It was a thrill to spend two days at the New York Toy Fair this week. Serving a US domestic market of $22B, you can imagine the scale of this event.
Covering 415,00 square feet and covering a broad range of segments, this trade show was extraordinary for its size, the range of products covered, the nature of supplier engagement and the fresh ideas revealed.
While clearly aimed at national buyers there were plenty of small business representatives there. There was a strong Australian contingent too. I ran into a couple of other Aussie retailers as well as several wholesales representatives.
Looking back on my photos on the flight home, I took more at this trade show than any of the six international trade shows I have attended already this year. I have been inspired on product range, visual merchandising, marketing and innovation. The inspirations will play out in what I do over the next couple of months.
While I expect the Toy Fair in Melbourne next month to be good, it cannot compare to the New York experience because of the sheer size difference between our markets. There are plenty of opportunities from New York I know we will see in Australia in the coming months. The race is on.