A REVIEW: 69 th SPIELWARENMESSE
From 31 January to 4 February 2,902 companies from
68 countries, up from 63 in 2017, came to Nurem-
berg’s Exhibition Centre to show their products to
retailers and buyers from all over the world. Travelling
to the city of toys from a record number of countries,
more than 70,000 trade visitors praised the exhibitors’
innovative spirit and energy. Organiser Spielwaren-
messe eG welcomed attendees from 130 nations and
offered not only trends and innovations but also a
carefully crafted supporting programme.
63 per cent of visitors flocked to the fair from abroad,
with Asia, Eastern Europe and South America posting
the highest growth rates. Even though the duration of
the Spielwarenmesse has been cut by a day, the
amount of time spent at the fair remained unchanged,
with international attendees setting aside an average
of 2.8 days for their visit. The event attracted high-
quality visitors, with 86 percent having decision-mak-
ing powers. One of them, Stephen Watson, Category
Buyer Toys for Myer, an Australian department store
chain, comments: “It's a long way from Australia, so
it's good to see everything in one spot. There aren’t this
many people at any other trade fair, there aren’t this
many suppliers in one spot or ideas in one spot.” The
most important reason for visitors to attend the Spiel-
warenmesse is to find new products, followed by the
need to forge new business contacts and gain a
general overview of the market. 83 percent of visitors
intend to return next year.
The exhibitors responded in a similarly positive fash-
ion. Brijesh Katula of GB Sports likewise sang the
praises of the industry’s most important event: “We
have so far exhibited at all the fairs organized by
Spielwarenmesse eG around the world. We do so
because we are very satisfied with the professionalism
with which the fairs are organized. This is our second
year at Spielwarenmesse ® and the kind of response
Page 06 | Kids India Mag Issue III : April 2018
that we received is extraordinary. The quality and
diversity of visitors is just applaudable. We go to Kids
India every year and now we are regulars at Spiel-
warenmesse ® as well.” For Mattel‘s President and
Chief Operating Officer, Richard Dickson, the 69th
Spielwarenmesse ® has a special pull: “Energy, creativ-
ity and entrepreneurial spirit is what I get when I come
to Nuremberg.”
The supporting programme met with an extremely
positive response from the trade. Tech2Play, the
activity area for electronic toys, and the Special Area
for Baby & Infant Articles were once again a resound-
ing success, generating plenty of interest. Mr. Dinesh
Advani of Playshifu shares “We have participated at
Spielwarenmesse ® for the first time and it was an
amazing experience. Placing our product at
Tech2Play was a very wise decision as it not only
helped position our product in the tech toy market but
also brought in a lot of potential buyers to our stand.”
The special show Toys meet Books celebrated its
debut and was well received by the booksellers it was
targeting. The presentations and daily guided tours
met with widespread approval.
Having undergone a recent facelift, the TrendGallery
in Hall 3A provided retailers and buyers with plenty of
inspiration. Besides the three Spielwarenmesse ®
trends – “Explore Nature”, “Just for Fun” and “Team
Spirit” – it also showcased the nominees and winners
of the ToyAwards. The jury selected the winners in
four categories from a total of 643 entries, up from
635 in 2017. Kevin Choi, Chairman of Silverlit, which
clinched the top spot for its “Robo Chameleon”,
believes the Award has great value, commenting:
“Winning the ToyAward is recognition for our compa-
ny. Having this award is a big encouragement for our
team to go into the future.”