Spielwarenmesse is one of our favorite events, and it happens every year at the end of January in Nuremberg, Germany. It’s where 2900 toy company exhibitors from over 68 countries, share all of their new toys, games and items at the biggest toy fair in the entire world with the 62,000 visitors who attend it.
At Spielwarenmesse we personally spend at least 3 days walking around the trade show, meeting with companies at their stands or booths, to learn about their new toys and innovations, while we have so much fun playing and sharing some great photo opportunities with toy icons, which this year which included Transformers, Stormtroopers and the new Furrington Fair Bear.
I even made the Day 1 highlight reel around the 15 second mark in this video giving Bluey a High-Five at the Opening Parade!
Spielwarenmesse is enormous, there are 16 exhibition halls, and we generally walk over 15,000 steps per day. It’s impossible to see everything, but the energy and innovation at the event is outstanding and unparalleled to anything I’ve ever experienced in the toy industry. Not to mention, since it’s held in such a historic location in Germany, there are sites to visit and the food in the area is delicious.
Check out a our video recap here:
@toyqueen_ Get a sneak peak at the newest toys and games @Spielwarenmesse, the world’s largest toy fair hosted in #Nuremberg, Germany. #play #toysforkids #toyfair #spielwarenmesse #giftideas #stemtoys ♬ Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
A personal highlight of the event is that at Spielwarenmesse, new toys and games can be nominated for the prestigious ToyAward, which is only given out during a fun award show at the event.
The past 2 years, I was personally asked to be a ToyAward judge on the panel, where myself and other toy industry experts from all over the world rate different toys to determine which items should be nominated for the award!
That process is so fun and unique, I’ve created a separate post on that, and you can read all about the winners of the 2024 ToyAward here.
There are also lots of fun parties that happen at Spielwarenmesse. This year, at ToyNight, which happened on the first night of the show to celebrate the opening, there was a separate superhero themed dinner event at a local venue nearby.
There were lots of fun photo superhero photo opportunities, delicious food, and even an exciting motorcycle act, where 4 different riders achieved top speeds racing together inside a very small sphere.
Whether you work for a toy company, are a member of the media, or have a product you think might be well received internationally to showcase, go. It’s such an amazing experience you won’t ever forget.
I receive complimentary airfare and a hotel to stay in for a few nights in order to attend Spielwarenmesse. All opinions are my own.