World of Toys programme at the Spielwarenmesse: Successful premiere in Tokyo
Spielwarenmesse eG reports a successful entry into the Japanese market: from 8 to 11 June, the fair organizer and marketing service provider from Nuremberg was represented for the first time with the World of Toys Pavilion at the Tokyo Toy Show. 30 exhibitors from eight countries took advantage of the all-round package of the joint stand at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre with various product categories and used the opportunity to make important contacts among the 68,597 visitors at the biggest event for toys in Japan. The organiser is the Japanese toy association, The Japan Toy Association, which divided the fair into two trade days and two consumer days.
Growing Japanese market
Most of the World of Toys exhibitors chose the Business Days for their appearance. They expected a promising market that is growing steadily despite declining demographic figures among the up to 15-year-olds: According to The Japan Toy Association, the domestic toy market grew by 6.7% year-on-year to a record 952.5 billion yen (= 6.3 billion euros) in 2022 based on retail price. Card games/trading cards, high-tech trends, plush toys, hobby items and toy cars saw the largest increase. The World of Toys participants also presented a wide range of products to the interested trade visitors at the Tokyo Toy Show on 360 m² - from baby and toddler products, board games, wooden toys and creative toys to musical instruments for children, model cars and outdoor articles.
Worthwhile appearance
Participation in the World of Toys Pavilion of Spielwarenmesse eG gave the exhibitors a particularly pleasant entry into the Japanese toy market: they benefited from a complete service package that included marketing services, a ready-made stand construction and personal on-site support. "The fact that everything was prepared at the fair and all we had to do was put our products away is a very convenient way for us," says Hank Fan, International Sales, who represents the Taiwanese company Karon Rubber with the silicone modelling clay Q-doh, and who was also satisfied with the way the fair went. Kyle Lu, Business Manager of LCD Models from China, was also pleased with the positive response from the Japanese trade: "We are in the high-priced collector segment with our model products and were able to make the brand better known in Japan through our presence at the fair, which was our primary goal." The quality of the decision-makers was praised by Alain Briand, CEO of Teknofun, whose interactive range includes various licensed characters: "We were able to have very good conversations at our stand, which will certainly lead to new cooperations." With similar expectations, the Frenchman will also travel to the USA in the autumn, where he will also participate in the World of Toys programme.
More international stations
For Spielwarenmesse eG is celebrating another premiere at Toy Fair New York from 30 September to 3 October 2023. With a total area of 200 m² and 17 exhibitors, the pavilion in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is already fully booked. In January, toy companies will have another opportunity to present themselves and their products in the Asian region with the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair. From 8 to 11 January 2024, the World of Toys Pavilion will be back in the highly frequented Concourse area in front of Hall 1. Registration is now open until 15 September. Spielwarenmesse eG will also support companies in their expansion into other countries with the usual services.