Largest Toy Trade Show in Western Hemisphere Opens for Four-Day Run Saturday, Feb. 16
The hottest new toys, games, and youth entertainment products will come to life this weekend when the 116th North American International Toy Fair – the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere – opens its doors at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Produced by The Toy Association, Toy Fair New York opened Saturday, February 16, with an 8:55 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony and a parade of costumed characters. Immediately following the celebration, the show floor will welcome 30,000+ global play professionals – including more than 7,000 international buyers – who will explore the massive 447,000 net square feet of exhibit space overflowing with brand-new playthings from more than 1,000 toy companies.
“New York City once again becomes the epicenter of the global toy community as tens of thousands of industry professionals come to experience Toy Fair. The show is filled with deal-making, networking, after hours events, and tons of enriching educational opportunities – all designed to help our guests grow their businesses and take home actionable knowledge,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “With the show’s square footage sold out, Toy Fair ’19 is our largest market event ever and the place to see the most ground-breaking toys, games, and youth entertainment products.”
Pasierb added: “As the only toy show giving professionals direct access to the lucrative $28 billion U.S. toy industry, Toy Fair New York is an essential marketplace for manufacturers, retailers, licensors, inventors, designers, and a host of related businesses from around the world.”
Toy Fair will welcome about 1,000 members of the media who will scour the show floor for innovative playthings, retro toys, licensed products, and everything in between.
From business-building seminars to information on youth trends, licensing, safety compliance, entrepreneurship, and more, Toy Fair’s enhanced line-up of educational programming includes more than 30 sessions that will augment the show experience for global attendees. Special after-hours networking events will also take place throughout Toy Fair week.
A full schedule of events can be found at www.ToyFairNY.com and through the free Toy Fair mobile app on iTunes or Google Play. Educational sessions are free to all Toy Fair registrants, with the exception of Global Trade & Market Expansion, which is free for Toy Association members; $99 for non-members.
