Page 20 - Toy & Hobby Retailer Magazine June-July 2020

INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIRS
HONG KONG TOYS & GAMES FAIR 2020
First off the mark
The Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair kicks off toy fair season. Imogen Bailey reports on the fair, hot products and latest trends.
20 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER MAY / JUNE / JULY 2020
IN early January, over 41,000 buyers thronged the halls of the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, previewing the hottest toys from 2,950 exhibitors from across the globe. Handshakes were exchanged, conversations were had in close proximity and discussions about exterior influences on the toy industry were centred on the recent Hong Kong protests, US and China trade tensions and the bushfire crisis that was raging across Australia.
Foreign concepts to us now as we all stay socially isolated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reflecting on the first toy fair of the year feels like a strange dream, despite only taking place four months ago.
Nevertheless, the products in that strange dream were awesome!
After the ceremonial opening and formalities, my wandering of the halls began. Immediately I was taken with the Tiny City display. While this isn’t necessarily a new product to the show floor, it is still just as impressive and captivating. The tiny 1/35
diecast display showcases Hong Kong in all its glory – bustling, busy and compact.
Continuing my journey through the halls, I came across the unmissable sounds – as well as the large, hot pink stand – of the Go Go Bird. Created by first-time exhibitor, tech company Hanwang Technology, the bird utilises intelligent obstacle avoidance; making it able to identify obstacles and adjust the direction of its tail to avoid collision.
Speaking on the invention, Hanwang Technology chairman Yingjian Liu said that within hours of the fair opening the business spoke to several distributors.
“Hanwang has been famous for its facial, voice and character recognition technology. “Last October, we started our smart tech
toys business by launching the Bionic Flapping Wing RC Flying Bird – Go Go Bird Series in Mainland China.
“This new product has integrated the cutting-edge bionic flapping wing technology, intelligent sensing technology and artificial intelligence technology.