Record number of toy companies expected at Fall Toy Preview | Key4Communications |

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is expecting a record-breaking number of exhibitors at this year’s Fall Toy Preview (October 2-4, 2012), with more than 300 toy companies already registered to preview product – marking a year-to-date increase of 34%.

TIA account executives report that booth space applications are steadily coming in each day – solidifying Fall Toy Preview’s position as an essential stop in the planning cycle for long-lead and mass market retailers who annually flock to the show to preview brand new playthings and to strategize with toy manufacturers more than a year in advance of in-store delivery.

As of press time, nearly 500 powerhouse buyers from department stores, pharmacies, gift shops, museum stores, discount chains, online retailers and more have registered for the event; more than half (60%) are among the top 25 retailers in the U.S, including Amazon.com, Big Lots, Costco, Family Dollar Stores, Inc., Hobby Lobby, Kmart, Kohl’s, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us, Walgreens.

There are still six weeks to go before Fall Toy Preview opens its doors in Dallas and officially kicks off the 2013 holiday buying cycle, and we have already surpassed the number of companies [284] that participated at last year’s show,” said Marian Bossard, TIA VP of meetings and events. “Thanks to this jump in exhibitors, retailers on the look-out for the hottest trends and innovations in toys and games will get to see more products than ever before!”

Toy donations
Also, the Toy Industry Foundation will be accepting product donations from exhibitors at the close of Fall Toy Preview. Sample products will be distributed to both local and national children’s charities through The Toy Bank.