KIDS INDIA MAGAZINE ISSUE IV JULY 2014 | Page 3

Page 3 India’s largest international B2B fair for the toy industry: Kids India 2014 After the resounding success of the first edition, Kids India 2014 is scheduled to take place from September 18-20, 2014 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Goregaon, Mumbai. Nearly 100 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation and many more are still interested to participate. The first edition was a huge success with the presence of 108 exhibitors and 5,237 visitors. All the participants were impressed by the quality of products and visitors and the professional management of the show. Dr. Shyam Makhija, Director – Business Development, Pegasus ToyKraft Pvt. Ltd. said “This is what a trade fair is all about. Everything was perfect from the organization to the smooth running of the event on the ground. We were able to position our company and products better in the national and international market and make good contacts. We’ll certainly exhibit again in 2014.” Besides the companies that participated last year, Kids India 2014 will feature several new companies as well. Participating companies include Mattel, Simba Toys, Chicco, Frank Educational Aids, Brightway Exports, Peacock Toys, Wasan Exports, Smart Toys, Prem Ratna and many more. International companies from countries such as Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Korea, Singapore, UK, USA, etc. will exhibit in the joint pavilion “World of Toys” and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce will once again organize a British Pavilion. Furthermore there will an toy industry and it is the one stop event for all professionals related to the toy industry. About 150 companies will be exhibiting at this years’ event presented by the world’s leading trade fair organizer for toys and leisure products – Spielwarenmesse eG. Strong partners in India such as the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC), The be a Design pavilion where alumni of the National Institute of Design (NID) will display their fresh and innovative designs. All India Toy Manufacturers’ Association (TAITMA) and IndoGerman Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) have lent further impetus. “The last show was organized in a very professional approach and met our expectations. Therefore, we decided to come to Kids India this year with even more enthusiasm and a much larger area.” informed Mr. Rajesh Vohra, CEO, Chicco India. “Our association and our members have received an enormous exposure at this event. The show has been well organized. Our association is very happy to be associated with Kids India and look forward to strengthening our relationship going forward.” affirmed Mr. Vivek Jhangiani, President, The All India Toy Manufacturers’ Association (TAITMA). Kids India has established itself as THE show for the Indi- The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) brings to Kids India its expertise in organizing and supporting trade shows in India and Germany. Ms. Sonia Prashar, Director – Marketing & Trade Fairs, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce feels that “It was the right time for Spielwarenmesse to come to India. The succe ss of the first show is evidence of this. We have many new and innovative ideas for improving the show further and for adding more value to the existing format and for meeting the wishes and requirements of our exhibitors.” Earlier this year in May Spielwarenmesse organized networking evenings in Mumbai and New Delhi. “The idea behind these networking evenings is to provide a platform where the local toy industry and toy association colleagues can meet and exchange ideas and information.” explains Ms. Katharina Janotta, Director Project Management, Spielwarenmesse eG who specially flew down from Germany for these events and updated the attendees about the recent developments at Kids India. She also visited some of the key visitors to personally invite them to visit the show. Expected trade visitors include high profile national and international buyers, purchasing decision makers of department stores, standalone outlets, premium stores, distributors, retailers and wholesalers, as well as retail chains and toy dealerships. An interesting seminar program will be one of the highlights of the show. This will include panel discussion where eminent speakers will provide a valuable insight into the latest international trends and throw light on the current trends in the Indian toy market. The conference will also provide the right opportunity to exchange views on the current status of the Indian toy industry, the roadblocks it faces and the way ahead in the form of an informative panel discussion where both manufacturers and retailers will share their perspectives. The show is expected to attract toy professionals from India and abroad. A perfect convergence of well-renowned brands and young innovative manufacturers along with high quality conferences and panel discussions make Kids India the toy industry’s most sought after platform for networking and knowledge sharing. Block your calendar today! For further information visit www.kidsindia.de See you at Kids India 2014! Value of Play Committee planning next activities for the campaign The Value of Play campaign has set itself the goal of increasing the Indian population’s awareness of the value of play. The campaign kicked off last year at Kids India with a panel discussion on “How Do Toys and Play Affect a Child’s Overall Development?” with actress Tisca Chopra. The committee also organized a donation campaign with the kind support of many exhibitors at Kids India 2013. The toys donated were handed over to the non-governmental organization Magic Bus. This is a mentoring programme in which 10,000 mentors open up undreamt-of opportunities for the lives of poor children in their neighbour- hood through a learning by playing approach. The Value of Play Committee, comprising Vivek Jhangiani (President, The All India Toy Manufacturers’ Association), Dr. Rajani Konantambigi (Associate Professor at the Centre for Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences), Shradha Mehra (Master of Child Development, University of Delhi), Sanjay Singh (Founder and Global Head of the “Chuppi Todo Campaign”) and Matthew Spacie (CEO and Founder of Magic Bus), met the initiators, Katharina Janotta (Director Project Management, Spielwarenmesse eG) and So- nia Prashar (Director Marketing & Trade Fairs, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce) in Mumbai on 15 May 2014 to discuss the next steps. In the meantime, the committee members have held many talks with the industry and other associations. These showed that manufacturers and the trade in the Indian toy industry are interested in supporting the project. It is important to buy high-quality toys to train children’s skills and expertise especially in the social, communicative and creative area, but also in aspects such as logical thinking. Play is important, but not only playing with toys, as toys are only one part of play. The initiators and the committee are concerned with the value of play and how it impacts on children’s development and health. Play should be part of every childhood, but time for playing is often no longer planned in today’s world. We have forgotten how important playing is for us. School and education play a major role, but play is just as essential for getting on well in our world. Play is not only a leisure activity for children. Children must play to develop social skills (e.g. communication, group behaviour etc.). To emphasize the sustainability of the Value of Play initiative, an all-year-round programme is now to be established to give parents a better understanding of the importance of play for their children. Here disseminators such as teachers can support the campaign. A workshop is planned for this group of disseminators, at which the committee would not only like to provide information, but act as a source of inspiration too. More information is available on our website www.valueofplay.in. In addition, a panel discussion on the value of play and a donation campaign will be organized again at Kids India 2014 in September.