Spanning the original dates for the fair from 2 to 6 February, the platform provided a great opportunity for exhibitors and trade visitors to discover the latest trends, refresh their expertise in toys and exchange opinions and information. Over the five days, organiser Spielwarenmesse eG recorded 10,813 visitors from 82 different countries. The highly varied programme of presentations was a success, and was accessed 22,000 times.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a long while we were committed to a fair that people could physically attend and we\u2019re pleased that we were able to switch to the Spielwarenmesse Digital format at such short notice<\/em>,\u201d said Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board<\/strong>. \u201cAlthough the event in Nuremberg is irreplaceable, with our week of events we were able to offer industry professionals up-to-date insights into the market and plenty of inspiration<\/em>.\u201d From startups to well-known companies, 642 exhibitors from 43 countries were there to present themselves and their selected innovations. Their profiles were clicked on 108,517 times. Moreover, the manufacturers\u2019 presentations attracted particular attention: The \u2018Exhibitors on Stage\u2019 area was viewed about 5000 times.<\/p>\n The range of services also went down well, according to reports. \u201cThe highly international character of the fair, in combination with the \u2018Exhibitors on Stage\u2019 section, promoted the expression of some fresh and innovative ideas<\/em>,\u201d \u2013 so says Michael Kitsos, International Sales Manager at long-time exhibitor Svoora, from Greece<\/strong>. Sandra Lin of the Taiwanese company Honeycomb Learning Corporation<\/strong> adds: \u201cThe live presentation was an interesting experience and will help us to move forward.\u201d And in addition, she comments, she discovered a new approach to finding different groups of customers<\/em>.”<\/p>\n The networking aspect of Spielwarenmesse Digital proved very popular. \u201cParticipating this year was certainly a good alternative way to meet with potential buyers and present our new products during the pandemic<\/em>,\u201d remarked Jolanta Nawrocka of the Polish company AzToys International<\/strong>. Similar levels of satisfaction were found among younger companies, who were full of praise for the platform\u2019s ease of use. \u201cThe portal is designed in a clear way. Even as a startup you have every chance of being found<\/em>,\u201d says Astrid Kronsbein, Managing Director of Science Digital Didactics<\/strong>. And Maria Gundersen, Norwegian founder of the startup Flops<\/strong>, was likewise impressed by the support she received for her business: \u201cThe platform is great! My highlight as a startup was a meeting I had with a big distributor abroad who contacted us through the digital platform<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n For OPPI, from France, the ToyAward in the Startup category for its \u2018Piks\u2019 product was the high point of Spielwarenmesse Digital. \u201cWinning the ToyAward 2022 with our product \u00b4Piks\u00b4 in the Startup category is such an honour for our team and provides outstanding visibility for our brand<\/em>,\u201d says Co-CEO Hansel Schloupt<\/strong>. In the new Sustainability category the award went to Fischertechnik, which was especially pleasing to Sales Manager Marc Schrag<\/strong>: \u201cThe ToyAward for \u2018Animal Friends\u2019 strengthens our resolve to continue playing an active role on the path to a sustainable future, and to lead the way in the toy industry by our good example.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n