INDUSTRY FORUM ASTRA
Shows, More Shows and Being Together by Sue Warfield, ASTRA President
It’s a new year and with shows back in full swing after the pandemic, it’s hard to choose which one(s) to go to! Astra was asked back in 2022 to take over the slot left vacant in February by the cancelation of Toy Fair for yet another year. Rather than suddenly add another show to the mix as a quick reaction, we sent out a survey. The overwhelming response to the survey indicated what was missing wasn’t just another trade show, but an opportunity to see new products and new vendors, as well as connect with our colleagues in the toy industry. Astra chose to offer a completely new opportunity to do these things in a more relaxed environment and the Toy Boat was “born”. It was a huge success and it will continue in 2025, sailing on March 17, 2025. * And for the shows we know.... There will continue to be the shows we all have come to love – with a few new ones thrown in for good measure. There are the gift shows that offer the full gamut of product offerings, there are the NY NOW shows, North East Toy Show (NETS), ToyFest, GAMA, Hobby Shows, Astra’s Marketplace & Academy, and Toy Fair – plus some I am sure I have missed in this list. How does one decide which ones to attend? Like all of you, Astra has to decide what shows to attend as well. We must consider budgets and what makes the most sense. We look at where our current members and possible new members will be as we look to grow our organization, and how we can best serve our current membership through attendance. These are also the questions we ask when determining the events we choose to put together. In 2024, we will be sending staff to gift shows around the country as well as NETS, ToyFest, GAMA and potentially more. In the meantime, we are working full force on making our Marketplace & Academy better than ever through the input of our member surveys and our member committees. We all felt the huge gap that having no, or very limited, in-person gatherings created during the 2020-2022 time frame. We craved the time to see and try new products, talk and have fun with our peers, share our ideas and concerns, and get the boost we needed from being together. But now that we are “back” to having shows, it seems we have to make choices we wish we didn’t have to make. It’s hard to put a real dollar figure on what we gain from attending the various shows. How does a retailer put a real value on getting an energizing shot in the arm to face the challenges and opportunities in their business? How does a manufacturer put a value on the opportunity to build relationships that put you in the forefront of the retailers’ minds? How does a rep put a value on visibility and relationship building, in-person, with both your manufacturers and your retailers? How do any of us put a value on stepping out of our everyday routine to get a new perspective? Astra knows that the value of being with our toy industry colleagues, in-person, and getting out from our dayto-day routine is priceless. Our goal going forward is to be out where you are as much as possible. It’s the only way to stay in touch with what is important in keeping our industry strong and growing – learning from each other. Here’s to a great 2024! *PS. To sign up to be on the boat go to www.astratoy.org and on the events tab, click on Toy Boat 2025. Ask anyone who was on the 2023 Toy Boat what it was like and you’ll want to be there!
14 tfe February 2024