Toy Fair Everywhere is a new series of virtual market weeks for the global toy and play community.
Created by the US Toy Association to fill the void left by cancelled in-person events and meetings that normally occur leading up to the holiday selling season, the Toy Fair Everywhere market weeks are set to take place from 13th-19th July, 17th-23th August, and 14th-20th September 2020 at www.ToyFairEverywhere.com.
“It quickly became clear to us that the pandemic would have a significant and lasting impact on the toy industry, and we recognised an opportunity to provide something positive for buyers and sellers gearing up for Q4 sales,” says Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. “We had been working on the development of a B2B digital marketplace for the last seven years with our tech partners at Balluun, so we were well-poised to deliver an immediate solution that will keep toy businesses moving forward.”
As the time of writing, upwards of 100 exhibiting companies are said to have signed on to showcase their brands during one or more of the market weeks, including 3Doodler, Carrera of America, E-Blox, Faber-Castell USA/Creativity for Kids, Goliath, Haba USA, Klutz, Safari, Schylling, Toysmith, Ty, Zing and Wrebbit Puzzles. The organiser claims that Toy Fair Everywhere has received interest from hundreds of retail buyers and members of the press who will be able to browse exhibitors by category, explore a calendar of daily events, and book appointments for virtual demos and chats using the platform.
“With the goal of delivering business continuity and business-building opportunities for as many industry stakeholders as possible, there are no limits on booth availability, which makes Toy Fair Everywhere especially unique compared to in-person shows where booth space is limited,” notes Marian. “By engaging with customers and prospects digitally, brands will have the opportunity to easily connect with stores looking to fill shelves, notify them of product and shipping availability, and address any shortages the current business environment may have created. Toy Fair Everywhere will also be of great interest to the global toy buying community who can participate without the expense, hassle and worry about travel this year.”
“We believe that the need for face-to-face engagement will never disappear, and that there will always be the need for the industry to come together – but the harsh reality is that that cannot happen anytime soon,” finishes Marian. “Toy Fair Everywhere, first and foremost, is about moving the business of our members forward. We are working day and night to make it a solution and a success for everyone in the toy space.”
For information about exhibiting, contact The Toy Association’s Stacy Liebensohn or visit toyfaireverywhere.com for more information.
