Preshow Noël Toys & Games has created Fan Zone, a professional meeting place for entertainment products dedicated to kidults, fans and collectors. 

Preshow Noël Toys & Games is pleased to announce the launch of Fan Zone, which will take place on the same dates as Preshow Noël, from 18th to 22nd November 2024, at the Hôtel Barrière Le Royal in Deauville. This new event will take place on the 7th floor of the venue, where industry previews of the end-of-year N+1 collections will be revealed during Preshow Noël.

The Kidult market is an increasingly important segment to the toy industry. With sales surging +7% in 2023, or 75m euros in additional turnover, purchases by kidults are the main growth driver for the toys and games sector, accounting for 28% of its activity in 2023 (source: Circana – January 2024).

This new impetus for the consumption of collectors’ and premium products, linked to pop culture heroes and objects, whether classic or in the colours of event-based and intergenerational licences, has very quickly resonated with suppliers, who have been able to develop new, adapted collections, and with distributors, who have set up dedicated areas in shops and published specific catalogues.

“In its 380 shops, King Jouet covers the main needs of this population in a dedicated area, clearly signposted and identified as such, called King’Dults, complemented on the online sales site by an extended range,” said Thierry Le Lan, purchasing manager at King Jouet. “The brand also publishes a 40-page catalogue dedicated to kidults, containing 200 products and relayed by a funny and offbeat short-format web-series on the adventures of a family of King’Dults, broadcast on the brand’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.”

A tailor-made event to meet the needs of professionals looking for the latest trends and new products for kidults, fans and collectors, Fan Zone is an opportunity to bring together the community of professionals working in the pop culture, kidult, geek, fans, licensing and collection sectors for 100% business meetings.

For suppliers specialising in these areas, Fan Zone is an opportunity to present flagship products and latest releases in total confidentiality to a targeted audience of purchasing decision-makers from the general and specialist retail sectors keen to develop the best offer in the field.

Exhibitors at Preshow Noël Toys & Games, offering kidult products, will also be part of one-to-one meetings. Fan Zone is based on a concept that has already proved its worth at Preshow Noël, with one-to-one meetings in rooms transformed into private showrooms showcasing the collections. Distributors and suppliers are housed in the same hotels, providing the best possible conditions for socialising and networking.

In all, some 1,800 professionals will be in Deauville for a week to take part in the two events celebrating toys, games and products for fans and collectors.