Most beautiful experience at the Spielwarenmesse

Every Spielwarenmesse writes its own stories. For 2026, we asked our TrendCommittee: What is your very own personal favorite memory of the fair? Discover the diverse, surprising and sometimes even unusual experiences that our experts associate with the Spielwarenmesse. 

Gabriela Kaiser (first visit 2014)

I have such a wonderful memory of the RedNight 2023. We wandered through the fair as a small international TrendCommittee group (France, Poland, South Korea, and Germany) with the plan to visit exhibitors from these and perhaps other countries. Right at the first booth, we ended up with a Polish exhibitor who treated us so kindly with regional delicacies and alcoholic beverages that we almost didn’t manage to move on. With our bellies full and slightly tipsy, we continued our tour, conquering more booths and having so much fun along the way.

John Baulch (first visit 1982)

My first trip to the Spielwarenmesse was in 1982, when I had just turned 20 years old. It was also the very first time I had ever flown in an airplane! I was slightly nervous, but I was sitting next to a colleague on one side, and someone I knew from the toy industry on the other side, which helped. The toy person has been retired for several years, but when we speak or exchange emails, he still reminds me how he sat next to me on my first-ever flight.

I have been attending the Spielwarenmesse ever since, and have many wonderful memories of the show and my trips to Nuremberg. I have got to know the city very well over the past 40 years, but I always find something new every time I visit and look forward to my annual pilgrimage to ‘Toy City.

Jane Wong (first visit 2016)

I have attended Spielwarenmesse since 2016. In 2018, I was honored to join the Trend Committee as China’s representative, and in 2019, I contributed a trend insight article—"Toys4Kidults"—to the Spielwarenmesse Trendbook. This trend has since evolved into a major global direction in the toy industry. Notably, POP MART, a rising Chinese blind box brand that showed great potential back then, has grown from a domestic success to an internationally recognized name.
At the Nuremberg Toy Fair, I’ve been fortunate to connect with many experienced industry peers from around the world. Beyond exchanging insights on the toy market, we’ve had enriching cultural conversations. Despite our different backgrounds and languages, these interactions have been incredibly heartwarming. For instance, one fellow committee member, a fan of Chinese culture, would greet me in Cantonese—even wishing me "Gong Hei Fat Choy" (Wish you wealth and prosperity!) during Lunar New Year. A journalist from Norway and I had a fascinating discussion about traditional Chinese medicine and the Northern Lights. One particularly memorable moment was at a Spanish toy company’s booth, where exhibitors—excited to meet a Chinese journalist—eagerly discussed the Chinese market with me using translation apps despite their limited English. Not to mention the tremendous assistance I received from the Spielwarenmesse team during my stay at the fair.
Out of the fair ground, the kindness of the local residents also left a deep impression on me. Once, when I needed help, an elderly lady—despite not speaking English—went out of her way to find someone who could assist me.
These warm and genuine connections make Spielwarenmesse such a special and unforgettable experience to me.

Sujin Lee (first visit 2018)

I’m delighted to share one of my most unforgettable memories from the Spielwarenmesse.
I've been attending the fair since 2018, and each visit has left a deep impression — but nothing compares to the 2024 Toy Night. After a three-year hiatus due to COVID, returning to Nuremberg felt just like my very first time again. There was a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air, shared by everyone.
The highlight of that evening was the breathtaking motorcycle show inside a giant spherical cage — it was bold, thrilling, and completely unexpected at a toy industry event! I couldn’t take my eyes off it, and the roar of the crowd reminded me how powerful shared experiences can be in our community.
 

Katriina Heljakka (first visit 1996)

This is a photograph of my father, Markku Heljakka, and me. We take part in his farewell party at Spielwarenmesse 2023 to honor his retirement at Tactic Games’ booth in Hall 10.1. I treasure this moment captured in the photograph as it marks a milestone in our shared adventures in the toy industry: Markku started to take me to the toy fairs at an early stage: I was in my early twenties, when I first joined the Nuremberg toy fair in 1996 and have participated now some 25 times. My father, who used to come to the fair with his father, is a toy industry veteran with over 40 visits to the fair under his belt. For us, Nuremberg has always been the place to work hard, but also a great opportunity to remember the importance of play and togetherness. 

Axel Dammler (first visit in the last millennium)

I don’t even remember exactly when I first attended the Spielwarenmesse—it must have been in the last millennium. And with so many years, so many encounters, and so many impressions, there is actually very little that truly sticks with you over the years. But there is one thing: a toy that I saw at the fair and, as a self-confessed kidult, instantly fell in love with. Sometime in the 2000s, Mattel presented the original Starship Enterprise as a construction set by Mega Bloks at their own booth, with over 2,000 pieces. Cool! I just had to have this set, and since it wasn’t available in Germany, I ordered it from the USA. It was actually the only time I bought a toy just because of the fair! By now, this gem has become quite valuable and still has a place of honor in my office collection.