Feature
Independent Toy & Gift Show
Variety show Rachael Simpson-Jones caught up with Miles Penhallow, head of Toys & Children’s Gifts at plaY-room, the toy division of the AIS buying group, about what to expect from this year’s Independent Toy & Gift Show. suppliers and the AIS display team to experiment with eye-catching ideas that draw attention across the show floor. Ravensburger is planning a ‘Best of British’ jigsaw display, collaborating with the show organisers to create a dedicated area with a strong British theme. “Themes give companies which support that particular category the option to spotlight their ranges across the show,” Miles comments. “Around 12 of the 85 suppliers this year have a vested interest in jigsaws and puzzles, so it really helps increase exposure for them. It’s nice to give something back; if the theme suits a company, then they can have a bit of extra space - free of charge - in which they can create a theatrical display to show off their range.”
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he Independent Toy & Gift Show has become a popular event in the toy and gift buying calendar, offering a unique buying experience. Buyers can meet with a diverse range of exhibitors showcasing toys and children’s gifts across two days, and enjoy free parking, free hot drinks and a quality hot lunch. It’s little surprise then that all available exhibitor space for this year’s show is completely sold out.
Miles also stresses his desire to further reward attendance with great deals across the show. The Independent Toy & Gift Show One Hit Wonder booklet continues for 2019, with all plaY-room suppliers encouraged to offer buyers a tempting deal on just one of their products. The deals are first come, first served to drive buyers to the stands, and the booklets can be collected from the front desk on both mornings.
“The Independent Toy & Gift Show is definitely maintaining its popularity,” explains Miles. “All our top 30 suppliers are attending, with full support from all the big names – Lego, Hasbro, Mattel, Character, MGA and more. It’s the first show of the calendar year where all these big names are gathered under one roof, making it an unmissable event. New exhibitors this year include Hornby, Siso UK, Kids@Play, Tinc and Green Elephant, to name but a few.” The theme of this year’s show is Puzzles & Jigsaws, with Gibson’s named as the main show sponsor. The company is celebrating its centenary in 2019 and approached the show organisers at last year’s event to enquire about sponsorship opportunities. “This year’s Puzzles & Jigsaws theme, and the main sponsor, just came together perfectly, and Gibsons will be sponsoring the café,” says Miles. “Additionally, Jumbo is sponsoring our Reward Card, which rewards members with a £1 M&S voucher for each stand visited. Part of the deal is that they have to visit Jumbo’s stand to get the ‘official’ Jumbo stamp, which makes it a worthwhile venture for the sponsor.” Changing the theme each year allows both
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Miles comments: “As a buyer, I know the excitement that comes with making a good deal. This scheme has worked really well in the past couple of years; even if the saving offered by a deal covers an attendee’s fuel, it’s something extra.” With the Independent Toy & Gift Show formula continuing to prove popular with visitors and exhibitors alike, Miles is not planning to shake things up much in the years to come. Keeping the numbers tight, with some 85 suppliers each year, reportedly works for everyone, and the organisers guarantee that they can sell out the space. The show’s venue, Cranmore Park in the heart of the midlands, is an adaptive space which can be fitted to any size show, but Miles feels strongly that increasing the number of exhibitors would dilute the overall experience. “Research tells us that our members visit around 25-30 stands across the two days, and we all feel that’s about right,” he states. “We’ve got space upstairs, but if we needed to open that up it would be to the detriment of the show and the overall experience. We get buyers from the National Trust, garden centres and department stores, and they can all enjoy a productive day in professional surroundings. We vet the quality of buyers quite