HKTDC Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair

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asia

Asia's largest fair of its kind – HKTDC Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair - will be held from 5 to 8 January 2009 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. To meet the demands of the ever-changing market, the fair will introduce a new zone - Paper Products & Toys Packaging. As attractive packaging is one of the keys to success, toy manufacturers will find the new zone meets a vital need. In 2008, the fair featured over 2,000 exhibitors from 36 countries & regions and attracted some 30,000 buyers from 130 countries & regions.

The 2009 fair is expected to attract around 2,040 exhibitors from all corners of the world, which is deemed the biggest scale toy fair than ever in Asia. For the first time, the organisers of the two largest toy trade events in the world - HKTDC and Spielwarenmesse eG - have joined forces to boost international participation in the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair.

The fair caters to evolving trends in the industry, allowing buyers to gain business advantage. For example, greater efforts are being made to introduce toys for pre-schools that require a higher level of creative input and help develop brain power, coordination and teamwork. As the market for educational toys grows in size and sophistication, the fair responds to this demand.

With growing concerns about health and childhood obesity, experts and parents are searching for exercise options in toys. Demand for aquatic toys and equipment, for example, has been strong. This development is a trend beyond the industry's traditional focus on mental development and game play.

Buyers can find these and other topical products very easily in the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair 2009, as the fair will be divided into different product zones. They are: Baby Toys & Products, Candy Toys, Hobby Goods, Magic Items, Outdoor & Sporting Items, Battery-operated & Electronic Toys, Educational Toys & Games, Soft Toys & Dolls.

The experience of both local and overseas exhibitors at the 2008 fair showed that it is a very effective trading platform. Ms Agatha Pan, International Sales Manager of Tree Toys P/L from Australia, said, "The Hong Kong fair is the most important in the world today and we feel that it is not to be missed by any serious toy importer."

Local exhibitor, Mr. Stanley Yu Hok Lin, Managing Director of Tech Group (Hong Kong) Ltd. said, "The Hong Kong fair is becoming more important compared to fairs elsewhere. Simply put, this event is a major focus of buyers from around the world. The most impressive thing about this fair is the variety of products and suppliers. Also, the marketing programme of the organiser is fantastic."

Buyers from mature and emerging markets also commented positively on the 2008 fair.

US buyer, Mr. Dave Schylling, Chief Executive Officer of Schylling Associates, Inc, mentioned, "Schylling is the classic toy company; we're more into traditional toys and materials. We distribute to 8, 800 owner-operated independent stores throughout the United States and Canada. We have been coming to this fair for more than 10 years and already have 150 Hong Kong and Chinese mainland suppliers. This fair is fantastic for us because we can see our suppliers and many of our customers in one place - it is very concentrated. About 50% of our business is a result of this fair."

UAE buyer, Mr. Johnson Correya, Marketing Manager of Mikkai International (LLC), said, "Mikkai International is a division of Lals Group and we import toys. Lals Group owns and operates some of the leading malls and retail brands in the Middle East. We also supply Carrefour, Lulu and other major retailers throughout the Middle East. This fair is important to us because there are always a lot of new products. We do a lot of regular business with Hong Kong suppliers, between US$15 million to US$20 million worth of orders each year. We import five to 10 containers of toys from Hong Kong every month."

Safety standards, regulations and codes of practice have long been major concerns among overseas buyers. As such, 2 seminars - 'How to Obtain and Profit from Film Licenses' and 'Latest Product Safety Directives of the Toys Industry' by Mr Richard, O'Brien of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Mr. Liu Xiang, Vice Director of AQSIQ Defective Product Administrative Center, will be arranged during the fair period.

This fair will run concurrently with the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair in the same time frame and venue, offering double convenience to buyers.

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