Spielwarenmesse 2024: I was there!
Part 1
Trade visitors have very different goals when travelling to Nuremberg. In Part 1 of the Spielwarenmesse visitor portraits, they reveal what they are looking for and what motivates them.
By Peter Budig
Varinder Juneja and Satnam Grover
from West Delhi, India and Enfield, UK
Varinder Juneja and Satnam Grover are “old buddies” who gained management experience in sales and logistics. They set up their own consultancy firm with a staff of 22 and specialised in offering business solutions in the areas of international logistics, sales and finance. “We mainly use the trade fair to make new contacts. We want to provide more and more support to start-ups,” says Satnam Grover, who has been attending the trade fair since 2015.
Karin Leeb und Simone Rathmayr
from Wallern, Austria
HSW Werbemittel from Upper Austria primarily supplies large retail customers (banks, XXLutz, etc.) with customised promotional items. Karin Leeb (left) and Simone Rathmayr are at the Spielwarenmesse on behalf of their purchasing department. “We’re looking for new ideas, new manufacturers and attractive, visually appealing gift ideas. And we like to touch base with our existing suppliers,” Leeb says.
Shabbir Terai
from Malaysia
It’s no accident that we find Shabbir Terai where the balloons are. He buys balloons from all over the world to sell them on a large scale, especially in Malaysia, Thailand and Italy. Recently, he has expanded his product range to include “accessories, decorations and printed items, and that’s what I am focussing on this year. We also want to find and supply more events,” is how he explains his growth strategy.
Britta Meyer
from Meerbusch/ Germany
Britta Meyer is on a threefold mission at Spielwarenmesse 2024: As an independent retail consultant and ERFA moderator, she is looking for new members for the ERFA groups in the context of the idee+spiel and EK servicegroup associations. As publishing director of BuchMarkt: Das Ideenmagazin für den Buchhandel, she scouts the trade fair stands of games publishers for the 2024/2025 games booklet for the book trade. Finally, she is travelling with two retailers as a pearl diver and has inspiration for retailers on the subject of product presentation in her quiver: „ Our idea is a diving school for hidden treasures in stationary retail - in your shop." With so much entrepreneurial spirit, it's understandable that she travelled to Nuremberg with a packed calendar, met many retailers and manufacturers, attended events at the Toy Business Forum and also gave chance encounters a chance.
Catherine McCann
from London, UK
Catherine McCann and her colleague are buyers for John Lewis & Partners, a chain of high-end department stores in the UK. Their interests are wide-ranging: “…we basically keep an eye out for new and unusual items in all the halls: toys, sports equipment, stationery, board games...”, explains Catherine McCann, who has been attending the Spielwarenmesse for years.
Frank Heeren and Stephan Rink
from Hofheim-Wallau, Germany
Frank Heeren, geophysics graduate, founded Feuerland Spiele-Verlag in 2012. His colleague Stephan Rink, Feuerland’s “go-to guy”, has come with him to Spielwarenmesse 2024. Feuerland is known for its games for experts and connoisseurs, and its board game “Arche Nova” has long been a bestseller. “We’re here to meet international and national partners and to observe the games market in general. A bit of research into our competition is also part of our aim. But we don’t have a stand ourselves this year. The evenings are for appointments and meeting up with contacts,” Heeren says.
Michelle Shaw
from London
Michelle Shaw is a buyer for Urban Outfitters. The company has stores and websites in Germany and the UK and describes itself as a “chain with trendy, hipster-style clothing and accessories”, as reflected in Michelle Shaw’s chic outfit. “This year, I’m focussing on games, electronic games, plush toys and purses and wallets. I peruse the trends so I can make the right choices later,” she explains.
About the author
Peter Budig studied Protestant theology, history and political science. He worked as a freelance journalist, headed up the editorial department of a large advertising paper in Nuremberg for ten years and was the editor of Nuremberg’s Abendzeitung newspaper. He has been freelancing again since 2014 as a journalist, book author and copywriter. Storytelling is absolutely his favourite form.
