With the COVID-19 showing no signs of slowing down, The Toy Association have announced bold plans to run the 2021 edition of Toy Fair New York 2021 at the Javits Center in New York City on 1st – 4th May, just a few months after its usual February slot.
October 5, 2020 | Call it “pursuing the possible,” or perhaps “optimistic realism,” but whatever the take, The Toy Association is planning to bring the industry back together as soon as it’s safe and possible to do so – and we are aiming for May 1 to 4, 2021 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.
We have been presented with a window in the opening days of May and we are willing, ready, and able to put resources toward the show and any other projects that will continue to help members grow their businesses.
When the time was right to provide a digital solution, we did just that by leveraging our existing technology to build and offer Toy Fair Everywhere digital market weeks. When the time was right to provide companies with private virtual preview opportunities with key retailers – Target, Toys“R”Us Canada, and Meijer – we did. And when the time is right for a return to in-person meetings, we will make it happen. While none of us can be certain what the nation and world will look like some seven months in the distance, we all need the promise of a future for the toy and play industry, a return to a degree of business normalcy, and to reclaim some aspects of our collective pre-COVID-19 lives.
What if the situation does not turn in our favor in spring of 2021? If at any time we feel that Toy Fair NY 2021 cannot be produced in a safe manner, we will cancel the show. If the event needs to be canceled, as is the long-standing show policy, any monies paid will shift toward Toy Fair New York in February 2022, when it returns to the newly expanded and state-of-the-art Javits Center. In fact, almost all 2021 exhibitors had already shifted to 2022, so May again presents a more immediate opportunity.
Our community made it clear they did not want Toy Fair NY 2021 to simply become virtual. Rather, the connections, ability to experience products first-hand, and return to some form of human connection in doing business have proven to reign supreme. Together looking toward May with optimism reflects the very nature of the toy and play community – resilience, tenacity, confidence, and a willingness to find new ways forward.
