or her likelihood of making good business contacts. The matchmaking service links scheduling with the online catalogue and organizer together with watchlist options, making it a helpful planning tool. Spielwarenmesse will also offer a webinar series designed to show how making initial contacts and maintaining these contacts are at the heart of visitors’ trade show presence.
trends, business tips, and more The biggest trends in the toy industry will be presented in the TrendGallery at Spielwarenmesse. The special area in Hall 3A presents all important trends and the corresponding product innovations. The forecasts are based on the finds of an international TrendCommittee, comprised of 10 experts who research trends from all over the world. Once a day, a member of the TrendCommittee will explain all of the details of the individual trends. At the Toy Business Forum, retailers learn about the latest findings with regard to consumer behavior, sales promotion, and accompanying online activities. In a variety of 30-minute presentations, experts show participants how the consumer goods industry is developing and provide them with tips on how to achieve successful business activities in the future.
toyaward 2016 All Spielwarenmesse exhibitors can register their products free of charge for the ToyAward 2016. The toy fair presents the award in four age group-specific categories: baby and infant, preschool, school kids, and teenager and family. An 11-person expert panel, made up of educators, market researchers, and trade representatives, will rate the registered products based on game enjoyment, novelty, safety, finishing and quality, and clarity of the product concept, as well as their potential commercial success. Three products in each category will be announced as nominees in a January 21 press conference. The ToyAward 2016 presentation ceremony will take place during Spielwarenmesse’s launch party. Participating products must come to market before September 16, 2016. ■
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
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