Episode #5: Everything You Need To Know About New York Toy Fair
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The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) is the LARGEST toy show in North America. Over 1,000 exhibitors attend to showcase over a hundred thousand products at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. With the 2020 fair only days away, The Toy Coach pulls back the curtain to give a little insight on what to expect if you attend this industry event in the future. If you are currently developing or selling a toy or game product, and you have not exhibited at NYTF, then THIS is the perfect episode for you.
Some entrepreneurs, with fully developed toy prototypes have never heard of the New York Toy Fair before, and that's ok! This episode will give you an overview of the trade show, as well as notable industry events that occur throughout the weekend. If you're serious about turning you product into a successful business venture, you should definitely consider exhibiting at the NYTF, and this podcast episode is a smart place to start.
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This episode is brought to you by thetoycoach.com
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Azhelle (00:00): You are listening to making it in the toy industry. Episode number five. Jingle + Intro (00:07): Welcome to making it in the toy industry podcast for inventors, entrepreneurs like you and now your host Azhelle Wade. Azhelle (00:17): Hey there, toy people Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of making it in the toy industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by the toy coach.com so in today's episode we're going to talk about the New York international toy fair. Now the New York toy fair is a huge annual trade show and for the past few months myself, my company colleagues and dear friends have all been extremely busy preparing for this massive show. This has been the busiest year I've had in a long time for New York toy fair, mainly due to the Corona virus outbreak and the huge impact it had on the ability for our overseas teams to produce the samples that we would typically exhibit at the show. So let's clarify the name of this fair. You may hear New York toy fair called by many names and tagged with many hashtags. You may even notice that I jumped back and forth between it's many titles. Azhelle (01:24): So you may have heard it being called the international New York toy fair or toy fair in New York or New York toy fair, or just conversationally the toy show, but whatever you call it or whatever I may call it here on out. Just be assured that we are talking about this month's toy fair, which will be held in the Jacob Javits convention center in New York city. Now, trade shows and toy fairs are a big part of the toy industry, big or small. They're all an opportunity for companies to showcase what they've been working on for the past year. And even more importantly, an opportunity for industry professionals to connect and network. So whether you're a newbie to the toy industry or a seasoned veteran in the game, attending a trade show like the New York toy fair is going to open up new opportunities for you to form new partnerships, new businesses, and get feedback on your product offering as a whole. Azhelle (02:28): So have I gotten you excited to learn more? Yeah. Okay. So let's dive in. Let's start off with talking about what exactly a trade show is and why it's a big deal. So a trade show in any industry is at first and foremost an opportunity for businesses both large and small to present their product lines for buyers from both independent and mass retailers to generate interest in placing a wholesale order. So at a company typically shows a mix of new and old items, often hiding the best of the best from competitors so as not to be copied and beat to market. So now what is New York toy fair all about? Well, throughout the year toy fairs happen all across the globe from Germany to LA. The opportunities to present your product and your brand are endless. In the toy industry, the most notable is the New York toy fair. Azhelle (03:30): Now the New York toy fair is the biggest toy fair in all of North America. The show is a full four days where companies pull out all the stops to present their brands and products in the most press worthy manner possible. The fair is filled with industry heavyweights from CMO's, VPs, Design Directors from both large and small toy companies. So if you're attending, just be prepared with an elevator pitch for yourself or your product idea because you never know who you might meet. Now let's talk about attending the show and who attends now. New York toy fair is a trade only event. This means you have to be a part of the toy industry somehow in order to gain admittance. So typically is attended by retailers, distributors, wholesalers, sales representatives, designers, students, and licensors. All in the toy industry. Everyone attending is looking to find the latest and greatest in the toy game and youth entertainment world. Azhelle (04:43): So now I'm sure your next question for me is, well, can I attend Azhelle? How do I get into this show? Well, as I mentioned, New York toy fair is a trade only event. So that again, that means you have to be a part of the Toy Industry somehow in order to attend. So when you go to try to get your ticket, you're going to have to prove you're a part of the industry. When you're filling out the application form. So keep in mind, you can't just arrive the day of and hope to buy a ticket at the door without any type of registration beforehand. Remember, New York toy fair is not open to the public. This is not a convention like comic con. Now, New York toy fair also specifically States on their website that the show is only for adults 18 and up. However, I have throughout the years seen kid influencers present at the show. Azhelle (05:34): Many times they're always with an escort. And even more often than that with a camera crew. So if you happen to be the parent of a major kid influencer, you may be able to gain admission as a member of the press. Honestly, I think that um, the rules are are a little bit outdated and they, they're gonna start to change with the, I think the 18 plus rule is going to start to go away a little bit in the next few years because you see with Ryan's world and influencers like that that the landscape is just changing and influencers are becoming a huge part in how we market toys. So I wouldn't be surprised if in the upcoming year you'll start to see an option for influencers to just directly register as press and it not be a special circumstance to get someone under the age of 18 to be able to attend the show. Azhelle (06:28):If you're over the age of 18 and you already have some connection to working in the toy industry, you can easily purchase a ticket. No. Getting a ticket's pretty simple. Each toy for has its own process for applying for admission, but in the case of the New York toy fair, it's as simple as heading to toy fair in new york.com and clicking attend right on the top of the page for a registration form. You might next be thinking, what should I expect when attending the show? So for the next part of this podcast, I really want to break down what walking the show is like and what you can expect to see or hear or need to do, um, to have the best possible experience at the show. Now usually toy fair has some big fancy opening, um, with a celebrity guest, you know, cutting the ribbon per se. Azhelle (07:22): Last year I heard it was Alicia keys, I actually missed that. But this year I hear shack will be at the opening ceremony. So usually the opening ceremony is on a Saturday and you'll have to go first thing in the morning. I think it's nine or 10:00 AM that they do this opening ceremony. So you're gonna want to go early to catch a glimpse of that. Now at New York toy fair, 2020, one of the things that's going to be different than years prior is going to be the absence of the China pavilion. Now, the China pavilion was normally a place where a new toy companies could easily connect with Chinese manufacturers that they might not normally have access to. So unfortunately this year due to the Coronavirus, the China pavilion, um, was shut down. And if you've attended before, you likely already know this and you've gotten the email blasts about it.Azhelle (08:18): But if you haven't attended before, then you don't know that this actually means a huge reduction in booths that will be open and really a major setback for small companies that we're hoping to connect with factories and having the opportunity to do so at the New York toy fair was a huge benefit because of not having to travel overseas to make this connection. So that's just a big change from last year to this year that I wanted to mention before we move on. So now I want to get into what you should wear and bring to have your best experience walking the show. Now I've been attending New York toy fair for I, I can't believe it's been 10 years, but it's actually, I think it's been more than 10 years now that I think about it. But I have gone so many times first as a student, um, and then with multiple companies once or twice on my own and you know now with my current employer. Azhelle (09:18): So I have a pretty good idea of what you should wear bring and I, I just want to break that down for you so that if you're going this year for the first time, um, you have all the information you need to make it the most successful show, uh, it can possibly be for you. So let's talk about what you need to wear. COMFORTABLE shoes and I mean comfortable. If you have ever had a job where you were standing on your feet for eight straight hours and you felt pretty okay....wear whatever shoes you wore then because there is a lot of walking you are going to do and you are going to thank yourself later if you have a pair of shoes with maybe some gel insoles inside of them. Trust me, there are not a lot of places to sit here and there is a lot you're to want to see. Azhelle (10:12): Make sure no heels ladies just wear something comfortable that you can walk easily, quickly and um, it just, you know, just something that won't kill your feet at the end of the day. Number two, what I think is important to wear is pants with pockets. Ladies, it's really hard. I know when we pick our outfits, we're not thinking about pockets half the time. And most of our favorite outfits don't have pockets built in for whatever reason. But I'm for the New York toy fair, it's really important that you have a pocket because it's a great place to easily store and access your business card. And it's also a great place to easily store business cards that others give you. So I like to define, okay, my right pocket is for my business cards and my left pocket is for business cards that I receive so that I can keep them separate but also keep them all very accessible. Azhelle (11:03):So let's talk about layers. You definitely will get hot walking the show floor. So I know this event is in February and everyone's going to be wearing the heaviest coats and you might be tempted to wear a sweater as your outfit for the day. But I am telling you do not do that. I uh, from much from much experience I would suggest maybe a sleeveless or a three quarter sleeve, like loose blouse if you're, if you're a woman, I mean if you're a gentleman, usually they're typically wearing button-downs or polo tops. And then if you want to be more professional at the event, you know, assuming you have meetings to go to, then you can wear a blazer or a cardigan or you know, maybe a sweater on top of that. Because as you're walking the show you are definitely going to start getting hot. So you want to be able to remove your blazer jacket or sweater as you need and just put it back on when you have to attend a meeting. Azhelle (12:03): So now let's talk about the things that you should bring with you to New York toy. Fair. First things first, a small bag, New York toy fair does provide totes. There's actually companies that pay to be able to provide totes for New York toy fair and they have all their branding on them and there's usually information inside of them. I don't love carrying around those totes. Um, I'd prefer a backpack specifically with a backside pocket where I can also store business cards. You just want a place where you can easily whip them out, one, two, three and not have to waste too much time cause there's a lot of movement and it's really tight. Uh, walking through the halls of toy fair. It's kind of like walking through a supermarket where there's people coming each direction and you can, can't always turn around or you can't always stop. Azhelle (12:53): So you know, whenever you're thinking about how you're going to be exchanging information with people, I always think I need to have things. If they're ready, I need to have business cards of their ready pens at the ready. I like to be super prepared. So again, with a small bag, most people use totes. I prefer backpack. We'll get into this a little bit later, but if you're a buyer or if you know you're going to be gathering a lot of samples, you'll probably be bringing a wheeled bag. The next thing you want to bring is a notebook and a pen. So photos are not a huge thing at New York toy fair when you're going into individual booths. Now usually there are characters that come in full costume to toy fair and they're fine to take pictures with. Sometimes outside of booths they'll have large cutouts of famous characters and that's all fine. Azhelle (13:39):You can take pictures with those things, but when you get inside of most booths at toy fair, photography is not welcome. So what I like to do is just bring a notebook and a pen. That way. If I see something that inspires me, I can write down the idea. And also if I see a company name that I want to know more about, I'll just write down their name and their information and do a quick Google search, find their Instagram and write that down. So that's what you're really going to use. The notebook and pen for number three of the thing to bring would be a fully charged phone. You'd be surprised how many times you might find yourself in the chaos of the toy fair weekend without that. Maybe even bring a portable charger so you're not like everyone else trying to scramble and find like the one of five outlets in, in the main hall. Azhelle (14:29): Just so again, so that you can record and write down company names, um, IG accounts or, or maybe even make immediate LinkedIn connections with people as you meet them. So having your phone fully charged is super important. Now, as I talk about your cell phone, I do feel like I have to reiterate, this is not the, that you are going to be taking a ton of photos. If you try to go into a company's toy fair booth and just photograph every product they have or really photograph their assortment, you're going to most likely be asked either to delete the photos or to leave the booth. Toy fair booths are just not a place to take photos. You can write down company names, you can check out their websites. Um, you can ask for social media pages, but I have to strongly advise you against taking pictures inside of booths. Azhelle (15:24): You can feel free to ask the people Manning the booths if they will allow for pictures. Some of the smaller companies will, um, but you know, it just nine times out of 10, most likely your answer's gonna be no. The last thing I need to remind you to bring are your business cards. This show is all about networking. It's all about marketing yourself, your business, or your product, maintaining contact with all of the new connections that you're going to make after the show is imperative to the success that you'll see from attending the show in the first place. So let's move on to how to walk through the show. This is the most important thing I really wanted to work through with you on this episode. This show is massive. There are over a thousand exhibitors with hundreds of thousands of products. You are not going to see everything. Azhelle (16:28): So if you don't have a mindset focus and if you don't know why you're attending the show or what you're looking for, you're likely to waste a lot of time and energy and get very little accomplished. Now, I have to be honest with you, a lot of big companies these days have either closed or just partially opened, but invitation only booths. So that means if you try to step inside, you may be asked to leave. So year after year, more and more companies have just opted for these closed booths to protect their new product development from prying eyes. Everyone in this industry is just fearful of being ripped off and just beaten to the mad dash a production and losing revenue because of it. So if you're asked to leave a booth, don't make a fuss, don't feel uncomfortable, just not an understanding. Say thank you and walk away. Azhelle (17:26): So remember, this industry is small. If you stay in it for any significant length of time, I guarantee you you will cross paths with whatever company rejected your entrance again. So keep things positive, cordial and light. Now, depending on your current career status, your goals when attending New York toy fair are gonna vary. So I'm going to list the most common titles or positions that you might have while walking this show. And then we're going to look at what you should focus on to get the most out of this experience. So you may be walking the show as a student, a full time employee, a freelance designer, and inventor or a buyer. Now if you're walking the show as a student, this is a time for you to learn. Back when I walked New York toy fair as a student, I just had the best time. You know, you don't have any responsibilities for the show. Azhelle (18:30): You're really just there to enjoy and usually companies are really happy to entertain someone who's aspiring to join the industry and working toward it. They will see you as an, as a potential intern or a potential employee of their company. They'll see you as less of a threat to nabbing their ideas and sometimes are even open to answering industry questions, especially ones that focus on their personal experiences and opinions of the industry. So if you're a student walking the show, really think about this as a learning experience, not just to learn what a good toy is or what a bad toy is or what a good design is or what a bad design is, but to learn about the industry and what people think of the industry, it's a good time to identify what type of company you might see yourself working at long term. Azhelle (19:24): Try to figure out how serious or how tense or how laid back or how fun certain companies are. Compare and contrast that and see what opportunities some companies offered. Now if you're walking the show is a full time employee for another company. Maybe you're a designer or a salesperson or a product developer. Now you won't have such an easy time getting into booths and looking at new product companies are definitely going to be eyeing you and looking at how long you're looking at their product. If, um, if you're just looking to network and you happen to strike up a conversation with a competitor at a booth, feel free to exchange a card or better yet a LinkedIn invitation. Ideally at this show you're scoping out competition, really seeing what trends you may have missed or hit in the past year with your own employer. So a little bit of undercover work is definitely going on here and everyone knows it, but if you also want to network, you can definitely do that. Azhelle (20:30): But make sure that your mindset is clear when you enter a booth with the, the idea to network. Because if you're there to scope out their products and their trends, you're going to get noticed. Now if you're walking the show as a freelance designer, Ugh, the world is your oyster, he may still be watched a little bit, but you have the benefit of cutting any tension with align. Like, Hey, actually I'm a freelance designer and I would love to offer my services to your company. Here's my card. So as a freelance designer, you should definitely look to target small companies before you even go to the show. You should have researched companies on the website where you can see who's exhibiting and you should have an idea of which companies are small enough that they might need extra help with a freelance designer. And when you attend the show, you should definitely go to those booths, strike up a conversation and try to pass on your information. Azhelle (21:37): I know you're going to want to go to like the Mattel's and the Hasbro's and the MGAs of the world, but you're not going to get close enough to those booths to even try to talk to anyone that could make a hiring decision. So the best way to make it up that ladder in this show is to use this as an opportunity to become known in the industry and with a small industry like the toy industry. The way to become known is to just do the work. Start with the small companies and I'm telling you this industry is so small. I cannot tell you how many times I have used a freelancer and found out that a good friend of mine at a completely different company in a different state also uses the same person. The best way to get known and to make it up the ladder to these larger companies is just to get out there and do the work as much as you can. Azhelle (22:36): Now, if you're walking the show as an inventor, your goal is very similar to that of the freelance designer. You're networking, sharing information, maybe even visiting booths of product ideas or patents that you have actually licensed out in previous years to other companies. But again, swap all of the contact information that you can. Now I've had inventors approach me at toy fair to kind of pitch themselves as adventures. And I have to say, if you happen to strike up a conversation with some one and midway through the conversation you recognize, Oh, this is a decision maker. I would recommend that you at that moment release your elevator pitch, whatever the product is that you are trying to sell at that time. You tell them about it. Because I have met some wonderful inventors and you know, they kind of talk to me for 10 15 minutes and at the point where they realize that I'm actually someone who can make decisions at the company and might bring their product in, I think didn't want to be too salesy or too pushy. Azhelle (23:47): So they kind of just ended the conversation with, well, here's my card. Contact me if you need anything. Now I have to tell you, my days are jam packed. I don't have time to think, Oh, maybe that one person that I met, you know, four or five months ago might have something interesting for me. But had they given me a really good, really quick elevator pitch, I would have remembered it. Let's say their elevator pitch would have focused on an innovative action figure line four months down the line, my COO could come to me and say, Michelle, we have an opportunity. We need an amazing, groundbreaking new way to do action figures. That elevator pitch would have stuck in my mind and I would have wanted to reach out to that inventor, but without having that pitch, without having any kind of product to attach the inventor to, they're likely not going to jump back into my mind as someone I should go to to solve a problem. I'm just saying, you will not do yourself a disservice if you do a short pitch of your product any time you recognize someone is a decision maker at a company. Azhelle (25:02): Now, finally, if you're walking the show as a buyer, then you already know this show is for you. I do not expect there to be a lot of buyers in my listener pool, but as the MVPs of this event, I would be remiss to leave you out the most veteran buyers bring a rolling bag or better yet an assistant to help them carry the many samples, catalogs and order books they end up with by the end of the day. So if you're walking the show as a buyer, your schedule is a likely to be jam packed with a meeting after meeting as you go from booth to booth, request a catalog or a printout of the products that you're going to see so you can circle or highlight what you were interested in. Make notes on maybe the day that you were promised a follow up email or promised followup costing or ship dates. Azhelle (25:56): You are going to visit so many booths that you are going to have a hard time remembering all of the details of every product. Now other than a ton of exhibitors, New York toy fair also features over a dozen seminars and panel discussions happening right in the Javits center during New York toy fair weekend. Now, many people overlook these just due to their being so much already going on. But if you're listening to this podcast, then that means that you love to learn. So when you eventually get your ticket to New York toy fair, make sure you schedule to attend a few of these talks by putting them in your calendar. These panels, most of them are free and included in your New York toy fair ticket. They offer a wealth of information. So go prepared to take notes. Now at this point you might be wondering, how do I get into this amazing show? Azhelle (27:01): How do I become an exhibitor? Well, there are four ways to show your product or inventions at toy fair. So each of these approaches will have you're presenting at different locations at the show. The first, simplest and most affordable option to present your product at toy fair is to apply to be a part of inventor day via the creative factor. Now in 2018 the toy association launched the creative factor advisory board. Now this board works to expand resources for toy designers, inventors, and entrepreneurs at New York toy fair. So inventor's day is one day during New York toy fair on Friday this year from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM located behind closed doors in one of the rooms at the Javits center. Now a friend of mine, Joseph Gonzales, actually went through this process and was selected to have his product presented at inventor's day. So I reached out to him and I asked him to detail how it all went down so I could walk you all through the process. Azhelle (28:19): Now Joseph told me that the application process ended in December, but was pretty simple and straightforward. The event itself allows inventors and designers and anyone new in the industry to pitch their ideas to toy companies directly. The application process started with an application form that you had to fill out online and then you had to follow up by uploading your design and a video of your product pitch to an email provided. Then hopefully after that you will get like my friend Joseph, a response with an approval to pitch your concept at the fair. Now the of course as usual, there are NDAs to sign to protect yourself and the companies that you'll be pitching to and some of the companies that he was told. We'll be there include MGA, Mattel and fun rise just to name a few. To prepare for this pitch, Joseph prepared a presentation board, a book of ideation and a prototype of his concept. Azhelle (29:30):The creative factor will provide an eight by six booth for each participant and they'll just have to pay a small fee of $200 for the pass. Now if you want to see more of Joseph's work, visit his website, JosephGonzalezart.com I'm going to link to it in the show notes, but guys, this is the most affordable way I have ever heard of anyone being able to present their products at New York toy fair. This is a new program. It's a huge opportunity. I am sure in your succumb, the price to participate is going to go up, so I suggest getting in as soon as you are ready. Now. The second way to showcase your product or invention at toy fair without purchasing a booth or a table is to directly contact a company that you want to pitch to. Now, oftentimes you can find an email contact on their website in maybe an about page or an info page, or if you're in luck or well connected, you might find mutual connections and get yourself an introduction.
Azhelle (30:40): Now if you manage to contact a company directly, you want to arrange a short meeting. Be specific about the day and time windows that you have open. Ask for no more than 10 to 20 minutes of their time to present your idea. Remember, they are extremely busy with this fair you're meeting with them. If approved might take place in the company's booth or more likely if the booth space is limited, you might meet in the cafeteria, but don't worry. It's not like you're being dismissed if you're invited to a meeting in the cafeteria. This is like the unofficial GoTo meeting spot for the show. The third way and more official way to showcase your product or invention at toy fair is via the launch pad area. So if you're a first time exhibitor, you can register via toyfairny.com and because you're a first time exhibitor, you are going to immediately be placed into the launch pad area. It's an area of toy fair, dedicated exclusively to brand new or up and coming companies that have never exhibited before. At New York toy fair, the hall serves as a magnet area for buyers and press looking for toy fairs, newest and most creative products. But that being said, it can be easy to get lost in a crowd here as the launchpad areas have many more brands per square foot than the main hall and each brand tends to have a much weaker brand presence as you might expect having a lower overall budget. Okay. Azhelle (32:24): When you are in the launch pad area, the buyers that you're going to be looking to communicate with should be specialty shops. Usually the MLQ of larger toy companies are so high or the price points are so expensive and the discounts few and far between. So specialty stores are going to be on the lookout for companies like you. They are going to be on the lookout for quality specialty product at a reasonable price that will keep their customers happy. Consolidating new companies into this one launch pad area is really a benefit to both you and the buyers and here's why I say that you are going to know that the buyers walking through the launch pad area are primed and ready to buy. They know where they are and they are there for a reason and the buyers on the other hand already know that your product is available at a reasonable rate with a low MOQ requirements. Azhelle (33:27): Now while you're in the launchpad section, it's a great time to network and meet other industry newbies. You can share insights stories, you might even form partnerships. I honestly would recommend checking out the launchpad area, whether you're exhibiting for the first time or the fifth time, or walking the show for the first time or the fifth time. There's always something new to find or see in the launchpad area at New York toy fair. So let's talk about cost. How much is the launch pad area? So for 2020 the cost of an exhibit space starts at $3,500 for a carpeted 10 by 10 space, which includes a membership to the toy association and a few exhibition extras. Now keep in mind there are other fees you're going to have to pay to build up your booth. You'll need walls, you'll need product, you'll need to ship the product to the Javits, you'll need to pay union labor to put up any walls or tabletops or anything that needs any lighting that needs to be hung. Azhelle (34:33): So 3,500 is really just your starting price point to exhibit at the Javits center for New York toy fair. And the final and most expensive way to exhibit at the New York toy fair is for returning exhibitors. So after your first year you will likely be moved to the main hall. I've had a few conversations with frequent exhibitors and there are some special circumstances in which you can negotiate to remain in the launchpad area for another year or two. But moving to the first floor or it's also known as the main hall is going to definitely increase your foot traffic and hopefully your sales as well. Now as I said before, a lot of the booths at New York toy fair are closed and when I said that I was speaking specifically about the booths in the main hall. So on one hand that does help when you are exhibiting in the main hall because it reduces the visual competition between you and your competitors. Azhelle (35:36): But when buyers are walking through this floor, they have scheduled meetings that they're walking to, but there is always a chance that in between meetings they might spot something that they love in your booth space and stop by to talk to you. So the cost of your booth once you moved to the main hall is now going to include a booth premium fee depending on if you request something like an inline corner booth or an exposed side booth. So the cost of booths ranges company to company depending on the size, but you can expect to spend 10 K to 30 K on your booth space alone and maybe another 30 to 100,000 designing, furnishing and installing it. That range all being dependent on your booth size, your decorations, the amount of product you want to display and how big your team is. Now keep in mind when installing your booth at the Javits, you're required to hire union labor, so that means the hourly rate is going to be pricey. Azhelle (36:40): The most seasoned companies keep their booth structures simple to keep the hourly rate and overall costs of the booth down. Now New York toy fair is not all just at the Javits. This is a weekend of industry events from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM you know, buyers and designers and students and everyone are just walking the Javits floors. But after hours. There are tons of networking events happening throughout New York city all because of toy fair, so I'm going to pull out just a few events for you to keep an eye out for. The first event I want to talk to you about is the toy of the year awards. This is probably one of the bigger ones. The toy of the year awards or the Toadies for short is kind of like the Oscars for toys. It happens every year in New York to kick off toy fair weekend. Companies get their products nominated for different categories like doll of the year, game of the year, action figure of the year, and then representatives from each of those companies attend a fancy gala where the winners are announced. Azhelle (37:55): Now, if you're brand new to the industry, most likely this is not an event that is on your radar or your plan of things to do, but it's definitely important to know that it's going on. You might hear talk about the Toadies while you're at the fair and just being aware of them and knowing what they are is going to be beneficial when you're attending this show and talking to industry professionals. Depending on the day that you attend the show, you can research the toady nominees or winners so that you have an idea of what toy products won these prestigious awards. The next event I want to bring to your attention is the young professionals network toy fair party. Now this event is targeted to guests age 35 and under, but it's open to anyone of any age. It's a great space for young people of different occupations within the industry, salespeople, designers, engineers, marketers, whatever, to meet, learn from each other, just discuss the industry overall. Azhelle (39:00): This event is free to attend, but it is recommended that you register it beforehand. Now, I have gone to this event in the past. Last year, it was held at a virtual reality venue, which was a lot of fun and I met some really great people in the industry who quickly became LinkedIn connections. So if you're in the industry and you're available on this evening, definitely give this event a try. So the next event I want to talk to you about is listed on the website as the ChiTag networking event at toy fair, but it's often called inventor night at New York toy fair. Since so many inventors from all over the world attend it, this event has happened every year since 2001 inventors gather at a bar near the Javits center to network, mingle and catch up with old industry friends while making some new ones. There is a small donation of $20 to attend this event and the donation goes to support the Chicago Toy and Game foundations young inventor challenge. Azhelle (40:10): So one day I'm going to do a whole episode just on ChiTag. The Chicago Toy and Game foundation. It's a great foundation. My boyfriend actually won a TAGIE award last year for innovative art and design visuals. So I would love to go into that more. But it's a whole other episode. The final event I want to bring to your attention is the women in toys wonder woman award's gala. So the wonder woman awards gala is put on by the women and toys licensing and entertainment organization or WIT for short. So this is a paid ticketed event that sells out every year, much like the Toadies. It's a fancy gala, but instead of awarding the product, the wonder woman awards celebrates women in the toy industry for their achievements and toys licensing and entertainment. This year I'm actually going to be attending the wonder woman award's gala for the first time as a member and a nominee for the rising star corporate award. Azhelle (41:17): So I'm really excited to meet and network with all of the other amazing nominees and honorees at the event. So wish me luck, hope that I win, but if not, it's still going to be an amazing fun, fancy night celebrating women in and that my friends is New York toy for weekend, all wrapped up in one shiny podcast episode. The New York toy fair has been going on for over 100 years and is only getting bigger. There is definitely room for you in this exciting community and honestly, I can't wait for you to become a part of the toy family and just love what you do every day as much as I do. New York toy fair can be as great as you make it out to be. Yes, the purpose of New York toy fair is to be a buying show where the buyers are the rock stars, but there is definitely something for everyone.Azhelle (42:19): So know your purpose for attending. Have your mindset right and make it a point to find your tribe. If you're an inventor, there will be events and spaces with other inventors at toy fair. If you're a student, you will undoubtedly not be the only student around. Scroll through the program and plan to go to the events and talks that pertain to you. Be ready with your product pitches at the tip of your tongue and keep your eyes and ears open at all times. You never know who you'll meet at this event. Toy people come from all over the world to attend. Planning is key before attending New York toy fair, especially if it's your first time attending the show. So make a plan even if all you intend to do is just look, listen, and learn. You can still make a list of the booths that you want to stop at and what you really want to look at and learn. Azhelle (43:23): Make sure you do a little bit of homework and research the people and the companies that you want to visit and reach out to people beforehand. Schedule meetings if you can. I plan to attend the networking events. Make sure you study the toy fair map and plan your route so you don't waste any time. If you're there for only one day, you've got to make the best of it. Now remember this show is huge and you will leave exhausted, but you'll also leave mentally stimulated and majorly motivated to continue fighting to achieve your goal of making it in the toy industry. All right, that's it. Toy people. I hope that this episode gave you a really great understanding of New York toy fair and you know, pulled back some of the curtain behind. What this show is all about. I hope that if you're not going to be attending this year, that you do attend and take advantage of all of the offerings next year. Now I have to take a moment and thank you so much for taking the time to listen to another episode of making it in the toy industry. I know there are a ton of podcasts out there, so it means a lot to me that you chose to listen to this one. So before you go, please leave a review on iTunes or Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. I would love to hear your feedback to help guide future episodes. So until next week, I'll see you later. Toy people. Jingle + Outtro (45:07): Thanks for listening to making it in the toy industry, podcasts with Azhelle Wade. Head over to the toy coach.com for more information, tips, and advice.
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