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Toy & Hobby China and Baby & Stroller China open on 8 April with expanding scale

6 Apr 2017

Amidst a slower overall Chinese economy, the toy and baby products market in the country remains bright, with total sales of toys increasing 8.3% to reach USD 9.44 billion in 2016. With both import and export figures rising constantly in recent years, international and domestic exhibitors at the 2017 edition of Toy & Hobby China and Baby & Stroller China are gearing up to capture these business opportunities.

These annual events will return this year from 8 – 10 April with a record-breaking exhibition scale. The fairs are the largest exhibitions of their kind in Southern China, covering seven halls, one more than the previous editions, across 81,200 sqm, an increase of 8%. Over 1,000 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions including China, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the US will offer a wide range of quality products.

International and domestic suppliers to cater to the growing Chinese demand for toys and baby products

According to Guangdong Toy Association (GDTA), the fairs’ co-organiser, the 2016 import value of toys in China increased 22.9% to USD 1.06 billion, revealing growing demand for overseas products. Suppliers from all around the world will take advantage of the International Zone to tap into this huge market. Several new exhibitors including Theo Klein, Latex Occidental and BE-essential from Germany, Mexico and the Netherlands, respectively, will debut at the fairs, demonstrating their educational toys, balloons, animal plush toys, musical toys and more.

Apart from the international exhibitors, domestic suppliers have also proven themselves to be competitive over recent years by providing more and more innovative products at reasonable prices. Following the changing business nature from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to Original Brand Manufacturer (OBM) in the past decade, a number of Chinese companies will exhibit at the fairs so as to promote their brands to buyers from around the globe. Muwan, Qingdao Sprinray, Fujian Meinkind Baby Products and Long Faith Industrial are just some of the emerging companies in the industry that can be reached at the fairs.

To ensure these exhibitors attract their target buyers, and in order to facilitate buyers’ sourcing, the fairs have set up specific zones including the International Zone, Animation and Character Licensing Zone and Pre-school Amusement Play-set Zone.

Animation and Character Licensing product sector to receive special attention

In addition to traditional toys, the Animation and Character Licensing product sector is another potential market not to be missed in China. The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association states that Southeast Asia, including China, Japan and Korea, is the world’s third largest retail market for licensed products. In response to the positive feedback for the Animation and Character Licensing Zone last year, the area has expanded by 8% this year, attracting more big licensors like Garfield, Thomas & Friends, Naruto, B.Duck, Bodhi and Friends and Chupa Chups to come.

For the first time in 2017, the fairs will also cooperate with the Guangdong Entertainment & Game Industry Association and the Guangzhou Animation and Cartoon Association in holding the ‘2017 Business Matching for Entertainment Licensing Brands’. Some of the leading domestic original animation character licensors have been invited to this event, serving as a platform for licensing industry players to exchange information, to share their experiences and to facilitate investment and cooperation.   

Fringe programme to generate more business opportunities

In addition to the comprehensive range of toys and baby products, a series of fringe programme events are on offer throughout the show period. These include the Analysis of Big Data in the Toy Market & Cross-border e-Commerce Summit 2017, which comprises sharing by representatives from Amazon and Nielsen, the ICTI CARE Certification seminar, which is about the new factory inspection regulations in China and the 2017 Pre-school Education and Toy Application Seminar dedicated to kindergarten investors and educators.

With the fairs successfully gathering international companies from the toy and baby product industries, buyer delegations from Hong Kong and Korea as well as companies like Disguise Ltd (Jakka Pacific), Sieper GmbH, MGA Entertainment, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, NAVI and SEGA Toys will visit this year. Moreover, business matching sessions have also been arranged between exhibitors and buyers.

Toy & Hobby China and Baby & Stroller China are organised by Guangdong Toy Association, Guangzhou Li Tong Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

For more information, please visit www.chinatoyfair.com or www.chinababyfair.com.

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Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With some 2,400 employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of over €640 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com



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