The 45th Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, together with Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair, held together from January 6 to 9. The four fairs will create abundant crossover business opportunities among participants from various sectors. The show featuring close to 3,000 global exhibitors, and attracted more than 130,000 buyers, among them, over 51,000 buyers attended the Toys & Games Fair.

The international trade provide an exchange platform for industry professionals to generate more business opportunities for all. Buyers from different countries increase in attendance, including developed markets such as Australia, Germany and the United States, as well as emerging markets such as Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Poland, and Vietnam. The number of Mainland Chinese buyers recorded double-digit growth.

The 45th edition of the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair features more than 2,100 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions, making it the largest event of its kind in Asia, and the second-largest in the world. Six group pavilions, including Mainland China, Chinese Taiwan, Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as the “World of Toys” pavilion, featuring mainly European exhibitors, are showcasing the latest toys and games from around the world. A fair highlight, the Brand Name Gallery features about 240 renowned brands, including 4M, Hape, Ming the Minibus, Soap Studio, STEM University and Welly.

The world of toys can provide endless opportunities for children to learn and raise their potentiality, provided they have the right toys. The Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair carries an abundance of increasingly popular STREAM toys, which develop a range of skills in science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics. Be sure to check out the latest in trendsetting smart-tech toys and games including AR, VR, MR and mobile apps that take the game of early childhood development to a whole new level.

Trends
This year’s fairs featured an assortment of new products, with those incorporating smart technologies being in high demand. These products include a variety of toys and games that incorporate virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, as well as those enabled with mobile apps. Educational toys exploring children’s potential were also well received by buyers. A STREAM Toys Product Display — highlighting toys related to science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics – showcased the latest product trends and drew a lot of interest from visitors.

Survey suggests Southern California in the US remains the major creative centre for the toy industry, followed by Japan and the European Union, with Hong Kong continuing to create opportunities through its IP protection capabilities. Mainland China would become the overall largest consumer of toys by 2022, now showing the fastest rate of growth, while the top consumer countries currently include the US, Denmark, the UK, Germany, France, Brazil and Japan.

Video game consoles and games incorporating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are currently very popular. Licensed toy products from popular movies and animations as well as educational toys remain the major driving force in the sales of traditional toys.

The integration of technology in toys is the industry’s dominant trend. Digitalisation continues to make inroads into all areas, also bringing inspiration to traditional toys such as soft toys, board games, puzzles, etc. The Fair’s Smart Tech Toys zone brings together a vast array of tech-based toys and games including those operated via mobile apps, or incorporated with the latest VR, AR and MR technologies. Parents increasingly emphasise children’s development and realise the importance of learning through play. The STREAM Toys Product Display will continue to highlight educational and high-tech toys featuring science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM).

Technology trends was valued in the toy industry, while smartphones are looking for more sophisticated ways to interact online. Future consumer characteristics will see smaller but wealthier households, with consumers more willing to spend on toys for their children as well themselves. At the same time, smart devices such as phones and tablets are becoming more commonplace in households while children are being introduced to technology at an earlier age, with greater access to media content. The digitalisation of toys, smarter consumers and toys, and “mixed reality” capabilities are all hallmarks of the future toy industry.

At the same time, more educational experiences are also receiving attention. The objective of the toys and games industry was to engage children to be active, so that materials may be used in the creative process. In educational environment, children learned, particularly by playing, exploring, and toy companies should be encouraged to create toys that were completely new, where children can explore materials step by step.

Highlights:
The Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair gathers a wide variety of products from around the world to match buyers’ sourcing needs.The fair feature six group pavilions to present products from around the world, including the mainland China, Chinese Taiwan, Korea, Spain, the UK, together with the “World of Toys” pavilion featuring mainly European exhibitors.

The world of toys is a microcosm of life, allowing our children to learn and to test themselves without harm. Toys teach coping strategies and encourage intellectual experimentation and the Toys & Games Fair is a treasure house of STREAM toys, which build developmental skills in science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics. Also in the spotlight are trendsetting smart-tech toys and games that incorporate AR, VR, MR or mobile App, taking play to a new level to develop the innovative thinking of your little ones.

The popular Smart-Tech Toys zone will feature a variety of toys and games that incorporate innovative technologies, including AR and VR functionality and mobile app compatibility. A STREAM Toys Product Display will again be set up to respond to rising demand for STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics) educational toys and games.

Thematic zones facilitate buyers’ sourcing, smart products in focus at Asia’s largest toys fair. The highlight Brand Name Gallery features more than 240 renowned brands, including 4M, B. Duck, Eastcolight, Hape, Intex, Kinsmart, Masterkidz, Rastar, Tiny and Welly. Viking Toys, an exhibitor from Sweden, showcases a toy car made from sugar cane, aligning with growing market demand for environmentally friendly concepts.

Buyers sourcing smart products can visit the Smart-Tech Toys zone featuring toys and games that incorporate innovative technologies, including the first remote-control building-block Hong Kong Tram from Playable Creation Limited. As educational toys continue to gain in popularity, the fair includes a STREAM Toys Product Display highlighting toys related to science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts and mathematics. The Kidult World highlighted zone showcases toys for grown-ups such as magic items, hobby goods and war-game items, as well as models and figurines.

As the society develops greater awareness of the importance of exercise, sporting items become a popular sourcing product category for buyers. Navigate the fairground to get some exercises and look for the products that appeal to today’s health-conscious consumers. Also, be sure to visit the World of Outdoor and Sporting Goods at Hall 3C and try out the exciting sporting goods such as bicycles, scooters, athletic equipment, aquatic sports items and much more.

Other thematic zones include Kidult World, showcasing toys for grown-ups such as magic items, hobby goods, action and war games, and models and figurines; the Pet Toys zone, featuring toys and daily supplies for pets; and the Fireworks zone.

Hong Kong company, Fame Master Enterprise Limited, who is famous for its high-quality 4D puzzle, is bringing their signature collection of Brick Man funny anatomy figure. The figure is 300mm tall and consists of 36 pieces of parts. With attention to every detail including Brick Man’s internal organs and skeletal bones, it provides a fun way to learn about the human body.

Art & Smart Egg Kft from Hungary will present an award-winning 3D labyrinth game, Smart Egg, that is not only a puzzle but also provides a fun and challenging way to keep the brain and hand active. Each Smart Egg is designed with a different puzzle and offers a large variety of different levels for anyone aged 6 to 99.

The signature Brand Name Gallery is expecting around 250 brands this year including 4M, B. Duck, Eastcolight, HAPE, Intex, Kintoy, Rastar and WELLY, offering products of excellence in design and assured quality. An exhibitor of the Brand Name Gallery, Welly Die Casting International Limited will showcase a 1:24 Die Cast Free Wheel McLaren 675LT. Featuring detailed interior, dashboard, real rubber tires, opening doors and hood, this replica is 100% true-to-scale and very realistic.

Kidult World is the place to find items that target those young at heart such as hobby goods, performance magic items, models, figurines, war games equipment and much more! Threezero (HK) Ltd will be exhibiting the Transformers DLX Collectible Figure Series with the highly anticipated character, Optimus Prime. The DLX Optimus Prime stands 11.2 inches tall and features screen accurate detailing, 53 points of articulation, LED illuminated eyes, and die-cast metal parts, a not-to-be-missed collectible for Autobots fans.

Also returning in the upcoming edition will be the Fireworks zone, displaying shells, firecrackers, toy fireworks as well as fireworks suitable for use in different events.

Activities
Multiple thematic seminars and a conference were held during the fairs to facilitate industry exchange including “the Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference 2019”, “Smart Tech & DIY Toys – What’s New”, “Toy Safety & Regulations Updates”, “Toys Compliance, Testing & Certification”, “Insight into the Upcoming Stationery Trends” and “Digital Marketing: Innovation Key to Success”.

To encourage suppliers to leverage online-to-offline (O2O) promotional opportunities, the HKTDC has enhanced the sourcing function of its trade fair websites by launching the year-round “Exhibition Online” platform. In addition to featuring fair updates and the latest industry sourcing information, the platform also allows suppliers to stay connected with global buyers after the fairs, whereas buyers can easily source industry-specific products from dedicated fair websites.

Hong Kong Toys and Baby Products Awards
Presenting uniquely designed, creative and high-quality products, the Hong Kong Toys and Baby Products Awards recognises outstanding industry achievements based on functionality and safety, innovation, marketability as well as environmental friendliness. A panel of industry experts judged the entries in six product categories.

HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels.