WHAT’S WORKING NOW! State of the Industry International Panel - Strategies and Solutions
Written by Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter/ CEO/ Founder: ToyTrends, and Co-President. ITMA
We gathered over 115 years of experience, with a group of six esteemed international trend experts, editors and publishers to discuss WHAT’S WORKING NOW, during the pandemic.
Together, our regional and global insights reflect real and current solutions for building and communicating with the toy industry partners: consumers, educators, entertainment studios, licensing partners, manufacturers, and retailers!
The goal was to share WHAT’S WORKING NOW!
What tactics and techniques are being innovated to tackle the pandemic,
TO BOTH SURVIVE the pandemic shutdowns,
AND to help manufacturers, retailers and alliance partners to THRIVE.
- How can we continue to build trust and loyalty with consumers, families and educators, as we endure these shutdowns, together
· Keeping our sanity within families and within our global toy communities:
Promoting Learn-at-Home solutions, for parents forced to become educators-at-home
Socializing within frazzled families cooped up inside and staying-at-home. What categories of goods thrived, and saved the day.
Unique Zoom experiences that broke through Zoom fatigue
Events and Alliances with Entertainment Studios and Partners to infuse excitement
· These solutions across regions offer innovative experiences that can be replicated in other regions.
Our LIVE simultaneously-recorded ZOOM international members session included:
Moderator: Reyne Rice, Global Trend Hunter/ CEO/ Founder ToyTrends; and Co-President, ITMA, International Toy Trade Magazine Association, and Member Trend Committee, Spielwarenmesse
Panelists listed in alphabetical order, by country:
· AUSTRALIA: Imogen Bailey, Editor: Toy and Hobby Retailer, and Podcast Moderator and Editor: Toy and Hobby Retailer:The Podcast, https://www.toyhobbyretailer.com.au/
· GERMANY: Astrid Specht, Editor: TOYS magazine and First Steps baby and toddler magazine, https://www.toys-kids.de/
· KOREA: Sujin Lee, CEO/ Ggemtoys, Korean market Trend Research Reporter, and Member Trend Committee, Spielwarenmesse
· PERU, and LATIN AMERICA: Armando Carreteros, Editor and Publisher, Nación Juguetes Latin America and Spain, http://www.nacionjuguetes.com/
· UNITED KINGDOM: John Baulch, Publisher, Toy World Magazine, UK and the Friday Blog, and Member Trend Committee, Spielwarenmesse, https://toyworldmag.co.uk/
Tune in on November 20th, 2020 at 10AM – 11AM, Central time, USA, for Virtual People of Play conference, Trends and Future of Play Sessions,
(https://www.chitag.com/2020-innovation-conference). Join us to hear these International Innovation Summit panelists share their expertise and solutions.
AND take-away techniques that you can put into play immediately.
