A new consumer-directed pop-culture event, Play Fair, will be held for the first time alongside this year’s New York International Toy Fair in February. Presented by Lego and Nickelodeon and organized by the Toy Industry Association and LeftField Media, the event will allow families and collectors to see exhibits and displays, listen to authors and inventors, get their hands on exclusive toys, and try new playthings.
This is just the latest in a broader trend consisting of new consumer events held in conjunction with long-established trade shows. The intent is to connect end users directly with pop-culture and fashion purveyors. In 2013, the publishing industry’s trade show, Book Expo America, for example, launched a Consumer Day, rebranded the next year as BookCon. It runs adjacent to BEA in May of this year in Chicago and focuses on books and authors as well as other forms of popular culture.
Meanwhile, the Council of Fashion Designers of America has proposed repositioning the runway shows that make up New York Fashion Week into consumer events that would focus on designs in stores now, rather than future collections. CFDA, which oversees the schedule for Fashion Week, has retained Boston Consulting Group to study the idea, with its findings expected in February. Some CFDA member designers, from Givenchy to Rebecca Minkoff, have already begun the transition independently.
The launch of consumer events along with, or instead of, traditional professional trade shows reflects a number of factors. First, retailing, distribution, and marketing have changed so that brands have a more direct connection with their consumers than in the past.
Furthermore, there has been a significant evolution in how business is done, thanks to technology, retailer needs, and other factors. This has resulted in trade shows not being as essential for purchasing, deal making, and publicity as they once were.
Social media, gossip media, and the Internet in general, meanwhile, have made consumers aware of the business side of pop culture, fostering an understanding of how the industry works and raising interest in future introductions.
Finally, fan fests of various sorts, from those tied to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game to standalone events such as San Diego Comic Con and its many imitators (focusing on everything from manga to gaming), have exploded. One indication of the magnitude of such events in many fans’ lives is that a whole industry has sprung up around the costuming hobby, complete with specialist vendors and celebrity cosplayers.
It is unlikely that consumer shows will replace traditional trade shows any time soon. But it is probable that more industry groups will experiment with how to integrate some consumer elements to solidify relationships with fans and spur sales. At the same time, most will continue with the core trade event, trying to find a balance between maintaining the elements that work and modifying others to reflect changing times.
Speaking of trade shows, Karen Raugust will join licensing consultant Ira Mayer on a Toy Fair panel called “Full STEAM Ahead: The Intersection of Licensing and Educational Toys.” The presentation, on Sunday, February 14, 2016, at 3:30 p.m., is part of the Toy Industry Association’s Licensing Content Connection series of seminars.
Comments are closed.