International Sensory Children’s Toy Exhibitions

International Sensory Children’s Toy Exhibitions

I. Sensory Toy Companies Participating in Exhibitions: Why Are They Key to Export Success?

Amidst intensifying global competition in the toy industry, international exhibitions have become an export accelerator for sensory children’s toy companies. Data shows that the 2025 Shanghai CTE China Toy Fair attracted over 90,000 professional buyers from over 130 countries and regions, including over 8,000 overseas buyers seeking suppliers specifically for educational toys. For export-oriented companies, exhibitions are not only a showcase for their products but also a key platform for accurately connecting with global channels and gaining insight into market demand.

Sensory toys, due to their strong experiential nature, are particularly valuable at offline exhibitions. At the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany, Hape showcased its “Green Planet Explorer” series through a immersive experience, allowing buyers to directly experience the tactile feedback and educational value of the products. This resulted in a 40% increase in on-site order conversion rates. This immersive experience is irreplaceable with online presentations on independent websites and can build trust in product quality among international buyers.

II. 2025 Global Core Exhibition Map: Precise Regional Layout

(I) European Market: A Bellwether for Quality and Design
Nuremberg Toy Fair, Germany
Date: January 28 – February 1, 2025
Highlights: The world’s oldest premium toy fair, featuring 2,362 exhibitors from 71 countries. The sensory toy zone focuses on STEAM integration and innovations in eco-friendly materials. Hape’s “Dynamic Pixel Piano,” launched here, combines auditory and visual sensory experiences with technology and has secured 12 European distributor orders.

Suitability: Suitable for high-end sensory toy brands connecting with Western European retailers.

Playtime Paris
Date: January 2025 (Spring)
Highlights: The world’s leading children’s lifestyle exhibition, focusing on design and trends. Korko® eco-friendly building blocks, with their tactile textures and natural materials, are a focal point in the sensory category.
Advantages: Targeted access to high-end maternity and baby channels in French-speaking regions such as France and Belgium.

(II) North American Market: The Main Battleground of Scale and Channels

Las Vegas Toy Fair
Date: February 2025
Highlights: Hape’s debut “Magic Musical Conch,” the largest toy fair in North America, has secured orders from supermarket chains such as Target thanks to its multi-sensory interactive design. The fair also features a “Special Needs Children’s Toy Zone,” which is highly aligned with sensory toys.

Customer Acquisition Techniques: Participate in the organizer’s “Buyer Matching Sessions” to connect with purchasing managers from educational institutions.

New York Playtime & Kid’s Hub
Date: February 9-11, 2025
Features: Focusing on parent-child interaction, the Senger® brand utilizes sensory experience zones to allow parents to personally test products and build an emotional connection.

(III) Asia-Pacific Market: A Hub for Global Reach
Shanghai CTE China Toy Fair
Date: October 15-17, 2025
Scale: 230,000 square meters of exhibition space, 5,212 participating brands, over 100,000 professional buyers, including over 10,000 overseas buyers.
Sensory Toy Opportunities: Four exhibitions (including the Early Childhood Education Fair) will be held simultaneously, enabling access to B-end clients such as kindergartens and early childhood education institutions, while also enabling year-round online customer acquisition through the “365 Cloud Exhibition” platform.

Hong Kong Toys & Games Expo
Advantages: A springboard connecting mainland production capacity with the Southeast Asian market. Hape’s immersive retail experience here has attracted distributors from countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

(IV) Emerging Markets: Potential Growth Areas
Kielce Baby & Children’s Products Fair in Poland: Held in February 2025, PolyM® creative soft building blocks received immediate orders from Polish chain channels upon their launch, making them suitable for expanding into the Central and Eastern European market. Australian Toy & Hobby Licensing Expo: Opening in March, outdoor sensory toys are in strong demand, offering opportunities for partnerships with local maternity and baby chains.

III. Practical Guide to Exhibition Participation: A Complete Guide from Preparation to Implementation

(I) Preliminary Preparation: Accurate Positioning is Key

Exhibit Selection

Focus on three core product categories: ① Star products (such as tactile building blocks and auditory sensory pianos) to demonstrate strength; ② New products (such as AR interactive sensory toys) to attract attention; and ③ Customized products (suitable for overseas educational settings) to meet B-end demand. It is important to check the buyer structure on the official exhibition website in advance and adjust the exhibit mix.

Booth Design

Create an “experiential booth”: Set up a sensory interactive area (such as a blind box tactile test and a sound matching game). Recreate product usage scenarios, inspired by Hape’s scenario-based displays at the Hong Kong Expo. Include multilingual signage (English and local language) and a safety certification display wall (such as EU CE and US CPSC certification).

(II) On-site Trade Shows: Effective Customer Acquisition Techniques

Customer Tier Management: Use three-color labels to distinguish customers: red (intent to place an order on the spot), yellow (needs follow-up negotiation), and blue (potential channels). After the trade show closes each day, organize customer requests and send thank-you emails.

Event-Driven Traffic: Host small “Sensory Education Salons” and invite local early childhood education experts to share their experiences, enhancing brand expertise. For example, educo held an education-themed exchange event at the Nuremberg Trade Show.

(III) Post-Conversion: 365-Day Follow-Up

Customer Follow-up: Send personalized emails within 24 hours, including photos from the trade show and product proposals; follow up with a phone call within 7 days, and provide sample testing for B-side customers.

Digital Continuation: Upload trade show videos and new product introductions to your website, labeling them “Exhibition Exclusive,” to guide buyers who weren’t at the show to consult online. Leverage platforms such as the China Toy Association’s “365 Cloud Exhibition” to secure year-round buyer matching opportunities.

IV. 2025 Exhibition Trend Insights: Sensory Toy Innovation

Environmentally friendly materials are in high demand: At the Milan Flora Expo, Korko® eco-friendly building blocks achieved a 67% order conversion rate due to their biodegradable materials and natural textures, spurring a surge in demand for FSC-certified wooden sensory toys in Europe.

Technology integration deepens: At the Nuremberg Fair, STEAM circuit sensory toys emerged as a new favorite among educational institutions, leveraging light and sound to trigger multi-sensory responses.

Cross-border innovation: Cross-border categories such as “gardening + sensory toys” and “medical rehabilitation + sensory training” emerged at the Milan and Paris fairs, opening up new market opportunities.