• 361 companies enter 635 new products for the ToyAwards
• Winners to be announced at the Spielwarenmesse’s Opening Ceremony on 31 January 2017 at 6.30 pm

Exhibitors will be unveiling more than 75,000 innovations during the Spielwarenmesse. Gaining an overview and finding the most innovative products is nothing short of a challenge. In a move to give retailers and consumers some helpful guidance, Spielwarenmesse eG presents the ToyAwards to the most outstanding product innovations every year. A jury consisting of eleven experts recently convened in Nuremberg to select the best products from the many entries in the run-up to the 68th Spielwarenmesse. Three products have been nominated for each of the four age-specific categories:

•  Baby&Infant (0-3 years)
• PreSchool (3-6 years)
• SchoolKids (6-10 years)
• Teenager&Adults (10 years and older)

The categories and age groups have been adjusted slightly in response to changes in the market. This year, 361 companies (2016: 344) entered a total of 635 products (2016: 616) for a chance to win the coveted ToyAwards. This was more than ever before. The jury has selected twelve of them for this year’s ToyAwards. The nominees were chosen on the basis of various criteria, such as fun, originality, workmanship & quality, safety, market potential and comprehensibility of the product concept. The ToyAwards, which are being presented for the 14th time, rank among the most respected accolades in the toy industry.

The nominees for the ToyAwards 2017

Baby&Infant (0-3 years)

• Activity Gym/Done by Deer (Hall 2/E-11, F-10)
• Senso’ Chamäleon/Infantino Bkids (Hall 2/B-09)
• Tegu BEANS & TUMTUM Magnetic Wooden Block Set/Tegu (Hall 3A/F-16)

PreSchool (3-6 years)

• Kreide-Bombe/XTREM Toys & Sports (Hall 12.0/D-06)
• Mighty Mountain Mine/Hape International (Hall 3A/E-17)
• Wabenbausteine Bioblo/Wiener Spielkartenfabrik Ferd. Piatnik & Söhne (Hall 10.1/A-10)

SchoolKids (6-10 years)

• Geckobot/Genius Toy Taiwan /Kosmos/Thames & Kosmos (Hall 5/B-35)
• ICECOOL/AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit (Hall 10.1/C-04, D-09)
• LEGO BOOST/LEGO (Hall 12.2/P-01)

Teenager&Adults (10 years and older)

• PartyMic/iDance Audio (Hall 3A/D-14)
• Revell Control X-treme Raver VR Racer/Revell (Hall 12.2/P-13)
• Sjoel de Boules/ International Stationery (Hall 1/E-21)

The winners of the ToyAwards in four categories will be announced during the Opening Ceremony of the 68th Spielwarenmesse on 31 January 2017 at 6.30 pm. The nominees and winners will be on display in the TrendGallery of Hall 3A from 1 to 6 February 2017.

The Jury for the ToyAwards 2017
The eleven-strong jury comprises international sales representatives, market researchers, educators and a toy safety expert:
 

• Axel Dammler, iconkids & youth, Managing Director
• Andrew Dobbie, Gameplan Europe Ltd., Managing Director
• Dr. Thomas Märtz, VEDES AG, CEO
• Nadine Müller, Premini®, Managing Director
• Thorsten Paedelt, duo schreib & spiel, Managing Director
• Jochen Pohle, EK/servicegroup, Managing Director
• Andreas Schäfer, idee+spiel GmbH, Managing Director
• Vincent Stozicky, JouéClub, Frankreich, Commercial Director
• Marietheres Waschk, Akademie Remscheid, Social Education Worker and Play Educationalist
• Rainer Weiskirchen, TÜV Rheinland, Press Officer
• Thomas Wodzicki, BAG Spielmobile e.V., Project Developer

Text length: 3,161 characters

More details on the ToyAwards, the Jury and the previous year’s winners are available at www.toyaward.com.

Note for editors: Reprint free of charge. Images are available at www.spielwarenmesse.de/photos. Please provide us with a voucher copy on publication.

26.1.2017 – kk

Spielwarenmesse®
Spielwarenmesse, the leading international fair for toys, hobbies and leisure, is organized by the fair and marketing services provider Spielwarenmesse eG. The trade fair creates a comprehensive communication and ordering platform for 2,800 national and international manufacturers. The presentation of new products and the extensive industry overview provide a valuable pool of information for annual market orientation for more than 70,000 buyers and toy traders from over 120 nations. Spielwarenmesse® has also been a protected word mark in Germany since 2013.
Fair date: Spielwarenmesse®, Wednesday to Monday, 1 – 6 Feb 2017