Toy World spoke to Yvette Marshall, head of Play & Tech at Spring Fair, as well as some of the companies attending this year’s show, about what visitors can look forward to.

Yvette Marshall

Spring Fair, which this year takes place from 1st-6th February at the NEC Birmingham, underwent a ‘re-edit’ in 2019 which promised a renewed look-and-feel for 2020, reinvigorating the way buyers source products and connect with exhibitors.

The show welcomes the Play & Tech area for the first time, having been introduced by show organiser Hyve Group for Autumn Fair 2019 within the new Gifts sourcing destination. A better location, on a main thoroughfare between Gifts and Home & Living, has improved footfall, and the area will be scaled-up for Spring Fair following its Autumn Fair debut. This overhaul is part of Hyve Group’s major investment in Spring and Autumn Fair, as Yvette Marshall, head of Play & Tech at Spring Fair, explains.

“With new investment, we’ve been able to totally revamp and rework the show floor for 2020. This re-edit has allowed us to create two distinct buying destinations – Home & Living and Gift – with 16 redefined sectors. As part of the Gift showcase, the new Play & Tech sector has solidified itself as the most important marketplace for finding the products and insights that will drive sales and profits throughout 2020 and beyond.”

“The toy area has been a staple of Spring & Autumn Fair for years, so with Autumn Fair 2019 we really wanted to re-assess our offering and make sure we were still delivering on what the market really needs,” Yvette continues. “This is where the new Play & Tech sector came from – a desire to reflect the changing needs of our core visitors and the sector’s most important buyers. We’re really looking forward to bringing Play & Tech back for Spring Fair, albeit on a bigger platform. We’re focusing on ensuring that buyers have the most trailblazing and cutting-edge products at their fingertips, the kinds of products that stimulate children’s imaginations and drive all-important sales. Embracing innovation and exhibiting the newest offerings in Play & Tech will be exhibitors like Brainstorm, Smart Toys and Games, Berg toys, Rainbow Designs, Wild + Wolf and Hornby. Also expect new products from visitor favourites such as Ty UK, and the latest in educational play from companies including Learning Resources.”

To read our full preview of Spring Fair, along with all the information you need about what’s on show in the Play & Tech area, click here.