Spielwarenmesse eG, the organiser of the Spielwarenmesse^® – the leading international trade fair for toys, hobbies and leisure – invites TRA members to join the event from 30 January to 3 February in Nuremberg to discover highlight themes and new products, to meet familiar faces, as well as to make new contacts and attend expert presentations.

Read on to find out how Spielwarenmesse can bolster your business with inspiration on new products and trends. And get in touch with Natasha if you would like to have more TRA opportunities at the event. Spielwarenmesse are keen to support members of the TRA and would like to know how best to support your business interests at the fair – would you like to have a networking opportunity? meet the organisers to learn more about the show and how it can serve you better? have access to a members lounge to write up your notes and take a break? – any thoughts are welcome as the TRA and Spielwarenmesse talk together about how best to serve you, our member;

Everything in one place

The Spielwarenmesse offers an inspiring mix of innovation, information and networking that makes Nuremberg once again the place to be for the global industry in 2024. With its presentations it offers a valuable pool of information for specialist retailers from around the world, guiding them through the market every year. This year’s fair has already made one thing clear: the Spielwarenmesse is and continues to be the worldwide centre of the industry. 2,142 exhibitors from 69 countries welcomed close on 60,000 specialist retailers and buyers from 128 countries. Participation was over 80% of pre-coronavirus levels, making it one of the most successful trade fair re-starts since the pandemic. “All the indications are that this highly encouraging result will be significantly beaten by the next event,” says Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG. “The Spielwarenmesse is in an ideal position to extend still further its importance as a guiding force.” Whether representing key players with established reputations or aspiring startups, all the relevant decision-makers will be gathering on-site at the Spielwarenmesse. Industry and trade have the opportunity to cultivate their business relationships neatly and efficiently and to tap new markets and target groups. The revised schedule for the fair, which now runs from Tuesday to Saturday, promises further benefits such as the ability to maximise contacts with top international buyers and spread the load across the days more evenly. And that is not all: trade visitors and buyers will gain all manner of inspiration for their own individual range selections. 13 product groups can be found across five days in 18 halls – at the ideal ordering time, the start of the year. Tickets go on sale to retailers on 29 November 2023 online at the Spielwarenmesse website: www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/tickets.

New highlight is on the starting block – Toys for Kidsters, Kidults & Co

Adults are a target group with purchasing power that the toy trade has to take seriously. They include large numbers who own board games, have a particular model car on their desks, collect comics or possess a sweatshirt portraying a well-known character. From retro products to Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action and Strategy – for every possible interest that adults with purchasing power may have, there are games to suit them. At the Spielwarenmesse this theme will be specifically highlighted in Hall 3A with the new Special, ‘Life’s a Playground – Toys for Kidsters, Kidults & Co.’ Here, in an experiential environment covering some 400 m², the world of game-playing adults will be vividly brought to life through relevant product examples from its four categories – Collectibles, Premium Collectibles, Creative Fantasy and Tabletop Games. This interactive special area is one of the highlights of the fair and will make a real impression with inspiration regarding the products that no games shop can afford to be without.

More high points in the halls

The theme-related Spielwarenmesse Specials promise new stimuli and a breath of fresh air for the visitor’s business. Sustainable toys, for example, are on display in the Toys go Green area in Hall 2, while in Hall 4 the Insights-X Area – named after the eponymous trade fair – contains products and information from the field of stationery and in particular the back-to-school sector. A visit to Hall 3A is equally worthwhile, to see the domestic and international newcomers in the StartupArea and the New Product Gallery with pioneering product creations. And in order not to lose sight of other fast-moving business dimensions, the fair’s newest product group, ‘Services for Trade and Industry’, will be in Hall 7 again for suppliers of marketing services, packaging, cash and commerce systems, for example, as well as testing institutes, to show their latest ideas. One of the Specials has found its way into Hall 7A for the first time: in the product field of model railways and model construction, a passion for discovery will be aroused by a target group-specific action area and presentations of new products and ideas. There is plenty of potential, too, in the new LicenseLounge, offered in collaboration with BRANDmate, Licensing International and Licensing Magazine and housed in Hall 12.0. This includes a Networking Area for the licensing sector and will hold the LicenseTalks with their lively sharing of licensing expertise. Hall 3A, meanwhile, is destined to be the home of the Toy Business Forum, with presentations by top speakers on the latest issues for retail. Focal topics here will be trends, digitalisation, sustainability, influencer marketing and customer loyalty. On the Wednesday morning, the winners of the ToyAward, covering six different product categories, will make their grand appearance on the same media-friendly stage. Interested companies have until 31 October to submit their innovations.

Networking for all target groups

Personal contact is hugely important to the toy sector – and is fostered by the Spielwarenmesse through various networking and communication formats. The new daily schedule will be of benefit to participants here, too. Over the course of the week, powerful networking opportunities will be available to different target groups in correspondingly different forms. On day 1 of the fair, the PressDay will be held in all halls for the first time. All exhibitors should be taking the opportunity here by using eyecatching promotional activities to highlight their new products and ideas to the media representatives and content creators from countless different countries which will give TRA a flavour of what these suppliers can do to promote their ranges. A party atmosphere is the order of the day on the Thursday evening: at RedNight, which proved highly popular this year, after the fair closes at 5 pm all participants can wind down with a drink and some good music at the stands themselves. Those with an interest in games can cultivate key contacts at the second edition of the ‘Internationale Spieleerfindermesse – Game Inventors Convention’. Games authors will be presenting their innovative new concepts to editors from the games publishers on the Friday at Level 1 of NCC Mitte. This will be followed by the GamingHour, with opportunities for networking and gameplaying. Fans of the model railways and model construction product group can get their money’s worth on the Saturday at the OPEN DAY, when the Spielwarenmesse opens up Hall 7A once again to interested consumers and paves the way for direct contact with the exhibitors. As well as various different activities and presentations, over-the-counter sales will be possible here for the first time.

On the move and around the clock

The range of products and services at the Spielwarenmesse is huge. To help trade representatives get the greatest possible benefit out of their visit in terms of future business strategies, the digital information available from the organiser is there to facilitate perfect preparation and follow-up before and after the fair. The Spielwarenmesse Digital platform is available as an industry network all year round with concise exhibitor information, interactive hall plans and information on the supporting programme. Similarly practical are the integrated networking tools with chat function, audio/video calls and suggested contacts. An absolute must-have is the Spielwarenmesse app, which is synchronised with Spielwarenmesse Digital. On the move, buyers can navigate their way easily around the fair. An informative summary of each individual day is provided by Spielwarenmesse TV. Innovations and highlights are brought together in entertaining ways with videoclips available on popular social media channels such as YouTube. And still in the digital realm comes the Spielwarenmesse Podcast. Its talks with interesting personalities from the sector are available on all the popular platforms, all year round.

Spielwarenmesse^®

The trade fair and marketing services provider Spielwarenmesse eG is the organiser of the Spielwarenmesse^® – the leading international trade fair for toys, hobbies and leisure. This B2B fair creates a comprehensive communication and ordering platform for national and international exhibitors. Its presentation of innovations and comprehensive overview of the industry offer a valuable pool of information for specialist retailers from around the world, guiding them through the market every year. A new addition for 2022 is the multifunctional platform Spielwarenmesse^® Digital, as a complementary service to the Spielwarenmesse. Since 2013, the term Spielwarenmesse^® has also been a protected word mark in Germany.

Fair date: Spielwarenmesse^®, Tuesday to Saturday, 30 Jan – 3 Feb 2024