WORLD NEWS

Toy Business Forum: New trade insights at the Spielwarenmesse

Published on: 12th September 2019

The Toy Business Forum will focus on current market developments, emerging trends from the world of toys and retail, digitalisation and change management.

For many years, trade visitors have valued the Toy Business Forum at the Spielwarenmesse as a useful source of information. The presentation area within the TrendGallery in Hall 3A is well known for shining a light on new perspectives. The chosen topics focus on the challenges facing the industry, now and in the future. The talks are free of charge and are simultaneously interpreted into German or English.

International speakers will bring trade visitors up to speed every day from 1pm to 3pm. On the first day of the fair, the trend talks provide retailers with important information on surviving in the face of competition. Among others, Clara Blasco from the AIJU Technological Institute for Children’s Products & Leisure in Spain, looks at sustainability based on European research findings. She shows how the latest demands are impacting the toy sector and the business opportunities arising as a result.

On Thursday, the presentations will revolve around change management. When confronted with technological advancements or shifting consumer behaviour, it takes considerable courage to embrace change. This is the approach taken by keynote speaker Stefan Hagen, business coach and consultant: “Uncertainty and fear of the unknown consequences of our decisions often cause us to hesitate. Good opportunities are easily missed, especially if others respond more quickly. It’s really important to trust yourself, to take the initiative early on and to make a conscious effort to venture down new paths.”

On Friday, attention will shift to digitalisation. This technology has already had a lasting impact on the behaviour of consumers and what they expect of the retail trade. On Saturday, the stage belongs to the topic of retail. The experts will focus on customer loyalty and on developing innovative business concepts and shopping experiences. The talks on Sunday provide an overview of current trends and ideas in the field of marketing, enabling bricks-and-mortar retailers to tap into new opportunities.

Additional industry insights into licensing are revealed in the LicenseTalks which are staged in collaboration with Licensing International (formerly LIMA) and the American trade magazine License Global. They are scheduled for the mornings from 10.30am to 11.30am, Wednesday to Friday, at the Toy Business Forum.

Programme Preview Toy Business Forum 2020
– trend – Wednesday, 29 January 2020
– change – Thursday, 30 January 2020
– digital – Friday, 31 January 2020
– retail – Saturday, 1 February 2020
– marketing – Sunday, 2 February 2020

The full programme can be accessed from mid-November here.

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