Nuremberg to Feature Toy Licensing

Toy Business Forum will feature top executives from the licensing sector.

The annual Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, will kick off today with a full exhibit hall and a multitude of toy business presentations.

This year, the fair is hosting a Toy Business Forum, which will be integrated into the TrendGallery. The forum will feature multiple presentations on current marketing developments and top trends in the toy world.

Each day will focus on a different topic with Thursday’s sessions focusing specifically on licensing, including a panel discussion featuring Steven Ekstract, group publisher, License Global.

Thursday’s licensing presentations will kick off with a 20-minute presentation by Charles Riotto, president, LIMA, on the global power of licensing and will be followed by a panel on how licensing themes can push a business forward, featuring Peter Hollo of LIMA Germany, Markus Pfitzner of Hasbro Deutschland, Markus Disselhoff of Studio 100 and Joachim Knödler of CPLG Germany.

Next, a panel discussion featuring: Ekstract; Paul Bufton, vice president, EMEA, Warner Bros. Consumer Products; Andrea Green, vice president, global licensing and business strategy, ZAG Animation; and Zac Scruffham, director, licensing and business development, J!nx will discuss how entertainment media licenses can help drive toy sales.

Finally, Reyne Rice of ToyTrends will highlight three 2017 toy trends: Body and Mind, Girl Power and Swap & Collect.

Other highlights from the Toy Business Forum include presentations on innovations, trends, design, marketing and online marketing.

Spielwarenmesse will take place Wednesday Feb. 1 through Monday Feb. 6.