#259: How to Maximize Your Experience at Toy Fair New York 2025
So, you’re going to Toy Fair New York this year, but you aren’t sure you’re making the most of your trip? It’s true, without a solid plan, walking into Toy Fair New York can be completely overwhelming. You can easily get lost in a few friendly conversations, pass too much time playing with toys at welcoming booths, and end up missing opportunities to grow your business, or sell your ideas. Once you walk through the doors of the Javits Center, the impact of the show is bound to hit you. So let’s take a little time to pre-plan and make this show a success for you.
In this episode, we’re going to break down a game plan to navigate New York Toy Fair with a focus on achieving specific goals that will grow your business. Whether you’re an exhibitor, inventor, retailer, or media professional, this episode includes five essential strategies to keep you focused, energized, and hopefully leaving Toy Fair with real opportunities.
Find out how you can get your hands on my Toy Show Planning Assistant GPT, for an AI show planner, packing list, and event research tool.
Listen For These Important Moments
[01:13] - Why Attend New York Toy Fair 2025
[07:15] - Top Five Essentials for Toy Fair Success
[08:05] - Setting Clear and Measurable Goals
[14:51] - Strategic Scheduling Tips
[16:58] - Packing Smart for Toy Fair
[18:37] - Attending Special Events
[23:27] - Networking Like a Pro
[26:50] - Introducing the Toy Fair Planning Assistant GPT
[37:58] - Final Takeaways and Listener Review
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This episode is brought to you by www.thetoycoach.com
Get your very own Toy Show Planning Assistant: toycourses.com/assistant
🎧 Listen & learn more about Toy Fair New York:
Everything You Need To Know About New York Toy Fair: thetoycoach.com/5
3 Ways To Grab Buyer Attention and Land More Deals at Toy Fair: thetoycoach.com/258
Register or learn more about Toy Fair New York, visit ToyFairNY.com.
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[00:00:00] Azhelle Wade: You are listening to Making It in the Toy Industry, episode number 259. Hey there, toy people, Ajele Wade here, and welcome back to another episode of Making It In The Toy Industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by TheToyCoach.com. For today's episode, we are going to dive into everything you need to know about making the most out of your time at New York Toy Fair 2025.
[00:00:45] Azhelle Wade: New York Toy Fair is happening March 1st through the 4th, so I hope you caught this episode before the show or maybe you're catching this episode while you're driving or flying to the show hit that download button before you lose Wi Fi. This is gonna be one you definitely don't want to miss.
[00:01:03] Azhelle Wade: New York Toy Fair 2025 is happening March 1st through the 4th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
[00:01:11] Azhelle Wade: So in this episode, we're going to cover a few things. First, why Toy Fair is a must attend event for toy industry professionals or people who want to break into the toy industry.
[00:01:21] Azhelle Wade: Two, my top five essentials for making the most out of your experience at Toy Fair. We're going to cover how to plan, pack, and network like a pro making the most out of the show. And then at the end, I'm gonna walk you through how I made my Toy Fair packing and prep easier with a custom GPT that you can also get your hands on called the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant.
[00:01:44] Azhelle Wade: So this is an AI ChatGPT tool that I made because honestly, the idea of packing for another trip was just, I didn't want to do it. so I made a tool that would make that packing a little bit easier, a little bit more fun. fun and your Toy Trade Show planning assistant can optimize your schedule, your packing list and your networking prep.
[00:02:03] Azhelle Wade: So you're going to want to grab that. So stick around to listen to me, explain the process. But we're also going to record a video for that part of the episode. So, if you want to catch the video recording of how to use that GPT, check YouTube or Instagram, LinkedIn, we'll put the video in a variety of places on social it's @thetoycoach anywhere on social.
[00:02:23] Azhelle Wade: Now, whether this is your first Toy Fair or I don't know, your 20th or 30th Toy Fair, I'm hoping this episode will give you some tips and strategies, some different insider knowledge to maximize your experience. Plus, because I'm introducing that brand new tool that I named the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant, we are hoping this episode will help you plan every detail of your itinerary.
[00:02:47] Azhelle Wade: So, now, if this is your first Toy Fair, though, remember, this show is where you can really start building your career by building your network. Toy Fair is where a lot of connections happen, opportunities are born, and futures in the toy world take shape. Now, if you're still feeling unsure of how to make the most of the show after this episode, I want you to circle back to an early episode I did when I first started.
[00:03:11] Azhelle Wade: First started this podcast, episode number five, where I walked through the 101 basics about getting you Toy Fair ready. Just go to thetoycoach.com/5, and it'll take you right there.
[00:03:23] Azhelle Wade: Now, normally New York Toy Fair is held in February, which for larger retailers is actually a better time of the year to make buying decisions. So the Toy Fair being in March, many people have told me that they don't believe it's going to be a big buying show, but it's going to be more of a marketing event.
[00:03:42] Azhelle Wade: Now that is all speculation. It's yet to be seen because we haven't had a Toy Fair quite this late before. I guess the last time we had a Toy Fair was actually in September.
[00:03:53] Azhelle Wade: But we haven't had a Toy Fair in Q1. this late before, so we'll have to see how it shakes out. But I do also feel there's going to be a much heavier marketing focus for this show as many dollars at this point are already spent or committed to.
[00:04:09] Azhelle Wade: Now, the New York Toy Fair is the largest toy show in North America. It brings together thousands of toy industry professionals from around the globe.
[00:04:18] Azhelle Wade: In 2025, the fair is expected to host over 900 exhibitors from 38 countries and welcome attendees from 87 countries.
[00:04:27] Azhelle Wade: This event is going to be a major networking, marketing, and business opportunity for manufacturers who are showcasing new product or new lines, buyers who are scouting for hot new products, inventors who are looking for licensing deals, and media, like myself, who wants to cover the latest toy trends and get some amazing content.
[00:04:49] Azhelle Wade: Now the fair isn't open to the general public. That's the first question that most people ask. Can anyone go? It is a trade only event and registration is online only. It's really important to know you cannot register like you used to be able to back in the day on site. You have to register in advance.
[00:05:08] Azhelle Wade: But before you discount yourself and you say like," Maybe I'm the general public. Am I part of the trade industry? Maybe I'm just getting started. Am I really part of the trade?" Try to apply. There are so many different ways that you can prove that you're part of the toy industry. Are you a part of a recognized toy organization or association like Women and Toys, Astra? Are you a graduate of Toy Creators Academy?
[00:05:35] Azhelle Wade: There are so many ways that you can prove that you are a part of the toy industry. So don't give up just because maybe you think you're too early or maybe you haven't even launched your product yet and you're still in the prototyping phase. You can still attend. I would recommend, let's say you are one day thinking of launching a brand, but right now you're still in the prototyping phase.
[00:05:57] Azhelle Wade: Try to attend this event as an inventor, because right now at this phase, even though, you know, one day you'll launch a brand, you're not quite there yet. And the best thing you can do at this show is to network and grow your contacts. And from the last time I checked the inventor ticket was the more affordable option.
[00:06:16] Azhelle Wade: So if you really don't have anything to sell and you're really just going to walk the floor and you are technically an inventor because you just have a prototype, then you might want to look into going to the event under that toy inventor umbrella. Now we will throw the link in the show notes. Again, you know, I know this episode is only coming out a few days before Toy Fair, so it may be too late to register at this point, but we will put all the links to everything I'm mentioning in the show notes so that maybe if you're looking at this for next year, you will have access to it then.
[00:06:47] Azhelle Wade: Now, if you are attending Toy Fair and you're planning to pitch some idea, whether you're pitching as a student, you're pitching as an inventor, or you're pitching as a manufacturer, after this episode, I'm going to encourage you to listen to last week's episode 258: thetoycoach.com\258. It is a recap episode on the "Three Ways To Grab Buyer Attention And Land More Deals at Toy Fair". Yes, it's buyer specific, but there's still a lot you can glean from that from the inventor perspective as well. Now let's get into the five essentials I want to share with you today for some Toy Fair success after, I don't know, how many years has it been since I've been going to Toy Fair?
[00:07:27] Azhelle Wade: 10 years? Maybe more. I did go to Toy Fair when I was in college. So maybe let's leave out how long Azhelle's been out of college. So, over 10 years , I would say, of going to Toy Fair, I've gathered these five essentials, and honestly, I'm learning every time I go, I don't think that I will ever stop learning as the world keeps evolving how we use Toy Fair, how we connect with each other.
[00:07:53] Azhelle Wade: It changes year after year. So this is the first year I've ever used AI in my Toy Fair prep, you know? So let's get into these five essentials for Toy Fair success. Number one, set your goals and set them early. So before you get to the show, ask yourself, why am I going to the show? Are you there to network?
[00:08:14] Azhelle Wade: Are you there to sell to big box stores? Are you there to pitch to media? Are you trying to grab some content? Have really clear goals and measurable goals. My mentor once told me that I should go to Toy Fair with a set number of proposals that I want to send out post show that simple suggestion gives a focus to every activity I do at the show, whether it is recording a podcast episode, attending a networking event, holding a dinner, whatever, it gives such laser focus to those activities, just having that super clear goal.
[00:08:52] Azhelle Wade: So, what is your goal? Is your goal to make a certain number of new contacts? That's an okay goal, but it's not quite specific enough. Would you want to, perhaps, set a certain number of orders to be written each day? Or would you want to set a goal where you're sending out a certain number of your service packages to some of your new contacts? Now, you can set daily goals and you should set daily goals because daily goals can be checked in every day of the show. So we've got three, four days of the show. You want goals where you can check in and see, "Oh, am I falling short? Let me course correct and fix that goal." Make sure your goals are clear and measurable.
[00:09:39] Azhelle Wade: So a goal of let's say making five contacts a day who are interested in your services. That gives you a very clear focus of, okay, let's say I am a graphic designer, I do packaging design, and I am looking to find five people who are interested in my packaging design services. If you want to take a lesson from my mentor's book and see if you can get a proposal opportunity, go for it.
[00:10:07] Azhelle Wade: That means that every time you have a conversation, Not only are you going to look for openings to share that, yes, I actually do packaging and graphic design work, but you're also, if that opening does present itself, going to be prepared to say, "Would you be interested in me sending you a proposal for your next packaging project?"
[00:10:29] Azhelle Wade: Just ask. If they say yes, get their contact info and that it goes on your follow up to do list.
[00:10:35] Azhelle Wade: I want you to think about these goals far beyond the show. What are these goals going to do for you during and after the toy fair? When you set a goal to get a certain number of contacts, let's say during the show. That might feel good. Maybe these contacts are going to be added to your weekly or monthly email list.
[00:10:54] Azhelle Wade: Maybe that feels really good for you. Maybe these new contacts are people you think potentially will order your product down the line. But what is your goal for after Toy Fair? If your goal for after Toy Fair is to have orders from 10 buyers, That might mean you want to tweak your goals during Toy Fair.
[00:11:13] Azhelle Wade: So instead of gathering contacts, maybe you want to gather contacts and write a certain number of initial orders. These goals are going to guide your follow up strategy. So spend time on them. Don't rush them. This just is a key part of making sure that Toy Fair is a success. Not only do goals help you focus your activities, but it helps you know who you have to talk to.
[00:11:38] Azhelle Wade: So let's say you're going to Toy Fair and you're in a bunch of specialty stores and you're like, I really want to get into a big box store. Now, you may or may not run into someone from a big box store, but you do know if you do run into them, you better have a plan because that's part of your goals. And then two, you know, okay, I might not have the connection for the big box store, but who could get me into a big box store?
[00:12:02] Azhelle Wade: Perhaps a distributor or a sales rep. So part of your goals could be talk to X number of distributors or sales reps. And then from that goal, you might get, where do distributors and sales reps hang out? What booths are they in? What networking events do they go to? How do I make sure that I'm talking to a distributor and sales rep expressing the success, the existing success of my brand and then seeing if they might be interested in working with me so I can connect with them after the show.
[00:12:33] Azhelle Wade: These goals will lead everything. So do not skip on setting clear and measurable goals.
[00:12:41] Azhelle Wade: Now, another key tip for Toy Fair, do not rely solely on foot traffic. This is a big mistake. Toy Fair is massive. Most people are booking meetings before they get to the show. If you haven't done outreach yet, you were very late, but it's not too late to try, but you should not be relying solely on foot traffic. One of the things you can do to make it easy to book meetings with you is have a meeting link so that people can click on that link and book a time to come to your booth and know that someone will be there to walk them through the product or answer any questions they might have. Do not rely just on foot traffic. You must find a way to make an appointment with someone at some point. Now, if you don't have appointments before you get to the show, you can try to use networking events to meet people and generate appointments that way.
[00:13:35] Azhelle Wade: Now, as I said, most people do have their calendars booked throughout the show, but if other executives or anything like myself. They block out time to kind of decompress and depending on how the show is going for them, they may be willing to fill that time with you if you have an interesting product or just good energy that they want to be around.
[00:13:54] Azhelle Wade: So at a networking event, if you meet someone, you could say, "Hey, you know, we've been chatting all night. You seem to be interested or looking for a product that I might have. Do you have some availability tomorrow to stop by my booth?" They might check their calendar, and if not, grab that contact info.
[00:14:12] Azhelle Wade: Take notes on what you talked about, where you met, and make sure you follow up after the show and don't let that contact go cold. Now, when you're setting your goals, I would encourage you to use our Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant to do that.
[00:14:29] Azhelle Wade: You'll see when you go through the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant questions that it will ask you, what are some of your goals? And it's doing that to help you plan how you're going to achieve them through the various networking events that you're going to go to. So you can you can use our Planning Assistant to help you do that, but you do need to get clear on your goals.
[00:14:49] Azhelle Wade: Okay. Essential number two, schedule strategically. Now, Toy Fair runs from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. most days. That means that's when the floor is open. If you are a manufacturer, you most likely are getting there earlier, especially when you have to do the setup for your booth. That's going to be one to two days beforehand.
[00:15:09] Azhelle Wade: And then every morning, most manufacturers come in early to make sure things are organized and looking their best before the show floor opens. Some people are getting breakfast and all of that. The floor is open from 9am to 6pm. with the final day closing at 4 p. m. Usually on the final day, people pack up early even though they shouldn't and they kind of ruin the vibe for everybody else, but people do pack up early, so you kind of want to plan for that, the mentality that traffic will die down and slow down as you get closer to that 4 p. m. on that last day. So when you're booking meetings, leave some time for spontaneous networking, walking the show floor, and taking care of your bodily needs. You're going to need breaks and consider that when you're booking your meetings, plan for travel time between meetings, block time to walk at least a thousand steps between booths.
[00:16:03] Azhelle Wade: You will thank me later. Make sure you know where the bathrooms are nearest to your booth. You're going to need to know that. Make sure you have a friend or contact, somebody that can stop at your booth, hold your space while you go and take care of business.
[00:16:20] Azhelle Wade: Oftentimes when I'm walking through the show, I ask my students or whoever I see at their booth "Do you need anything?
[00:16:26] Azhelle Wade: Can I help? I have a couple minutes. If I have time, I'm happy to help you.", but it's best if you plan for these things in advance, because most people at the show have super packed schedules and they won't be able to stay around. So do yourself a favor and plan for a friend or a family member or your booth mate to watch your booth for a little bit. So you can go take a break, get a snack, whatever you need to do.
[00:16:51] Azhelle Wade: Now, essential tip number three is actually calling back to essential tip number two. So first you need to pack smart. Not heavy, but smart. There are some essentials you need. Business cards, portable chargers, comfortable shoes, and snacks.
[00:17:07] Azhelle Wade: Calling back to the previous essential. You need snacks. The worst thing that can happen is you're in a meeting, it's almost over, and your stomach is grumbling and you're thinking, yes, I'm going to leave this meeting, get a snack. But then you realize to get from your booth to the outside of the Javis and find something timewise is just not going to happen before your next meeting.
[00:17:30] Azhelle Wade: So then you think, maybe I'll go over to the food court in the Javits and grab something. And then you go to the food court and you see a $17 pretzel and it's a stale pretzel. And you're like, "No, I don't want to stale $17 pretzel." So, tip: bring snacks. If you can bring actual food for yourself, even better. At very least, bring yourself a beef jerky, some cheese, veggie sticks bring yourself some nuts.
[00:17:56] Azhelle Wade: You know, before you leave for New York Toy Fair, hit up a grocery store and stock up on nuts, beefs, veggie sticks, or any of your other favorite shelf staple snacks. If you do bring something that expires, just make sure you have a plan to eat that thing for lunch. Like, is it a 12 PM thing? Like a sandwich?
[00:18:16] Azhelle Wade: You're like it'll make it till 12. Put it in a cooler, have a plan for food. It's easy to forget food. You're all hyped up on energy of the Javitts and Toy Fair. And it's so exciting. Everyone's saying hello to you. Cause you're seeing people you haven't seen in a long time. Do not forget to eat because the moment that it hits you, that you're hungry. It's gonna be too late.
[00:18:36] Azhelle Wade: Okay, so let's move on to essential number four for Toy Fair success, and that is attend a special event. The more you go to Toy Fair, the more events you will find yourself getting invited to year after year. For me, this is probably my biggest year yet.
[00:18:57] Azhelle Wade: I think I've gotten about five invites to different events, which thank you. I don't know if it's a lot, but it feels like a lot to me. And normally in the past, when I first started coming to Toy Fair, I had to hustle to get into events. I had to ask people. I had to question. There were times I snuck into events.
[00:19:15] Azhelle Wade: It was the Wild West for a little bit, but something you got to do what you got to do to network and grow in the industry sometimes. So there are events where you can buy tickets for if they're still available, like the TOTY Awards Gala, very high end. Formal attire event. Usually only people who are nominated for a TOTY award actually go to that award show and honestly with the price of that event, it is pricey.
[00:19:43] Azhelle Wade: I would only recommend it if you are nominated for an award. It's an incredible experience Not one I would miss if a toy that I was designing, was nominated. And if you're newer to the industry, there is a Young Professionals Networking Party held by the Toy Association as well. It's business casual, it's networking focused.
[00:20:04] Azhelle Wade: There's also a ChiTag Inventors Networking Event, a relaxed event at Connelly's Bar. It's been there year after year. There's a recommended donation amount, but it is a professional event for inventors to connect. I myself, this year, I'm holding a small dinner for TCA inventors and some industry pros to meet and network.
[00:20:27] Azhelle Wade: I'm really excited about that very small, intimate dinner. And there are a few events put on by individual companies throughout the various days of Toy Fair. There is, I believe, a Women in Toys networking brunch or breakfast happening as well. So here's the thing, don't be afraid to ask about these events. Ask how do you get an invite and don't feel bad if you don't get into something and especially if it's your first couple of years.
[00:20:57] Azhelle Wade: Just know this is just how the industry works. So many things are relationships and credibility and you've just got to climb the ladder a little bit, or you're just going to have to pay a fee to go to some of these events. There are usually higher fees if you aren't a member of certain organizations, lower fees if you are.
[00:21:14] Azhelle Wade: But I do believe that attending at least one of these special events that happen throughout New York Toy Fair is such a pinnacle of the Toy Fair experience. There is something about gathering with like minded people in the industry. And when I say like minded, I mean other inventors or other manufacturers or other buyers, because some of these events are kind of separated by category, or when you get to the event, you'll notice people are just kind of, group themselves either by their companies or by what they do.
[00:21:49] Azhelle Wade: And I've just kind of stumbled into and been to some events that were held at really interesting locations, like recording studios. And rooftop decks and met people that I at the time had no idea I'd ever see again. And to this day, you know, I've worked with them on projects like the Women In Toys Empowerment Video series.
[00:22:11] Azhelle Wade: And I've had some of them on this podcast, like you really just never know who you're going to connect with and who you might end up working with in the longterm. So another tip I'll add here is. Take photos, like when you have a good conversation with somebody, snap a photo because I have some photos from these events from the first time I met certain people in the industry.
[00:22:35] Azhelle Wade: And it's just such a great bonding moment when we share those photos after the show. And sometimes we share those photos a year later and say, remember when we met at this event?
[00:22:43] Actually, one year, I ended up going to a networking event held by FIT for FIT alumni. At the time, I went to the event because my employer, Toys R Us, was in the midst of going bankrupt, declaring bankruptcy and shutting down, and I needed to network to potentially get a new job. And it was at that networking event that I actually ran into the man that would become my husband.
[00:23:08] So you'll, you never know what is going to happen, what you're going to get out of these events. So you definitely want to attend at least one.
[00:23:15] Azhelle Wade: It's just a moment where maybe at the time, when you go to these special events, you're going to think, "Oh my gosh, I'm a fish out of water. No one knows me. I don't matter yet." But you will matter. And when you look back on these moments in your career in the industry, you're going to wish that you kind of celebrated them and memorialize them a little bit more. So take pictures, enjoy the moment. Don't worry if you don't know anybody, just go in there and think about who you do know.
[00:23:41] Azhelle Wade: You know yourself. And when people ask you about you and your business, just be enthusiastic and pumped to share it and to ask them about themselves and their business. Okay, let's move on to our final essential tip to make the most out of Toy Fair. And that is to network like a pro, but to follow up like an MVP.
[00:24:04] Azhelle Wade: All right. It's almost impossible to not network at New York Toy Fair, no matter when you start walking down the aisles, if somebody sees you, they know you or they know your brand, they're going to say, "Oh, hey!".
[00:24:14] Azhelle Wade: It's almost impossible not to network. It is really easy to skip out on the post show follow up.
[00:24:23] Azhelle Wade: And that post show follow up is the most important part of networking. And I will be honest with you, I didn't always do this part well. I can't tell you how many cards I've had in my Toy Fair badge holder that I needed to reconnect with. But the follow up is where the deals happen. Your post show follow up should tie directly back to what?
[00:24:49] Azhelle Wade: Your Toy Fair goals, right? That we set in the essential number one. So were you at the show looking for clients? Follow up with a service pitch or a proposal. Did you want podcast guests? Send them invites to come on your show. Were you hoping to land a licensing deal? Send them a reminder of your pitch and set up another meeting.
[00:25:10] Azhelle Wade: Schedule a time for yourself on your calendar right now. To send post show follow ups, you definitely want to do it within one month. I would say about a week and a half after the show, people's inboxes have calmed down. They still have a little bit of a show high. You can do it a week after, but most people do it a week after.
[00:25:30] Azhelle Wade: So sometimes I wait a little bit longer and put that in your calendar to tell yourself to follow up. Do not wait. Another great tip for follow ups is sometimes we're so excited when we first meet someone and we might have a few minutes between having spoken with that person and going on to our next activity.
[00:25:50] Azhelle Wade: If you find yourself really hyped, ready to follow up with them in that moment, draft an email. We have our phones on us. Our phones are connected to our calendars are connected to our email. Pull up your phone, pull up your Gmail. Go into your draft section. You don't even have to send it to that person.
[00:26:09] Azhelle Wade: You can send it to yourself and you could just label it with reminder to follow up with XYZ and start whatever message you're thinking about sending them. Quick bullet points, follow up with them about XYZ 123, whatever. Send that email to yourself or let it sit in your draft so that when it is time to follow up, you can tap back into the energy you had when you were having the conversation.
[00:26:31] Azhelle Wade: It's so hard to get back once you leave Toy Fair and you leave the energy and the hustle and the bustle to get back the energy of like, "Man, we had a great talk. Why were we so hyped? I don't know. Was it the drinks?", we don't know. But it's so hard to get that energy back sometimes. So make sure if you're feeling it and if you have a couple of minutes, jot down some notes of what you want to say in the follow up before you leave the energy of Toy Fair.
[00:26:58] Azhelle Wade: Okay. So those are my five essential tips to get you ready for New York Toy Fair. Again, if you want a more 101 full on walkthrough, head over to thetoycoach.com\5 to get that earlier episode. And if you want tips on pitching your ideas, head over to thetoycoach.com\258.
[00:27:18] Azhelle Wade: But now I am so excited to introduce you to the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant. This is a new GPT that I've created to help simplify planning for Toy Fair. I really made it for myself, but I thought you would probably enjoy it as well. So planning for Toy Fair can totally be overwhelming, but I'm hoping that this Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant will simplify it all for you.
[00:27:41] Azhelle Wade: So here's what it does. It's going to look at your calendar. It is going to analyze your agenda and help build a packing checklist and a networking plan based on your agenda. It's going to pull official event schedules from Toy Fair that are available. It is going to recommend networking events and other key notes aligned with your goals.
[00:28:09] Azhelle Wade: And it will suggest what time you should leave to be on time for the show, depending on where you're staying. I am using this for my own Toy Fair preparation. It's available at toycourses.com right now. So head on over there to check it out.
[00:28:26] Azhelle Wade: Okay, now that you know what the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant GPT does, I'm gonna go through an example of me using it for my own planning of Toy Fair so you can see exactly how it works.
[00:28:41] Azhelle Wade: And if you're listening to this episode, I will verbally explain everything I'm doing. But if you can head over to YouTube or Instagram and look for the video clip that goes along with this part of the episode. And then if you're interested in getting the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant GPT, again, head over to toycourses.com, or you can look for the link to get the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant in the show notes for this episode at thetoycoach.com\259.
[00:29:12] Azhelle Wade: All right, if you're on your way to a Toy Fair, whether it's New York Toy Fair or another upcoming show, Atlantic Gift Market, Gamma, whatever, this Toy Trade Show planning assistant can help you optimize your schedule, your packing list, and help you with networking prep. So, all you have to do is head over to toycourses.com, download this custom GPT, and to really use this GPT, you do have to have a paid ChatGPT account. So there are accounts currently starting at 20 a month, the lower level of the ChatGPT account will be enough for you to use this custom GPT, because it uses the latest version of ChatGPT and you can only access that with a paid version.
[00:29:58] Azhelle Wade: Alright, so once you get your hands on the custom GPT, you'll access it through toycourses.com and all you need to do is tap the first button here that says Start Planning.
[00:30:11] Azhelle Wade: Once you tap Start Planning, you will start getting your questions. So let's dive in. You'll see once you hit start planning, it lists question number one. All you have to do is go through and answer the questions and the GPT will do the rest. So it's going to ask you first, which toy fair or trade show are you attending? Include the city and year . So you can just do that here.
[00:30:31] Azhelle Wade: It will also research and clarify the event if you don't name it correctly. So I'm going to say New York Toy Fair.
[00:30:38] Azhelle Wade: Okay, and it's clarifying. Great, you're attending this toy fair, correct? Then it asks the second question. What's your primary goal? Please reply with the letters that correspond to your goals. So it's gonna say A, selling your products to retailers, finding hot new products for your store, creating content, C, pitching your idea for licensing, D, or E, building brand awareness for your existing toy business, or F, getting new clients.
[00:31:01] Azhelle Wade: So I'm gonna say C and F for myself. The third question is what's your name? I'm gonna say Azhelle.
[00:31:09] Azhelle Wade: What is your role?
[00:31:11] Azhelle Wade: Okay, now that GPT moves on to question number four and asks, "Do you already have any meetings scheduled?" If yes, you can either upload screenshots of your calendar or list your scheduled meetings. So when you list your scheduled meetings, you would include the name of the meeting, who's there, the date, time, company, and location.
[00:31:27] Azhelle Wade: So if you already have, your meetings listed somewhere and you can just copy and paste it, throw it in here. It doesn't have to be formatted perfectly to work, or you can go to your calendar. I would recommend switching to day view so you can, view all of the details of your appointments in a screenshot, snap a screenshot of every day of your calendar so that the date can actually be visible.
[00:31:51] Azhelle Wade: And then I'm going to upload the screenshots and I'll say, here are screenshots of my calendar. The dates are of each screenshot is visible in the screenshot, as well as the meeting type. So I'll send that .
[00:32:09] Azhelle Wade: And then it's saying it's noted that I have scheduled meetings, podcast sessions, networking events, and key time blocks. Then it goes on to question 5. What are your travel details? Arrival, departure, dates, and time. So, I'm going to be arriving February 28th and departing March 4th. I'll be traveling by train from Providence, Rhode Island.
[00:32:35] Azhelle Wade: And, I will be staying in Washington Heights, New York, near the A train.
[00:32:44] Azhelle Wade: Then it goes on to question six, "are there any specific networking events, panels, or sessions you want me to look up and add to your itinerary? Or would you like me to suggest events based on your goals?" Yes, please suggest events based on my goals.
[00:33:00] Azhelle Wade: Okay, and now the GPT is pulling information from the calendar available online for the different events that might be interesting to me. And it's providing links to all of that information so I can double check those sources. And then it moves on to question seven. "Are there specific companies or individuals you'd like to connect with during the fair, please list them and I'll incorporate them into your plan." No, I just want to connect with everyone on my calendar. That's all. I'm just gonna pretend like I've got everything down.
[00:33:33] Azhelle Wade: Then it says, "do you have any specific content creation goals for Toy Fair?" I want to create five podcast episodes and 20 reels for social media.
[00:33:48] Azhelle Wade: So now it's going to build a schedule to block time for all those things. And it's asking if I have any booths or exhibitors you definitely want to visit. And I'm going to say those are already incorporated into the schedule screenshots that I sent you.
[00:34:06] Azhelle Wade: Then the last question is, "What are the top one to three products or services you want to promote or sell at Toy Fair?" So for me, number one would be Toy Creators Academy, which is a 12 month group coaching program for anyone that has an idea for a toy and wants to get it into stores or, either by selling it to retailers or licensing the idea.
[00:34:35] Azhelle Wade: I will fix the typing here and then say, it's perfect for people who either are just starting or have already made progress. You can go at your own pace and we have monthly calls to check in and ask questions along the way. Then the second thing, services to corporate companies, my support as an inventor relations representative, who is representing a number of inventors and entrepreneurs, as well as services to new manufacturers
[00:35:27] Azhelle Wade: such as the AI enhanced product workflow and packaging design and product design services.
[00:35:39] Azhelle Wade: Okay, perfect. Let's go. Now it just recapped at that point that it got everything I needed and then it said if it's missing anything, let it know or type let's go and it will build my ultimate Toy Fair plan. All right, so ultimate Toy Fair plan for Azhelle Toy Fair New York 2025. It has the event details for the Toy Fair March 1st to 4th.
[00:36:04] Azhelle Wade: The location, the arrival, the departure, the accommodations, where I'm going to be staying. Primary goals for what I have to do. Remember, it's important to set your goals. And then the daily itinerary. So it's using my existing calendar and everything else that I taught it to fill this itinerary. So it's got me arriving on the 28th and on day one it has me picking up my badge at 8am to be early.
[00:36:30] Azhelle Wade: It has my first in person consultation at 10 a. m. It has me going to the Toy Trends Briefing. That's a great idea. I should go to that. And it is starring. What I love is it stars anything that's new that it's adding to your calendar that wasn't there before. It's recommending the annual Toy Association Meeting.
[00:36:49] Azhelle Wade: I'm actually not a member, so I don't know if I can do that. And then it's calling out my Toy Creators and Innovators Networking dinner that I'm hosting. Then it calls out. March 2nd, day two, networking and content day. So it's highlighting that I'm doing podcast recording from one to three thirty, that I have a meeting with Katie, that I have the inventor night.
[00:37:09] Azhelle Wade: Then I have the Spin Master party. Okay. And now it's built out a content creation plan for me.
[00:37:16] Azhelle Wade: It's giving me podcast episode ideas. It's giving me an idea for social media reels. And then, most importantly, the packing checklist. So not only is it telling me my essentials, the badge, the ID, it's showing me the floor map for Toy Fair and the link to the floor map, phone charger and power bank, and also links to some Amazon favorites that I have worked into this GPT, business cards and notebooks.
[00:37:39] Azhelle Wade: It is linking to that as well, what I've worked into this GPT, for professional outfits, comfortable shoes. It's really helping me out based on how many days I'll be there. Because I listed myself as a content creator, it's listing that podcast, mic and recorder, tripod, all that. And then miscellaneous, cash, food for food carts and emergencies, toiletries, pens.
[00:37:58] Azhelle Wade: There are links for all of my favorite things built into this GPT. And then it goes on to give me networking tips and it says start conversations with what trends are you seeing this year? I could introduce myself in 30 seconds by highlighting my work in Toy Creators Academy. I could follow up post Toy Fair and it's giving me ideas on how to do that.
[00:38:16] Azhelle Wade: And then it's highlighting which booths will be a highlight for the trip.
[00:38:20] Azhelle Wade: . So that's how you use the Chat GPT Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant.
[00:38:26] Azhelle Wade: Okay, before I dive into the final takeaways for today's episode, I've got to read a review that was left a while back about Toy Fair. So this review is called the one stop shop to get you ready for the toy biz. Thank you, Todd McClain, owner of Captain Tall Tale LLC.
[00:38:45] Azhelle Wade: Todd says, "Azhelle's show captures the attention from beginning to end every episode. I personally have wanted to jump into the toy business for over a decade and knew it was time, but I didn't know where to start. While looking up about the industry, Azhelle's Instagram started popping up and caught my attention enough for me to dive into what she was saying.
[00:39:01] Azhelle Wade: I listened to the latest episode at the time, which connected with me on every level." I love that. "So I listened to more and more episodes as if it was a Netflix show that I couldn't get enough of. Thank whatever creator you believe in for creating podcast on demand. The great thing to note is I just attended my first Toy Fair and thanks to listening to the episodes, I had a successful show because I knew what to expect and how to plan for that success.
[00:39:26] Azhelle Wade: Oh, I even bumped into Azhelle at Toy Fair and she is every bit of charming, talented and knowledgeable of the industry as presented on the show. Looking forward to more episodes and seeing the successes that not only she creates, but that of the other great successes others achieved because of her. Azhelle for president."
[00:39:43] Azhelle Wade: Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for this review, Todd. This was a review from last year's toy fair. So if you love this podcast and you haven't left a review yet, then what are you waiting for? I would love to read your reviews. They do put a huge smile on my face and I do try really hard for these episodes.
[00:39:59] Azhelle Wade: So your reviews are what keep me motivated to come back week after week with new episodes. So, okay, let's dive into our final takeaway. So what did we cover today?
[00:40:08] Azhelle Wade: First up, we covered why New York Toy Fair is the place to be if you want to grow your toy brand, whether you're selling services or products, or you're growing your store and you need Hot new toys to put in it. We talked about the five essentials for maximizing your toy fair experience, including special events, which basically is a gel telling you to go party.
[00:40:28] Azhelle Wade: So make sure you do that. And while we broke through all of those five essentials, we covered the insider tips for packing, planning, and networking. Things that I've learned over a decade of doing this Toy Fair thing time and time again.
[00:40:44] Azhelle Wade: And finally, I walked you through my Toy Trade Show planning assistant and how that GPT, that custom GPT I've made for you will make it all the easier, and I hope a little bit more fun this year. So if you want this toy fair to be your best one yet, if you want to try out the Toy Trade Show Planning Assistant GPT, head over to thetoycoach.com\259 for the links to download that.
[00:41:10] Azhelle Wade: And after Toy Fair, I will be releasing workshops regarding the state of the industry, what we found at Toy Fair, trends, and some changes we've seen while talking with industry people over the past quarter, and of course at the show. So keep an eye out for those upcoming workshops.
[00:41:30] Azhelle Wade: If you're heading to Toy Fair, I hope to see you there. As always, thank you so much for being with me here today.
[00:41:36] Azhelle Wade: I know your time is valuable and that there are a ton of podcasts out there. So it truly means the world to me that you tune into this one. Until next week, I'll see you later, toy people.
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