In a much needed confidence booster for the consumer goods sector, the fairs gathered 1,326 exhibitors from 9 countries and regions at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center to present an impressive selection of premium products in the toy, baby and licencing industries for enthusiastic buyers to source onsite. The digital platform, ‘E-connect 360’, was also deployed to help worldwide businesses and buyers connect online during and after the fairs.

Ms Wilmet Shea, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd expressed: “We are pleased to have seen all the participants highly engaged during the three-day period, with the fairground full of quality buyers showing enthusiasm towards the products presented by onsite exhibitors. Affected by the Covid-19 control measures in the country during the first half of the year, we have faced numerous challenges in organising the three concurrent fairs. However, as the largest exhibitions for the toy, baby product and licensing industries in South China, we understand the platforms are irreplaceable for local and global businesses. With a combined event scale this year of 130,000 sqm, it is clear that exhibitors continue to hold a high level of trust in each of the three fairs. Although there was a drop in visitor numbers this year, many participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to meet face-to-face again. There was a noticeable shift towards a back-to-business mentality, with industry professionals eager to get hands-on with physical products at the fairground.”

Shea also commented on the fast growth of Licensing China: “Since its debut in 2020, Licensing China has already grown into a highly respected industry event, and we have seen a number of well-known IP owners and big brands return to the show due to the positive results achieved at the previous edition. NBA, Iconix and many more renowned international IPs also appeared for the first time this year, which further increased the scale of the fair. Participants once again noted the strong synergies with the concurrent fairs, with both exhibitors and buyers exploiting the crossover opportunities to explore IP licensing for their toy and baby products.”

A business hub at the heart of the Greater Bay Area

Located in Shenzhen, one of the most important cities in the Greater Bay Area and a national business hub, the three fairs enjoy great geographical advantages in attracting cross-border e-commerce buyers. This includes brand names such as Amazon, Yuguo, ByteDance and SF express, who came to search for suppliers of toy, baby and licenced merchandise to cooperate with. With so much e-commerce expertise based in the Greater Bay Area, the fairs were supported by the Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Forum and the Toy Cross-border E-commerce Summit, which provided valuable information on digital transformation and how to adapt to the high-potential e-commerce industry.

‘E-connect 360’ digital platform connects the world

Introduced at the previous edition, the online platform ‘E-connect 360’ has become widely recognised as a game changer for Toy & Edu China, Baby & Stroller China and Licensing China, allowing trade professionals and businesses around the world to network and exchange information with the fairs’ exhibitors and buyers even if they cannot make it to the physical fairs in person due to travel restrictions. The platform launched its first phase in March and played an important role in assisting businesses in the interim periods following several postponements, allowing users to gain early access to the shows’ resources and remain connected to the industry. Users were also able to stay ahead of the curve by watching concurrent conferences and seminars livestreamed on the platform.

The next editions of Toy & Edu China, Baby & Stroller China and Licensing China fairs will take place at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center from 7 to 9 April 2023.