75th Spielwarenmesse 2026: I was there!

In Part 1 of our visitor profiles, trade visitors share what draws them to Nuremberg and how they celebrated the 75th anniversary edition of the fair. Experience personal stories, diverse motivations and fascinating insights into the international toy industry!

By Peter Budig
 

Marco Rafailovic and Martin Koßatz

Collectibles-Team from eBay Germany

Why is eBay, a global online marketplace that does not operate its own warehouses, at the Spielwarenmesse? It mediates purchases and sales between buyers and sellers. Marco Rafailovic and Martin Koßatz from the Collectibles team are on site from Germany, focusing on collectibles such as LEGO, Playmobil, trading cards, toys, and model-making supplies. "Not only private individuals, but also professional dealers use eBay as a marketplace where people connect and trade collectibles," says Martin Koßatz. "We call it 'pre-loved': things that have been loved and continue to bring joy," adds Marco Rafailovic, who collects historic video games in his free time. Martin Koßatz, passionate about LEGO and trading cards, sums up why eBay is indispensable for dealers. “We provide the place, clear guidelines, and support services. eBay is not the only place for collectors, but it is an extremely important one. The Spielwarenmesse, with its focus on Kidults, brings together exactly the people we are looking for.”
 

Laurie Peterson and Alvaro Gonzalez

Game designer and founder of Rebel Play Studio, USA

Innovation is the driving force behind Laurie Peterson and her business partner, Álvaro González. Despite living worlds apart, they founded Rebel Play Studio together. Peterson and the studio are based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, while Gonzalez is originally from Uruguay and currently lives in Spain. They have been developing award-winning games and toys together for many years but only met in person for the first time at Frankfurt Airport at the end of January 2026. Their shared goal was to attend the Game Inventors Convention at the Toy Fair on Friday. They are both professionals in the gaming and toy industry. Alvaro has developed products for Hasbro, Sony, and Samsung. Laurie's products have won prestigious awards, including Most Innovative Toy of the Year and Toy of the Year. Examples of her products include a magnetic dollhouse and a Ghostbusters mobile game.

Lukas Boch 

Founding member of Boardgame Historian, Germany  

Lukas Boch is one of the founding members of the Boardgame Historian project and is co-responsible for the Middle Ages digital project. After successfully defending his doctoral thesis, he accepted a position as a research associate at the Bonn Lab for Analog Games and Imaginative Play (LAGIP) at the University of Bonn. As part of the management team, he will oversee the modern board game sector for the next six years. He describes the content of his doctoral thesis as follows: "In modern media, the Middle Ages are depicted as dark, dangerous, and often violent. Games, however, tend to depict the era's more cheerful sides, which I have thoroughly researched and evaluated." After his academic work, he will work on a project at the European Hansemuseum in Lübeck. He is jointly responsible for the exhibition "Let's Play Middle Ages." He recommends, "Don't miss the museum and the exhibition from October 9, 2026, to October 31, 2027! We also regularly organize gaming events in other museums to introduce people to science through the joy of playing."

Nazli Kalsin

Marketing and Communications Manager at tirtilkids.com, Turkey

Nazli Kalsin comes from Istanbul to the Spielwarenmesse. She travelled via Paris and enjoyed two days sightseeing in the French capital as a pleasure trip. That was a good start for the vibrant international Spielwarenmesse, where she is looking for goods for children, toys, clothing and electronic toys: “I’m looking out for new brands,” she reveals. That is her role as Marketing Manager for the online portal tirtilkids.com, for which she works. This is her third time in Nuremberg and she stays for five days.
 

Kathi Kappler and Johann Rüttinger

Publisher Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne, Germany
The legends of the board‑game industry looking for a buyer for their publishing house

The life’s work of trained graphic designer Johann Rüttinger stretches back decades and includes Drei Magier Spiele, Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne, and countless board games offered by other publishers. He first exhibited at the Spielwarenmesse in 1995 and continued to do so until 2024. Since the 1990s, he and his wife have lived in a historic mill in Uehlfeld, central Franconia, where they run the imaginative publishing house, Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne. This job allows them to manage all stages of game production; however, it is very time-consuming. For this reason, and because Johann will turn 80 in 2026, they are attending this year's Spielwarenmesse as trade visitors. They are visiting old and new board game publishing contacts with a clear objective: "We want to sell the publishing house, the brand rights, and the product line. As individual game designers, we will continue and want to collaborate with others. But we want to hand the publishing house over to the right people,” Johann explains of his well-considered plan. 
 

Julia Meier and Doris Herzog

Ballonkunst Herzog, Germany

Doris Herzog discovered her love for inflatable balloons of all kinds and sizes. Her employee Julia Meier shares the passion. Together they run Ballonwelt Herzog in Lahr. “Balloons are so versatile. As party décor, birthday gifts (preferably with money inside), as themed event items. They can be printed and designed on request, and they simply bring joy,” is their credo. They visit longstanding suppliers and keep an eye out for new ideas. Doris Herzog has been attending the Spielwarenmesse since 2007.
 

Maria Elena Simonelli

Sales manager for T.O. DELTA, Triest

In Hall 3, a smartly dressed woman is deeply engaged in conversation with a maker of wooden skill toys. One might speculate that she works with youth services. However, it quickly becomes clear that Maria Elena Simonelli., from the Italian port city of Trieste, has a different purpose at this fair. She is in charge of sales at a company called T. O. DELTA, a port operator with a single shareholder that is based on Via Della Rampa and describes its services as follows: "We are a multimodal logistics provider. We simplify the transportation of all kinds of cargo, including containers and general cargo. We take an integrated approach to logistics, container handling, truck transport, rail services, and inland ports." For Maria Elena Simonelli explains it even more clearly: "I sell space on container trains. Connections via the Port of Trieste are faster, simpler, and perfectly organized by us. We are a small terminal with a long Habsburg history. We solve all freight problems, from container transport by road and rail to overseas shipping, directly for the customer." She emphasizes, "I don't handle toys directly, even though there are many lovely things here. I solve freight problems of every kind." To the questioner, Maria Elena Simonelli is the perfect example of how the Spielwarenmesse fosters fair and peaceful trade and services.

Yegor Makaschutin 

Category Manager at Galaxus, Deutschland/ Schweiz

Yegor Makaschutin works for Switzerland's largest online retailer but continues to live in Hamburg. The Swiss online market leader, Digitec, specializes in IT, consumer electronics, and telecommunications. Galaxus, Switzerland's largest online department store, stocks a wide variety of products for everyday needs. These two online shops, digitec.ch and galaxus.ch, comprise Digitec Galaxus AG, which employs approximately 1,600 people. Makaschutin is responsible for the “children's goods” section. "First, I determine if manufacturers and products are a good fit for us, and then I see if collaboration is possible." At the toy fair, he looks for high-quality toys and stuffed animals. However, the product that generates the most sales in his area is very mundane. "Diapers," reveals the manager.

Inka and Markus Brand

Creators of Exit – the game at KOSMOS Verlag, Germany

They are undisputed stars of the board‑game scene. With „Exit – the Game“ the Brand couple has reached new heights: their team, which now includes their 23-year-old daughter, is celebrating its tenth Exit anniversary at the Spielwarenmesse. In Exit games, a team of players tries to escape a situation or room as quickly as possible by solving various tasks or puzzles. In the board game version, the Brands—who still enjoy visiting escape rooms and testing themselves on the challenges—use all the game materials, including the packaging, as the playing field for solutions. These materials are usually destroyed while solving the puzzles. The Brands' Kosmos Exit games hit the zeitgeist with their concept, suspense, and design, appealing to players of almost all ages. In ten years, 30 million (!) games have been sold in 35 countries worldwide. For the Brands, this is both a blessing and a curse. "With the goal of producing roughly four games per year plus the advent calendar, you hardly think of anything else. Every route and encounter in daily life is checked for suitability as an Exit puzzle. It's fascinating, but also sometimes exhausting," says Inka Brand. Exit games are available for beginners, advanced players, and professionals. However, according to Markus Brand, that doesn't change the task for the creators. "We simply change the type and amount of hints that lead to the solution. Every story works for all difficulty levels.”