With the announcement Feb. 22 that the Toy Association is changing New York Toy Fair from the traditional February to September 2023 and retiring its Dallas Show during the fall, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is querying its members about their needs to fill the void the Toy Fair change brings.
“We are hearing from our members on social media, emails and calls about their feelings about the big change in timing for Toy Fair. We don’t yet know what the changes mean to the format and attendance of the show but we do know that our members are concerned. We hear you,” said ASTRA President Sue Warfield.
The ASTRA Executive Committee held an emergency meeting to discuss the Toy Fair change and what it means to the specialty industry. The full board of directors already had its in-person annual board meeting scheduled for mid-March in Las Vegas and this topic has been added to the agenda. In the meantime, it’s important that the specialty industry have a voice in programming and options ASTRA will consider to address specialty needs, from both members and non-members who are active in specialty. ASTRA created a survey today and asks everyone to participate. Too often, only the most vocal people respond to surveys, and ASTRA wants to hear all sides of the story and a variety of ideas. Please find the link for the survey below. It only takes a few minutes:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3H6737P
Please complete the survey by March 3 so the responses can be compiled for the full board to consider during their discussion.
The ASTRA trade show in Long Beach, CA, June 12-15, is more important than ever for members. Booths are still open and the timing is perfect for specialty toy & gift retailers. Be sure to register today! For exhibit information, contact exhibit@astratoy.org To learn more about the ASTRA show go to www.marketplaceandacademy.org