NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City was transformed into a magical playground this morning when hundreds of thousands of innovative playthings were unveiled at the opening of the 111th American International Toy Fair - the largest toy marketplace ever held in the Western Hemisphere - taking place February 16-19, 2014.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140216/NY66149 )
More than 30,000 play professionals from 100 countries are expected at Toy Fair 2014 to explore a record-breaking 412,000 net square feet of exhibit space at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Upwards of 1,150 toy companies - 285 of which are exhibiting for the very first time - are slated to unveil the year's hottest trends in toys, games and youth entertainment products in front of an estimated 14,000 global buyers.
"New York Toy Fair is the only show in the world that provides the international toy industry with direct access to the tremendous creativity and talent of North American toymakers," said Carter Keithley, President of the Toy Industry Association (TIA), the trade group that owns and operates the show. "The diverse Toy Fair marketplace offers something for everyone - including niche buyers, mass retailers, licensing executives, and many more - all of who consider the show to be a 'must-attend' stop on the global buying circuit."
Toy Fair opened at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring GRAMMY-winning artist Alicia Keys, co-creator of the interactive children's app, The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee. Immediately following the show opener, trade guests surged the exhibit hall and kicked off four, jam-packed days of trend-spotting, networking and order-writing. Playthings ordered at Toy Fair will be appearing in toy stores through the holiday shopping season.
Providing media and trade guests with the inside scoop on which toys will top wish lists this year, TIA experts will reveal the biggest trends of 2014 at the annual "Toy Trends Tea" on Monday, February 17. "Larger than life" toys ... high-tech RC vehicles ..."frightfully fun" playthings ... and games that teach important "STEAM" concepts are just a few examples of the trending playthings that will be covered at the talk.
World-class educational seminars to be held throughout the show include licensing-focused seminars; global trade and market expansion research presentations; workshops for inventors and designers; and toy safety and compliance forums for manufacturers and retailers. New for Toy Fair 2014 is a free e-tool that extends the marketplace beyond its four-day run, ShopToyFair365, enabling buyers and sellers to connect and conduct business online before, during and after the show.
Registration is mandatory for access to Toy Fair 2014; verification of media credentials is required. Sign up online at www.ToyFairNY.comor on-site during show hours. Those who can't make it to the show can follow Toy Fair on Twitter(TF14 and TFNY) and visit the Toy Fair Online Press Roomand TIA's Facebook pagefor up-to-the-minute show information.
About the American International Toy Fair (www.ToyFairNY.com)
Toy Fair is an annual event that is owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The show brings together more than 1,150 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents to showcase 150,000+ toy and youth entertainment products to 7,000+ unique retail outlets from 100 countries.
About the Toy Industry Association (TIA) (www.ToyAssociation.org and www.ToyInfo.org)
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages, representing more than 700 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. TIA is the owner and operator of the American International Toy Fair and Fall Toy Preview. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry; TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety and works with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.
SOURCE Toy Industry Association
