As many of you readers might recall, a number of Toy Fair 2016 adventures were posted right here on the Chronicles Of PiercingKen website. It’s a practice that I plan on continuing with at future events based on my findings. This year’s event was extra special since it featured a brand new event called “PLAY FAIR” which allowed the general public the means to explore some of what I see at Toy Fair with their children. What a great idea that was. I’m now pleased to share this press release with you that announces the events return in 2017 during a different month and with an expanded program, you can read that below and to review my findings of the 2016 Play Fair just click on THIS LINK.
The Press Release:
Public Play Expo to Double in Size at Javits Center
NEW YORK, NY | June 13, 2016 – The second annual Play Fair, a public celebration of play and entertainment for all ages, will nearly double in size at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center when it returns to New York City on November 4-5, 2017. A joint venture between the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and LeftField Media, Play Fair offers families and media the opportunity to enjoy interactive play experiences with new toys, games and popular characters, as well as purchase new and exclusive products.
Halls 1A and 1B of the Javits Center will provide Play Fair 2017 with 150,000 square feet of contiguous space for brands to unveil new toy lines and encourage hands-on activities among thousands of play enthusiasts, and 10 dedicated panel rooms will allow for increased and more varied programming and events.
“Play Fair’s massive exhibition area will accommodate returning brands with increased presences and welcome new first-time exhibitors, and our dates will now position Play Fair at the heart of the pre-holiday season,” said Greg Topalian, president of LeftField Media. “Planning is already underway to expand character photo ops, develop an elaborate art and crafting space, build a children’s book and author pavilion, expand our feature stages and create a hands-on video game experience.”
In addition to Play Fair’s move to the pre-holiday shopping season, the event will grow to add a third day.
Play Fair’s Saturday and Sunday will remain a public experience for families and fans, and 2017 will also see the launch of a Friday night session open exclusively to media and the toy industry. Together, these changes will solidify Play Fair as the definitive destination for New York families looking for what’s fun, new, and hot as well as a platform for brands to connect with influential, global media at the center of their most critical buying season.
“The first Play Fair had an exceptional turnout, and there was a demand from sponsors and the public to go bigger for 2017,” said Marian Bossard, TIA’s SVP of global market events. “Play Fair is a celebration of the benefits, magic and joy of play, and we look forward to a very magical 2017!”
Play Fair was launched in February 2016 by TIA and LeftField Media and caters to the public’s desire for play experiences with toys and products, some of which have not yet come to market. Capacity crowds of more than 20,000 parents, children and toy fans braved cold temperatures to attend Play Fair’s inaugural two-day show at the Javits Center’s North Hall. The first Play Fair offered a full schedule of exclusive activities that allowed attendees to create lasting memories, including live appearances by television and internet stars, photo opportunities with beloved characters, author readings, larger-than-life props, first looks at exciting new toys, concerts, and screenings. Play Fair 2016 featured beloved family brands such as Nickelodeon, LEGO, Hasbro, Mattel, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Pictures and Crayola, among others.
For more information about the event, visit the website link below and follow Play Fair on Twitter and Facebook.
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PiercingKen Thoughts: For starters I am very happy to see that this event will return for a second year because based on my observance of the first go round the kids that attended seemed to have a blast with all of the offerings. I am also very glad to see it moved to a different month because February was far too cold to be lined up outside with the little ones. With the second go round I would like to see some additional changes and that would be more items available for purchase. I had polled some parents as I exited Toy Fair and that was one of the grievances they had and also with the takeaway bags. Apparently that was very lackluster in their opinion. There should also be more stuff for the collector market as I didn’t see a lot of that and some of the collectors that I know had attended and felt it was too much for the little kids as opposed to them. Food for thought right? It’s great that its expanding into a larger space since more room means more fun in my humble opinion.
Official Website: http://www.playfairny.com