Page 34 - Toy & Hobby Retailers Magazine Feb-Apr 2020

TOY, HOBBY & LICENSING FAIR 2020
WELCOME TO THE
2020 Australian Toy Hobby & Licensing Fair
ATA executive manager Alice Sanderson welcomes Toy & Hobby Retailer readers to the 55th edition of the industry’s favourite fair.
We would like to take this time to thank
all of our judges that give thanklessly to
this program and they are as per previous
years, esteemed buyers, journalists, industry professionals and aligned association leaders who take the decision making process very seriously. With so many fantastic people, products and licenses in the industry and on the market, it is a huge undertaking to choose just one for an award.
We look forward to unveiling the 2020 winners on the 1st of March.
On the second night of the Fair the 25 Year Club function, recognising people who have worked in the industry for that length of time or more, will be held at the Exhibition Centre. This is a wonderful opportunity for a fun catch up that brings together people within the industry.
If you or someone you know has been working in the toy industry for 25 or more years and is not a part of the club then we encourage you to get in contact today as membership is free and the yearly event is a great occasion.
Not everything at the ATA is Toy Fair though and on November 27th we held our Annual General Meeting at Bayview Eden in Melbourne. The meeting was attended by a number of our members and Jonathan Zimbler, ATA’s president, chaired the event.
Three ATA board members were up for re-election being Tim Clarke (Modern Brands), Andrew Skinner (Skinner Advertising) and Nick Rimmer (Associated Retailers Ltd). We welcome Tim, Andrew and Nick back to the board as well as Meagan Sanders (The Walt Disney Company) and Claus Kristensen (Lego Australia) who are director nominated and were confirmed at the Board meeting following.
The ATA would also like to extend a warm welcome to our newly appointed director Tony Papreck of Hasbro Australia. Tony brings with him a wealth of business and industry knowledge and we look forward
to his contribution.
ATA’s membership team are also still working
in the background and don’t stop for the Fair. We are forever busy representing you with Safety & Compliance among many other things.
To end, we wish you all a very successful Toy Fair and the best of business for the year ahead! ❉
TOY Fair time is upon us again and the Australian Toy Association warmly welcomes all of our visitors to the Fair, especially those who have travelled from far and wide to this very important industry event.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will again be our home for four magical days beginning on Sunday 1st
March 2020 and we cannot wait to show you everything new and exciting from around the world and our own backyard.
Our exhibitors and sponsors truly do turn the venue into a playground of everything toy, hobby, nursery and licensing and we look forward to over 6,000 of our industry’s key suppliers, buyers and licensors attending the biggest and most important trade event in Australia.
This year's event will be sponsored by Funrise, VR Distribution, Nickelodeon Viacom, Warner Bros. and Totally Awesome
TV and supported by Bugg Marketing, Toy & Hobby Retailer and Licensing International, who will again be holding their breakfast on the Tuesday morning of the Fair.
The industry night of nights will be held at Crown Palladium on the first evening of the Fair, Sunday March 1, and the Toy Association's awards will be presented in front of an eager audience. There have been significant changes to the Product of the Year awards following feedback from the industry and everyone is very much looking forward to the first presentations reflecting these changes.
The order of events for the night will include the prestigious Hall of Fame and Rising Star awards, the Licensed Property awards and the Product of the Year and Judges' Choice awards. There are many to celebrate and we look forward to spotlighting each and every award winner on the night.
34 TOY & HOBBY RETAILER FEBRUARY / MARCH / APRIL 2020