Toy Professionals from 89 Countries Attend Toy Fair Everywhere Digital Market Weeks

September 22, 2020 | Thousands of toy manufacturers, buyers, and play professionals from 89 countries virtually participated in The Toy Association’s Toy Fair Everywhere digital market weeks this summer, where they previewed 33,000+ products and placed orders ahead of the all-important fourth quarter. The third and final market week of the summer season was held September 14 to 20, filling the void left by canceled events and face-to-face meetings that normally occur leading up to the holiday selling season.

More than 200 exhibiting companies and nearly 850 brands were included on the digital platform during the July, August, and September market weeks, which also featured an engaging line-up of on-demand webinars and educational content, including a mid-year toy trends briefing that unveiled the latest developments in play and the pandemic’s impact on consumer shopping habits.

"We built Toy Fair Everywhere to provide some of the same high-value opportunities – including business-building, education, and order-writing – that occur at Toy Fair Dallas and Toy Fair New York," said Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. "As a complement to The Toy Association’s live events, these digital market weeks are augmenting our audience development efforts by attracting global buyers who may not typically make the trip to our in-person shows due to either cost or scheduling conflicts. As a frame of reference, 14.1 percent of buyers at Toy Fair Everywhere were international, compared to 12 percent at Toy Fair New York 2020."

In total, buyers from 66 countries attended one or more Toy Fair Everywhere market weeks, including buyers from 99 Cents Only, AAFES, Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, Learning Express, Party City, Sam’s Club, Spencer Gifts, Target, Toys“R”Us Stores USA, and Walmart. Attendees were able to browse exhibitors by category and book appointments for virtual demos, while exhibitors leveraged the platform’s real-time analytics to tailor buyer outreach and elevate exposure for their brands.

The September market week also unveiled the 2020 Toy Fair Everywhere/Clamour Influencer Choice List Favorites, which highlights the top toys and games from Toy Fair Everywhere exhibitors as voted on by leading toy and family content creators. The list is available to shoppers looking for gift ideas this holiday season and provides market week exhibitors with additional exposure ahead of fourth quarter.

"The Toy Association immediately pivoted when the pandemic hit so that we could help our members overcome the challenges of our world and ultimately come out ahead," added Bossard. "We are pleased to have been able to provide this opportunity for business growth and believe that digital experiences will not simply go away once live events reopen. We look forward to expanding and evolving Toy Fair Everywhere for the global toy community in the months to come."

Stay tuned for announcements about the evolution of Toy Fair Everywhere into a year-round tool for the toy community. Companies that are looking to get further exposure in front of mass retail buyers are encouraged to apply for an upcoming Toy Association preview day with buyers from Toys“R”Us Canada. Additional preview days with Meijer and Walmart will be announced soon; the submission period for an upcoming Target preview day has closed.