BY: Liliana Rocio, Senior Editor for World Liberty TV

Toy Fair® officially opened today, commencing four fun-filled days of product discovery, innovation, and business in the heart of New York City.

This year marks the milestone 120th year for the iconic toy show. Tens of thousands of global play professionals will fill the halls of the Javits Center in the coming days to preview the latest toys, games, and youth entertainment products – many launching later this year in time for the holiday season.

Produced by The Toy Association™, the industry- and media-only trade show offers unparalleled access to the lucrative $45.6 billion U.S. toy marketplace and key markets around the globe.

From Saturday, February 14, through Tuesday, February 17, the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere featured hundreds of thousands of playthings alongside exclusive brand experiences, market intel, hands-on activations, and innovations in play.

Retail buyers from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries and territories walked the show floor looking for the latest in building sets, arts & crafts, collectibles, board games, card games, puzzles, dolls, plush, STEM toys, throwback favorites, licensed products, and everything in between.

“If you are in the business of play and want an on-the-ground read of what’s coming next across the toy landscape, there is no better place to be than standing on the floor of Toy Fair New York this weekend,” said Greg Ahearn, president & CEO of The Toy Association™.

“For over a century, it has served as a bellwether for our industry, highlighting our industry’s vitality, creativity, and resilience, while also serving and uniting everyone with a stake in the toy business.

Toy Fair is the place to be if you are a manufacturer, retailer, licensor, or inventor, offering a powerful four days to connect, collaborate, and shape the future of play worldwide.”

From established big-name brands to emerging innovators, the hundreds of companies showcasing their products across the Javits Center highlight the industry’s ongoing commitment to delivering the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical benefits of play to both kids and kids-at-heart.

Setting the tone for the days ahead, Toy Fair kicked off this morning with a parade of costumed characters and a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Toy Fair University — which runs throughout the show and offers free educational seminars for all attendees — opened with sessions on consumer insights, licensing & entertainment updates, product development, IP protection, and more.

The Toy Association’s team of trend experts also presented its annual Toy Trends Briefing, showcasing products from exhibitors’ booths to illustrate the key trends expected to influence the year ahead.

After-hours events include Canada Night, hosted by the Canadian Toy Association, as well as upcoming events hosted by Women in Toys, Licensing and Entertainment (WiT), The Toy Association’s People of Play™, and Licensing International.

About Toy Fair® toyfairny.com: Produced by The Toy Association, Toy Fair® is the largest and most comprehensive play-focused experience in the Western Hemisphere unifying the toy industry’s entire ecosystem with key players to help with business development and sourcing the latest products from across all forms and stages of play.

Featuring thousands of new and unique toys, games, edutainment, entertainment-driven experiences, and more from around the world, Toy Fair offers attendees a competitive edge no other trade event can match.

About The Toy Association™  toyassociation.org : Arounded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the business trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages.

The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $155.7 billion, and its roughly 800+ members drive the annual $45.6 billion U.S. domestic toy market.

The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development.

The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, governments, consumers, and the industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.

As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned Toy Fair™ in New York City; hosts marketplace activities in Los Angeles; engages in state, federal, and international advocacy on behalf of its members.

Supports the inventor and design community through People of Play™ and its numerous assets and events, including the consumer-facing Chicago Toy & Game Fair; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard.

The Toy Association’s philanthropic arm is The Toy Foundation™, a 501 (c)(3) children’s charity that acts as the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry.

To date, The Toy Foundation has delivered the joy of play to 33 million children in need worldwide.

Our World Liberty TV, Games & Toy Team were making our 20^th Annual appearance at the Toy Fair in New York City, we went to our first Toy show in New York 2006, approx. 20 years ago.

Every year there is great Toys debuting and making their debuts for the first time, right here in New York City, we had a pleasure of showcasing some of the these Toys and products in our World Liberty TV, Toy and Gaming Channels by clicking here.