Buyers and traders from all over the world came to Nuremberg again for the biggest fair for toys, hobbies and leisure from February 7th to 12th, 2008. International Toy Fair 2008, the toy industry’s leading fair maintained last year’s record result at a high level with some 80,000 visitors (80,300 in 2007), and the Way to School and Learning by Playing specials and the fair’s innovation programme provided particularly valuable guidance on setting the course of the national and international toy traders.
Amount of Brazilian buyers soars up by near 40 percent
The internationalization concept adopted in the past years is consistently pursued by the International Toy Fair and has increased the share of international visitors from 118 nations to 53 per cent. The rising number of visitors from the East European countries with growth rates of 10 to over 20 per cent is particularly noticeable, but more buyers also swarmed to Nuremberg from South America, with 38 per cent more than the previous year from Brazil alone. The quality of the fair visitors also improved. The share of decision-makers rose to 76.5 per cent from the 71.3 per cent in 2007. With regard to visiting the fair again in 2009, 90.3 per cent of the visitors have already said they will come again next year, compared with the 86.4 per cent in 2007.
Learning by Playing: basic theme
The basic theme of the International Toy Fair 2008 exactly matched the interests of the buyers and traders, who visited the special show in large numbers and gathered advice on targeted assortments and the attractive presentation of educational toys at the Point of Sale. Specialists with many years of experience in the toy trade were available for this purpose.
Manfred Spitzer, famous educational psychologist in Germany delivered a report on the theme, explaining the possibility and necessity on “learning by playing” from the aspect of structure of human brain.
Two halls directly are collected with the theme. One is the Learning by Playing special in Hall 2, exhibits in which cover products for preschoolers, schoolers and teenagers. Brain-training games and toys target at developing their intelligence, sociality, language, concentration, creativities and hand-eye coordination. In Hall 9, 31 top stationery and study articles are displayed under the special of Way to School.
According to German Toy Association, as a whole, market in 2008 will see a growth of 3 per cent. Additionally, the 60 session of International Toy Fair is to be held from February 5th to 10th, 2009.
InnovationCenter as treasure chest for the trade
The hunt for new products is still top priority for fair visitors. The extended concept of the ToyAward, which the international jury presented in eight categories, attracted a correspondingly positive response. The winners were presented to an audience of approx. 1,000 in the ceremonious setting of the opening gala and profited from considerably increased attention during the subsequent fair.
An independent jury has selected the ToyAwards for the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg for the fifth time. 193 companies had entered a total of 269 new products.
Category: Fun + Sport
Product: Cosmic Catch / HASBRO GmbH
Category: Emotion + Experience
Product: UB Funkeys / Mattel GmbH
Category: Creativity + Design
Product: Winnie the Pooh´s Home / PLAYGO Europe BVBA
Category: Games + Action
Product: Spielwelt Ägypter / PLAYMOBIL / Geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG
Category: Trend + Lifestyle
Product: Welt der guten Küche / Huch & friends / Hutter Trade GmbH & Co. KG
Category: Electronics + Technical
Product: H2Go / Corgi International Ltd.
Category: Small + Fine
Product: Löschfahrzeug & Flugfeldlöschfahrzeug / WIKING CONTROLL 87 / WIKING Modellbau
Category: Knowledge + Learning
Product: Eye Clops - Das TV Mikroskop / Stadlbauer Marketing und Vetrieb GmbH █
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