting the attendance they once had back in 2020, before everything shut down. What’s worse is that the cost of travel, logging, food and transportation is at all time highs to play a factor in the decision making process. Not to mention that New York City was, and still is in a State of Emergency following the flooding, which caused flights delayed and/or cancelled, and transportation to and from the airports and through the City extremely difficult.
One of our contributors is on the showroom floor and alerted me about the situation. There will not be a Toy Fair in 2024, and the final event will be held in March in 2025 at Jacob Javits in NYC. After that, everything is moving South, to New Orleans, LA.
What are companies showing? Nothing new for 2024. Everything is coming in 2023, or at least some of the pre-orders. Playmates Toys is not allowing photography at their booth, and some people apparently don’t want to hear that and snuck some photo’s online. Shameful.
Other companies have items on display, and we’re hoping to get you some coverage soon.
New York, NY | October 1, 2023 – In response to a comprehensive evaluation of marketplace shifts and thoughtful consideration of the many constituents served, The Toy Association® Board of Directors announced today that the next Toy Fair® (aka the North American International Toy Fair) will take place in the first quarter of 2025, with March 1 to March 4 secured with the Javits Center in New York City. Following the 2025 event, Toy Fair will move to January at the award-winning New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The confirmed dates are: January 17-20, 2026; January 9-12, 2027; and January 15-18, 2028. The Toy Association and its board conducted an extensive national search to determine these dates and locations as the best available fit for the toy community in the upcoming years.
“Prior to the pandemic, we heard repeated calls that changing manufacturing lead times and retailer buying patterns demanded a shift of the iconic tradeshow’s timing from February into an earlier fall timeline. These factors and similar research findings were accelerated by the pandemic and as a board we were responsive,” said Aaron Muderick, chairman of The Toy Association and founder of Crazy Aaron’s. “Now, behaviors and inputs have returned to more traditional views that Toy Fair’s key audiences find the most value in a North American trade event taking place in the first quarter of the year, ideally mid-January. We have again listened and responded by crafting an optimal pattern based on the needs of those we serve.”
After a three-year hiatus, the world-renowned Toy Fair marked its 118th return to the global stage at the Javits Center yesterday, and more than 1,000 toymakers of all sizes are showcasing the hottest new toys, games, and youth entertainment products. The four-day show welcomes thousands of inventors, designers, licensors, importers, distributors, buyers, and media from around the world to explore the equivalent of nearly eight football fields filled with toys and games. The scale of buying-selling activity at all levels of the industry combined with the wide scope of audiences utilizing the show demonstrate the need for a central, large facility as integral to bringing together the vast diverse toy, play, games, allied products, inventor, licensing, entertainment, and other communities that make Toy Fair a world-class event.
“After gathering opinions from key retailers, members/exhibitors of The Toy Association and based on a number of evaluation factors including timing, high-quality space availability, access to transportation, and affordability for exhibitors and attendees, it became clear that New Orleans would be the best fit for the Toy Fair – and best meet the needs of all our diverse guests,” said Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of The Toy Association. “New Orleans has state of the art facilities including a brand-new airport, renowned restaurants, museums, music, an array of event spaces, and a strong collaborative partnership between the Convention Center, New Orleans & Company, and the business community, making it a perfect, welcoming fit for Toy Fair. We are confident in delivering a high quality, energetic, and seamless Toy Fair experience over the next four shows, in the same way we have been delivering on this promise for more than 100 years.”