Toy Business Forum – inspiring retail knowledge at the Spielwarenmesse
§ Top national and international speakers share their knowledge
§ Topical issues discussed live throughout the duration of the fair
At the beginning of February, the Spielwarenmesse will at last be bringing the entire sector back together again and presenting the latest trends, products and topics. The familiar presentation area in Hall 3A offers further added value: in the Toy Business Forum, the audience can look forward to 18 international speakers with 21 exciting presentations on trends in toys and in retailing, digitalisation and the metaverse, not to mention sustainability and diversity. The presentations are given every day between 1 pm and 3 pm. The final event each day will be the presentations on the Spielwarenmesse ToyTrends. And in addition, in the mornings from Wednesday to Saturday, representatives of the licensing industry will introduce the latest topics from the field at the LicenseTalks. A new feature is the Live on Stage presentation format.
Trends in the toy industry
The toy industry is affected by many trends. The latest developments in licensing, valuable examples of best practice and tips for newcomers will be available to the audience in the LicenseTalks each morning from Wednesday to Saturday, from Licensing International, Licensing Magazine and BRANDmate founder Eva Stemmer. On broader trends in the market, international toy and trend expert Reyne Rice, among others, will be presenting ‘Emerging trends and future innovations in toys, games and play technology’ on the Wednesday of the fair. In addition, Steve Reece, renowned consultant to the toy sector, will be speaking on ‘The Future of Toys’ on the Thursday. At the end of each day from Wednesday to Saturday, Reyne Rice and metaverse expert Dominik Griese-Kentschke will take it in turns to present the 2023 ToyTrends. Afterwards, in the Live on Stage programme, the exhibitors will take to the stage for the Toy Business Forum. In 20-minute slots, companies will be presenting their businesses, product portfolios and new products.
Digitalisation and the metaverse
The trend themes of digitalisation and the approaching metaverse are further focal points, with new opportunities for retail. On the Friday, for example, Julia Frings, Project Manager at the Institute for Retail Studies IFH KÖLN, will speak about the smartphone as a shopping tool. Achim Himmelreich of Capgemini Deutschland is a long-standing expert in digital transformation and in his presentation he will discuss how retail can prepare for the metaverse. Niklas Wittkowski of TikTok reveals what lies behind the concept of Millennial Marketing and how to communicate with Generation Z with the aid of TikTok.
Sustainability and diversity
Equally interesting topics for the future will be covered by the discussions on sustainability in the retail trade and in toys, and on diversity. Sustainable shopfitting, for example, will be tackled in the Wednesday slot by Frank Bittel of ppm planning + project management pro. On the Saturday, an example of best practice awaits the audience when Sharon Keilthy from Ireland shares her experiences as founder of the world’s first toy shop with a fully ecological orientation. Themes of diversity and gender in the toy range are explored by Olaolu Fajembola and Tebogo Nimindé-Dundadengar of Tebalou on the Thursday, and by Sascha Verlan of Wort & Klang Küche on the Sunday.
The complete Toy Business Forum programme and comprehensive information on the speakers is available online at www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/toybusinessforum.
