Toy Business Forum – expertise on stage at the Spielwarenmesse

Events

New products of the year, an overview of developing themes and endless inspiration – the Spielwarenmesse (30 January to 3 February 2024) represents the opening event of the year for the sector worldwide

The latest market knowledge and thought-provoking ideas for the future are available at the popular presentation area in Hall 3A of the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. In the Toy Business Forum, speakers from a diverse range of fields will discuss trends in toys and retail. Key topics include digitalisation, influencer marketing and artificial intelligence. The audience can also expect to hear exciting presentations on the highlight topic, ‘Life’s a Playground – Toys for Kidsters, Kidults & Co.’. Under the new schedule for the Spielwarenmesse, the programme will run from Tuesday to Saturday between 1 pm and 4 pm. Following this, in the Live on Stage sessions, exhibitors will be presenting their product portfolios and new introductions in 20-minute slots.

Kidults with plenty of potential 

Adults who play games are a target group with real purchasing power that the industry has to keep in mind. The new highlight Special, ‘Life’s a Playground – Toys for Kidsters, Kidults & Co.’ in Hall 3A, right next to the Toy Business Forum, covers this world and will be displaying examples of relevant products. Six of the presentations in the Toy Business Forum tackle this theme. In the keynote speech on Wednesday, Toan Nguyen, founder of Jung von Matt NERD in Hamburg, will speak about the Kidults target group and offer an introduction to the pop culture of a new generation. On the Friday, the presentation by Axel Dammler, Managing Director of iconkids & youth in Munich, highlights the target group in the German toy market, exploring the interests, motivations and needs of this cohort and how to appeal to them. Christian Braun, from Superior (USA), deals with one particular aspect of this Special: collecting. The founder and CEO of hobbyDB, the world’s largest database covering all the collectibles ever produced, discusses with the aid of examples ten key criteria that define what makes a collectible and how it remains one.

Fit for future trends

Besides new target groups, other factors such as trends, competition and changing customer needs also shape the future of the retail trade. On the Tuesday, Stefan Nilsson from Stockholm demonstrates the link between a feeling of happiness and the act of buying things, in his presentation ‘Happy is the new black – trends for 2024/2025’. Internationally renowned American toy expert Reyne Rice will be inspiring audiences on Tuesday and Friday with the latest trends and technologies for the forthcoming season. And on Wednesday, Nick Sohnemann from Hamburg, founder of innovation agency Future Candy, ventures a glimpse into the future of the toy trade with the aid of actual business models and innovation methods.

Having an online presence

The topics of digitalisation and online marketing provide further focal points with the presentation of new and promising opportunities for online and social media presence. A quick tour of Google Business Profile, focusing on regional businesses with retail stores, is presented on the Wednesday by Nuremberg-based Beatrice Köhler, Managing Director of Kampagnenreiter GmbH. On Thursday, meanwhile, Benjamin Brüser of BR-AIN Brüser Architektur & Innovation in Bottrop provides the answers to many questions concerning multi-channel opportunities, and sheds light on the benefits of digital tools. Influencer marketing in the toy sector is on the programme, too, in a presentation by Philipp Hagl, Managing Director of InfluenceME GmbH in Munich. As well as providing an introduction to the theory, he offers plenty of practical tips and tricks along the way.

New tools for artificial intelligence 

Artificial intelligence or AI is increasingly making its way into our everyday lives and the business world is no exception. On the Thursday, Marilyn Repp of Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Handel (Digital SME Retail Centre) in Berlin presents various examples of applications from the retail SME sector, while Christian Krömer follows this up with his personal experience. As CEO of Toysino GmbH and Managing Director of Spielwaren Krömer GmbH & Co. KG, he offers insights into how AI relates to his daily business. Then on Friday, trade visitors can dive into the world of AI marketing with Hamburg-based digital architect Patrick Klingberg, in a presentation studded with inspiring practical examples and personal insights into his working life. As well as the ‘Internationale Spieleerfindermesse – Game Inventors Convention’, which takes place on the Friday, another highlight also awaits game inventors on Saturday, when qualified games designer and AI enthusiast Markus Utomo demonstrates practice-based revolutionary opportunities for developing toys and products using AI.

The complete Toy Business Forum programme and comprehensive information on the speakers is available at www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/toybusinessforum.