New York Readies for Int'l Toy Fair

A massive celebration of toys and play will take place this weekend at the Javits Center.

Thousands of toys and games will be unveiled this weekend in New York City at the 113th North American International Toy Fair–the largest toy marketplace in the Western Hemisphere.

Put on by the U.S. Toy Industry Association, NY Toy Fair will open its doors this Saturday at the Jacob Javits Convention Center and take place through Tuesday.

To make sure you don't miss any major news and announcements from the event, License! Global will be publishing two special editions of e-news live from the show floor this weekend.

More than 30,000 play professionals–including international buyers from more than 7,000 retail outlets– are expected to attend this year's show, which will feature 415,000-net-square-feet of exhibit space.

“NY Toy Fair kicks-off at a time of success and momentum, following the toy industry’s outstanding sales growth in 2015. With over 1,200 passionate exhibitors showing hundreds of thousands of new toys, games and playthings, the excitement is palpable,” says Steve Pasierb, president and chief executive officer, TIA. “Professionals from more than 100 countries will be placing orders as well as participating in Toy Fair’s educational and networking opportunities. The business transactions, camaraderie, trend spotting and exchange of fresh ideas make our New York City show an unparalleled experience in the toy world!”

TIA’s annual Toy Trends Briefing will be held on Sunday. Meanwhile, additional educational sessions will cover toy safety, retail strategies, global market expansion, licensing, entrepreneurship, digital media and more.