Industry’s global decision-makers all in attendance, with an a excellent mood reported among exhibiting companies.
Opening its doors for the 71st time, the Spielwarenmesse has strengthened its position as one of the world’s leading industry events. The international share of both visitors and exhibitors reached its highest level ever; from 29th January to 2nd February, 63,500 independent retailers and buyers attended Nuremberg’s Exhibition Center from 136 countries. The decline in the number of visitors is believed to be linked to fears surrounding the Coronavirus. Even so, the mood among exhibitors was upbeat, with 2,843 companies from 70 countries offering a comprehensive overview of the market.
Taking a closer look at the visitor numbers, 66% (up from 62% in 2019) travelled to the fair from abroad. In the country ranking, the UK and the USA posted the biggest increases. In addition, the level of demand at the Spielwarenmesse remained stable. Shay Mugrabi, CEO of Israeli wholesaler Hot Stuff Toys, is among the many returnees to the fair: “This is the best toy fair in the world. Every year, we find new things, exhibitors and services.” Paola Zuzunaga of chainstore Caramba made the journey all the way from Peru: “The Spielwarenmesse is unique in my eyes because we can find international brands and a lot of variety.”
92% of exhibitors stated that they were very happy or happy with the outcome of the fair, praising, above all, the quality of the trade visitors. “This year’s Spielwarenmesse was by far our most successful because of the first-rate visitors,” emphasises Craze’s vice president Florian N. Lipp. “We’ve met the most important international decision-makers across all distribution channels in the space of just a few days.” CEO Alexandre Pariente of Safari adds: “We keep coming back because there’s simply no other show that connects so many prospective partners.” This exhibitor has been loyal to the Spielwarenmesse for more than 25 years.
Another US company used the industry event to mark its 75th anniversary; toy giant Mattel celebrated its milestone birthday on its exhibition stand.
Providing a reflection of the current market, the three trends Toys for Future, Digital goes Physical and Be You! were well received by trade visitors and exhibitors. Besides tolerance and inclusion, the focus is on connecting digital and traditional toys and on environmental awareness.The organiser has plans to expand this theme at the next Spielwarenmesse.
Ernst Kick, CEO Spielwarenmesse eG, concludes: “The high proportion of international visitors and the positive mood among exhibitors corroborates our forward-looking approach to the event. Venturing down the right track early on, we set our sights on leading the industry into a new and successful business year.”
