2009 Toy Fair Review
There is no doubt that the 2009 Fair was a great success. There was genuine enthusiasm in the lead-up to it from our organisers as well as from exhibitors and attendees who were all really positive. This enthusiasm then extended across the Exhibition Floor where you could feel a buzz - the buzz that comes when business is being done!
I hope that the Fair was a great success for your business and we look forward to seeing you back at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in 2010.
Beverly Jenkin
CEO Australian Toy Association
KEY TOY FAIR FACTS
Attendance Figures: 4171 (first time visits)
Number of Exhibitors: 204
Public Relations Coverage: Over $1.3 Million
Toy of the Year Winner: Monopoly City, Hasbro Australia Limited
2009 ATTENDANCE FIGURES
Total 2009 Attendance Figures: 6547
Total First Visits: 4171
Total Re-Visits: 2376
A NOTE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
What a great Fair! I have to admit to feeling proud to be involved in such a professional event. It was obvious that every one of our exhibitors put a lot of thought and effort into their stand presentations and displays. En masse the overall impression was pretty spectacular and the feedback I received from visitors was fantastic.
So a heartfelt thanks to all our exhibitors - their combined efforts made the Fair experience a very positive one for everyone involved, especially with attendance figures still looking really healthy.
Congratulations to Hasbro who won Toy of the Year for Monopoly City as well as to all the other award winners. And naturally, I'd like to thank all the other contenders, whose contributions made it a challenging competition.
I would also like to thank the Toy Fair committee and the ATA staff for their magnificent work pulling the Fair together and then ensuring it operated so smoothly over the four days.
John Fitz-Gibbon
Chairman - Toy Fair Committee
PUBLIC RELATIONS & THE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The Product of the Year Awards is a story that the media really enjoy - it's a great way to promote what is 'hot' for the future. Each year these Awards draw a substantial level of media interest nationally to the industry and 2009 saw a coverage of over $1.3 million in advertising value.
The Product of the Year Awards Ceremony was held on the opening day of the Fair, Friday 20th March, and was hosted by Anne-Maree Biggar. The ceremony attracted a high degree of media interest and the Fair achieved fantastic exposure on a national level with all major media.
Yet again the awards were hotly contested with over 200 entries. You can view the full list of award winners here.
This year the judges declared Monopoly City as the Toy of the Year - 'a whole new concept for Monopoly - not just an enhancement or an add on - offers a whole new way of "playing eith real estate" and brings Monopoly into the 21st century.'
STAND OF THE YEAR AWARDS
All exhibitors are to be commended on the professional design quality and creativity of their stands. The decision making process for the judges was extremely difficult as the standard of design was absolutely amazing this year.
The winners of the Stand Awards for 2009 were:
Best Overall and Best Larger Stand of the Year - Educational Colours
Best Smaller Stand of the Year - Mud Pies
WASTE WISE SUCCESS!
We are proud to announce that in our first year as a 'Waste Wise' event, the Fair has successfully reduced the amount of waste produced by 5 tonnes.
In addition, almost 40% of the waste produces was successfully recycled. Cardboard recycling was especially successful and made up to 55% of total recycling.
We would like to thank all of you for supporting us in our first year as a Waste Wise event and look forward to making next year's Fair even better.
WHAT BUSINESSES ATTENDED THE FAIR?
TOY COLLECTION FOR CHARITY
The recipient of the 2009 Toy Collection was Variety, the Children's Charity. Variety's aim is to provide life opportunities through the provision of equipment, experiences and community support for children in need.
Many thanks go to all 2009 Toy Fair Exhibitors who donated toys for the annual Toy Collection on the last day of the Fair. Because of their generosity, over $5000 worth of quality goods will go into the hands of many needy children via Variety.
SEE YOU IN 2010!
The dates for 2010 are:
Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th March
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre