Hallo and guten tag!

Spielwarenmesse is just around the corner. The largest international trade fair for toys and games, which has its own cocktail, opens its doors in Nuremberg Jan. 28. Are you ready? 

Fairgoers can expect inspiring innovations, an improved hall structure, and individual networking opportunities. Spielwarenmesse will feature 2,362 exhibitors from 71 countries and 13 product groups across 18 halls.

School Articles, Stationery, and Creative Design, which will cover the entirety of back-to-school and stationery, will be displayed in its own hall this year. Visitors can find these exhibitors in Hall 2. Hall 3C will house Baby & Infant Articles and Lifestyle Products, while Hall 7 will display Model Railways and Model Construction near Technical Toys, Educational Toys, and Action Toys. Hall 7 will also have Services for Trade and Industry, which hosts marketing services, packaging, cash and, and commerce systems. Hall 7 will continue to have Sports, Leisure, and Outdoor groups, expanding into Hall 7A for overflow. Visitors can try new toys in this area, which boasts a 500 square meter testing area with different floor services, a test track, and a half-pipe.

The Specials in Hall 3A will host inspiring products and The New Product Gallery, which promises a compact overview of new items. In neighboring Hall 3C, guests can visit StartupArea and Toys Go Green, which highlight sustainable toys.

The Kidult section will include Collectibles, Creative Fantasy, and Tabletop Games and is located at the central entrance, Eingang Mitte, and will offer live activities. ToyTrends is also in this area the trends were selected by a committee of members made up of eleven countries. Some of the themes this year include Anime and Manga and Healthy Heroes, which focuses on movement, mindfulness, and healthy eating.

“We have continued to develop the content at the Spielwarenmesse and, by using an additional hall, have created new structures that will greatly benefit the entire sector,” said Christian Ulrich, Board Spokesperson at Spielwarenmesse eG. Spielwarenmesse eG is the event’s organizer. 

“In addition, with a number of networking events — all held in an appealing and relaxed atmosphere — we are encouraging the ever more important exchanges of views that take place between participants,” Ulrich said. Spielwarenmesse eG points to a study by AUMA, a German trade fair association that determined that 60% of business contacts are likelier to happen in person than in a digital setting.

Attendees can mingle and network at a number of events, starting with Toy Business Forum and ToyPitch on day one. The LicenseLounge, and its series LicenseTalks, located in the foyer of NCC West promises to be a hub for everything relating to the business of licensing. The ToyAward presentation is scheduled for Jan. 29 in the Toy Business Forum, with awards in six different product categories. Spielwarenmesse has events for the rest of the week dedicated to hobbies, games, and more, creating hubs and opportunities for fans of every genre.

Spielwarenmesse is next week, Jan. 28-Feb. 1. Members of The Toy Book team, including Vice President & Group Publisher Jackie Breyer, Editor-in-Chief James Zahn, and Executive Director of Sales & Marketing James “JD” Devin, will be in attendance.

You can learn more about the event at spielwarenmesse.de.