If there’s one thing that’s always been true throughout history, it’s that children have always needed toys to play with. Whether it’s the clay dolls that the smallest Romans played with over 2000 years ago, the wooden swords and crudely made figures of the Medieval children, the oh-god-how-did-we-think-this-was-a-good-idea chemistry sets from the early 20th century with real uranium or the fancy, modern toys based on popular movies and cartoons, we’ve created things for our kids to entertain themselves for as long as there have been children at all. With that said, it’s really not surprising that the global toy industry is worth over $90 billion, more than the global music industry, including digital songs, CDs and live performances.

With impressive numbers like that, it’s no wonder that the toy industry has seen unprecedented success in the trade fair business as well. Every year, we get to experience several big trade shows dedicated to toys in all of their forms - plushies, figurines, baby rattles and board games - popping up all over the world. One of the most famous examples is the New York Toy Fair, which brings together over 30,000 professionals and showcases more than 150,000 different toys. But today we’d like to focus on the European side of the Atlantic, shining the spotlight on a few of the biggest toy-themed events around Europe that are still going strong!

This won’t be a popularity contest, our goal is to show you a diverse list of fairs from around the continent that are big, interesting and definitely worth visiting if you still hold onto that love for toys that your younger self had. For your convenience when planning your business travel, we have grouped them by geographical location rather than any other particular characteristics.

West Europe’s Biggest Toy Fairs

Not surprisingly the largest toy expos are held in Germany as the country is notorious for being a hot spot for the most important trade fair events in Europe. So let’s dive in and check what the old continent has to offer.

Nurnberg Toy Fair

Probably the most famous trade show for toys in Europe, Nurnberg Toy Fair – also known as Spielwarenmesse – brings together more than double the visitors of its New York counterpart. It covers every single type of toy that you can think of, such as action figures, plushies, baby toys, models, even board games, for a total of twelve different toy categories, each in its own area. Overall, guests can browse through more than 1 million products from over 60 countries, making it probably the biggest gathering spot for the toy industry in all of Europe and one of the premier trade fairs on a global scale.

But Nurnberg Toy Fair isn’t just a business meeting – while that’s a big part of it, the show does its best to remind its attendants that it exists to preserve the spirit of play and bring joy to children, current and former. Costumed mascots will walk around the expo hall, inviting guests to participate in games and various events. The Toy Award, one of the most prestigious trophies in the industry on a global scale, will also be bestowed at the expo, certifying it as an unmissable event for the entire business!

SPIEL Essen

A lot of the bigger, more popular toy trade fairs try to be all-encompassing, with dozens of categories involving anything remotely related to children’s products and entertainment. The annual SPIEL Essen proves you can find immense success not by trying to appeal to everyone, but by simply focusing on a few key areas. How successful is it, you may ask? Well, the last edition of SPIEL Essen brought together 190,000 visitors from all over Europe and beyond, alongside 1,150 exhibitors from 50 countries, by keeping the focus almost exclusively on card games, board games and other types of interactive toys. While there’s a considerable amount of statues and action figures, especially based on more popular franchises, the majority of the expo’s exhibitors will present their tabletop games rather than other kinds of toys.

The event emphasizes networking and communication, and what better way to connect with people than board games? After all, you never truly know someone until you see them land on someone else’s hotel in Monopoly! As such, attendants will be invited to try out many of the board games presented at the event, sometimes even joined by their designers who can share more about them while discussing potential partnerships, distribution deals and funding. SPIEL Essen combines business with pleasure in a way that’s rare not only among toy-themed fairs, but also among business events in general, and its large and loyal fanbase is proof of all it does right!

BABYWELT, Germany& Austria

When talking about remarkable toy trade fairs, we can’t overlook BABYWELT. It attracts more visitors and exhibitors than any other show, as it is held annually in the biggest cities in Germany and Austria - Hamburg, Essen, Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Cologne, Dresden, Vienna. Each expo has its own distinct feeling and accompanying events. Altho directed more towards baby care and accessories, a variety of different toys and games are also being showcased. In addition, you can attend numerous workshops, lectures and product presentations. Everything you need to know about how to care and play with your kid is in one place. This is a great business opportunity as the fair is the ideal meeting point for professionals from all spheres of the industry - from retailers and distributors to designers and CEOs.

The expos are both visitor and exhibitor orientated. As a professional guest, you can observe the newest products and trends and interact with over 400 representatives of different local and international brands. For the exhibitors, this is a great opportunity to gain valuable insight into their competitors’ products and monitor the desires of their potential clients. It is a win-win situation.

If you can’t travel to Germany, don’t feel discouraged. Here are some additional toy trade fairs you might find beneficial for your business.

The Toy Fair, London

The Toy Fair is the biggest trade show for the toy and game industry in the UK. Thousands of visitors come every year to the Olympia centre to check out the newest trends and have a good time. Over 250 exhibiting companies do their best to showcase their latest toys and games. The expo is accompanied by many interesting side events like lectures and meetups.

Kidexpo, France

Kidexpo is one of the most famous toys and game trade fairs in France. It is held each year in two different cities - Paris and Lyon and attracts thousands of visitors and exhibitors from around the world. The expo has 3 different objectives - Learn, Play and Move, and the fair is organised according to them. You can find different products, services and workshops corresponding to each of the three themes.

The Biggest Toy Fairs in East Europe

The countries in the East part of the continents also have a lot to show when it comes to toy trade fairs as well.

Kids Russia

Many of the trade fair events themed around toys try to include both children and adults. With costumes, play areas and games, in addition to all the business talk happening around the show floor, that is certainly not true for all of them. Take, for example, Kids Russia – a strictly professional trade fair that focuses on being a business platform first and foremost. The fun and games are placed in the background, where they can serve as the object of discussion rather, as something to be used at the expo itself. Despite only having about 10,000 visitors – a fraction of what its bigger counterparts bring in – 91% of them are decision-makers, such as CEOs and directors involved in procurement and distribution. The event isn’t open to the public, so if you’re looking to mingle exclusively among trade professionals, there’s really no better place to be.

Despite its more focused scope in terms of visitors, the exhibits on display are anything but lacking. 250 exhibitors from 13 countries display 12 categories of toys on their stands, including the standard things you’ll find everywhere like stuffed animals, interactive toys and models, but also products intended for pregnant women and children’s clothes. The expo also holds a detailed conference program in both English and Russian, with over a dozen presentations intended to familiarise professionals with different aspects of the toy business in Russia and beyond. While the focus of the event is obviously on the Russian market, its influence shouldn’t be easily dismissed!

For Toys Prague

For Toys isn’t a particularly well-known convention, which is strange considering it brings together almost 54,000 visitors a year. While not all that popular or recognised outside of Central Europe, the event has gained its own fanbase, and it’s not hard to see why. For Toys seeks to provide a comprehensive look at the entire industry, offering its attendants four events in one. Besides For Toys, guests can also visit For Babies (intended for baby toys), For Games (dedicated to board and video games) and Model Hobbies, meant for various models and really missed an opportunity to call itself For Models.

Each of these four events provides guests with a comprehensive look at their respective sector, with For Toys, in particular, boasting nine different categories of toys – from baby dolls and brain teasers to building kits and outdoor activities, presented by more than 200 companies from the region and beyond. While not as famous as its counterparts, For Toys and its three sister expos deserve recognition for being one of the largest toy and entertainment shows in the world. The fairs should be considered straight-up mandatory for anyone from the region interested in toys and games!

International Istanbul Toy Fair

When talking about important trade shows in the toy and game industry, we can’t skip the International fair in Istanbul. This massive event targets the professional audience, and it is closed to the public. Participants, brand representatives and exhibitors from more than 50 different countries gather at the Tuyap Fair and Congress Center each year to exchange ideas and find trustworthy business partners.

The event covers every sector of the toy industry - from baby toys, soft dolls and cars to electronics and model toys, there is something for everybody. With over an 85% rate of satisfaction amongst the foreign visitors, the International Istanbul toy fair is a force to be reckoned with in the trade show industry.

Here are some honourable mentions of toy trade shows that altho smaller in size still have a lot of influence in the toy industry in East Europe.

Baby Expo, Kiev

Alto small in size in comparison to its counterparts Baby Expo gathers around 500 brands each year. This professional trade fair is focused on popularising the toy and baby-care industry in Ukraine and is essential for the development of stable international connections. If you want to conquer the market in this East European country, this is the way to do it.

Warsaw Toys & Kids Fashion Show

Being one of the most important professional toy trade fairs in Poland Warsaw Toys is the meeting point of all industry specialists in the region. The event offers the ideal opportunity for decision-makers of all toy sectors to gather together, discuss the current trends and do business during the more than 400 meetings and workshops. In addition, the trade fair is a hot spot for media attention, so if you want to get your brand out there, Warsaw Toys is the right place for that.

So, are you ready to pack your bags and visit your next toy trade show? Do you want a piece of professional advice? Focus your time and efforts on adequately preparing for the expo and calculate your budget wisely. Don’t go overboard with the expenses on your hotel stay, leave the organising of your travel accommodation to us. Our experts will find the best deals at the most convenient locations without wasting your valuable resources.