So you’re going to Toy Fair! Congratulations! You’re going to have so much fun. This year was my first time attending, so I thought I’d share some advice for other first-timers.

Before You Go:

Download the Toy Fair App

The Toy Fair app is a necessity. It has a very detailed floor plan that also functions as a map, so you can not only pick out the places you want to go, but also see where you are as well. There’s a planner function, so you can add in your meetings and appointments as well as the different talks you’d like to attend, so your schedule is all in one place.

Plan out the different talks you’d like to attend in advance.

Check out the Toy Fair website (you can also do this in the app!) to see the different talks you can attend. This year had some interesting ones—Interactive Storytelling, Marketing & Media in Play, The American Kid Consumer—to name a few. Stop by and listen in, most of them are only 20-30 minutes long! Plus, if you’ve been walking around all day, it’s a nice chance to rest your legs!

Check out the list of booths in advance

Similarly, take a look at what companies have booths and make a note of their booth number. There’s lots of signs pointing you in the direction of different numbered booths, but the numbers are no use if you don’t know which company has which booth number.

Wear comfortable shoes & bring a water bottle

You will be on your feet a lot. Pretty much the whole time, actually. So today is not the day to debut your new heels or loafers. Today is the day for your tried-and-true sneakers—even if they don’t go with your outfit.

Also, bring a water bottle. While there’s water fountains and places you can purchase water, having water accessible at all times is key—it’s a long day with lots of talking involved—you’ll get thirsty.

What to check out at Toy Fair

Booths

Companies reserve booths at Toy Fair and have the freedom to design them however they like to show off their toys—new and old! Often there’s live demonstrations of toys and games, and sometimes inventors talking about their inspiration behind their creation.

Some booths that I loved? The LEGO exhibit was a home run: they designed a small park entirely out of LEGOs, complete with huge bouquets of flowers, a koi pond, critters like squirrels, pigeons, a praying mantis, even a rat eating a piece of pizza! They had the sounds of birds chirping playing, and walk through the “park” took you through glass display cases of their LEGO sets, some new, some classics. There was also a huge LEGO wall with areas you could create your own message or picture on.

Another favorite of mine was the Fun in Motion Toys set up. They had actually acrobats on stilts and aerial silks! What better way to convey their brand! I also stopped by the Insect Lore booth, where they had a butterfly garden with real butterflies!

Toy of the Year Showcase

Each year, toys and games are awarded the Toy of the Year award, and they have them on display at Toy Fair! Stop by to see which toys in each categories came out on top.

Toy Industry Hall of Fame Wall

Another neat feature at Toy Fair is the Toy Industry Hall of Fame wall, with all of the inductees listed, plus the year they were inducted on there. This year’s inductees: Maxine Clark, Founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Sharon DiMinico, Founder of Learning Express Toys, and Professor Ernő Rubik Inventor of the Rubik’s Cube.

My Advice

My number one piece of advice is to be friendly! My full-time job sadly lies outside of the toy industry, so from an outsider’s perspective, the one thing I admire the most about the toy industry is just how happy everyone that’s a part of it is. Make new friends and build new connections—it’s easy when you already have something in common: everyone loves toys!