As well as buyers from across the range of independent and multiple stores, online retail and catalogue retailers, Toy Fair attracts a range of visitors from licensors and play specialists to designers, inventors and distributors. In 2009 it also attracted just over 300 members of the press.
Toy Fair 2010 Exhibitor Testimonials
Character Options – Colin Rossiter (General Sales Manager)
The move back to Olympia has been great. The show has been busier than it has been for many years and has had a more focused and attentive feel. The visitors have been of high quality and were still coming to the stands late into the last day.
Imagination Games – Steve Reece-Gresty (Managing Director)
There was an amazing buzz in the hall this year with a great quality of visitors, including some faces that we haven’t seen for a few years.
HTI – Sarah Holden (Marketing Manager)
The show is a great opportunity to see all the major retailers under one roof. The move back to Olympia has made the show a lot more accessible to both visitors and exhibitors and being all together in one hall has made for a brilliant atmosphere.
Fiesta Crafts – Rob Trup (Marketing Manager)
Moving the show from four to three days has given the show a more professional feel. The footfall to the stand has been busy throughout the three days and we are looking forward to coming back next year.
Toymaster
It’s been very very busy over all three days – it’s great to be back at Olympia, we even had a queue outside our room on the first day.
MD Product Innovations/ Pop it Ball
As a Greenhouse exhibitor, we launched our product in the UK on the opening day of the show and since then the interest has been phenomenal. We have met with some top quality retailers and had a big interest from the press. There is nowhere else you could get a networking opportunity like this and if all goes well, we would love to be back next year.
Toy Fair Visitor Profile 2009
Case Studies
You don't have to take our word for it. Here are some of the experiences our exhibitors have had at Toy Fair 2009:
JC Games Ltd: John Chambers (Managing Director)
Have you had a good show?
This was our second time exhibiting at Toy Fair, after launching our boardgame Blackhole last year, and we have had a fantastic few days. In less than 2 weeks of trading we have managed to sell 800 copies of our new launch Qb. This is equal to the amount sold over the whole of last year for Blackhole. Whilst at the show we have made around 60 really good contacts, and have even gained worldwide interest, because the game can easily cross over to different countries and languages that use the Roman alphabet.
To sum up, around 95 per cent of visitors to our stand have either purchased the product or shown a keen interest - interest that we will definitely follow up when we return to the office.
Any orders?
We have taken firm orders for 240 games and Hamleys Toy Shop will be launching Qb in April, a deal set up after speaking to the buyer at the show, and in turn we are ordering 3000 new games to meet anticipated demand.
Looking forward to next year?
Our presence at next year’s show depends on whether I invent a new product to launch, so fingers crossed. We already have an idea for a version of Qb for the 3-8 year old market.
Biggest launch this year?
That is an easy one, our biggest launch has to be Qb – we have had such an amazing reaction to this game.
Any media on your stand?
Around six to seven media have attended our stand, and have all shown an interest in Qb. We think the press office have done a great job with dealing with the press this year.
Have you seen all the retailers/suppliers you came here to see?
When planning for the show, we had a wish list of those retailers we wanted to talk with and sent out over 100 postcards inviting them to the stand. Many turned up but we are now following up all those companies who were unable to visit us.
Playmobil: Jamie Dickinson (Trade Marketing Manager)
Have you had a good show?
The show for us this year has gone very well, as usual. At last year’s Toy Fair we had our best year ever in terms of sales and orders, this year we have beaten that by 20 per cent!
Better still, our toys have won four awards at the show, which is just fantastic, and we all really appreciate it.
Looking forward to next year?
We are definitely looking forward to next year; it is such a great way of increasing interest and sourcing new customers. The move to Olympia should not have any effect, and we have been reassured that the move will only be positive.
Biggest launch this year?
Our biggest launch this year will be the new Egyptians range. The play value in the range is immense, and with Egyptians being taught in the classroom as well, the products have great play potential and educational benefits.
Any media on your stand?
Due to the fact that we did not have any celebrities at our stand, we have not had the media attention others may have enjoyed. The media attention we did receive, however, made up for it, because it showed they were interested in the products and the brand, as opposed to the celebrity.
Have you seen all the retailers/suppliers you came here to see?
Before coming along to Toy Fair, we had appointments set up throughout the course of the three days, and I am happy to report that everyone showed up.
On the whole, how do you feel the press office performed this year?
The press office, as always, is a great central hub for information at these events and I saw people with our releases so it was definitely working.
Character Options: Colin Fox (Marketing Manager)
Have you had a good show?
The show this year has gone very well despite the economy, this may very well be due to the fact that the quality of Toy Fair is just as good as it always is.
Looking forward to next year?
We are definitely looking forward to next year, especially the move to Olympia and the revised format.
Biggest launch this year?
Our biggest launch this year has to be the HM Forces, they have proven to be very popular with retailers and the media.
Any media on your stand?
We have had great media attention this year, with the best representation on TV we have ever had – clearly a sign that the guys at the press office are doing their job!
Have you seen all the retailers/suppliers you came here to see?
Yes
John Crane Ltd: Keith Elmer (Sales & Marketing Director)
Have you had a good show?
Before coming along to Toy Fair, we were slightly concerned about the fact that the show seemed smaller than in previous years. But these concerns were unfounded, and for John Crane Ltd the show was just as busy as ever. In terms of sales, we were extremely pleased on our stand, and are on a par with last year, which considering the environment, is nothing but positive.
Looking forward to next year?
Everyone seems to be very positive with Toy Fair moving to Olympia, and I am sure the show will be just as good as always.
Biggest launch this year?
We had three great launches this year – Anicubes, Eco House and Alphabet Ark – all of which had a great response.
Any media on your stand?
We contacted all relevant media before the show, but were unable to arrange many interviews, with journalists saying they had not made their minds up about attending this year. However, all the media we contacted made it to the show in the end and we were able to talk with the likes of Junior Magazine, Angels & Urchins and Practical Parenting, in fact all of our main targets. Overall, we were very pleased with the press attendance at the show.
Have you seen all the retailers/suppliers you came here to see?
I was only on site for the first few days of the show, but the stand was continually busy with suppliers and retailers.