By: Felix Ernesto ARIAS HÜCK
The 75th Nuremberg Spielwarenmesse took place from January 27th to 31st and will remain a milestone for the industry: The wintriest edition in years, filled with anniversary celebrations and a special atmosphere.
From 27 to 31 January in Nuremberg, 2,313 exhibitors from 68 countries presented a vast array of products – including the growing “Kidults” segment. Around 58,900 trade visitors (+2.5%) from 121 nations explored new trends, fresh formats, and networking opportunities with enthusiasm.
Right on Time
Despite ongoing geopolitical challenges, the industry mood was upbeat. 93% of exhibitors – 3% more than last year – rated their participation as successful. Mattel hosted several global launches, while the Simba Dickie Group praised the high quality of trade visitors. “No other fair matches the international significance of Spielwarenmesse,” said Florian Sieber. Visitor numbers from the USA remained strong, with China and Hong Kong posting major gains thanks to a non-overlapping Chinese New Year. Growth was also recorded from Mexico, Turkey, the UK, and France, while Germany maintained its elevated level from last year. The event’s international spirit and festive mood were reflected in strong media coverage. “We were delighted by the tremendous media interest – lots of TV team, national press and content creators,” said Roger Kettler of Carrera Revell Europe.
AI and Creative Mindfulness
Groundbreaking impulses were provided by the two ToyTrends “AI Loves (to) Play” and “Creative Mindfulness”. Through numerous product examples, they were brought to life at the Spielwarenmesse just as vividly as “Toys for Kidults”. The hype surrounding adults who play has enabled iDventure to make its breakthrough – and to win one of the six coveted ToyAward prizes. “Winning has led to more positive stress for us and contributed to greater attention at our booth,” says Christoph Kossendey with delight. Leonard Mieg from Tipp-Kick, one of the 14 original exhibitors, reports a higher frequency of specialist retailers from the DACH region. “Spielwarenmesse is a must-see for anyone in the toy business — a high-energy event with a diverse product selection,” says Kathy Trivsonno from the US-American trade association Astra.
Licensing Business
The Spielwarenmesse is also impressive proof of the success and relevance of the licensing business. “This is evident not only in the exhibition areas, but also in the License Lounge and our neighboring Licensing International booth, which have become the licensing industry's home base at the fair,” emphasizes Petra Strobl from Licensing International Germany. Valuable toy know-how was once again shared in the Toy Business Forum. The Value of Play Conference celebrated a successful premiere here. “The event offered high-quality, well-curated content, and the practical examples and concrete market figures significantly enriched my trade fair conversations,” says Polish publisher Dorota Mazurek. The Game Inventors Convention also met with great approval, with international games organizations represented for the first time. Mary Couzin from the Chicago Toy and Game Group was also present: “The atmosphere created a pull effect that benefited everyone – a great exchange for the game community.”
The ToyNight
In addition to content-driven impulses, the fair also set new standards in the increasing networking of participants. “Spielwarenmesse is the best networking opportunity for the entire toy industry,” says Lucca Liv from Unique Baby in Denmark. The exclusive ToyNight united all exhibitors under the motto “Welcome to the Future,” while the RedNight on Thursday created a lively atmosphere in the exhibition halls. René Bleckmann from Party Factory emphasizes: “The event is very, very important for us to get into conversation with customers and potential business partners and to celebrate with them.” The illuminations of Kaiserburg and Frauentorturm underlined the festive mood in ToyCity Nuremberg, where some trade fair participants experienced snow for the first time.
The high level of exhibitor satisfaction is also reflected in the figures: 90% of companies plan to exhibit again in Nuremberg from 2 to 6 February 2027. “With this, Spielwarenmesse has once again confirmed its global leading position and underlined its role as the central meeting point for trade, industry and media, where inspiration, innovation and networking come together at the highest level,” summarizes Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG.
Profile
Among the world's largest yearly toy fairs, the Spielwarenmesse Nuremberg (January 27-31, Germany) offers sensory experiences, imaginative development, exploration of technology and physics, opportunities to compete in various sports, celebrate favorite characters, enjoy family outings, and create comfortable environments, regardless of age.
Spielwarenmesse Nuremberg, the B2B trade fair for games, party and celebration supplies, children’s furnitures, bicycles, indoor and outdoor toys —from licensing to plush toys— is exclusively for professionals: international wholesale buyers of finished products or licensed products for manufacturing toys featuring branded characters, or publishers entering the toy and game industry with characters and designs from children's books.
To facilitate both the creative and cross-media processes, Spielwarenmesse hosts international agencies, consultancies, and game developers for different segments and regions of the world, who present ideas and concepts for new games in closed sessions for investors and production companies.
On a fair ground of 175.000 m2 with 12 Halls with several floors and stages the largest international trade fair in the toy sector, Spielwarenmesse offers access to the best resources from each country.
Although the nominees for the Toy Award suggest a clear desire towards becoming and returning to basic materials for a more sensory and sensitive play experience, manufactures and retailers continue to focus on increasingly sophisticated and captivating motorized plastic toys at a globally competitive price.
Spielwarenmesse 2027 takes place the first week of February, from Tuesday 2nd to 6th.
https://www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/
