Global Toy Industry Makes its Way to New York City for Toy Fair 2011

"Play Happens" During the 108th American International Toy Fair

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New toys and games from around the world will fill the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center starting this Sunday, February 13th, as the $75 billion global ($21.8B domestic U.S.) toy industry comes together in New York City for the 108th annual American International Toy Fair – a four-day event showcasing the latest and greatest products to delight kids of all ages.  Owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA), Toy Fair provides toymakers with the opportunity to debut thousands of new products that will start to appear on toy store shelves in time for the holiday shopping season.

"Toy Fair is the most exciting event of the year for industry influencers, who annually flock to the tradeshow to create new business opportunities," said Marian Bossard, TIA vice president of meetings and events. "Showcasing the creativity and flair of one of the most innovative industries in the world, 1,100 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries are set to unveil their top products to buyers and guests from 100 nations."

There's a lot more than order-writing that happens at Toy Fair; many special events and activities take place during the week:

• The TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards, administered by TIA in support of the Toy Industry Foundation, will be held on Saturday, February 12th at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The event honors the best in toys and children's entertainment in eleven industry award categories plus one overall "Toy of the Year" award; the induction of Al Verrecchia, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hasbro, Inc. and Donald Duncan, Founder of Duncan Toys Company into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame; and pays tribute to the Foundation's work to bring the joy of toys and play to kids in need.
• On Sunday, February 13th at 10 a.m. the Toy Fair Opening Ceremony will take place with live musical entertainment and a parade of popular costumed characters during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
• On Monday, February 14th at 2:00 p.m. media will get the inside scoop on 2011's hottest trends at the Toy Trends Tea; a TIA trends specialist will reveal the freshest developments in toys using examples from the show floor.
• Toy Fair-hosted educational seminars will also be taking place throughout the week: on Tuesday, February 15th the Toy Safety & Legislative Update will be held at 9:30 a.m. and the U.S. Department of Commerce  seminar, "U.S. Toy Manufacturers: Increase Exports/Maximize Trade Opportunities," will be held at 11 a.m.

Throughout the show, the Creative Factor Drop-In Learning Center will bring together inventors, designers and other creative professionals to network and share information and resources. Details about all of the educational seminars and events can be found online at Happenings @ Toy Fair on ToyFairNY.com.  

• New for 2011 is Play Happens: The Game, a social media experience that marries the fun of Toy Fair with the energy of New York City by turning Manhattan into a virtual board game.  Learn more at ToyFairNYBlog.com.

Those who can't make it to the show will be kept in the loop by event staff via Twitter (@ToyFairNY, #TF11), the TIA Press Room, Facebook and the Toy Fair Blog.

About the American International Toy Fair

Toy Fair is an annual event that is owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, the show brings together more than 1,100 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 100 countries to showcase an estimated 100,000 toy and entertainment products to the 9,000 unique retail outlets scheduled to attend.

About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)

TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing more than 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. For more information, please visit www.toyfairny.com, www.toyassociation.org or www.toyinfo.org.

SOURCE Toy Industry Association