TrendCommittee

Every year, the Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee looks for the latest trends within the toy industry. It is made up of international experts, trend scouts, market researchers and journalists with years of experience. The 12-member team consists of: 

John Baulch (England)

John Baulch has over 30 years experience of working in the UK toy trade press, dating back to 1980, when he first joined Toy Trader magazine. In January 1983 he moved to Toys n Playthings, where he stayed until June 2011, when he left to launch his own toy trade magazine - Toy World. In less than two years, Toy World has established itself as the leading UK toy magazine, renowned for having its finger on the pulse of the vibrant, fast-moving toy industry. 

Clara Blasco (Spain)

Clara Blasco has a master's degree in product design and is a design and trend researcher at AIJU, the technology center for children's and leisure products in Spain. She has worked as a toy designer, UX researcher and lecturer. Clara Blasco advises toy companies and childcare facilities on the development of products, services and communication strategies, always focusing on people. She coordinates R&D projects with companies and moderates innovation workshops from a design thinking perspective. Since 2017, she has been leading research projects investigating the extent to which sustainability aspects play a role for users and consumers of toys and children's products. She is also the author of various publications dealing with trends in children's social behavior, education and childcare products and participates in numerous events where these findings and trends are made available to the public. 

Daniele Caroli (Italy)

Daniele Caroli worked as a journalist in the music industry until 1985 and later in consumer electronics. As editor-in-chief of the trade magazine Il Giornale dell'Infanzia (1994-2018) and the toy trade magazine Giochi & Giocattoli (2000-2013), he served as president of the Baby Care Magazines International BCMI (2004-2007) and the International Toy Magazines Association ITMA (2008-2012). He has been a member of the Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee since 2013 and has been writing for Spirit Of Play, the Spielwarenmesse's online magazine, since 2020.

Axel Dammler (Germany)

Axel Dammler is managing partner of iconkids & youth, Germany's largest specialist institute for child and youth research. Born in Lemgo, he studied communication science in Munich after graduating from high school. He has been working with young target groups since 1992 and has since conducted numerous studies on national and international media and consumer goods markets. He also works as a consultant and has published more than 50 articles and several books. His latest book “ Rosa Ritter, schwarze Prinzessinnen” on the gender debate was published in October 2011. Axel Dammler is also a regular interview partner for radio, TV and print media and is a frequent speaker at associations, for political and social institutions and at national and international marketing conferences.

Steven Ekstract (US)

Steven Ekstract is the Founder and Managing Director of Global Licensing Advisors, a boutique consultancy that advises and connects brands seeking to grow through licensing and strategic collaborations. In 2022, he launched X Tracks Licensing Summits, a series of executive-level conferences exploring the future of licensing and key areas of industry growth.

Prior to founding Global Licensing Advisors and X Tracks, Ekstract was the founding publisher of License Global magazine, the leading trade publication for the licensing industry, and oversaw a portfolio of media properties dedicated to brand licensing. He also served as Brand Director for the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, where he provided strategic oversight and editorial direction for the company’s flagship Licensing Expos in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and China.

An internationally recognized voice in the licensing industry, Steven is a frequent speaker at global conferences and events. He is the co-author, with Stu Seltzer, of Brand Licensing For Dummies (Wiley), a practical guide offering a clear and accessible introduction to the licensing business. He also serves on the Trend Committee for Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, the world’s largest toy fair.

Philippe Guinaudeau (France)

Philippe Guinaudeau is CEO of the market research companies Kidz Global and BrandTrends and can look back on over 30 years of experience in the field of market research. Together with his team, he aims to provide his clients with customized and effective solutions for all segments of this highly competitive and rapidly changing market. Prior to founding Kidz Global and Melipan, he was a senior executive at NPD Group, a global cross-industry leader in consumer and retail data. There, as well as during his tenure as a consumer durables consultant at AC Nielsen, Philippe gained extensive experience in the toy and games market as well as the licensing and entertainment industry in North America, Europe, Australia, South America and Asia. 

Katriina Heljakka (Finnland)

Researcher of toys, play, and playful learning, Katriina Heljakka (Doctor of Arts, PhD), is a visiting researcher at Turku School of Economics, Pori Unit, Finland. She is an expert in toy and play-related research, holding two doctoral degrees that focus on toys and play. Previously, Katriina has worked in the toy industry as a game designer and creative manager, a play expert in the non-profit sector, and a doctoral and postdoctoral researcher in academic projects in Finland. Her research interests include the emerging toyification of culture, toy design, and technology-driven and transgenerational play practices. Her work on contemporary character toys, kidult toy play, analog and digital games, playful environments, and playful learning as a lifelong phenomenon has been featured widely in academic journals, books, and conference proceedings. Heljakka has received multiple research awards and has participated in designing playful spaces for academia, museums, and art exhibitions. She is a long-time member of the International Toy Research Association (ITRA).

Gabriela Kaiser (Germany)

Gabriela Kaiser, born in 1969 in Frankfurt/M., studied textile technology with a focus on design in Mönchengladbach and worked as a designer for almost 6 years before setting up her own trend agency. She has been working as a trend scout and consultant throughout Germany since 2002 and has since counted well-known companies from industry and retail as well as trade fairs and trade magazines among her clients. From summer semester 2010 to winter semester 2013/14, she taught strategy and trend research at the Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg in the Department of Design. Gabriela Kaiser always has the entire lifestyle in mind when researching new trends.

Urszula Kaszubowska (Poland)

Urszula Kaszubowska is editor-in-chief of Branza Dziecieca, Poland's largest trade journal for toys and baby products. She is also a member of the selection panel for the “Toy of the Year” competition, which is held every year in Poland. Urszula Kaszubowska also has publishing experience, having worked for one of Poland's largest publishing houses for 17 years, including as publishing director for hobby magazines.

Sujin Lee (South Korea)

Sujin Lee, the founder and CEO of Gem Factory, has been working on various projects since the company was founded in 2014. In addition to product development, brand development and marketing, he has been working on a data platform project since 2018. Gem Factory launched Gemi-rawn AI in 2021. It is the only solution provider for analyzing and predicting toy and animation content. Through Gemi-rawn AI, Gem Factory is digitizing the toy market. 

Reyne Rice (US)

Reyne Rice is always on the trail of the latest toy trends worldwide. She is vice-chair of ITMA and works as a journalist, editor and author of numerous international publications. Reyne Rice is a consultant, broadcaster, speaker, industry analyst and jury member on numerous committees. She attends 24 trade shows worldwide each year to track and report on the latest and most important trends in toys & games, entertainment and licenses, and technology for children and families. She has been the owner of the Toy Trends consultancy in New York since 2003.

Jane Wong (China)

Jane Wong is the Deputy Editorial Director of TOY INDUSTRY, the largest monthly magazine for the Chinese toy industry. Based in Guangdong Province, where most of the world's toy manufacturers are located, she has direct access to the latest and hottest news on products, manufacturers and industry trends. Jane Wong is also involved in research & analysis of the toy market in China and other countries and writes articles, reviews and blogs for the Toy Industry Omnimedia Center, the most influential digital media for the Chinese toy industry.