Toy know-how for the toy industry
The Toy Business Forum is where you find interesting presentations at the Spielwarenmesse. Get up to speed, free of charge, with insights from top international speakers. Topics range from current market developments and the latest trends in the retail and toy sectors through to marketing and today’s hot topics of sustainability and digitalisation.
Program 2022
All presentations were streamed live and simultaneously translated into German/English. Registration for the presentations was not required. You will find all webcasts here shortly.
Wednesday, 2 February 2022
Frank Rehme, Kompetenzzentrum Handel, Düsseldorf
Frank Rehme – entrepreneur, strategy consultant and speaker – offers and develops practical answers to the questions of the future. He is the co-founder of information service www.zukunftdeseinkaufens.de for innovation in stationary retailing and managing director of SME 4.0 Competence Centre in Retail (Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Handel).
Given the profoundly changed shopper journey, retail has to adapt even more systematically to people’s needs across all channels. In his presentation, Frank Rehme will highlight the trends that are developing globally.
Joeri Van den Bergh, InSites Consulting, Ghent/Belgium
Joeri is co-founder, managing partner and NextGen expert at InSites Consulting. He has extensive experience of all aspects of branding, marketing, and advertising to kids, teens and young adults. His clients include global customers such as AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Spotify, Ferrero, Red Bull, IKEA, Converse, Nestlé, AXA and Procter & Gamble for whom he has provided research and advice on how to target the youth market. He is an awarded global thought leader and marketing author on the impact of Millennials and Generation Z on marketing and business and on consumer trends and futurism. His best-selling marketing book "How Cool Brands Stay Hot: Branding to Gen Y and Z" has been awarded several times (a.o. The American Marketing Association Book Prize). As a marketing professor at one of Europe’s leading business schools (Vlerick) Joeri is continuously updating his insights and foresights on consumer behaviour in a fast-changing world.
From more frequent and extreme storms, unprecedented heatwaves to global protests for equal rights and personal freedom, we’re feeling the impact of human-caused pressure on planet and people. Sustainability is a key concern amongst consumers, and this has only increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on proprietary quantitative consumer research in 8 markets and fuelled with case studies from the global toy industry, Joeri Van den Bergh shares insights on how brands can be more sustainable in a credible and relevant way.
Reyne Rice, ToyTrends, San Diego/USA
Reyne Rice is Global Trend Hunter, CEO and Founder of ToyTrends, LLC, Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee Member, Co-President, ITMA (International Toy Trade Magazine Association), journalist and contributing editor for multiple international publications. Media spokesperson, keynote speaker, industry analyst, consultant and judge for many global Toys and Kids Technology Award committees. She discovers the newest and most relevant trends across kids toys & games & kids tech.
Discover the diverse new toy and game innovations that are propelling the future direction of the toy industry. Explore fascinating applications across multiple categories. Be inspired by new materials, technologies, product trends and ways that sustainability is taking us in new directions. Challenge your current thinking.
Pablo Busó Alos, AIJU. Technological Institute for Children´s products & leisure, Valencia/Spain
Pablo Busó is the children’s user research area manager at AIJU (Spain), with more than 15 years of experience in the field. He has managed international studies related with children behavior for the European Commission and the European Committee for Standardization. In addition, he is the co-author of publications related with children behavior and children’s lifestyles.
In his presentation, Pablo will look into an international consumer study focused on sustainability and toys carried out in Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, United States and China, with a total sample of 2,800 electronic interviews. This study will provide insights to the toy industry about the different associations that consumers make with the sustainability concept, importance of sustainability when purchasing toys and other key aspects.
Thursday, 3 February 2022
Achim Himmelreich, Capgemini Deutschland GmbH, Berlin
Achim Himmelreich has been a consultant for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Capgemini he acted, among other things, as a partner with management consultancy Mücke, Sturm & Company. His work focuses on digital strategy and transformation. He has closely followed the immense changes brought about by digitalisation from the beginning and has driven the establishment of new business models in countless projects. Since 2016, he has continued these activities with an end-to-end perspective at Capgemini as Global Head Consumer Engagement (Consumer Products & Retail). He is Vice President of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), a sought-after speaker and the author of numerous specialist articles.
Technological progress and changing consumer demands result in retailers realizing things that were only discussed in the past. Several innovations in stationary retailing and logistics had been present for around a decade: personalisation, till-less stores, same-day delivery, 24-hour shopping and the linking of stationary and online retail. Thanks to technological progress, especially in the backend and in the cloud and innovations in artificial intelligence, these visions can now become a reality.
This marks the beginning of a race between the manufacturers of consumer goods, retailers and logistics providers. After all, only those who find a way to incorporate the benefits of online shopping into stationary retailing will register strong sales in the future. Some enterprises are already modernising their IT systems and all key business processes in pursuit of this. Others are creating the basics for effective online retail for the first time, especially in the area of e-food. Achim Himmelreich will use market trends, findings from Capgemini studies and examples of best practice to show how the current challenges can be overcome successfully.
Axel Dammler, iconkids & youth international research GmbH, Munich
Axel Dammler is managing director of iconkids & youth, Germany’s largest institute specialised in kids and youth research. He has been working with young target groups since 1992 and has carried out numerous studies in the national and international toy market.
Companies in the toy industry have to be one step ahead of their customers: while many consumers are only just beginning to develop an interest in sustainable toys, the right concepts and products already have to be available and on the shelves. This presentation will examine how the industry is responding to this challenge and how retail can take profitable advantage of the sustainability mega-trend.
Svenya Scholl, Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Handel, Cologne
Since 2019, Svenya Scholl has been a project consultant with Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Handel, an SME competence centre funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, at the IFH Köln. There she works on topics related to the online visibility of retail companies. The focus is on small and medium-sized businesses in particular with questions related to social media and SEO aspects. She studied social sciences at the Philipps-University of Marburg as well as market and media research at Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
Digitalisation comes with challenges. At the same time however, it offers retailers important ways to shape the stationary point of sale.
What additional value can be generated for both consumers and retailers by using digital technologies at the stationary POS? What should you pay attention to when integrating such technology into existing store structures? And which digital medium suits your business and objectives?
The presentation will address these and other questions from a practical perspective and offer ideas for digitalising the POS.
Richard Gottlieb, Global Toy Experts, New York/USA
Richard Gottlieb is an internationally known consultant, speaker, and commentator on the toy industry. Richard is the CEO of “Global Toy Experts,” a global consultancy, the author of “The Disruption Report,” co-host of The Playground Podcast, and the Publisher of Global Toy News, the industry resource for toy news and analysis of the business of play.
A historic series of disruptions has beset the global toy industry resulting in empty shelves and higher prices. This talk will analyze the causes, the impact, and the near future of an international toy industry that depends upon Asia for its manufacturing and a supply chain that is far more fragile than anyone thought.
Reyne Rice, ToyTrends, San Diego/USA
Reyne Rice is Global Trend Hunter, CEO and Founder of ToyTrends, LLC, Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee Member, Co-President, ITMA (International Toy Trade Magazine Association), journalist and contributing editor for multiple international publications. Media spokesperson, keynote speaker, industry analyst, consultant and judge for many global Toys and Kids Technology Award committees. She discovers the newest and most relevant trends across kids toys & games & kids tech.
Explore how the toy industry embraces sustainability, with diversity!
- Made by Nature: Toys made with natural materials - bamboo, cork, fabric, rubber and more.
- Inspired by Nature: Environmentally friendly toys, from bio-based and renewable raw materials.
- Recycle & Create: Toys created from recycled materials, upcycled sources and supporting a circular economy.
- Discover Sustainability: Learn through play. Inspire and educate kids with relevant toys and tools.
Friday, 4 February 2022
Nick Richardson, The Insights Family, Manchester/UK
Nick is the Founder and CEO of The Insights Family. The Insights Family are the global leader in kids, parents, and families market intelligence and have become the business-critical tool for some of the world’s biggest brands. Nick himself has become a go-to-expert, who is a regular speaker at industry events across the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with the business operating its Kids Insights and Parents Insights services across 18 countries.
To understand the next generation is to understand the future.
Kids in 2021 have more influence than ever before on their parents shopping decisions – which means every brand must now become a family brand. But the way the next generation shop, spend and seek entertainment has shifted considerably over the last 2 years. We have witnessed the acceleration of the ‘direct-to-consumer’ and ‘social shopping’ trends which are transforming the way families shop in the digital world.
When it comes to bricks-and-mortar retail, we are seeing the rise of the ‘Experience Economy’ and experimental retail capture the attention of the families, with retailers increasingly convert some of their spaces in entertainment and leisure spaces. Our recent data even shows some of the most important value parents look to instill into their children is to value experiences more than products.
So how can toy brands and retailers adapt?
The session will firstly provide an overview of the global kids, parents, and family landscape (including top performing toy categories, brands and retailers) before a deep dive into the trends shaping the future generations.
Svenya Scholl, Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Handel, Cologne
Since 2019, Svenya Scholl has been a project consultant with Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Handel, an SME competence centre funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, at IFH Köln. There she works on topics relating to the online visibility of retail companies. Small and medium-sized businesses in particular are the focus, with questions surrounding social media and SEO aspects. She studied social sciences at the Philipps-University of Marburg as well as market and media research at Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
Google is the most popular online search engine. Retailers that appear at the very top of the search results create important touch points with potential customers. Visibility in Google search results is therefore important for small retailers as well as being present in other online channels, due to the intense competition – both with stationary and online retailers. Google My Business gives companies a way to position themselves prominently in Google’s search results as a local business.
In this presentation, retailers will learn about the concrete benefits of Google My Business and why they too should be active on the platform. They will also be demonstrated how to create and get the most out of their own Google My Business listing.
Dara Kossok-Spieß, Head of Network Policy and Digitalisation, German Retail Federation (HDE), Berlin
Dara Kossok-Spieß digitalises retail from the shopping basket to AI. In 2020 she founded the Diversity Offensive of Retail initiative, which focuses on diversity, diversity management and a non-discriminatory retail sector. Dara expresses her social commitment as Head of Social Media Communication for the MentorMe women’s mentorship programme and as a partner in the intersectional SWANS Initiative network. She also serves as a local politician.
The future of retail combines two trends: sustainability and digitalisation. This is important, because sustainability and energy savings are the cornerstones of efficient, customer-oriented retailing. This throws up many questions. How is the market changing? What is the role of “green” retailing in this?
(Digital) Innovations facilitate more sustainable action. But what is important in this regard? Which digital approach is the right one in each case? This presentation will also look at the downsides of digitalisation and explore how sustainable omnichannel retailing actually is.
Hannah Paffen, Tiny Hazel, Weißensberg/Germany
Hannah Paffen studied fashion design in Munich as well as business development and consulting in Kempten. Prior to setting up Tiny Hazel, an online shop for toys produced in an environmentally and socially fair way, in 2020, she was a product manager at an outdoor company and gained retail buying experience. One year after establishing Tiny Hazel, she supplemented her online offering with retail space in a concept store. Tiny Hazel is a founding member of the Fair Toys Organisation (FTO). Hannah Paffen served as a presenter for the Green Business Days in Germany’s Allgäu region in 2021.
Sustainability is a complex topic that cannot always be easily implemented at the point of sale. Based on a roadmap, you will be introduced to interesting instruments and thought-provoking impulses for integrated presentation of the topic at the point of sale. Get ideas on display windows, furniture, communication, and your future range. You’ll come away from this talk with tools that can bring sustainability to life for your customers in the short, medium, and long term.
Christian Krömer, Spielwaren Krömer GmbH & Co. KG, Schrobenhausen
Axel Gottstein, sigikid, H.Scharrer & Koch GmbH & Co.KG, Mistelbach
The Fair Toys Organisation is a multi-stakeholder initiative consisting of members of the toy industry and civil society. Its aim is to develop and award a seal that credibly stands for fair and environmentally friendly toy production. Christian Krömer from Spielwaren Krömer and Axel Gottstein from sigikid present the Fair Toys Organisation in more detail on behalf of retailers and manufacturers.
Saturday, 5 February 2022
Reyne Rice, ToyTrends, San Diego/USA
Reyne Rice is Global Trend Hunter, CEO and Founder of ToyTrends, LLC, Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee Member, Co-President, ITMA (International Toy Trade Magazine Association), journalist and contributing editor for multiple international publications. Media spokesperson, keynote speaker, industry analyst, consultant and judge for many global Toys and Kids Technology Award committees. She discovers the newest and most relevant trends across kids toys & games & kids tech.
Discover the diverse new toy and game innovations that are propelling the future direction of the toy industry. Explore fascinating applications across multiple categories. Be inspired by new materials, technologies, product trends and ways that sustainability is taking us in new directions. Challenge your current thinking.…
Svenya Scholl, IFH Köln GmbH, Cologne
Since 2019, Svenya Scholl has been a project consultant with Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Handel, an SME competence centre funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, at the IFH Köln. There she works on topics related to the online visibility of retail companies. The focus is on small and medium-sized businesses in particular with questions related to social media and SEO aspects. She studied social sciences at the Philipps-University of Marburg as well as market and media research at Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
People love TikTok! Young social media users in particular are highly engaged in consuming and creating short videos on different topics. The entertainment aspect plays a central role in this, but businesses are also increasingly using the channel for marketing and communication. How does TikTok position itself in the social media landscape and how can it be used? What is the young network’s latent potential? What do consumers expect of companies that are active on this platform? The presentation will focus on answering these questions.
Nick Zwar, morefire GmbH, Cologne
Since 2005 Nick Zwar has focused on online marketing and concentrated on search engine marketing in particular. As Training & Development Head at morefire, he is responsible for internal training and education as well as external seminars and workshops. He places great value on usefulness and comprehensibility when giving presentations. Originally wanting to become a filmmaker, he spent a lot of time on film sets and with advertising agencies in Los Angeles during his years of training and travel. He had a conventional start to his advertising career as a storyboard artist and screenwriter, as there was not yet any online marketing back in 1989.
- Why “online” is no longer “online”
- Leverage effect: big steps that cost little
- Tips and tricks to get you started straight away
- USPs – how to get them and how to use them
Dr Harald Käb, narocon InnovationConsulting, Berlin
Since 1992, chemist Dr Harald Käb has been providing well-known businesses and organisations with strategic advice on innovative and sustainable development and practical implementation to shift away from oil and towards renewable cycles. The focus is on bio-based plastic projects.
There are various ways for the toy industry to contribute to sustainable development. This appeals to the children and parents of “Generation Greta”, whose consumption changes due to the climate and plastics crisis. Design and materials for sustainable toys need to be reconsidered to facilitate adaptability to future market conditions. Dr Harald Käb will discuss the fundamentals and key approaches and present examples for possible replication.
Sunday, 6 February 2022
Dr Benjamin Pfister, Simon-Kucher & Partners Strategy & Marketing Consultants GmbH, Munich
Dr Benjamin Pfister studied languages, economics and culture as well as business administration at the University of Passau and the Cardiff University in Wales. He subsequently completed his doctorate at the Institute for Market-Based Management of the Munich School of Management (Ludwig Maximilian University). As the Director of Consumer Goods & Retail Practice at Simon-Kucher & Partners Strategy & Marketing Consultants GmbH, he has been advising leading manufacturers of consumer products on national and international projects (with a focus on B2B and B2C pricing) for over eight years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered how we shop – but how likely will these changes stick? Will the feared “death of the city centre” occur or will in-person shopping experience a renaissance after the hardships of lockdown? Simon-Kucher & Partners surveyed consumer expectations. In this presentation, we want to discuss the likelihood of these coming to pass and outline strategies that will enable manufacturers and retailers to remain successful in the future.
Pablo Busó Alos, AIJU. Technological Institute for Children´s products & leisure, Valencia/Spain
Pablo Busó is the children’s user research area manager at AIJU (Spain), with more than 15 years of experience in the field. He has managed international studies related with children behavior for the European Commission and the European Committee for Standardization. In addition, he is the co-author of publications related with children behavior and children’s lifestyles.
In his presentation, Pablo will look into an international consumer study focused on sustainability and toys carried out in Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, United States and China, with a total sample of 2,800 electronic interviews. This study will provide insights to the toy industry about the different associations that consumers make with the sustainability concept, importance of sustainability when purchasing toys and other key aspects.
Achim Himmelreich, Capgemini Deutschland GmbH, Berlin
Achim Himmelreich has been a consultant for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Capgemini he acted, among other things, as a partner with management consultancy Mücke, Sturm & Company. His work focuses on digital strategy and transformation. He has closely followed the immense changes brought about by digitalisation from the beginning and has driven the establishment of new business models in countless projects. Since 2016, he has continued these activities with an end-to-end perspective at Capgemini as Global Head Consumer Engagement (Consumer Products & Retail). He is Vice President of the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), a sought-after speaker and the author of numerous specialist articles.
Technological progress and changing consumer demands result in retailers realizing things that were only discussed in the past. Several innovations in stationary retailing and logistics had been present for around a decade: personalisation, till-less stores, same-day delivery, 24-hour shopping and the linking of stationary and online retail. Thanks to technological progress, especially in the backend and in the cloud and innovations in artificial intelligence, these visions can now become a reality.
This marks the beginning of a race between the manufacturers of consumer goods, retailers and logistics providers. After all, only those who find a way to incorporate the benefits of online shopping into stationary retailing will register strong sales in the future. Some enterprises are already modernising their IT systems and all key business processes in pursuit of this. Others are creating the basics for effective online retail for the first time, especially in the area of e-food. Achim Himmelreich will use market trends, findings from Capgemini studies and examples of best practice to show how the current challenges can be overcome successfully.
Dr Harald Käb, narocon InnovationConsulting, Berlin
Since 1992, chemist Dr Harald Käb has been providing well-known businesses and organisations with strategic advice on innovative and sustainable development and practical implementation to shift away from oil and towards renewable cycles. The focus is on bio-based plastic projects.
There are many layers to sustainability. With regard to the environmental perspective, which heavily focuses on climate protection these days, the energy supply and choice of materials are the main factors. Dr Käb will present the most important principles in respect of sustainable management when selecting materials. The circular economy and renewable materials are at the centre of such deliberations. Examples will be used to illustrate what is possible now and what may be required in the future.
