NEWSDAILY

Glowing with pride

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The Toy Fair’s ONLY offi cial daily paper

DAY 2

Tumbling into Toy FairKids TV favourite Mr Tumble, the man who brings a smile to every household across the nation, came to London’s Toy Fair yesterday.

Even though it was his fi rst ever visit, he managed to bring the fair to a standstill with fans delirious with excitement as he banded down the Golden Bear Stand.

Interviews are rare because Mr Tumble is ‘so, so busy’ and is never off the TV – but he was more than happy to chat to Daily News.

When asked, ‘Hello, hello, hello, how are you?’ Mr Tumble revealed that he was ‘in heaven’ very excited to being surrounded by so many toys.

Speaking of favourite toys, Mr Tumble giggled, touched his nose and said his favourite toy is his Tumble car.

‘I brushed my teeth when I got up this morning, got in my Tumble Car to see Grandad

Tumble in the shed and I woke him up. ‘I am lucky. I also went and cake with Aunt

Polly in her tea room before coming here. She gave me apple juice.’ It was a short but sweet visit but Mr Tumble, made sure to take time to be interviewed on TnP TV, which will air next week.

Pixie powerSimba Smoby brought superstar pulling power to Toy Fair yesterday as pop princess Pixie Lott took to the stand to reveal a very special fashion dolls range, Steffi Love by

Pixie Lott. Stand E140

The jubilant Jakks Pacifi c team were on form as they collected their Toy of the Year Award for their Snow Glow Elsa doll. Cont’d page 2.

TuKidbrin

• Interviews with HTI and Great

Gizmos

• Show deals and offers

•All the news from Day 1

Don’t Miss

Inside:

Page 1 DAY 2.indd 1Page 1 DAY 2.indd 1 21/01/2015 03:0021/01/2015 03:00

2

NEWS

The Midco boys with

Allan Ingham (Vivid)

and Ross McDonald

of Drumond Park

Miguel Pina Martins and John Harper catch up with a pal

I’m delighted to have my picture taken

with the lovely Jose Royce of Rodwins.

Jose has attended every toy fair since

it began in 1952. I’m just a beginner in

comparison

The Magnifi cent Seven when Hasbro met Argos - Adrianna, Anna, Lauren, Nieve, Emma, Laura and Lindsey

There’s magic in the air with ace magi-

cian Brucie and Louise Bailey and Selina

Dangerfi eld of Norton PR

Miguel Pina Martins and John Harper catch up with a pal

I’m delighted to have my picture take

e Royce of Rodwine

a, Anna, Lauren, Nieve, Emma, Laura and Lindsey

There’s magic i

cian Brucie and

Dangerfi eld of

The stars of the toy storyThe great and the good of the toy industry packed aboard the coaches and headed down to the Science Museum yesterday even-

ing for the crowning event of Toy Fair opening day, the Toy Industry Awards. In a year that will be remembered by many for a cold front sweeping across the entertainment landscape, Jakks Pacifi c’s Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa was named Toy of the Year 2014, and Character Options was took four awards in total, including Overall Supplier of the Year. Last year’s loom band fever was recognised with both Character’s and H.Grossman’s loom lines sharing the title of Craze of the Year, a new award category for 2014. And Gaming Toy of the Year was a second new award introduced this year to refl ect the industry’s continuing evolution. Character’s Minecraft Figures snapped it up. The big winner in the retail category was Smyths Toys, taking the awards for both Specialist Toy Retailer (over 30 Stores) and the overall Toy Retailer of the Year 2014. Meanwhile The Entertainer was saluted for its performance in digital retail channels, picking up the Online Toy Retailer of the Year.

Making his TIA co-hosting debut, BTHA Chairman Phil Ratcliffe said: “It was my fi rst year up on stage, so I can’t

deny that I was pretty terrifi ed. But there were no major hitches, and I think Anna and Gavin did a brilliant job for their

debut as well. I’d like to congratulate all the win-ners and everyone nominated on behalf of the BTHA.”

The Midco boys with id)

The Magnifi cent Seven when Ha bArgos Ad

VTech’s Clive Ricardson & Graham

Canning with Alan Simpson

Character’s Joe Kissane, Mike Rowe & Jerry

Healy with Alan Simpson

The Entertainer team pick up their award

Smyth’s Anne-Marie Garrett with Chairman Phil Ratcliff e

Team Character Options pick up another award

Flair’s Verity Green & Nic Aldridge are

victorious

Padraig Smyth picking up his retailer award

Alan Dadswell and his team from Toys n’ Tuck, EssexThe Entertainer’s Stuart Grant gets into the spirit of things

A Character shot - Mark Hunt, Stefanie Moore, Claire Sawkins and the legendary Colin Fox

The Cassidy boys are all smiles - maybe they think they’re in for an award?

Kai Hawaleschka. Roland Earl and John Stewart

Khalid Osman, Andrew Mallandaine, Jeff

Taylor, Barry Hughes and and Ian Rice

A Character shot - Mark HuntStefanie Mo

The Cassidy boys are all smiles - maybe they think they’re in for an award?

Khalid Osman, Andrew Mallandaine, Jeff mry Hughes and and Ian Riceman, Andrew Malla

d and Ian Rice

Kai Hawaleschka. Roland Earl and JohnStewart

Show honours golden winnersAnd the winners were!TOY RETAILER OF THE YEAR WINNERS:Independent Toy Retailer of the Year Toys N TuckSpecialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 5 stores) Ken Black Toys & NurserySpecialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (up to 30 stores) Toy BarnhausSpecialist Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year (over 30 stores) Smyths ToysGeneral Multiple Toy Retailer of the Year Morleys Stores Online Toy Retailer of the Year The EntertainerOverall Toy Retailer of the Year Smyths Toys

TOY AND SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARDS:Craze of the the Year Loombands, Character Options and H GrossmanConstruction Range of the Year The LEGO Movie, LEGO Action Figure Range of the Year Ninja Turtles Movie Figures, Flair Leisure Products Gaming Toy of the Year Minecraft Figures, Character OptionsDoll of the Year Disney Frozen Sparkle Dolls, MattelInteractive Toy of the Year Little Live Pets Birds, Character OptionsCollectable Toy of the Year Shopkins, Flair Leisure ProductsCraft Toy of the Year Sew Cool Sewing Studio, Character OptionsPre-School Range of the Year Toot-Toot, Vtech Innovative Toy of the Year My Friend Cayla, Vivid Toy License of the Year Frozen, DisneySupplier of the Year Character OptionsToy of the Year Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa, Jakks Pacifi c

The Golden Teddies are the ultimate symbol of recognition in the toy industry and this year there were fi ve worthy recipients – the fi rst time so many have been awarded at one ceremony.

Mark Beaman is the fi rst winner. He began in the Toy industry in 1984 with Tomy Toys and has had an impressive career joining Epoch Making Toys in 2013.

The second recipient is Jeff Taylor who has more than 30 years’ experience in the business and over the last twenty years worked with toy companies large and small to tailor their media requirements.

Josephine Royce took home the third Golden Teddy. She has run her own toyshop in north London for 55 years after starting as a lift operator in Hamleys.

The fi nal two went to Tracey Butcher and Chris Baxter. Tracey has been employed full time for the BTHA for 17 years while Chris has worked on Toy Fair for a total of 20 years.

Those golden girls from Golden Bear

Tony Norton and friends enjoy their

night

aS

Tony Norton and friends enjoy their

Spin Master’s Phil Hooper &

Jacqueline Taylor-Foo

Rubie’s Chris Isitt collects his special recognition award

4

NEWS

Galt glams up

Strictly Come Dancing pros Kristina Rihanoff and Aliona Vilani kicked their heels up on Galt Toys’ stand to show off the Dazzling Dancers Sensational Sequins craft.

The two terpsichoreans donned sparkly green and pink sequinned dresses,

similar to those on the box cover.“It’s great fun,” said a beaming Kristina.

4

The two terpsichoreans donned sparkly green and pink sequinned dresses,

similar to those on the box cover.“It’s great fun,” said a beaming Kristina.

Pip pops by the standChannel 5’s Milkshake! presenters Jen Pringle and Derek Moran sailed on to the John Adams stand yesterday to celebrate the launch of the company’s new Pip Ahoy! Toy range, inspired by the hit animation. Pip himself joined the pair to show off the brand new Scopey Eye, Skipper’s Bucket and Alba plush from the nautical themed range.Stand G100

Clash of Toy Fair dates addressed by BTHAThe BTHA have released a statement in relation to a current clash of dates between London Toy Fair and Nuremberg.

In a statement released yesterday, the BTHA said the issue recently came to their attention. They explained that the Toy Fair at Olympia has been booked for several years with opening dates of 26 to 28 January 2016.

“Dates are always booked in advance on the basis of information available at the time about the timings of other relevant shows,” they said.

“The Nuremberg Toy Fair has dates for 2016 that means there is currently a direct clash of open dates on 27 and 28 January. The BTHA in no way underestimates the issue this will cause for our exhibitors and visitors, and the

Association is trying hard to fi nd a better alternative for all, to minimise the obvious inconvenience in 2016 as far as possible.”

They added: “The BTHA is working with Olympia to fi nd a better solution than the current booked dates and will confi rm the arrangements for the 2016 Toy Fair as soon as it is possible to do so.”

They explained that they are looking into several options currently including bringing Toy Fair forward “by a day or if possible two days to lessen the overlap of dates. Extended show opening hours are also being considered,” they added.

More information will be relayed in due course by Roland Earl, Director General BTHA (roland@btha.co.uk)

The ToyTesters.tv crew, Nigel and Perry, busy fi lming on press day

Toy Essential’s Lesley-Mae Baker shows off the Hoberman Mega Sphere, which folds down for easy storage. “The Mega Sphere has attracted an awful lot of attention because of its size and bright colours,” she said. “I’ve been on the edge of the stand and showing it off in the aisle. Any child that has come past has wanted to climb in and try it out for themselves.” Gallery Stand 147b

Page 4 DAY 2 News.indd 1Page 4 DAY 2 News.indd 1 21/01/2015 03:4321/01/2015 03:43

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NEWS

6

A classic returnsCharacter OptionsStand E119

It’s a long way to travel from the moon to Toy Fair, but The Clangers made the trip specially yesterday, touching down on the Character Options stand. The Clangers joined Character’s Rachel Jones and licensor Coolabi’s Michael Day to announce the launch of a Clangers toy range, which will coincide with the brand new TV series in July. At the heart of the collection are fi gures of the favourite characters, including Tiny, Small and Soup Dragon, and they are joined by vehicles, playsets and more.

Pug Uggly!Character OptionsStand E119

You’d have to be barking mad not to fi nd Mugly the Chinese Crested Dog at least a little bit cute, but his Ugliest Dog in the World status saw him on the Character Options stand yesterday for the unveiling of a gross new collectables range.

The Ugglys Pet Shop, developed by Moose Enterprise, brings 101 fi lthy and fun characters to collect, from dogs and cats, to more exotic creatures such as monkeys and parrots. The collectability is increased further with rare Stickies and ultra limited edition Rusty Pets with a tarnished metallic fi nish.

“The Ugglys Pet Shop is set to be the hottest new boys collectable,” said Mark Hunt, Marketing Manager, Character Options. “There are loads of cool things to collect, from limited edition creatures to little golden poos!”

And how did he fi nd going nose-to-nose with the world’s ugliest dog? “Interesting - I certainly didn’t expect that to happen today. I doubt it will be the last time though!”

What do you expect retailers to get excited about on the Tomy stand this year?Everything! We have some great innovation in our infant and toddler range. Our Sort n Pop range recently won the best new toy in the pre-school category. Our whole range is absolutely fantastic and continues to perform well at retail. They are cleverly designed and focus on highly involved play, providing endless play possibilities. So are our bath toys. We have got the addition of the Bathtime Dragons and The Snow Cone Machine. It is launching autumn/winter. You pour in regular hand soap, anything that is safe to bath the kids, pull down the lever, and it creates ice cream foams. It is fun and just ideal for quality parent and child time.

How would you sum-up trading for Tomy last year? It has been very good. It’s been very good with both the independents and the major retailers. We continue to grow year on year, but it was a really good year last year. We are hoping for increased

listing. With some of the new ranges that we have got and some of our additional existing ranges, growth should be good, especially with our farm range both in pre-school and collector items.

What is your favourite thing about Toy Fair?Personally, I like meeting everyone. It is great to really get to see all of the customers and the general buzz about the place. You also get the opportunity to see all your colleagues as well you only get to see once a year. It is nice to be in the same place at the same time!

Did you be attend the Toy Awards last night?Yes I did. Great night.

And we must ask, what’s your favourite coffee?I don’t think I will fi nd it here. I like skinny sugar free latte. But I am happy with a regular latte.

COFFEECOFFEEBREAKBREAK

with... Matthew Woolfwith... Matthew WoolfHead of Customer Marketing at Tomy

Stand Gallery 610

Dave the Funky Monkey is back!VividStand E135

Taking the UK toy market by storm in 2010, Dave The Funky Monkey is making an anarchic comeback in 2015, with a host of zany, badly behaved antics to delight and entertain fans of all ages. To celebrate his return, Vivid is launching a #Daveselfi e social media campaign from the stand to generate buzz around his character and personality.

Never happier than being the centre of attention, head to the Vivid stand to get a picture of yourself alongside the madcap monkey. With props on the stand, all your need is a phone and a Twitter account to get involved!

Strap 12” cuddly Dave to your shoulder, arm or wrist then bring him to life using the banana-shaped remote control! You’ll fi nd Dave has a gesture or sound fi t for any occasion: burp, laugh, scratch, wave, cry or even blowing raspberries. Activate any of the four modes and over 30 behaviour combinations via the remote control and watch the reaction of those around you as chaotic Dave transforms into the ultimate portable one-monkey entertainment system.

The new Doogie Howser!GibsonsStand E40

There are not many 7-year-olds who know their duodenum from their thorax but Dr Reuben does.

“I’ve always been interested in medicine,” says the tyke as he wallops our reporter in a quiz to name body parts.

“I don’t want to specialise, I’m interested in all aspects of the body. I want to learn even more as I get older.”

Reuben is promoting My Body, part of the My World range.

8

NEWSFeel the speed K’Nex Gallery Stand 510

In August 2014, K’NEX completed the build of a life-sized replica of the BLOODHOUND Supersonic Car, confi rmed by Guinness World Records to be the world’s largest K’NEX structure. The impressive build was on show at Toy Fair 2015, on the paved area just outside the entrance.

The BLOODHOUND K’NEX Car is made of 380,000 K’NEX parts, over 13 metres long and almost four metres tall. The build was a real team effort with children helping to contribute along with experts from the BLOODHOUND Project, which aims to inspire children about science and engineering by developing a 1,000 mph land speed record car.

The BLOODHOUND K’NEX Car now supports the work of the BLOODHOUND Project’s education team who aim to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers.

Party like a hero! Bandai Gallery Stand 600

Team Bandai were celebrating in style yesterday with a party on their stand to mark Big Hero 6! Looking good guys!

In a real twirl Golden Bear Products Stand E69

Anne Wood, creator of the new TV show Twirlywoos, was all smiles at London Toy Fair yesterday.

Joined by Steve Roberts, head creator and writer, they told Daily News they are confi dent their new show, about four small birds who live on a red boat and regularly fl y out to explore the world, would be a bigger hit than Teletubbies.

Anne Wood said: “We have both been doing it a long time so we should be getting better at this. Simon and I did a programme called Dip Dap. We wanted to develop the comedy of it because we found that children laughed at Dip Dap so much. And, so, Twirlywoos was born. It is so exciting to be chatting about the show and the toys at London Toy fair.’

Twirlywoos is due to be launched on CBeebies on February 27th. Golden Bear Products has signed the master toy licence with plans to launch the range later in the year.

Lots going on at DKL Come and see the life-sized model of Doc McStuffi ns at Stand E66!

The much-loved Hama Beads range is returning to Toy Fair this year with several brand new and exciting licensed products! There’s the new Doc McStuffi ns Large Gift Box which includes a whopping 4000 beads, two pegboards, a colour-printed design sheet, instructions and ironing paper!

If that wasn’t enough, the popular Hello Kitty character is joining the range along with Disney Princess Palace Pets! Both licenses will be available in gift boxes and blister packs. Visitors can also see new generic products which include special pick-up lines and brilliant new themes such as Funny Faces. Don’t miss out on all the action at DKL’s stand!

For more details please contact 01235 555545

trade_sales@vtech.com

Stand

500

New features for 2015Dual lens Kidizoom with front and back lenses

New for 2015

VTech camera delivered over £50 million

at retail since 2007*

First launched in 2007

*NPD data 2007-2014

John Adams LeisureStand G100 “The fi rst day was fantastic for us,” Lynette Norris, Marketing Manager said. “The Milkshake presenters were on the stand, helping us launch our brand new Pip Ahoy! range.

“It’s a pre-school property that is currently number one on Milkshake at the 7am timeslot.

“It’s our fi rst master licence and includes playsets and role play. Initial reactions to the range have been really positive.”

11

NEWS

Esdevium GamesStand E109Ben Hogg, Marketing Manager: “While the show was a little quiet fi rst thing, the wheels were soon put in motion and our stand was suddenly very busy.

“We have a number of new game launches. With amazing growth on our Dobble game, we have decided to bring Dobble to a younger audience with

Dobble Kids which we’ll be demonstrating on our demo table at the front of the stand.

We also have a bigger-than-ever range of Disney games, including Star Wars, Marvel and Frozen.”

Mookie ToysStand E149Mookie has announced that it is adding to its outdoor play speciality by entering into the connected toys market with Pebli as its fl agship launch for this re-positioning.

“We’ve been developing Pebli for two years. It’s a physical toy interacting in the virtual world, so children spend 99% of their time on the physical toy, which is then refl ected in the virtual world,” says Matt Griggs, Marketing Offi cer.

Jumbo GamesStand E46Presenting its Wasgij General Election Collection, Jumbo Games has created a political campaign for the Wasgij Party, with leader Dave Wasgij.

Meet Dave and his political opponents on the

stand and make your vote. And while you’re there, get your free coffee – Jumbo’s Toy Fair tradition!

Golden Bear ProductsStand E69 “We were really excited to have children’s entertainer Richard Cadell, on the Golden Bear stand today, helping to demonstrate our Sooty range or products,” Kerry Instone, Trade Marketing Manager told the Daily News.

“New for this year is the Sooty Magic Set and Richard himself has helped design the tricks.

“We also have brand new ranges we are launching for Autumn/Winter: a Forever Friends nursery range; the Hey Duggee range, a CBeebies property that has just started arriving on the channel, and the highly-anticipated Twirlywoos range.

“From the creator of Telebubbies and In the Night Garden, Twirlywoos is also a CBeebies property launching this spring.”

Goldfi sh & BisonStand E35Lee-Anne Neale, Sales & Marketing Manager: “The fi rst day was a great start for us and we had lots of great reactions to our new product. In addition to three new lines in Spirograph and fantastic new lines in the Laser Pegs range, we have a whole new range of games for Megableu. And the bonus? All are being TV advertised.”

DKL Stand E66Sian, Farel and Lisa helped David Allan out on the DKL stand yesterday. “Our new ranges, as well as our core brands and in particular Breyer and Smencils kept us very busy,” said David.

Tell us about the highlights of your stand this year.We’re launching the new Our Generation Dolls nationally at the show this year. They’re a $100m range in the US, and I think they are going top catch really well here too. Until now, I’ve always been a wooden toy man and I didn’t really understand dolls. But it’s a huge market and I’m really excited by its prospects.

How would you sum up the past 12 months of trading? It’s been a year of change, which I see as a good thing. Distribution is changing and retail is changing too, with bricks and mortar and online continuing to evolve. It always surprises me when people are shocked by these industry changes and shifts – it has always been like this and you have to learn to adapt or get out. Change is a good thing and we embrace it.

What makes your offering this year the best ever? I wouldn’t call it the best ever – it’s the most different and varied than it’s ever been, and that’s better in my eyes. John Crane Ltd is known for our wooden toys, but we’ve diversifi ed our range introducing around 90 new plastic products. The split is now around 50:50 wooden to plastic, and this has

given us incredible new depth in our offering. There are new additions to our core wooden ranges too of course, specifi cally in our B and Tidlo ranges.

What would make this show a success for you?All I want from this show is the chance to show my full range to the majority of our customer base – and new customers – that can’t make it out to our showroom for whatever reason. For me, this show is all about the independents. My main concern is always consumers and the retailers are our direct link to them.

What’s your favourite type of coffee?I don’t really like coffee. English breakfast tea and custard creams for me, thanks.

12

NEWS

5 things about… Learning Resources, Stand D36

1. Our best-selling product is the Pretend & Play Cash Register; this modern classic is a toy, generations have grown up with.

2. Over our 20-year history we’ve brought more than 3,000 new products to market.

3. Our turnover has grown every year we’ve been in existence.

4. We once sold one million dinosaur erasers to Bernard Matthews.

5. We’ve had the same managing director since the beginning of Learning Resources 20 years ago.

COFFEECOFFEE

BREAKBREAK

with... Jonathan Thorpewith... Jonathan Thorpe John Crane Ltd

Stand E20

The Good Toy GuideGallery Stand 154

Pictured on The Good Toy Guide stand are Jackie

Worboys and Director Lucy Gill with Mark Stone of

Upsmartz. “We’re an independent reviewer of toys and we

represent some of them who have joined us on the stand

like Mark where this is their introduction to the toy market

with their Make & Play Castle where they’re looking for

distributors, licensing and more,” explained Lucy Gill.

Thomas Randrup, Revell

What’s your favourite product of London Toy Fair 2015? The WiFi Quadcopter “X-SPY” or Quadcopter Rayvore.

Electric DreamsSpin Master Toys Stand E131Meet the new revolutionary toy robot. It can tell jokes, offer fun facts, play games, initiate conversations and even remember your name and birthday.The Meccanoid G15 KS, unveiled by Spin Master, can also turn into different objects like a dinosaur and scorpion. Ben Varadi, co-CEO and Chief Creative Offi cer, says it will attract new young fans to the world of robotics that would have otherwise have been scared off by something they felt intimidating. He said: “Simplicity was central to the design and development from day one so we developed three programming options. First a new cool tech, second an avatar control via an app and fi nally, motion capture. All allow someone with no prior experience to program with ease in moments.” “I am Canadian but I have come to London’s Toy Fair many times. My father is British. He said who tires of London tires of life. And that goes for London’s Toy Fair too,” he added.

14

NEWS

What are your hopes for this year’s show? I came as a visitor last year to get a feel for things, and the atmosphere was so great we knew we had to exhibit here this year - our fi rst ever Toy Fair. With so many people from across the toy industry here, it’s the perfect place for us to make new connections and show what we can do.

So what does Vertex bring to the industry? We know that the best people for the job aren’t always those that are hunting for a new challenge. What we offer is a pro-active, hybrid approach to recruitment, fi nding the best person for the role. We deliver everything you’d expect from a specialist executive search consultancy, but with the cost of your typical agency that’s reliant on applications; the best of both worlds.

Who should be sure to stop by the stand? We invite anyone to come by and see how we can help. We already work closely with companies such as Hasbro and Re:creation, and we’re looking to build new relationships with companies of any size to help craft the team that they need. If you’re a company looking to expand or diversify, then it’s defi nitely worth stop by for to see how we could help shape your team.

What makes Vertex unique? Our fl exibility. There are plenty of ways that we can work with a company to make the right

connections. We offer new clients payment-on-placement consultancy, for example, meaning they only pay when we’ve found them the perfect person for the job. Many of the team have creative backgrounds and areas of expertise outside of recruitment, so between us we can truly understand clients’ specifi c needs. We fi nd the top talent for the top jobs.

What would make Toy Fair 2015 a success for you? Meeting plenty of new people, it’s as simple as that. Toy Fair is one of the key toy events each year, so we’re really excited to meet some new faces!

COFFEECOFFEE

BREAKBREAK

Mark TobittMark TobittVertex Resources, Stand GH47

K’NexGallery Stand 510Joe Smith & Paul Fogarty“This is K’Nex K-FORCE and it is our new big launch for autumn/winter 2015. You can build anything you want out of K’Nex and we supply the blasters and apparatus to turn it into a gun. When you search for K’Nex the top search is rollercoasters because we’re known for those, but second is blasters – but we’ve never made them! So we thought maybe we should and his is our fi rst year of making

blasters, all young boys are instinctively drawn towards guns so it’s great fun for them.”

KD GroupGallery Stand 160

Tracey Devine, Paul Joyner, Katie Roberts-

Mason and Kyra Covington on stand.

“We’ve got new products so we’re hoping

to display them and to maintain and build

relationships with the retailers and make

them aware of our complete product range.”

5 Things About… Halilit Stand E90

1. Halilit celebrate 30 years of exhibiting at Toy Fair and 50 years in business in January 2015.

2. The Scorpions’ percussionist uses their musical instruments on stage.

3. A half-size house using 3,744 brick-sized foam Edu-blocks has been built at the At-Bristol Science Centre.

4. Our future queen, the Duchess of Cambridge, chose Halilit products when she worked at Party Pieces.

5. If all the recorders Halilit sold in 2014 were laid end to end they would span the length of the Golden Gate Bridge.

IVS GroupGallery Stand 177Pinal Patel & Magdalene Banda“We’re looking to create greater interest because we’ve just taken on the master toy licence for Cloudbabies at the end of last year and we’re introducing the four characters as toys because they’ve been off the market for a while. We’re working quite closely with the brand owners Hoho Entertainment. They’re from a series showing on CBeebies and are very buoyant and colourful with lots of messages for kids to learn.”

16

NEWSHasbroGallery Stand 620Rob Guckian of Smyths Toys is pictured with Hasbro’s

Gary Sims and the Furchester Hotel characters.

“These characters are from the show Furchester Hotel

which is a joint venture between CBeebies and the

Sesame Studio. We’ve got the toy licence which is a

range of plus, playsets and fi gures,” says Gary.

5 Things about… Toy Essentials Gallery Stand 147

1. The Toy Essentials HQ is located at a decommissioned air base – to get around the site, you have to drive up and down the old runways.

2. Employee Lesley-May is a medal-winning ballroom dancer in Alternative Latin. Watch out Strictly!

3. Business Director Sandra Cambridge is about to become a granny – she looks much too young!

4. MD Robin Bennett covered in excess of 52,000 miles in 2014 in his global quest to fi nd exciting new products for the Toy Essentials portfolio.

5. Barack Obama is a personal fan of Hoberman Spheres, distributed exclusively by Toy Essentials.

Great GizmosStand G20Director Judith Dayus said: “We’ve had a great start to the show with a lot of interest, some orders and a very positive attitude. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is the most positive Toy Fair I’ve attended yet, and I’ve been attending for the past 17 years.” Great Gizmos will be unveiling lots of exciting new product and also revealing three new brands – a WWF range of puzzles, Kid O’s plastic toys and Meadow Kids’ buildable bath toys.

Kids@Play

Gallery Stand 141

Check out Malcolm Evans and Shaun The Sheep

with the Infl atable Giant T-Rex!

“We have got the Shaun The Sheep licence and

also we have a Rugby World Cup Shaun The

Sheep because Shaun is working with the Rugby

World Cup people,” Martin told us.

“The movie comes out in two weeks and he’s

the offi cial licensed character of the World Cup

2015, there are also Shaun The Sheep DVDs this

year, and the move will be appearing on TV in

December – they usually show Wallace & Gromit

but it’s Shaun this year as he’s from the same

stable.

“It’s a great story, you can take the kids but

there’s a lot of adult humour as well. I think it has

a lot of longevity,

it won’t be here

today, gone

tomorrow.”

Martin Grossman, H Grossman LtdWhat’s your favourite product of London Toy Fair 2015? Don’t know yet but it will be on our stand!

Stand E140

Learning ResourcesStand D36

“We have more than 50 new retail products that we are unveiling at Toy Fair, including our brand new Top of the Tables football game. The creator of the game will be demonstrating Top of the Tables on Thursday at 10am in the Demo Zone, so don’t miss it!” says Chris Beardmore, Retail Sales Manager. He’s pictured with Claire Johnston, Head of Marketing.

18

NEWS

5 things about… FamosaGallery Stand 4001. There are 1,045,612 number of possible ways

to change a pinypon.2. Famosa means famous in Spanish.3. 1957 – Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe’s Some

Like It Hot, the première of Walt Disney’s Cinderella, Juan Ramón. The fi rst plastic dolls are made... and Famosa is founded.

4. Elsewhere, a famosa is a Portuguese fortress located in Malacca, Malaysia. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in southeast Asia and is now a resort and golf course.

5. A real Ferrari FF will set you back in excess of £200,000, for that price you could get more than 1,100 Feber models.

Freshfaces atLeapfrogStand B40

Toy Fair 2015 is the debut fair for two new faces who have joined Leapfrog. Damian Hall, UK Sales Director, and Tony Hicks, Chief International Offi cer, are both excited about meeting retailers in the UK market, as well as receiving feedback on the new Leapfrog introductions and product ranges. “Leapfrog starts 2015 in a fantastic position, having had the Number One topseller in the industry in 2014, and our line-up for 2015 does not disappont,” says Damian. “We look forward to welcoming retailers and suppliers to see our incredible line-up.”

Lookin’ good dollJohn Crane LtdStand E20

“We have been really busy and have had a great reaction to our big new launch for 2015, which is the Our Generation doll range. The range offers 99 products – dolls, accessories, horses and cars – as well as mini collectables. The reaction to these new dolls, which are already doing brilliantly in the US, has been amazing. Overall, John Crane is showcasing more than 130 new products this Toy Fair,” said Jonathan Thorpe, Managing Director.

incredible line-up.”

InterplayUKStand G10

“We are so excited about our new product

developments, as well as the fact that we have a brand

new product development person on board. We are

delighted to be introducing our brand new Fab Lab

range, which is experiential, creative and fun. Kids can

create everything from perfumes and hairlights, to

rock bands and survival wrist bands. It’s fresh and

modern and we think retailers will love it,” Nancy

Davies, Sales Director, said.

Haba UKStand F16

“This is our tenth Toy Fair and we are excited to show our existing customers our new product, as well as meet some new customers, especially niche independent toyshops, which are our focus. This year, we have a lot of

wooden games for toddlers, to help them count,

match, sort, and this is complemented by doll

play.” Martin Nield, Manager, told the Daily News.

20

NEWS

5 things about… Kids@Play Gallery Stand 141

1. Kids@Play will produce more than half a million infl atable farm animals during 2015 including cows, sheep and pigs.

2. The company are among the top fi fty fastest growing companies Wales.

3. They manufacture toys for other producers and distributors.

4. Toy designer Sarah Payne won a major competition to design a 50 pence coin for the 2012 Olympics, produced by the Royal Mint.

5. On the fi rst day of Toy Fair, Kids@Play’s founder Malcolm Evans completed more than 44 years’ continuous service to the toy industry.

A BIG celebrationBigjigs Toys turns 30 this year

Bigjigs Toys Stand H39

Peter Ireland is pictured cutting a slice of cake for his wife, Liz, as they celebrate BigJigs’ 30th birthday.

Back in 1985 the couple, both teachers, started making jigsaws and wooden toys from their garden shed in Folkstone, Kent. When they weren’t teaching in the classroom, they were busy selling their creations at fairs and agriculture shows.

The rest is history – they’ve have never looked back. Their two sons, Sam and Tom, are an integral part of the business.

Peter said: “A few people saw us back in the day and wanted to buy our product. Then, we started focusing on packaging and design, and it all went from there.”

Business is soaring and they’re launching 100 new products this year.

Peter added: “BigJigs Rail has been doing very well. Our Dinosaur Train and Farm Train are new and business is great. Hence the cake. I am sure some of the boys will have a few lemonades later to celebrate 30 years of trading.”

20

than 44 years continuous service to the toy industry.

Toy industry hits four-year highThe future looks bright for the British toy market as 2014 marks its best performance in four years, according to global information provider, The NPD Group. The market increased by a fantastic 4.4% last year to reach £3 billion at retail, an increase of £130 million. Group’s research identifi ed the comeback of collectable brands - fuelled by the loom phenomenon and Panini’s World Cup 2014 Stickers - as hugely infl uential to the year’s fortune. This was evidenced in a unit sales rise of 12% to 416 million toys, and a 9% increase of toys under £5.

In fact, it was a markedly good year all round for fresh product, with sales of newly launched toys up 16% from 2013, accounting for 37% of annual sales. Moving into 2015, the industry looks set to continue along its upward trajectory. The NPD Group’s analysts anticipate another strong year bolstered by a strong movie line-up. “There will be plenty of excitement for kids big and small throughout the year and we expect the market to increase by 3%,” said NPD’s Frederique Tutt.

Chris

Spalding, HTI

What’s your favourite product

of London Toy Fair 2015?

The HTI Frozen colour change

bag... it really is magic!

Hasbro’s heroes!Hasbro UK Gallery Stand 620

There’s plenty to see from Hasbro’s growing franchises and hero brands for 2015, including MY LITTLE PONY, Littlest Pet Shop, Play-Doh, NERF, and TRANSFORMERS. Beginning in March, the newest animated series, TRANSFORMERS: Robots in Disguise, will begin a new chapter for the brand with all new storytelling and gameplay. This year will also see the return of Marvel’s Avengers with Avengers: Age of Ultron, set to be released in April. To celebrate, Hasbro will reveal an incredible new range of products in March. And the movie fun doesn’t stop there as Hasbro gets set to unveil a new range for Disney Channel original movie Descendants and new lines tied to Star Wars. There are exciting things to come from Hasbro’s preschool portfolio too, as a range of loveable character toys from The Furchester Hotel make their debut. It’s a big year for gaming too, as MONOPOLY celebrates its 80th anniversary with a special edition of the iconic game. Pop by the stand to fi nd out more!

The Furchester Hotel crew will be making an appearance in Hasbro’s toy line

22

NEWSConquering the toy aisleFlairStand E39

Darran Garnham and Jonny Taylor from Mind Candy have joined Flair’s Marketing Director, Nic Aldrige to showcase the brand new World of Warriors toy range.

Following on from Mind Candy’s pedigree with digital property Moshi Monsters, World of Warriors has stormed the app store charts and looks set to do the same in the toy aisle, when the new range launches in this autumn.

“The action packed World of Warriors game combined with Mind Candy’s comprehensive content development has set the stage for a landmark launch for Flair in later 2015,” said Nic.

Flair had a cracking start to the year by winning the Action Figure Range of the Year award at the Toy Awards last night.

Teenage dreams at the fair Eight-piece boy band Stereo Kicks made a surprise appearance at Toy Fair yesterday wowing fans with their enthusiasm for all things toy. The former X Factor heart-throbs, who were mentored by Louis Walsh, made a splash at the show gathering quite a following in their wake.

What’s the best thing about London Toy Fair 2015?

It is helpful having everyone in the same place. It makes

things easier. For us, the show is about service enquiries that we have

to follow up. We have been coming here for about ten years now and

it is something we look forward to.”Judith Russell, Eurofi ns Product Testing

NewDisney fi lm takes $50m at boxoffi ceBandaiGallery Stand 600

“Big Hero 6 is the new Disney movie by the team behind Frozen, it’s a boys’ action which is also a family fi lm and has some good strong girls’ characters too.” says Chris Pearce - Product Manager, Big Hero 6.

“It launches here in a week and is the fi rst time Disney have worked with Marvel on an animated movie – it did well in the US taking $50million at the box offi ce in the week of launch and that was up against Interstellar.

“Here it’s looking good because we have a clean slate with no big fi lms out at the same time.”

5 things about…AnagranamalsStand GH23

1. The founders, Leith and Heidi Moghli, met in 2002 when they both appeared on popular TV dating show Blind Date with Cilla Black.

2. “Anagranimals” is a play on the words anagram and animals.

3. The mascot actors have been on a special “hydration diet” for a whole week leading up to Toy Fair.

4. We currently produce six Anagranimal plush toy characters which provide 216 potential Anagranimal combinations. If there were ten characters we would have 1,000 possible combination.

5. Sophie Ellis-Bextor is the most famous person to have cuddled an Anagranimal.

New for

2015

*Terms and Conditions apply. www.greenboardgames.com

For more details contact sales:Come and visit us to see the full range!

sales@greenboardgames.com 01494 53864601494 538999

Retailer &Exhibitor

Competition

24

NEWS5 Things about… Epoch-making toys Stand B130

1. Sylvanian Families is the only brand to have won Toy Of The Year for three consecutive years, in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

2. The total number of Sylvanian Families fi gures sold worldwide since 1985 is approximately 120,000,000, which is equal to around three characters per second!

3. The fi rst Sylvanian Bear was made in scale to the other animals, which is why it was about one and a half times the size of the rabbits. Because of this, the bear family usually had outfi ts made just for their size, whereas other animals could share clothes.

4. When the brand was introduced, all of the furniture was green, and the bath tub and tea sets were made from real china.

5. In 2014, the range comprised of 61 families, 37 houses, 66 theme items or 119 including medium size items, plus 368 pieces of furniture and accessories excluding theme accessories.

Putting greenGreen Board GamesStand E15As always, it’s all about fun, laughter and games on the Green Board Games stand, with endless giveaways and an exciting golfi ng challenge. “We’ve been attending Toy Fair for 23 years and we are as excited as ever to be here,” says CEO Keith Grafham, pictured with David Harms, Natalie Bradshaw and Stephanie Wallace.

“We have lots of new product, ongoing demos, and plenty of giveaways.”

Retailers can take part in Green Board Games’ Crazy Golf Challenge, taking place on the stand every day, for the chance to win a demo day in-store.

Yesterday’s challenge winner was Raj Mirpuri, from Premier Life.

SchleichStand B121In anticipation of the release of the fi lm Jurassic Park this summer, 22 years after the original, a number of toy brands have gone big on dinosaurs at the show. “It’s all about dinos at this year’s Toy Fair,” explains Schleich Marketing Manager Laura Bull, “as well as our big ones, we also have the midis and the brand new collectable minis,” says Laura. Other great new product from Schleich includes the DC Comics range, including Batman and Superman.

Wookie lands on EarthUnderground ToysStand G120

One of the legendary Star Wars Wookie warriors has come to Earth to make an appearance on the Underground Toys stand before the launch of Star Wars Episode VII later this year.

Visitors can meet the giant Chewbacca – who comes in at 48 inches tall – and take a Star Wars selfi e, give him a pat or simply admire this loyal Rebel from afar.

If you prefer good things that come in small packages, Underground Toys is also showcasing Roar & Rage Chewbacca, the Talking Plush from their new Star Wars range.

Bladez ToysGallery Stand 123You can never have too many Minions!

26

NEWS

First Celtic Toys and Learning

Stand E115

“Coming off the back of a very positive

2014, we are excited to meet old friends

and fi nd new acquaintances. We are

introducing our brand new Toto Train

Set,” Jeremy Wilks, Sales Director, told

the Daily News.

LEGO CompanyStand B70“As the only dedicated toy trade exhibition in the UK, Toy Fair offers LEGO a fantastic opportunity to introduce our new products and share our exciting plans with both retailers and the press. On top of our core ranges, new ranges that we are unveiling at Toy Fair, include LEGO Elves, to launch in March, and LEGO Speed Champions, a partnership with Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche. In addition, we are relaunching LEGO Ninjago”, said Rebecca Snell, Marketing Director.

Posh Paws InternationalStand D89Lauren Hayward, Brand Manager said, “This year, we have more new lines and licenses than ever. Our big new line is Star Wars. Plus, retailers will be pleased to hear that we have extended our Frozen line, too.”

Clementoni Spa

Gallery Stand 155

Serena Bonifazi, Shahbaz

Khan, Elena Vita with Michele

Maziliano, who said: “This is our

new collection which we are just

launching and we’re really proud

to put it in front of customers.

We’re launching a lot of new

scientifi c toys with the Science

Museum brand, and National

Geographic puzzles, and the

board game with Masterchef.”

ChiccoGallery Stand 124Scott Bleasse, Jon Tilley, Holly John and Giulia Toselli told us: “Disney licensing is our newest collaboration, with the Disney Princess and Disney Baby ranges, and also the Turbo Team and our partnership with Fiat for the 500 range. We have Cinderella High Chair Spinner in for the best new product so we’re hoping to win that this evening!”

For all your Toy Tes ng needs:

Advice and Consultancy Accredited Tes g to European, US ASTM / CPSIA and China – GB standards Specialists in chemical tes g and requirements EC Type Examina ons

Contact: Judith Russell Tel: 0161 868 7600 Email: toys@euro ns.co.uk www.euro ns.co.uk/product-tes ng

Visit us at the Toy Fair this January: Stand GH6

Your industry is our focus

Clickety clack!Click DistributionGallery Stand 105Lewis pictured with brother Luke Hillier who says: “We’re hoping for new customers and lots of orders - and it’s good to see both existing and new customers on the stand.

“It’s a good chance to go through the whole range as we represent different suppliers in various categories – and we have some exciting new launches including these Minions.”

29

NEWS

5 Things about… TKC Sales Stand E99

1. It’s TKC Sales 25th year in business. 2. Aerobie Pro ring has been thrown

across the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls - not in the same throw!

3. The Original Stomp rocket can travel 400ft so would hit the roof in Olympia and is the best-kept secret in the toy industry.

4. The 175g Discraft sports disc can hold three pints of water - or beer!

5. David Beckham rides our Groover Sledges.

OG blows away the competition! Drumond ParkGallery Stand 440

One of many exciting new games to come from Vivid Group’s Drumond Park division for 2015 is the electronic OG On The Bog game which is sure to have

youngsters in fi ts of giggles! The ogre has retired to his outhouse loo – and

you must collect three of his loo rolls to win – trigger a noise and, if he farts you can carefully lift a loo roll from the gnarled stick outside. If he shouts out, your turn is over. But if the bog explodes you lose all your loo rolls and have to start again!

It’s not only his bog that OG has been blowing to bits – he’s also blown away the competition to receive one of the highly sought-after Toy Fair 2015 Best New Toy awards in the games and puzzles category.

Kerry Paternoster, Marketing Manager, says: “We’re absolutely thrilled that this brilliant new game from the Drumond Park Development team has achieved the recognition it deserves as one of the best new games of 2015.”

Come to the Drumond Park stand to see OG in action – but stand by for the most disgusting farts and gruesome grunts you’ve ever heard!

Century LogisticsStand B99The team enjoy the show

TV campaign takes you into the nightTrends UKStand B20

Discovery Channel is the world’s most distributed Pay TV brand and aims to inspire kids to explore the world around them, and the exciting Discovery Channel science toys range is available through Trends UK.

Trends UK will promote Discovery Channel hero products, including the cool Discovery Channel Planetarium, in 2015 with TV adverts and PR campaigns.

Projecting the constellations onto the ceiling, it shows children how the stars move across the night. It also features an

commentary on the night sky and comes with an educational CD-Rom about the night sky.

Also new for autumn 2015 will be the sophisticated 360° HD Microscope, the Discovery Channel Science Toys most advanced microscope yet, to which a smartphone can be attached to take pictures, shoot videos and share results from every angle.

Best New n the

G in farts and

Michele Marziliano UK Country ManagerClementoni Spa, Gallery Stand 155What’s the best thing about London Toy Fair 2015?

It’s that we get the opportunity to meet all our customers big

and small, and get their feedback on the previous year as

well as the new products we are launching in 2015. We’ve

innovative and exciting new brands to showcase !

NEWS5 things about...

Intertek Stand G66

1. Intertek works with anti-counterfeiting bodies and government authorities to assess counterfeit products for the damage they do.

2. Intertek has clothing and fabric specialists on staff as well as toy experts so it assesses not just the toys but clothes too.

3. Toys are one of the most recalled products in the EU. Intertek helps manufacturers, importers and retailers make products safer and avoid recalls.

4. Intertek has been testing teddy bears since 1974.

5. Among the risks assessed by Intertek are choking, durability, chemical problems and fl ammability.

Light and brightGoldfi sh & BisonStand E35

Goldfi sh & Bison has an exciting new development for the popular light-up Laser Pegs construction system in 2015.

Introducing technological advancement into the range, the new Laser Pegs lines will now include cool models featuring sound activation and coloured bricks. Kids can build with bricks in the colour of the rainbow and watch them come to life in lit up brilliance.

Laser Pegs fans can further look forward to portable play solutions that can be constructed on the go. The new Laser Pegs sets each build several models, so kids can be continue to be creative when out and about or visiting friends.

Goldfi sh & Bison will also be marketing the fantastic Laser Pegs construction toys created in cooperation with National Geographic, the world famous edutainment brand. In the National Geographic Laser Pegs range you can build famous landmarks from all over the world and amazing creatures like a T-Rex and watch them light up in brilliant colour.

30

Golden jubileeHalilitStand E90

Fly down to the Halilit stand to see the Take-Apart Plane from Battat, just one of the new items in this great range of pre-school toys being launched by Halilit in their 50th anniversary year. One of the new launches from award winning Taf Toys is the long lasting three-stage developmental Cot Play Centre which comes packed with lots of play features, music and lights, and it attaches to both wooden cots and fabric travel cots. Halilit’s own branded range of brightly coloured note perfect musical toys specially designed to be enjoyed by babies and toddlers.

Why does a company like UL exhibit at London Toy Fair? Our mission is to work for a safer world since 1894 – this specifi cally includes our work to protect our children. London Toy Fair is an exhibition, providing a great overview and insight into an innovative and exciting industry.

What makes you different from other testing houses?Total confi dence in toy, nursery and children’s product quality and safety is essential to brand acceptance in the global market. With unmatched industry expertise, a worldwide network of accredited laboratories, and active involvement in the development of international safety standards, UL is uniquely positioned to help our customers mitigate risk, comply with regulatory demands and effi ciently access the global market.

Give a start-up toy company your top three testing tips – what should they look out for when it comes to testing?Do your homework fi rst. Get a copy of the relevant standards, legislation and guidance documents so you understand the basic requirements.

Build a relationship with a competent accredited laboratory who has knowledge of the product types and the market you are supplying. They will be able to provide advice and guidance regarding potential issues with your

products at development stages before you incur costs from manufacture.

Talk to your suppliers and get as much information and certifi cation from them as possible, regarding material compliance with legal requirements.

And established manufacturers, what is coming up for them in 2015?The main areas of change continue with more chemical restrictions in toys. There will be the introduction of restrictions in the Toy Safety Directive relating to some phosphate ester fl ame retardants (TCEP, TCPP, TDCP); and Bisphenol APolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons will be restricted in toys (REACH Annex XVII No 50) and there are more substances of very high concern being added to the candidate list.

EN 71-14 on trampolines has just been published and will come into effect during 2015. Manufactures should also be aware of the changes to the battery and accumulators directive which affects button cells containing mercury.

Who do you want to see coming by the UL stand?Everybody is welcome to visit us at our stand B25.

And fi nally, what’s your favourite coffee?! Turkish Mocha Coffee.

COFFEECOFFEEBREAKBREAK

with... Keith Richardwith... Keith RichardUL, Consumer Technical Manager

Stand B25

Discover this!Thames and KosmosStand G60For those who haven’t yet been to visit Thames & Kosmos, fi nd them on stand G60, where you will also be able to view their new ranges. Pop along for a chat and to view the 2015 TV advert which will be on air during February half term. The latest range of kits include a hand held telescope, binoculars and for the more enthusiastic astronomer there is also a free standing telescope!

Contact our UK testing laboratory:e: Bvsales@uk.bureauveritas.com t: +44 (0)1925 854 360w: www.bureauveritas.co.uk/cpsa: Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services UK, 31 Kingsland Grange, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4RW, UK

At Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, we support a wide range of toy clients, from start-up companies to large importers, well-known brands to global retailers, with their safety, compliance and sustainability needs. Through our UK laboratory and global network, we have the scope and capabilities to support your business wherever you need.

Product Testing: Physical, Analytical, Flammability

Technical & Regulatory Consultancy

Chemical Management Solutions

Safety Assessments

Inspections & Audits

Seminars

Wednesday 21st January, 11:30, Gallery

Suite 1. In partnership with the British Toy

& Hobby Association. Free attendance.

Seminar: “Mitigating the costs of

increasing chemical requirements.

Toyograph: a risk-based approach”

LONDON TOY FAIR STAND GH58

Best New Toys

32

The best in showThe best in show

COMPANY NAME PRODUCT NAME RRP STAND

ACTION TOYS Bandai Deluxe Flying Baymax £39.99 Gallery 600Flair Mutant Mania Rampage Arena £29.99 E39Hasbro Jurassic World Growlers Assortment £14.99 Gallery 620

GAMES/PUZZLES DRUMOND PARK GAMES OG on the BOG £22.99 Gallery 440Ravensburger Eiff el Tower with Lights 3D Puzzle £24.99 B156Jumbo Games Wasgij General Election £12.99 E46

PLAYSETS Playmobil (UK). Coast Guard Station with Lighthouse £49.99 Gallery 210Playmobil (UK). Amusement Park Ferris Wheel with Lights £49.99 Gallery 210EPOCH making toys Sylvanian Families Adventure Treasure Ship £16.99 B130

PRE-SCHOOL CHARACTERS Spin Master Toys UK Paw Patrol Basic Vehicles £12.99 E131Character Options Whistle and Dance Mother Clanger £19.99 E119Golden Bear Talking Twirlywoos Soft Toys £9.99-£16.99 E69

CONSTRUCTION LEGO® Bionicle Master Assortment £12.99 - £14.99 B70LEGO® Minecraft: The Dungeon £19.99 B70LEGO® Disney Frozen: Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle £34.99 B70HOBBY Hornby Hobbies Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DB5 £19.99 D11Revell GmbH Quadcopter “Rayvore” £59.99 Gallery 100

PLUSH Trends UK Puppy Surprise Plush £24.99 B20Hasbro FurReal Friends JJ My Jumping Pug £39.99 Gallery 620Flair Home Talking Plush Assortment £19.99 E39

TECH TOYS Vivid I-Que Intelligent Robot £59.99 E135Character Options Little Live Pets Clever Keet 59.99 (with cart) E119Revell GmbH Wi-Fi Quadcopter “X-Spy” £99 Gallery 100

SPECIALITY TOYS Anagranimals Anagranimals Interchangeable Plush Toys From £16.99 GH23Interplay UK GoldieBlox Zipline Adventure £24.99 G10Posh Paws International Minions Movie Backpack Collection £4.99 to £19.99 D89Trunki Boris the Trunki Bus £45 C45Schleich Mini Dinos £2.99 B121

CREATIVE James Galt Express Yourself Range Selfi e Jewellery £10.99 E9Vivid Crayola Colour Alive: Mythical Creatures £6.99 E135John Adams Bangle Blitz City Girl £9.99 G100

OUTDOOR Little Tikes Cozy Coupe® Dino £59.99 Gallery 540Hasbro Nerf Rebelle Arrow Revolution Bow £39.99 Gallery 620Vivid Wubble Bubble Ball £9.99-£19.99 E135

PRE-SCHOOL Character Options Weebledown Farm Wobbily Mill and Barn £29.99 E119TOMY Sort & Pop Farmyard Friends £19.99 Gallery 610VTech Toot-Toot Friends Busy Sounds Discovery House £44.99 Gallery 500

The winners of the seventh Toy Fair Best New Toy Awards were announced this morning at this year’s show, predicting some of the top new toys for 2015.

Winners range from household names such as Hasbro with their Nerf Rebelle Arrow Revolution Bow and LEGO with their Disney Frozen: Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle to impressive new tech toys such as the Quadcopter Rayvore from Revell or the I-Que Intelligent Robot from Vivid.

The 12 categories, which produced 37 winning toys from 26 different toy companies, were unveiled this morning by Toy Fair organisers the British Toy & Hobby Association.

This year Hasbro, LEGO, Character and Vivid took top honours with three Best New Toy Awards, while Flair, Revell and Playmobil each walk away with two awards.

The Toy Fair Best New Toy Awards celebrate the products with the most potential as voted for by a panel of independent toy retailers.

Since their launch in 2009, more than 180 toys have received a prestigious Best New Toys Award with LEGO topping the chart with 18 awards.

The awards have refl ected a number of emerging trends and landmarks in the toy industry, from the birth of app toys and the increased infl uence of technology to the growth

of licensed toys and continued strength of construction toys.

“It’s a privilege to be able to showcase the Toy Fair Best New Toys, predicted to do well in 2015,” said the BTHA’s Natasha Crookes.

“Some amazing products were entered this year and it’s great to see the diversity of play experiences that the winning entries will give to children’s playtime throughout 2015.

It’s wonderful to see the advances being made in the different categories and the increasingly intuitive incorporation of technology.”

The Toy Fair Best New Toy Award winners can be found outside the Press Offi ce at the show.

Spinmaster’s Emma Eden with Paw Patrol

Team Flair with Mutant Mania Rampage Arena

Team Jumbo celebrate!

LEGO’s Bionicle brand team

Team Schleich celebrate!

Tomy with the Sort & Pop Farmyard Friends

Vivid’s I-Que Robot

Hasbro’s Nerf Rebelle Arrow

Revolution Bow

Bandai’s Baymax

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FIND US AT

B99

35

NEWSJust a click awayTeguStand GH20

As a fi rst timer at Toy Fair, Tegu are launching their magnetic wooden building sets to the UK. The magnets are very discrete, only by holding these together and listening for the ‘click’ is when you would realise they are in fact magnetic.

As an already established company in the USA, Tegu envisages this to be a great success here in the UK toy market as they move across the pond. This is bound to be a great success within the building and construction toy sector.

Playing up!WannabeesStand GH32

Hopes are high at Wannabees. Launched last year,

feedback has been positive with a win already

at the National Toy Talk Awards, winning best

Role Play Toy. With two successful products in

their range already, visitors will get to view their

newest addition, their Café Owner pack.

Build it up!Sluban UK & IrelandStand GH28Each year Toy Fair just gets better for Sluban UK, with this being their third year in attendance. Visitors to their stand have the opportunity to view their new ranges, which are fully compatible with all LEGO products. “This is our third time at toy fair, and it has always proved benefi cial and successful for us. We are back this year with new ranges, and one area we are strong in is army ranges.”

A roaring success!AnagranimalsStand GH23

Make sure you make time to pop over to meet the team at the Anagranimals stand, who won a coveted Best New Toy award from the BTHA.

As a fi rst time exhibitor, Anagranimals offer a great solution for children looking for a range that not only offers a plush aspect, but are also interchangeable.

“We have just won a Best New Toy award in the Speciality Toys category, which is very exciting. What a great way to start a show!” Leith Moghli told the Daily News.

The animals in the range are ‘inter-swapable’ you can swap and change body parts. The idea is to target age group three upwards. Other great news is the company has already been approached by a daytime TV show wishing to feature the product. The aim of being at Toy Fair this year, for them, is two fold. First, and foremost is fi nding a licensee to take the range, secondly they are also looking for stockists direct.

As a newcomer to Toy Fair, they envisage the uptake of the product range to be phenomenal and look forward to welcoming everyone to their stand.

Learning made funAgain, the Green House section at Toy

Fair brings a wealth of great new product

opportunities. Head over to the Kids Learn

Languages stand to view their new product

ranges, which have been launched this year at the show.

Punam Malhotra, Director, told us: “There

are many benefi ts to our ranges, they enhance kids play, are

educational and most

importantly are portable.

“When we design our toys, portability, storage and multi-

functional elements are key. Our ranges all offer extended

play value. We have received some great online reviews,

which have brought some good consumer awareness. The

products are mainly aimed at pre-schoolers.”

Good news: free window display model with any order

placed!

Stepping up!Stepping StonesStand GH15

This year visitors will see around 150 new product lines over at the Stepping Stones stand, all of which are new at Toy Fair 2015. Representing fi ve brands from across the globe, three American, one Belgium and one British, with the longest being and American company called Mud Puppy, which Stepping Stones took on in 2008.

Paul James, Managing Director said: “Our main hope this year is to continue with our previous success and take lots of orders. We believe in supporting the independents and also have distribution with Fenwicks, V&A museum and Harrods, for example. We offer some great starter packs which come with great point of sale material. Minimum orders from across brands £200 with free delivery.”

LLeefft:: PPippppaa MMillnn, riigghhtt:: LLyynnnnee RReeeeess

Page 35 DAY 2 Greenhouse.indd 1Page 35 DAY 2 Greenhouse.indd 1 21/01/2015 02:3221/01/2015 02:32

NEWSComplimentary seminar with Bureau VeritasBureau VeritasStand CH58

It is diffi cult to test all the chemical requirements associated to toys, and that’s where Bureau Veritas can assist. Head over to Gallery Suite 1, at 11.30am today to fi nd out more.

Wendy Phillips and Eric Edmonds from BTHA and Malcolm Horner from Bureau Veritas will go through the recent and forthcoming chemical legislative restrictions and the available compliance strategies.

“The presentation should take around one hour, with a half hour Q&A session to follow,” Malcolm Horner told us. “The seminar is targeted toward manufacturers and importers who are looking to do own brading.”

They look forward to seeing you there.

A monster of a gameJoluet GamesStand GH59

New game from Joluet Games,

Turbo Words, is being launched

here. As a completely new, fast

paced, word game this brings lots

of interaction for al those who are

playing. Aimed at 10 years plus,

it’s a bit like a fast-paced game of

scrabble with a

difference!“We have used a lot of social media

to promote the game, and are hoping

that the interest here will be immense.

For example, we have been running our

Name Our Monster competition online,

with the winner receiving a 16” version

of our Monster, plus their name will appear

on all our future games as the person

who chose his name! This new board

game hasn’t been seen anywhere before

and is a completely new concept,”

Warwick Brindley of the company told

the Daily News.

Keeping BizzyBizzy BitsStand GH27

So far so good, was the word on

the Bizzy Bitz stand. “We’ve seen

quite a number of independent

retailers today, which is always

very encouraging,” stated Fiona

Hortopp, of Bizzy Bitz. “This

is the fi rst time this product

range has been seen, since fi rst

appearing on Dragons Den

in 2013 - where although the

product was given praise, the

logo and branding let them

down. However, this now been

remedied and it’s full steam

ahead” .

Make it your destinationDestination Board GamesStand GH13

Destination Board Games fi rst launched in 2004 with Destination London, being available in Hamleys. This game has proven so popular that over 30 editions have been created over the course of the past ten years, with their most recent edition being Downton Abbey, which has now broken into America with contracts also for Australia and New Zealand.

Managing Director, Rachel Lowe, fi rst started to bring awareness to Destination Games by featuring on Dragons Den. The ‘Dragons’ may not have seen the immediate appeal, but that didn’t stop Rachel from building a range that is continuing to see growth – both in the

number of editions available and also new licenses being acquired. In fact, testament to their success, this year you’ll fi nd them celebrating their 10th anniversary!

“This year, Downton Abbey is the biggest thing here at Destination Board Games. There are exciting times ahead, with the Downton Abbey board game, compendium (which comes with a blindfold!) and card games really gaining momentum. We see some really exciting times ahead. Come over to take advantage to our current Show offers: 10 per cent off fi rst orders for new accounts.”

Fairy-tail!Tell TailsStand GH4

A fi rst timer at Toy Fair, although they have been actively promoting their products through UK festivals, etc., Tell Tails views Toy Fair as their launch into the UK toy sector. “We feel that we really need to get ourselves known out there in this industry and saw Toy Fair as the perfect opportunity,” commented Mike O’Shea. “Fun is at the heart of our ‘tails’, kids getting into character - we call it the tail effect! Our slogan is ‘Get Your Waggle On’, which sums it up perfectly.”

36

Page 36 DAY 2 Greenhouse.indd 1Page 36 DAY 2 Greenhouse.indd 1 21/01/2015 02:3321/01/2015 02:33

Hong Kong:January 12 – 15Room 504-5 China Chem Golden Plaza 77 Moody Rd Tsimshatsui East Kowlooon, Hong Kong

London:January 20 – 22, Stand G29

Visit Us at Toy Fair!

Nuremberg:January 28 – February 22, Hall 12, Stand B-08-6

New York:February 14-17, Booth 1717

Australia:March 3 - 6, Stand E09

London:January 20 – 22, Stand G29

Chris you have been at the helm of HTI for just over half a year now. What lured you to the company?With a great portfolio of strong license and own in-house brands, a solid team in many areas and a work ethic that is second to none, I could see that there was a fantastic opportunity to really grow the business and drive it forward to full potential.

And what is your mission? My mission is to make HTI the biggest UK independent manufacturer by driving customer service and innovation.

Give us some top line ideas about how you are going to achieve your goal?

I have a fi ve-step strategy of growth which is founded and builds on our current company strengths. We will continue to drive these core competences, while developing new innovative products, and further driving international growth. This entire strategy will be underpinned by having an industry-leading team to deliver the plans.

You have a lot of new people in place, what will they each bring to HTI?I have spent a lot of time trying to make sure that, not only do we bring in high calibre individuals, but also that they fi t in with the existing strong team at HTI. This will ensure we can build the culture of growth within the business, develop a broad industry knowledge and establish strong teamwork for a successful future.

Is there a culture change at HTI?Yes, I am very keen to drive the culture, as this is a top priority for me. I am a fi rm believer that ‘companies’ don’t exist ‘people’ do! Therefore I have to build a culture of growth and trust in the business while empowering the team to deliver this.

And what about your lines and ranges - are you looking to make signifi cant changes? This is a tough one as the real answer is yes and no! We have a very strong range of products this year. I was in Hong Kong with customers last week and the feedback we are receiving is extremely positive, however, we need to add to this with even more innovation and a focus on sell through and execution to complete the picture.

The BIG interviewThe BIG interview

A breath of A breath of fresh airfresh air

I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT ‘COMPANIES’ DON’T EXIST ‘PEOPLE’ DO! THEREFORE I HAVE TO BUILD A CULTURE OF GROWTH AND TRUST IN THE BUSINESS WHILE EMPOWERING THE TEAM TO DELIVER THIS.

“

”

38

Toy Fair 2015 marks Chris Spalding’s fi rst as CEO of HTI. With a strong team in place and a culture of change afoot, Chris gives the Daily News an insight into the company’s future

Stand:

E125

And are licences set to become increasingly important to HTI?Licenses are important to us now and will continue to be so. Going forward we will build on our current licensed offering with new products and ranges that are brand relevant with maximum appeal to target markets.

Tell us a little about the products you are showing here at Toy Fair? We have a large range of new lines for this year, many of which are licensed ranges including Minions, Frozen and Peppa Pig, to name but a few. We are also showing a lot of our own IP including our Teamsterz range of die cast cars and track sets which we are very proud of as we have recently improved the quality dramatically but retained the very competitive pricing. We also have a strong wheeled range which has been completely revamped for this season with extremely competitive scooter pricing. HTI continue to be a leading manufacturer in dolls prams and pushchairs with the premium Silver Cross and Mamas & Papas ranges. We have some exciting new TV advertised lines for 2015 which will be supported by fully integrated PR and marketing plans – needless to say, there is a lot to talk about at Toy Fair!

Which are you really proud of and why? What is new and creative?We have so many new lines it is really diffi cult to select just one or two, but if you twist my arm… the Disney Frozen Colour Match Snowfl ake Bag and the Peppa Pig House Kitchen have to be right up there - not only are they hugely innovative, they are right on brand and very unique!

Why should buyers swing by your stand, what will surprise them?HTI has always had a broad range but we have also added focus to that. Customers will hopefully see a strong, clean range of lines to suit all price points and a team prepared to present them well and drive growth.

And is there something for every kind of retailer - is HTI just for the majors or can smaller chains or independents fi nd something with great margins that will excite the consumer too?We are one of the few UK companies that has something for all retailers and we back this up with strong sales

teams, both national accounts as well as a fi eld sales team, that covers the independent sector. We take all sectors of the industry seriously.

What about Toy Fair - for HTI what is the main objective for you and your team here at Olympia this year?We will be explaining some of the recent changes to the business as well as demonstrating our ranges. We look forward to seeing all of our customers and understanding how we can fully maximise potential business opportunities for the future.

How many buyers do you anticipate seeing over the course of the days?This is impossible to answer but suffi ce it to say we have a full diary every day!

Which products will have real stand out from HTI and should buyers and retailers really look out for?As mentioned earlier, the Disney Frozen Colour Match Bag is sure to be the coolest fashion accessory in 2015! There’s also the Rainbow Dash ‘Style n Groom’ - a full body sculpt of the popular MY LITTLE PONY character with a beautiful long mane of multi-coloured hair and lots of styling and glam up accessories that can be used on the pony and also the girls themselves.

The Mamas & Papas Armadillo dolls pushchair is inspired by the real life nursery replica and demonstrates the role-play fun to be had pretending to be just like mummy. Each of the above lines will be TV advertised in 2015. In advance of a new Minions Movie hitting cinema screens in Summer 2015, we will also be showcasing new tooled Minions character shaped cases so stand by for Minions mania! We are also really proud of our own ranges including Teamsterz and Smart from which we are expecting big things.

What do you personally enjoy about London Toy Fair?Toy Fair is a great place to network and get feedback from retailers which is hugely valuable to us. Plus I get time to spend with my team, which I enjoy, (even if they don’t!).

How do you feel trading will be in 2015, versus last year?2015 will be a tough trading year, Christmas will be later starting with Black Friday/Cyber Monday and competition will be strong but we are up for the challenge!

And lastly, if you were a kid today, which toy would you be nagging your mum for?Well this is a really tough one but I have to say two things, one of which I got for Christmas - an Anki drive car set for when it’s wet outside and an Evo or RIPP scooter for when it’s not!

The BIG interviewThe BIG interview

TOY FAIR IS A GREAT PLACE TO NETWORK AND GET FEEDBACK FROM RETAILERS WHICH IS HUGELY VALUABLE TO US. PLUS I GET TIME TO SPEND WITH MY TEAM, WHICH I ENJOY, (EVEN IF THEY DON’T!)

“

40

Must See

42

Product: Wooden Gadget BoxCompany name: Bee SmartTel: 07773 871565Web: www.bee-smart.netStand Number: GH45

Product: Something Special Roll & PlayCompany: Golden Bear Tel: 01494538999Web: www.goldenbeartoys.co.ukStand Number: E69

Product: My Discovery Telescope Company: Thames and KosmosTel: 01580 212000Email: jo@thamesandkosmos.co.ukStand Number: G60

Product: FRENZI – The crazy fl ipping game Company: Wild Card GamesTel: 07916 349942Web: www.wildcardgames.comStand Number: H20

Product: My Little Pony Rainbow Dash Style n Groom Company: HTI Tel: 01253 778888Email: Info@htigroup.co.ukStand Number: E125

Product: Tiny Tears 50th Anniversary doll Company: John AdamsTel: 01480 414361Web: www.johnadams.co.ukStand Number: G100

Product: BrainBox Cities Company: The Green Board Game CompanyTel: 01494 538999Web: www.greenboardgames.comStand Number: E15

Product: Magic Choc Make-a-Bar Chocolate Factory Company: Re:creation LtdTel: 0118 973 6222Web: www.recreationltd.co.ukStand Number: E160

Product: Boris the Trunki Bus Company: Trunki Tel: 0117 954 2780Email: sales@trunki.co.uk trunki.co.ukStand Number: C45

Product: WiFi Quadcopter X-SPY Company: RevellTel: 0845 459 0747Web: www.revell.de/enStand Number: 100

Product: My Friend Freddy Bear Company: Vivid Tel: 01483 449944Web: www.vividtoysandgames.co.ukStand Number: E135

Product: Smens Scented pensCompany: DKL MarketingTel: 01604 678780Email: farelw@dkl.co.uk Stand Number: E66

Don’t miss at Toy FairWe bring you the latest, hottest products here at Toy Fair, don’t miss out, hit those stands and don’t forget to mention where you saw it fi rst!

Page 42 DAY 1 Don't Miss.indd 1Page 42 DAY 1 Don't Miss.indd 1 18/01/2015 00:3218/01/2015 00:32

That Disney feeling

This has been another blockbuster year for Disney, particularly with the explosion over Frozen. Tell me a little about the Frozen products you’ve had in store this past year?

2014 was truly a phenomenal year for Disney, not only because of the success of Frozen but across our portfolio of brands - we celebrated success at retail with Spider-Man, Star Wars Rebels, Doc McStuffi ns and Disney Princess to name a few.

We also saw the introduction of Star Wars merchandise into the Disney Store for the fi rst time in April last year, with Star Wars Rebels products in particular attracting a new generation of fans who tuned in to the new animated series which premiered on Disney XD last October.

Frozen merchandise literally fl ew off shelves and our ranges expanded over the year to support the high demand at the Disney Store and across retail. Products across all categories have been available from toys to dress-up, clothing, stationery, books and bedding. In what sort of numbers and quantities have they been selling?

Frozen was the hottest property at the Disney Store in 2014 and it’s still showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, our US business reported that more than three million Frozen Elsa and Anna role-play dresses have been sold

at Disney Store and mass retailers in North America alone.

What have been the most popular types of products?

Anna and Elsa costumes have been hugely popular among girls who love to play as their favourite character and continue the storytelling. Anna and Elsa dolls have become a must-have among Frozen fans, especially the singing dolls which play songs from the fi lm. An Olaf soft toy has also been hugely popular, appealing to both boys and girls who love the humour his character brings to the fi lm.

Was there a product which sold out continuously and was a runaway success? Tell us a little about it and why you think it was so important?

Costumes and dolls were constantly being stocked and re-stocked at the Disney Store. They became the staple merchandise.

It’s been amazing to see just how much children love the fi lm and, of course, with that comes a desire to

own toys and other products so they can re-enact their favourite scenes or have a little bit of Frozen as part of everyday life, whether it be a T-shirt or backpack.

With the announcement last year of a new Toy Story movie, what

impact did that have on sales of the property

in-store?Toy Story is a

classic property which continues to appeal to boys and girls as parents who

grew up with the fi rst fi lm introduce

the story and its characters to their

children. Despite the fact it’s

been almost 20 years since the fi rst fi lm was

released, the Buzz Lightyear action fi gure continues to be a popular Christmas gift each year.

Even before the announcement of Toy Story 4, we saw an increase in

demand for merchandise following the television special Toy Story of Terror which aired on Sky.

Of course, all eyes are on Toy Story again with the recent television special, Toy Story That Time Forgot, premiering on Sky this past Christmas. The special will also be available on DVD next month, so interest in merchandise is set to peak again. There’s no doubt 2017 will be a huge year for Toy Story with the release of the fourth fi lm from Disney/Pixar.

In the run up to Christmas and throughout the festive period the movies were shown on Sky a lot! Did this have an effect on the Toy Story sales too? Can you give us a little bit of detail

here please? Most defi nitely, there’s a strong

correlation between demand for merchandise and times when audiences are highly engaged with our content, whether that be in the cinema or at home through our Disney Channels or broadcast partners such as Sky.

The new Marvel movies are out later this year and the past few years have been

truly marvel-lous! What new goodies do you have in store?

We believe 2015 will be Marvel’s biggest year yet with the release of Avengers: Age Of Ultron. This epic fi lm will see the all-star cast of Avengers Super Heroes reunite for the fi rst time since 2012 when it became the third highest-grossing fi lm of all time and number one movie of that year.

Retail Interview

Disney have had a fantastic 2014 – do we need to mention the “F” word? Mike Stagg, General Manager Retail For The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland, tells the Daily News about their “phenomenal” year along with revealing all about 2015

45

FROZEN MERCHANDISE LITERALLY FLEW OFF SHELVES AND OUR RANGES EXPANDED OVER THE YEAR TO SUPPORT THE HIGH DEMAND AT THE DISNEY STORE AND ACROSS RETAIL.

“

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Ant-Man will also be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, adding to further excitement for all things Marvel at retail.

Plus, Disney XD will have a plethora of Marvel content including new Hulk and The Agents Of S.M.A.S.H., Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man episodes. Plus, we will have an all-new Guardians Of The Galaxy animated series launching.

We need to tackle Star Wars - how much more interest has there been in it in 2014 versus 2013?

I mentioned earlier that the new animated series Star Wars Rebels launched on Disney XD last year, this has introduced the franchise to a new generation of fans and continues to grow in popularity.

Since Lucasfi lm announced Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2013, and as we edge closer to the fi lm’s release date of December 15, 2015, anticipation and interest in all things Star Wars continues to gain momentum.

Now we’re in 2015, do

you see week-on-week rises in customer demand and sales?There are sure to be peaks as more details are shared about Star Wars: The Force Awakens throughout the year and, of course, we anticipate demand for Star Wars Rebels-specifi c products as new episodes air on Disney XD this year.

When do you see that peaking?

As we approach peak Christmas trading times and nudge closer to the fi lm’s release date we expect to see

more and more demand for all things Star Wars.

The Disney Store carries very varied product - tell us about some of your wackiest products and from which rages please?

The Star Wars R2-D2 suitcase, which has sound effects and lights up, is sure to draw some attention when travelling! And we have a fantastic Baymax from Big Hero 6 toy which is made from squeezy plastic, speaks and projects images from the fi lm. I’m not sure Baymax would like to be called wacky but there’s certainly no one else quite like him!

What were your top properties of 2014?There’s no denying Frozen took the industry by

storm in 2014 and was our top property. Spider-Man, Disney Princess, Star Wars, Doc McStuffi ns and Mickey and Minnie Mouse were also hot properties for Disney last year.

And what do you currently forecast as being the top for 2015?

We see no signs of Frozen slowing down, especially with the new short Frozen Fever opening in cinemas on March 27 in front of the live-action Cinderella fi lm from Disney.

On Cinderella, we see this boosting our overall Disney Princess business for 2015 and, of course, we’re expecting big things from Marvel and Star Wars.

Blockbuster fi lm releases aside, our pre-school properties like Doc McStuffi ns and Sofi a The First resonate so strongly with parents and children and continue to go from strength to strength each year.

And what should we look out for that perhaps isn’t on our radar quite yet?

We opened up a new corner of the Marvel Universe with Guardians Of The Galaxy last year and, with the launch of the animated series on Disney XD this year, there’s a real opportunity for merchandise to take centre stage. Also, Disney will be at the heart of the tween market again with the launch of a new Disney Channel Original Movie titled The Descendants, about the children of some of Disney most villainous characters and with the launch of Disney Tsum Tsum, a craze which has taken Japan and the US by storm and will launch in the UK with a product range next month.

Your shop windows are always a sight to behold - tell us a little about how often you change them and how much each individual store can change them or all they uniform?

We tend to refi t our Disney Store windows every eight weeks or so. Our visual merchandising team works together to create a style which will work across all stores and bring to life our properties in a creative and innovative way.

The windows are a real gateway to the store but the magic doesn’t stop there – inside our guests have the opportunity to take part in themed and interactive activities, there’s character sculpts which guests love for photo opportunities and much more. What is your favourite Disney Store toy?

The new Big Hero 6 range is fantastic and very innovative, however my nostalgia plays to the classic Star Wars Lightsaber.

58

Retail Interview

We asked…And lastly, if you were a kid today, what non-Disney toy would you be nagging your mum for?It would have to be Monopoly, a classic family board game.

Mike says…“The Frozen windows at the Disney Store over Christmas really added to the magic on the high-street throughout the festive season. Our Star Wars Rebels windows certainly grabbed the attention of dads and kids alike.”

46

Passing the batonPassing the batonPeter Brown, Chairman of GP Flair, steps down from the BTHA Council after 25 years. He tells Daily News about why he is proud to have been part of such a pivotal and important body

Toy Fair Legends

48

When did you join the Council, Peter?It was in 1989. I can’t believe it was 25 years ago and over that time, membership of the BTHA Council has been an important part of my involvement with the Toy Industry. I was surprised and delighted to be asked to be part of the BTHA and I can well remember the excitement I felt at being asked to join the Council.

Why did you feel that being part of the Council was an important aspect of being in the industry?For me it was all about “giving back”. At the time I was Managing Director of Tomy and I had enjoyed a huge amount of support from colleagues and customers and had enjoyed the experience of starting and being involved with a great company. Having had that experience within the Toy Industry I felt it was only right that I should try and make a contribution to the industry as a whole. For me as well it was an honour and privilege to being working alongside some of the legendary leaders of our Industry.

What does being a Council member entail? What sort of work does it carry out?The BTHA is concerned with anything that impacts upon the business of its members .Importantly it focuses on safety, thereby helping set standards which make sure that children can enjoy the play value benefi ts of toys safely. When I fi rst started on Council it was apparent that the Toy Industry, despite making really safe toys, suffered from adverse national press coverage on toy safety as every Christmas there was a shock horror story related to toy safety often based on factually incorrect information.

How did the BTHA achieve this? The BTHA embarked upon a long term programme of trade, consumer and press activity to highlight the rigorous safety standards which all members toys were applying to their products. This programme carried the visual logo of the Lion Mark which became the symbol of an Industry that cared deeply about the safety and wellbeing of children. The programme also included working closely with Trading Standards Offi cers to make sure that were aware of how safety standards were applied to Toys

and to make certain that they went through the appropriate channels and process if they had any concerns.As a result the Toy Industry has had hugely better press coverage in recent years.This is only one example of the continuous work that the BTHA undertakes. It was also heavily involved with supporting the start of ICTI.In addition the BTHA is involved in all regulations on toys emanating from Brussels as well as working with UK politicians on matters relating to advertising and gender stereotyping, and much more. How does the Council work benefi t the industry and on a wider scale, how does it impact consumers?This activity has a huge impact on our Industry as it provides a clear line of defence between those who seek to regulate our Industry and individual Companies.The BTHA is the “voice” of the Industry which is effectively heard in parliament, Brussels and indeed globally through the BTHA. The BTHA is recognised as a highly effective trade association not only in the UK but also internationally where it is undoubtably the best of all toy trade associations.

How much time have you dedicated to the Council over the years?It is not something I have ever given much thought to! Obviously, it does take some time but as the issues are important, it is an investment that is well worth making regardless of the time involved.

What do you think is the single most impact action that you have seen carried out?That is a diffi cult one to answer as in reality so much as happened, but purely on a personal basis I think the most enjoyable and satisfying action has been the formation and growth of the Toy Trust - the industry’s charity which has done an outstanding job is raising huge amounts of money for disadvantage children around the world. Few other industries can match the Toy Industry for its generosity and concern for children who don’t enjoy a normal happy childhood.

How relevant is the Council?I shudder to think how diffi cult it would be for toy companies had it not been for the intervention of the BTHA .

We would have had to fi ght a nightmare web of unnecessary legislation affecting safety, advertising, product colours and packaging and much more. The BTHA has played a vital role on behalf of its members in responding to outside pressures so to answer your question, it has been highly relevant ! In your time, there have been many key industry fi gures working alongside you - can you share some memories /anecdotes of the historic and current members?It has been my privilege to work alongside many outstanding and formidable fi gures. When I joined Council one of the key members was Peter Waterman.

Peter had formidable intelligence combined with a slightly abrasive attitude! I can remember when chairing my fi rst Committee meeting and being very aware that whenever I said anything that Peter did not agree with, he reacted with a groan and by grasping his head with both hands and muttering to himself! Quite off-putting! That said Peter made a huge contribution to the BTHA in many respects and I, as I came to know him, and like him, appreciated the signifi cant contribution that he made to many aspects of the structure of the BTHA Council.

I have also enjoyed working alongside people like Roger Dyson, who with typical Welsh humour manages to analyse, dissect and evaluate any particular complex problem with great clarity.

And you did not have to come from a big company to make a big contribution to the BTHA as Jimmy Hunter clearly demonstrated.

Among his many contributions to the BTHA and the Toy Industry was his initiation of the Golden Teddies Awards which magnifi cently recognise the unsung heroes of our Industry.

Nick Austin was also an outstanding member of Council who, amongst his many contributions, pioneered the BTHA Fun Day events so brilliantly and who still is fully involved today alongside the Chairperson of the Toy Trust, Foye Pascoe, whose management skills are amazingly impressive. And lastly, Peter, what have you enjoyed most and what will you miss the most?Well as you can imagine, I really will miss being part of such a splendid organisation and I would urge anyone with a serious long term interest in the Toy Industry to target membership of the BTHA Council as one of their career aspirations.

I will miss being part of such a well-organised trade association. The secretariat at Camberwell Road are simply brilliant and they are the strength behind the success of the Association. Most of all I will miss the support and friendship of fellow Council Members who prove so well that in the Toy Industry we can be both fi erce competitors and good friends all at the same time.

FEW OTHER INDUSTRIES CAN MATCH THE TOY INDUSTRY FOR ITS GENEROSITY

“

Peter Brown

PR Speak

Historically Toy Fair has been a viewed as an odd time of year to make a big PR splash about a new range or product launch, given that the press have got over the Christmas saturation of toy stories and

can be reluctant to dive straight into the toy ‘mire’ this soon after the New Year.

Although the Fair encapsulates all that is fun and theatrical about this wonderful industry, there can be a reluctance to go out with a big story on press day as there is no guarantee that another company or PR Agency won’t be doing exactly the same thing and you end up vying for those all important column inches or visual credit on a Breakfast TV show. This

leads companies to be understandably concerned about funding major celebs or grand stunts that may not deliver on PR value given the level of competition in the hall and the possibility that a breaking news story the day after press day will scupper any efforts and carefully laid plans.

Over the past few years and the arrival of Bastion on the scene, alongside the experienced Toy Fair Organiser team, the opportunities to gain valuable PR mileage from the Fair have increased exponentially, when PR’s utilise not only the press day itself but also by working around the Fair dates to generate buzz both prior to and post the fi rst day of the event. Social media, bloggers and on-site TV have helped provide channels to spread the word outside the holy grail of national TV or newspaper coverage with YouTube offering spin-off potential to get consumers engaged in how the product works fi rst hand.

Although having a celebrity on stand can deliver valuable National coverage if

they are A list enough, even a more minor celeb can help create that all important in-Fair PR theatre on stand, accompanied by costume characters who can visually represent the brand around the halls and keep those all-important new license acquisitions front of mind among visitors.

Releasing a story before the Fair goes live can help to create a buzz around a new product reveal and drive press to the fair and ultimately to your stand. If a client is launching a product that taps neatly into a social issue which is topical around the Fair then it’s worth either sending them exclusive info on the new product and following up with an invite to experience the item fi rst hand on the stand. Bastion are now well versed in getting a solid list of high profi le and infl uential journalists to the show from all walks of media however it is vital that you look at the products a client has to offer and select only those key toys that will really pique a journalists’ interest, pass the ‘so what’? test and ultimately stand out among all those others at the fair.

TM

THE GALLERYSTAND 410

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SMART Toys & Games Tel: 01903 885669 uk@smart.be www.smartgames.eu www.smartmax.eu

Impress the pressNorton & Co’s Emma Arthur give her perspective on how to play the tricky PR game at London Toy Fair and win big! Read on to learn her top tips for a successful show

Use the Daily News to keep visitors informed, don’t bombard the trade press with a plethora of news announcements; pick and choose the strongest stories that will stand out on the trade news alerts both before and during the Fair. There’s only so many the trade can cover. If there is a corporate angle you can take with press to leverage a toy in under the radar then target the Business journalists and make more of a meaty story out of a client’s appearance at the fair. Give journalists a reason to come down and put spokespeople in front of them who are media trained, high profi le and have stats and fast facts at the ready.

Toy Fair has become a maelstrom of varied PR opportunities however it’s not a one size fi ts all opportunity; pick your product, research your story and look at the media outlets. Above all, work with Bastion as that is what they are there for and they are invaluable when planning any PR activity around the Fair. See you there!

ContactNorton & CoT: 01608 812 830

www.nortonandco.com

Squirrel Club Playset

HEY DUGGEE TM and © Studio AKA Ltd 2014. Licensed by BBC Worldwide.Stand E69

Woof Woof Duggee

Hug Toy

Ch

ara

cter Figurines with Feature

Ba

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e

LaunchingJanuary 2015 on

CBeebies

Broadcast through 2015

52 x 7 minuteepisodes

IT’S DUGGEE TIME!The new animated pre-school series on CBeebies

Promotes fun, exercise, fun, learning and fun!

Driving you bananas!Our friends at BANANAGRAMS have come up with some humdingers to keep you puzzled during Toy Fair. Don’t peek at the answers now!

BANANAGRAMS, the anagram game that drives you bananas, has created some Toy Fair-related anagrams for readers to solve. To fi nd out more about the BANANAGRAMS’ range or to try your hand at the brand new game being launched here at London Toy Fair, BANANAGRAMS WildTiles, pop along to stand F101.

Puzzle 1Monkey taping lions No lion fry toad Two yens Mega News

Puzzle 2Deer try a bus Renting wok Ale tried Sheer tights

(Kensington Olympia) (London Toy Fair) (New Toys) (New Games)

Puzzle 1 Answer:

(Trade Buyers) (Networking) (Retailers) (High Street)

Puzzle 2 answers:

Making the Making the most of your most of your London Toy London Toy Fair visitFair visit

Going to a trade show is easy. Getting anything worthwhile out of it is harder and requires work.

Dates for trade shows, of whatever kind, are usually fi xed up to a year or more in advance, so the ‘couldn’t fi t it into the diary’ doesn’t really hold water. Then there’s the matter of deciding which one to go to. This tends to be just as easy. There is generally a dominant show for each sector and that’s the one to head for.

Well, you’re reading the London Toy Fair’s Daily News, so it seems a fair bet that you’ve managed to fi nd time to come to the UK’s leading toy show so best not to labour the point. The question about how to approach this one remains, however. And the answer is not straightforward. More than 260 exhibitors sounds a lot and on arriving at Kensington Olympia and staring into the main hall, it would be easy to feel mildly overwhelmed.

At this point, the uninformed will usually form a plan of attack that goes something along the lines of walking up and down each of the aisles in the hope of spotting something that might be interesting. This is a blunderbuss approach and one that may or may not yield results. What it will certainly involve is a fair amount of time wasting.

A little judicious exhibitor editing is therefore called for. If nothing else, a trade fair tends to be a place where many of the suppliers with whom you have a commercial relationship will be found. This being the case, the fi rst thing to be done is to grab a copy of the show guide, locate your suppliers and go visit. Think of it this way. The London Toy Fair represents an opportunity to see many of your leading suppliers in a couple of days, or just a

few hours, at a push. This process would take days in the normal run of things, so should not be dismissed as an improper use of your time.

If you can get through this, then the other part of a trade show comes into play: innovation. You may fi nd new things and ideas via your established suppliers, but The London Toy Fair also gives you the chance to introduce some fresh blood. This is when a gentle stroll around the fair in a semi-organised manner can indeed pay dividends. There will always be something that you’ve not seen before and which warrants closer inspection. And remember, a visit to a trade fair should be about information gathering. This is one of the best chances that you will have in the year in which to do so.

You may have years of experience and a trade show is when this can be profi tably brought to bear. Spotting a ‘winner’ is never easy and a novice is as likely to have a good hit rate as any seasoned pro. Nonetheless, knowing what’s what means you’re more likely to eliminate the ‘dogs’.

Finally, the visit should be fun. How often do you get the chance to take a critical look at what you and others do? Enjoy.

Expert Eye

TnP Columnist and retail expert John Ryan gives

his take on how to make the most of the show

E

John Ryan is Stores Editor at Re-tail Week. He has worked for the magazine for more than a dec-ade covering store design, visual merchandising and what makes things sell in-store. In a previous life he was a buyer.

52

A call for A call for the golfi ng the golfi ng greats!greats!A game of golf? Why not!

If you are one of the toy industry’s golfing greats, or if you merely enjoy a stroll around the green

while swinging a club at anything and everything – we’ve got just the thing for you!

The BTHA/Toy Trust Golf Day is back again for 2015. The fantastic day out is being held at one of the south’s best golf courses, Sonning Golf club near Reading, Berkshire, on Thursday 28 May 2015.

Bearing in mind that time is precious, 2015 sees the introduction of a new format that will enable players to get home at more reasonable hour.

The day begins with coffee and bacon rolls at 7.30am for those that want to play a morning 11 hole Texas Scramble.

This is followed by a two-course lunch and then the 18 hole Individual Stableford completion for the Chad Valley Bowl and

team competition. This will be followed by

sandwiches and the prize giving. The day should finish by 7.30pm.

Cost for the full day remains at £90. For lunch onwards only it is £75. Anyone connected with the Toy Trade is welcome to attend. Please contact Clive Jones clive-jonesleisureltd@hotmail.co.uk if you want further details.

THE BTHA/TOY TRUST GOLF DAY IS BACK AGAIN FOR 2015. THE FANTASTIC DAY OUT IS BEING HELD AT ONE OF THE SOUTH’S BEST GOLF COURSES

“

BTHA Golf

Distributed exclusively in the UK and Ireland by Halilit

T: 01254 872454 www.halilit.co.uk

Visit stand E90 to see our brand new range!

Childhood is magical

imagine!R O L E P L A Y T O Y S F R O M B A T T A T

Last years competition was won by Spin Master’s Kevin Jones who is also the current

BTHA President along with John Gray from Mattel

It’s magic!... or is it?It’s magic!... or is it?

Puzzle Time & Agents Corner

54

Agent Corner Agent: George Prentice, Irish agent

How many Toy Fairs have you attended, George?

This fair will be my 46th fair, man and boy!

I made my debut as an “underbuyer”

for Toys and outdoor living in a very

classy department store in Belfast,

having defected from a boring

accountancy job!

How did you get into the business?The buyer retired two years later and

I got the job buying for a 9750sq.ft

toy department. The jump came just

under fi ve years later as I was only in

my mid 20s when I was made buyer

they got me cheap! My accountancy

training helped me a lot with mark-

ups and margins so my department

contribution to the store was noticed

upstairs and when I discovered profi ts

returned from other departments I asked

for a signifi cant bonus and salary increase.

The response wasn’t up to my expectation

and I shared this with an agent who had

taken me under his wing earlier in my

buying career at the store. He convinced

me to leave my ‘cushy’ job with all the opportunities, but

low salary, and take over his agency as he was then 72 and

wanted to semi retire. He had Britains models, Neufeld,

Fuzzy Felts and a few others and when Palitoy heard I was

moving to be an agent they moved from a distributed and

appointed us. Then Palitoy, that became Kenner Parker and

after a few other metamorphoses fi nally Hasbro!

And how did your agency develop?After that we worked with Tiger Electronics (also bought

by Hasbro after our 23 happy years as their Irish agent).

We launched Nintendo into Ireland and were with Vivid

from the very beginning until I passed the agency to my

son David and I fi nally joined Re:creation in 2000. We

have always operated on our own turf in Ireland although

we worked in the UK for a few years for an arts and crafts

manufacturer we have represented for over 30 years.

Are you on the look out for new brands?We are very busy with Re:creation, our only commitment at

Olympia, we travel to Nuremberg week after next to present

our range of FOB arts and crafts. We don’t actively look for

additional agencies these days but as my associate James

Bond says never say never. But we are very happy with the

Re:creation family, we are the longest serving members of

staff!

How can people get in touch with you George?Just in case, email georgetoys@eircom.net or call offi ce

(00353) 45 485533 or mobile (00353) 86 8269797.

Marvin’s Magic are the go-to folks for all thing magical but they have a treat in store of readers of the Toy Fair Daily Papers. Yes, that is right, they have agreed to reveal some of their inner most secrets just for you – but don’t tell the magic circle!

WHO HAS THE COIN?

You know instantly which spectator has stolenthe coin and which hand it is in!Secret: For this trick you will need a coin. While you are out of the room, one of the spectators must take the coin from the table and hold it above his or her head for 30 seconds. When you come back in, all the spectators must hold their hands out in fi sts. The hand that holds the coin will be noticeably paler than the others.

STAND: H65

54

Agent: George Pren

How many Toy FaGeorge?

This fair wi

I made m

for Toy

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George and Brenda Prentice

Style Me Up is a fashionably forward brand for tween girls founded on

the notion of “do-it-yourself”. Style Me Up is the fi rst dedicated, complete,

stylish, DIY, brand for tween girls. From fashionably trendy craft kits, to

chic designer sketchbooks, creative cosmetics and much more - Style

Me Up allows tweens the freedom to express themselves with style.

All graphics, illustrations, product and packaging designs are copyrights © 2015 of Wooky Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Style Me Up® is a trademark of Wooky Entertainment Inc.

See us at London Toy Show, Stand Gallery 180

For more information, Wooky Entertainment

UK Sales offi ce 0151-494-3821

www.stylemeup.comBE CREATIVEBE UNIQUE

COSMECTICSCREATIVE

STATIONERY

CREATIVE KITS

BOUTIQUE COLLECTION

www.ggtrade.co.ukwww.ggtrade.co.uk

Toys gifts and great ideas!

Toyfair! Olympia, london 20 - 22 January 2015 Stand G20

pre school toys!

Come and see us at Science kits!

Activity kits!

Eco friendly wooden toys!

Retail Viewpoint

We talk to some retailers attending Toy Fair 2015 about what they want to see and achieve

Chrissie Waterlow Wauwaa (online shop) wauwaa.comLondon

Mum and Head of Merchandising. The company was set up two years ago. Their website launched in September 2013.

What stands are a must visit?I visit most of the stands and love looking around at everything. We cover nursery, bedding, maternity, clothing, gifting and toys. We like innovative products, particularly learning products teaching children something they can connect to. I always fi nd something surprising here, something new. Always!

Have you gone to the greenhouse section?Not yet. But I will. I am always on the lookout. I don’t discount anything. You never know what you may fi nd.

What does the industry need in 2015?Another Frozen!

Polly Horton (owner) with Emma MayesThree Boys Rock Worcestershire in the MidlandsPolly launched her on-line shop in October 2013and sells products for boys, aged 8 – 14.

Did you go to the greenhouse section? Yes! I really like Flype. Their stand is really cool. The guy there is really, really sweet. I am looking for something different. I like something with less branding.

What is the best thing about attending?I like to have a wander and enjoy seeing what is out there.

What stands are a must visit?DWSD is always a must visit. But I like browsing through most of the stands. We have a precise demographic – so are after boy’s stuff, like skateboards, games, activities, sport and lifestyle products.

Loic LecoutourVictoria Park, East London.

Loic has been running his shop for six years. He manages his website and is very active on social media.

What stands are a must?ToBar. I love their diversity – they cover all ages. They are also very good at doing original gadgets and have great stuff for parties. My customers never get bored.

Have you gone to the greenhouse section? Not yet, but I will visit.

What is the best thing about attending?Seeing suppliers. I like putting faces to voices. It is business on a human level and I very much like that.

What does the industry need in 2015?To keep on going up. I am very excited about 2015. Christmas was very good.

Toy Talk

Kamesh AminHoward Marshall ToysBuckinghamshire.

Kamesh has run his shop for more than 32 years. He is not active on social media but is planning to launch a website and get on social media in the future.

Which stands are a must?LEGO is a defi nite. Our basement room was full of junk. We did it up with LEGO. People don’t want to go down into the basement but they do now. They love our basement! We have LEGO everywhere in our shop. We have two fl oors.

What is the best thing about attending?You get to see the product. You also get to see some of the small suppliers who you may sometimes forget. It is nice to keep in touch, see someone face to face, especially in today’s age.

What does the industry need in 2015?More Frozen!

Olivia MayneHistorical Royal PalacesBuyers for the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palaces gift shops. The gifts shops have been running for twenty years and are very active on social media.

What stands are a must visit?Papo UK. We obviously like historical fi gurines. Action fi gures at Papo are always our fi rst stop!

Did you go to the greenhouse section?Yes. The Greenhouse is good for us. They are new and different. I am always on the lookout for something new, interesting and different.

What does the industry need in 2015?Our biggest category is toys and games – plastic swords, dress up, chess sets. So we need more of that.

Darryl HookHoombletoys and Collectables online shop. Director with colleague Robert Bramble.Wooterlooville.Darryl Hook launched his on-line shop fi ve years ago.

What stands are a must?We like branded character toys Ninja Turtles, Baby Annabell and Farmer Sam. Also Spinmaster is always fun and really, really big. I use the Toy Fair to gather ideas.

Have you gone to the greenhouse section?No. But I might do it this afternoon.

What does the industry need in 2015?Another Frozen please! But we do have Star Wars and that is going to be big.

The big debut

Firstly, welcome

to Toy Fair Team

Chicco! What made

you decide to exhibit

for the fi rst time this

year? And why did you

particularly feel 2015

was the right year for

your Toy Fair debut?

Chicco has just ended

an extraordinary 2014.

With toys market in slight reprise (+5%), Chicco

managed to close the year +17%. After such a

glorious year of growth with all our retailers we

thought it was important to present our full range

to all our customers.

Also, with such an exciting range of toys for 2015

that we felt it was the perfect time to make our

debut at the show, and start the new year with

a bang and launch our fantastic new range of

licensed toys, in collaboration with Disney and Fiat,

at the most important toy show of the year.

The Toy Fair is the ideal place to meet buyers and

the press and share all of our exciting news in one

dedicated place.

How much planning was put into your debut?

We’ve put a lot of planning into our attendance at

the Toy Fair to make sure that we maximise our

time there and showcase all of our 2015 collection

in an engaging way. Our stand is highly impactful,

and cosy, and displays a huge range from

0m up to 36 month. The team behind the

scenes have worked hard and have done

a superb job. We’re confi dent that we’re

ready!

And how do the team feel about

exhibiting?

Everyone at Chicco is looking forward to

exhibiting at the Toy Fair and discovering

more about this exciting show. We’re all

sure it’s going to be a lot of fun as well.

What are the company’s expectations

coming out of Toy Fair?

We’re confi dent that our

attendance at the show

will help us to increase

even further the toys

distribution, in

terms of number

of stores and

depth of the

range. The 2015

collection is the

strongest it has ever been thanks

to lots of new innovations and

our partnerships with Disney and

Fiat. This is another opportunity to

solidify and strengthen our retailer

partnerships and introduce our

brand and extensive range to new

customers.

Tell us about your stand, what

can visitors expect to fi nd there?

Visitors to our stand will be

able to discover fi rst of all our

new products for 2015, and

we’re talking about 40 new

lines and they can try them

out for themselves. Also our

continuative icon products

are going to be there, which forms a huge and

formidable range. They’ll also be able to fi nd out

more about Chicco as a company, what

makes us so unique and why we keep

going from strength to strength

with our retailers, including our

always evolving product range.

Talk to us about your range

this year, what’s fresh and

different about it?

We’ve strengthened many of

our ranges this year, and have a

number of great new toys within

these. In our remote control

collection, we have some

really fun new cars that

perform stunts, as

well as our fi rst

accessory to

the turbo

team range,

our Stop &

Go Playset

Garage. We’re

also thrilled to

be launching a

new trike and

a new balance

bike, so we’ve

got plenty for

kids to enjoy

both in and

outdoors.

Welcome to Toy Fair...

Chicco are making their Toy Fair debut at Toy Fair 2015. With a host of new products, including Disney Baby and Disney Princess ranges, there is a lot to be excited about. MD Mitch Levene reveals all to the Daily News

Stand:

G124

Mitch Levene

58

59

You’ve got some very special

announcements in terms of

partnerships with Disney. How did

this come about - was Disney always

a licensor Chicco wanted to work

with?

We’ve wanted to work with Disney

for a long time as we think there

is a lot of synergy between our

brands – both Disney and Chicco

want playtime to be a magical part

of a child’s development. Given our

recognised strengths in the pre-

school segment with vehicles and

RC’s below 3 years, we thought

the timing was right to expand

our range of toys for girls.

Hence, the Disney Princess

license seemed the perfect

brand with which to

launch this new range. So

we approached Disney

and formed this exciting

partnership, which we’re

sure is going to be very

successful.

Chicco can now boast

Disney Baby and

Disney Princess

ranges. What can

retailers look

forward to seeing?

Our Disney range

is certainly unique,

because it matches

the Chicco

expertise in

baby care with

the magic of the

Disney world.

Chicco launches

an infant and pre-

school range, designed

to develop baby skills with a fairy

twist. Great classics such as spinners

and highchair toys that have the

faces of the most beloved Disney

princesses, such as Cinderella, that is

also going to be on of the key Disney

communication assets with the movie

released in March.

And how have you set about making

the Disney license relevant to the

much younger child?

Our range exploits and enriches

the already “tried and tested” great

Chicco classics specifi cally designed

to develop babies’ senses and skills

or soothe to sleep. In particular

the introduction of the cot mobile,

highchair toy, spinner and mirror

are all suitable for much younger

children. We think that they will offer

an engaging experience for little ones

while appealing to parents who want

to offer the magic of Disney for their

babies at a young age.

And then we have your partnership

with Fiat. You are extending that this

year – what is new?

New for this year we have the Fiat

500 Turbo Touch which offers a

different experience to the remote

controlled car. We launched this

product at the back of 2014 & it’s

sales through consumers has been

excellent. The stylish cars vibrate

with an echo sound when they are

switched on and are sent zooming

away by pressing down on the back.

How have sales been at retail on the

Fiat range?

It’s been a really strong start for

the Fiat range, with the Fiat 500

remote control proving very

popular.

Are Chicco always on the

look out to work with different

licensors; is this an area you

are looking to expand in the

future?

We’re always looking for

new opportunities so it’s

quite possible that we

will expand our licensor

relationships in the

future.

Chicco put a lot of

emphasis on your work

with pediatricians

and parents at

Osservatorio

Chicco, your

offi cial Baby

Research Center,

what sort of impact

does this have on

the products you send to

market?

All of our products are very unique

because they are developed in line

with the research carried out at the

Chicco Osservatorio, which studies

the specifi c needs for each age.

Each and every one of our Chicco

toys therefore provides the proper

stimuli according the correct growth

phase, something which we know is

important to parents when choosing

toys for their little ones.

Fit & Fun is another range that

is going great guns – how did it

perform at retail last year? And

what’s new for 2015?

Fit & Fun was a huge success last

year and our retailers reported great

sales. For 2015 we’ve added Mini

Golf to the range, which is a fun and

engaging game where little ones can

practice hitting the target or golf

training. Our only regret is that this

range sold too well as we were out

of stock by year end! We are living a

journey and will aim to correct this

situation in 2015 via this experience.

The CabbagePatch Kids are back!

Celebrate with the NEW Puppy

arrivals!

Planetarium to Light upthose darknights!

Follow that trackball!

www.trendsuk.co.ukTel: +44 (0)1295 768078 E-mail: info@trendsuk.co.uk

© 2015 OAA, INC WCT.PUPPY SURPRISE is a trademark of Ed Kaplan Associates, LLC the licensor of the IP rights herein. All Rights Reserved

© & TM 2014 Discovery Communications,LLC. All rights reserved

The great and The great and the goodthe good

Distributor Focus: s:

Stand:

G20

Toy Fair is a special date in the diary for the UK industry – what does it mean to Great Gizmos? The start of a busy year hopefully! It’s always a great opportunity to meet with the UK buyers, both large and small and show them around our new stand.

How long have Great Gizmos been exhibiting at the fair? A long time – virtually since we started in 1997.

Tell us about your 2015 range – is there anything in there that makes it really different? We have lots of new quality products across all our brands. There are new and exciting products on science and craft from 4M and we’ve three new ranges to show this year; Kid O, Meadow Kids and WWF. Plus lots of fantastic additions to Plan Toys and a whole

host of new plush and accessories from NICI.

Retailers will be happy to learn that you

have some new additions to your

range – tell us about them?

As mentioned the three new ranges joining us in 2015 are Kid O, Meadow

Kids and WWF. Kid O products are designed with little hands

in mind and are created from the most vibrant of EPV materials. All Kid O toys engage and stimulate children again and again with a rich variety of shapes, colours and sizes. New for 2015 are items such as the Whale, Airplane and Magnetic Maze. Meadow Kids is all about creativity and has many products that are designed to stimulate a child’s imagination. Children can build rockets in the bath or simply learn how to be creative with kits that help draw with colouring pencils and stencils – there is so much to see from this brand! WWF…well just wait for the Daily Newspaper for this one!

Great Gizmos have exhibited at Toy Fair since 1997, but what can retailers and buyers expect to fi nd on their stand this year? Director Judith Dayus give us an insight

61Page 61 DAY 2 Great Gizmos Dist Focus.indd 1Page 61 DAY 2 Great Gizmos Dist Focus.indd 1 21/01/2015 01:2321/01/2015 01:23

+44 (0) 207 298 9500sales@winningmoves.co.ukwww.bananagrams.com

Emerging from the Jungle at London Toy Fair!

New Wilder Game!

Come monkey around with us at stand #F101.

Is Toy Fair about signing sales sheets for you, or more about introducing your range? Both hopefully! It’s important to be able to showcase all our products but equally important to write orders. Some customers are just not able to write orders as they are so pressed for time, however we have showrooms near Gatwick for customers to visit throughout the year that showcase our entire product range.

In general, do you fi nd retailers buy big or in bulk at Toy Fair? Some do, some don’t – we have a nice varied retailer base that includes

both types of buyers. It is nice however for customers to get ranges selected early in the year.

Do Great Gizmos have any show offers and who would you like to see calling by your stand? We will have a show offer for Toy Fair but you’ll have to come and visit us on stand G20 to fi nd out what it is!January is the start of a new year, but how would you sum up the past 12 months for Great Gizmos in terms of sales? We have had an incredibly busy year with some fantastic orders being received. With

many new additions being added to our ranges throughout the year, our sales were continuous and many customers were excited to see our three new collections and add these to their orders.

In terms of your range, you cover craft, bath, plush, educational, wooden toys and

more – as a supplier, do you notice trends in what retailers are looking for from season to season? We don’t really get involved with too many trends. Our range is more about good quality products that carry on from year to year. We are always looking out for new ideas though and keep developing new lines with our suppliers.

What are your top tips for a novice Toy Fair attendee?Spend plenty of time looking, don’t be afraid to ask questions and wear comfy shoes!

Distributor Focus: D

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SEE YOUR SOLE EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTOR ON STAND C60

www.westdesignproducts.co.uk

A wide variety of creative projects

for boys and girls of all ages! Come to the Demo Zone to see for yourself:

Let’s Get Crafty section, Wed 21st, 4 - 4:30pm

A closer look at Great Gizmos stand

Page 61 DAY 2 Great Gizmos Dist Focus.indd 3Page 61 DAY 2 Great Gizmos Dist Focus.indd 3 21/01/2015 01:2421/01/2015 01:24

Rags to richesRags to richesTell us a little about you and your company.Imajo designs and manufacturers beautiful rag dolls and soft toys. I started the business in 2008 with quite a broad range of toy products but I quickly knew that I wanted to specialise in rag dolls, which is what we’ve become famous for and where our focus lies today. I run the business

with a small team from offi ces and warehousing in New Milton, Hampshire. What’s your background?Before setting up Imajo I worked in IT. While I liked the job security I craved something much more inspiring where I could create something unique, savour enthusiasm and feel good about my own achievements. So I quit my job and started the business from scratch with my own savings. We’ve grown steadily and I am proud of how much we’ve achieved so far. And how did the idea for the Bonnika rag dolls come about?Our Anisa dolls have become a well-known range, instantly recognisable for their simple and pure design. We’re constantly listening to feedback from our customers and felt there was the opportunity to create a more individual range of dolls, so in 2013 we introduced the Bonnika brand. The name is inspired by the Portuguese word for doll – I liked it instantly! The range was an instant hit, we expanded it in 2014 and will be launching some new dolls at Toy Fair.

What is special about Imajo and Bonnika?In an age of mass-production and globalisation I knew that when I started Imajo that I wanted it to stand for something special. Our philosophy is simple – we care about people. For this reason we choose to manufacture our products in Sri Lanka. Every doll is made with care in a well-managed factory, where the welfare of the employees is paramount.

Tell us a little about some breakthroughs you have had with your product.Obviously the most rewarding breakthough is to see each new product succeed when it’s on the shelves in my customer’s stores. As a new business we were delighted to be highly commended in Gift of The Year 2010 and in 2014 our beautiful Honey from the Bonnika range won Silver in the doll category of the Independent Toy Awards. But sometimes it’s the smallest things that mean the most; a London hospital for Children requiring major heart surgery give each brave child a rag doll, personalised to explain where they will be having their operation. How did you come to exhibit at London Toy Fair?Rag Dolls are a perfect toy gift for children of any age. Now that the range of Bonikka dolls is a proven success and there is plenty of choice, Toy Fair 2015 was the perfect year for the range to make their debut at Toy Fair. There must be plenty of toy shops in UK that haven’t had the chance to see the range at a show and I am sure once they do, they will

want to place orders. What sort of homework did you do about the Fair before signing up?I visited Toy Fair last year but I already knew that Toy Fair was where Imajo and Bonikka should be seen. I know other exhibitors do extremely well at the Fair and I expect Imajo will do too. Tell us a little about your current retail programme?We have three ranges: Anisa is our signature range of rags dolls, including dolls for boys as well as girls. The range includes a pirate plus special occasion dolls, such as a ballerina and

bridesmaid dolls and we are bringing some new designs for 2015. Bonnika is our newest range of over 20 dolls, including some brand new dolls launching at Toy Fair and even more designs later in 2015. Finally, we have a range called Bebi, which comprises some really lovely knitted animals, inspired by my childhood favourites. What can the Greenhouse at London Toy Fair offer? The big brands and big stands are obviously the cornerstone of Toy Fair and our industry, but The Greenhouse is where you’ll fi nd great products from of new or growing businesses. Every retailer should be looking to differentiate their offer and be different; The Greenhouse is a haven for those looking for something alternative to the latest craze, so they can offer something a little different and unique And what do you hope to achieve at London Toy Fair? We’re looking forward to meeting like-minded retailers who will fall in love with our ranges as much as we love them! In our fi rst six years we’ve achieved much in our quest to become the most desired rag doll brands in UK; we hope that by coming to Toy Fair it will help us on our continued journey. What next for Imajo? Like most businesses we’ve got plans to grow and expand. There’s more products being designed and there will be other ranges launched in the future to continue offering the retailer something new and unique. My vision is for every parent, grandparent, friend and relative to fi nd a truly special toy in our range to become a lifelong friend.

Imajo’s Jo Crombie is one to watch. The company is based in the Greenhouse section of Toy Fair 2015 and is well worth a visit. Here, Jo tells the Daily News about the company, how it all began and what is in store for the future

Greenhouse Interview

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Stand:

GH2

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StandGH2

W : imajo.co.uk E : info@imajo.co.uk

Wooden PuzzleBox NEW

Includes 3 innerboxes & 4rods

A great

challenge

for any

child!

www.eduk8worldwide.comCall +44 (0) 1434 672336See us on stand GH42

R

A world of pure imagination where wooden toys set the scene for idyllic childhood adventures.

Call us on ++ 44 (0) 208 979 2036 Email. info@letoyvan.comwww.letoyvan.com

TM

BTHA Toy Fair London E10

RoAARr

Get your waggle on

www. t e l l t a i l s . c o . u k

COME & VISIT USat STAND GH04

BTHABTHA

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The British Toy & Hobby Association is now in it’s 71st year; the association represents the interests of British toy manufacturers with an aim to

raise standards of practice in the industry. Today it has around 140 members ranging from international toy giants to small family-run businesses that together account for over 90% of the UK toy market.

Membership of the British Toy & Hobby Association shows the member’s commitment to adhere to the BTHA Code of Practice under the umbrella of the Lion Mark which includes rules covering ethical and safe manufacture of toys, toy safety, a ban on counterfeit goods, an assurance to market responsibly, a commitment to improving sustainability and a desire to promote the value of all play through support of the Make Time 2 Play campaign. Our members are manufacturers committed to making good quality toys in a responsible way.

The BTHA mission statement:“To promote best practice and excellence in all aspects of product design, toy safety, ethical manufacturing, environmental issues and responsible marketing and by so doing protect and promote the interests of our members”

The BTHA also administers the Toy Trust- the industry’s charity.

Meet The Team!BTHA staff work to ensure that members are represented at UK and EU levels when decisions are being made that could affect the business of toys.

The secretariat is led by:Roland Earl - Director General and company secretary Roland is responsible for the overall direction of the BTHA. Roland@btha.co.uk

Roland is supported by:Tracey Butcher - Offi ce manager and membership secretary:Tracey manages all BTHA memberships as well as credit control and Toy Trust administration.

Tracey is the fi rst point of contact for all member enquiries. tracey@btha.co.uk

Mark Brabazon – Head of Digital InteractionMark manages the digital offering for the BTHA overseeing the digital development for the BTHA, Toy Fair and the Make Time 2 Play Campaign. mark@btha.co.uk

Jerry Burnie– BTHA technical consultant Jerry has overall responsibility for all technical and safety issues on behalf of BTHA members. He chairs the Technical Committee and also co-chairs the sustainability committee, highlighting

and trying to resolve any technical and environmental issues for members. Jerry and his amazing team of toy safety experts, provide advice, information and guidance as well as developing unique tools to aid members in this crucial area of the toy business. Jerry also acts as a technical spokesperson for the organisation. jerry.burnie@i-q-s.co.uk

PR and Communications teamThe public relations and communications team works to establish relationships with opinion formers, members of the media, government and non-government organisations. The team aims to achieve the best possible environment for its members to conduct business. The communications team works throughout the year to challenge issues on behalf of members and to identify the best solutions for them. The team also promotes toys and play, particularly through the Make Time 2 Play Campaign encouraging parents to fi nd fun and innovative ways to fi nd time to play with their children and aiming to educate parents on the unrivalled developmental benefi ts of play!

The PR and Communications team include, Natasha Crookes - Director of Public affairs and Communication Natasha@btha.co.uk

Yasmin Crawford-Glanville and Kerri Atherton who are both interning with the BTHA. yasmin@btha.co.uk - kerri@btha.co.uk

Events TeamThe Events team ensures the smooth running of the Toy Fair fl agship event. It is the UK’s only dedicated toy, game and hobby trade show and showcases the toy industry at the start of each year. The event welcomes more than 260 companies exhibiting thousands of products to visitors including retailers, buyers, media and the wider industry. The team also manages the many varied events run by the BTHA throughout the year, including fundraising events for the Toy Trust which raises and disburses funds to children’s causes across the UK and overseas. The trust is made up of a cross section of industry representatives including manufacturers, retailers and licensors. The events team also organise s the Toy Industry awards, the Toy Industry day in June and other networking and educational events.

The Events team consists of:Majen Immink - Head of Toy Fair Operations and Sales Matthew Jones - Head of Special and Member EventsChristine Baxter - Exhibition and Special Events Managermajen@btha.co.uk - matt@btha.co.uk - Chris@btha.co.uk

Believing in toys2015 is set to be another record-breaking year for the Toy Trust

Every year people from across the entire toy industry come together for a number of events

to raise funds for the Toy Trust. Founded by the BTHA in 1990, the Toy Trust exists to support disadvantaged and disabled children and their families across the UK and overseas.

2014 was a record-breaking year in terms of fundraising for the Toy Trust with the industry raising more than £300,000 in total and supporting 85 individual charities. The highlight of the year was the Isle of White Challenge which saw 255 participants raise more than £189,000. The main benefi ciary of the event was a UK charity Whizz-kidz, which received £90,000 to provide mobility equipment that fi ts the needs of disabled children to transform their lives.

With planning already in full swing the Toy Trust hopes to build on this success in 2015 with the theme ‘special kids going places’. The major event this year is the Toy Trust Big Thames Challenge, which will be taking place on 6th June and consisting of a walk, run, cycle, swim and triathlon. After Mary Berry and her bakers captivated the UK in 2014, the other new event this year will be the Toy Trust Big Cake Bake. The event will invite the whole of the toy industry to put their bakes on sale between Monday 13th and Friday 17th April.

The Toy Trust’s activities are expanding year on year with fundraising totaling more than £4million since its inception. Foye Pascoe, Chair of the Toy Trust said, “I would like to say a big thank you to all those involved in fundraising on behalf of the industry in 2014. The money raised has once again enabled us to award some very deserving grants to children all around the world. There are more great opportunities for the industry to get involved again in 2015, and we look forward to continuing the good work of the Toy Trust”.

Anyone wishing to participate in any of the events to raise money on behalf of the Toy Trust should contact Matt Jones – matt@btha.co.uk - Head of Member & Special Events at the BTHA.

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TOYFAIR GALLERY 144 • SPRING FAIR HALL 3 – 3P06

Email: sales@traditionalgardengames.co.uk

www.traditionalgardengames.com

Best in show...Best in show...Show Deals

Toy Fair 2015 is the place to be for retailers looking for a good deal. Retailers visiting this year’s show right here at Olympia can benefi t from a range of fantastic offers which are exclusive to Toy Fair. So if you are looking for a good deal, stock discounts and free products on orders, search no further.

69

MarmiteHula HoopsChupa ChupsSkipsColmansPG TipsCifAunt Bessies

Airfi xKitKatFordCrocsDirect LineKelloggsPeperami

Exclusive Toy Fair offers include:A Girl For All Time – Stand GH11 Order two or more of our Starter Packs and get an additional 5% off your order. Free shipping for orders over £200.

Brainstorm Limited – Stand D2Free stock deals and reduced carriage paid order values plus special discounts on a range of items.

Clementoni – Stand Gallery 15510% of discount on all Clementoni products on orders received within January 2015 and shipped within February 2015. DKL Marketing – Stand E66 Order a minimum of £300 from DKL ranges & receive an additional 5% discount.Order a minimum of £1000 from three or more DKL ranges & receive an additional 5% discount*.*5% discount to be on subsequent orders over £500 until 31/12/2015

East Coast Nursery – Stand B56Come along to stand for some special prices.

Gibsons – Stand E40 ‘The Golden Ticket’ – every order over £450 will be rewarded, prizes include: £100 cash, 10% order discount, free stock and champagne.

Green Board Games – Stand E15Place an order of £250 (ex.VAT) 6 Free BrainBoxes (worth £60 at retail) Place an order of £500 (ex.VAT) 12 Free BrainBoxes (worth £120 at retail) Place an order of £1000 (ex.VAT) 24 Free BrainBoxes (worth £240 at retail)

i-Spy Distribution – Stand B65 Offer 1: FSDU deal on Chocolate Picture Maker – get £505 of stock at retail for £200 plus a free display stand and TV giving you 60% margin!Offer 2: Spend over £100 on Chocolate Picture Maker and get a free 12 count of themed variantsOffer 3: FSDU deal on Gelli Baff – get £423 of stock at retail for £176.35 plus a free display stand and TV giving you 50% margin!Offer 4: Buy any 4 CDUs of single bath packs and get a CDU of 2 bath Gelli Baff or Slime Baff for free.

Interplay – Stand G10 Place an order over the value of £600 and receive stock worth over £220 at retail absolutely FREE, free stock includes some of our brand new lines!

K-Play – Stand Gallery 199 5% off all orders placed at the show.

Orchard Toys – Stand B12 Receive 10 products free (2 of each of the 5 new lines) with all show orders over £350, delivery before the end of February.Place a second order of over £350 and receive 5% off, delivery before 30

April.

Wild Card Games – Stand H2015% off all orders placed at the show for new family party game FRENZI.

ZooBooKoo International – Stand GH49Six free ‘Chocolate Letters & Numbers Quiz’ with every order over £250.

Search Me! The kind folks at Drumond Park want you to be entertained during your coffee breaks at Toy Fair 2015, so they have submitted this word search for you all to enjoy!

Instructions: Cross out the names of the famous brands that appear on the box of Drumond Park’s new game ‘LOGO Lite’ which are hidden vertically and horizontally in the grid:

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Mirella Anstey

Group Editor

Mairead Wilmot

Editor

Rhys Thomas

Editorial Assistant

Penny Franks

Additional Reporting

Kate Birch

Additional Reporting

Tracey Bearton

Additional Reporting

Ryan Horwood

Group Advertisement

Manager

Do you have some breaking news or hot stories? Then visit Toys ‘n’ Playthings on Stand E1

It’s here!

Come to Stand E1 to fi nd out more!

Toys ‘n’ PlaythingsHelping everyone sell more

TV

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Come &visit uson Stand Number

B130

For more information call:

or email:sales@epochmakingtoys.com

Rangedoubling

in size!

New ThemeRefills

New Accessories