Games, Books, Learning and Experimenting
One of the Most In-Demand Product Categories and the Central Focus for a Third of Trade Visitors at Spielwarenmesse
Classic board games are among the top-selling product categories in toy markets worldwide. Publishers like KOSMOS and Asmodee continually develop new, innovative games, often incorporating digital features for smartphones and tablets. Educational and experimental games are also trending and are in high demand among manufacturers and retailers.
The product group at a glance
- The exhibition area for this product group is located in Halls 10.0, 10.1 and in Foyer 10.0
- All market leaders from this product segment in the areas of board games, puzzles and educational games are regular exhibitors
- The central location in Hall 10 can be reached quickly and easily
What our participants are saying
We have been attending Spielwarenmesse for over eight years – it’s one of the main events of the year for us. Here, we meet all our international partners and discover new games from around the world. The fair is a very special event for us, and this year has been another fantastic week.
Hervé Plas, Export Manager Blackrock Games
The Spielwarenmesse is an indispensable event for us. It’s the one time each year we meet all our customers, receive direct feedback, and expand our network – during the day at the fair and in the evenings in the bars. We are very happy to be part of this event and will continue to participate with full energy in the future.
Ricardo Barreto & Denis Görz, CEO Denkriesen GmbH
Products
In this product group you will find amongst other things
- Games
Children's games; Quiz games; Card games; Dice games; Jigsaw puzzles; Parlour games; Board games; Puzzles; Roleplays; Game accessories; Literature on games - Books
Children's books; Juvenile books; Talking books; Painting books; Manga, comics; Bookmarks, bookends; Children's magazines; Learning and teaching material - Learning and Experimenting
Educational games; Experimental kits; Globes; Atlases - Non-book
Posters; Paper, cardboard; Stationery; Calendars; Magnetic articles; Cartography - Licensed articles, sustainable products and products for people with special needs complete the product portfolio.
Visitor groups – How is the market
- Toy shops, mail order business, online shops, games shops
- Drugstores, supermarkets, department stores
- Food retailers, discounters
- Specialist media, trade publishers, booksellers, museum shops
- Games forums, game designers, game illustrators, game rental shops
- Decision-makers from all education sectors
- Social and public institutions, nursery/school outfitters
Target Group
Trade in children’s and young adult literature is well positioned for the future. Many publishing houses are increasingly relying on multichannel offerings and expanding their consulting expertise. In general, customers respond well to links between brick-and-mortar retailing and online offerings. Fuelled by the positive development in recent years, further growth is expected in sales of children’s books. The toy trade is also reaping the benefits of children’s love of reading. With literature, read-aloud, colouring, picture and audio books, retailers are offering the target group a broad mix of products to complete their range.
When choosing between paper and digital formats, it’s worth taking a look at what consumers in individual countries want. There is a general affinity towards e-books and multimedia books in English-speaking countries, while the target group in Germany, one of the biggest markets, still tends to prefer the printed word. A trend towards digitalisation can be seen in the area of non-fiction and picture books in particular, where interactive elements that offer a special reading experience are popular. This segment in particular has been growing steadily in recent years.
