Toy Fair adds content to its big trade show

NEW YORK — The Toy Fair has added a new feature to its 110th annual trade show called, “Content Connection.” The new addition to the show is designed to serve the needs of growing number of licensors, brand owners and entertainment executives that annually flock to the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere.



Content Connection will take place February 10-11, 2013, the first two days of the Toy Fair, at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Sessions led by experts in the field of licensing will cover topics such as opportunities for traditional and e-enhanced toy manufacturers and designers; preschool market research; demographic trends, media use and retail infrastructure in youth markets around the world; and basic concepts and best practices for licensing brands and properties.



"We saw an unprecedented surge in licensors and entertainment executives over the past two years at Toy Fair," said Marian Bossard, VP of meetings and events at the Toy Industry Association, the trade group that owns and operates Toy Fair. "With that in mind, we've worked with experts in the field to create Content Connection to deliver an informative, interactive, and research-driven program geared specifically to Toy Fair's ever-growing licensing community."



The learning sessions will be produced in association with EPM Communications, publishers of the Licensing Letter and Youth Markets Alert, as well as JC Inc. Sessions will be fee-based and can be purchased as individual classes, allowing participants to pick and choose the topics that are most pertinent to their interests. For more information, visit ToyFairNY.com.



"Toy Fair has long been an informal gathering place for many in the licensing community," said Ira Mayer, president of EPM. "These additional educational opportunities and new data will truly extend the welcome mat."



The Toy Fair will be held from Sunday, February 10 to Wednesday, February 13, and is projected to connect nearly 1,100 toy sellers with more than 10,000 forward-looking and fast-acting global retailers.