From the Editor: Playing From Coast to Coast

I used to say that LA was my second house.

Years in the past, lengthy earlier than I took this gig, I spent a lot time in Los Angeles. My early journeys had been these fueled by artistic pursuits as an actor, screenwriter, and musician. My later adventures leaned closely into the enterprise facet of issues, significantly media, advertising and marketing, and consulting.

Who knew that the toy trade’s organic migration to the West Coast would finally put a brand new spin on life’s adventures? For me, all of it feels proper, as if the relentless pursuit of many seemingly unconnected pursuits has led to this second— a serendipitous synergy sparking new tales but to be advised.

Briefly, the LA Fall Toy Previews had been inspiring.

Our Toy Guide workforce, together with Vice President & Group Writer Jackie Breyer, Govt Director of Gross sales & Advertising James “JD” Devin, and myself, rolled into the LA space with a jam-packed new issue of The Toy Book and left behind a pile of NDAs, every exchanged for an early take a look at new toys and video games set for launch in fall of 2025 and past.

Whereas a few of these merchandise received’t make it to Toy Honest New York (a scarcity of retail buy-in will doom a toy), I imagine that the trade as an entire is positioned for an enormous vacation season subsequent yr.

I’m not knocking this yr’s product assortment — in spite of everything, This autumn begins in a couple of week, and the trade wants some hits — however subsequent yr seems nice. In a enterprise the place “newness” and “innovation” are fixed buzzwords (and typically extra discuss than motion), it’s nice to see pleasure on the horizon. Not solely have many corporations upped their recreation, they’ve completed it whereas retaining prices in line. Barring any unexpected weirdness (I’m wanting on the tariff dialog once more), youngsters and households can stay up for some unbelievable new toys and video games, lots of which pack a ton of worth for the worth. In fact, MSRPs can undoubtedly change.

What I can say is that the [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] from [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] ought to do fairly effectively at retail. Can I actually write 1,000 phrases with out sharing a single product that I noticed in LA? Sure, and I’m doing it now. Okay, I’ll admit to having seen [REDACTED] whereas in The Loyal Topics’ showroom, and you may guess what that is likely to be if you’ve read this.

New Noise

Past the excitement of trade occasions, together with The Toy Basis’s Occasion with a Objective (shout-out to Blues Traveler for the funky covers of “Conflict Pigs” and “The Satan Went All the way down to Georgia!”) and Girls in Toys, Licensing & Leisure’s Marvel Girls Awards, the scattered nature of this yr’s previews was a scorching subject as patrons and others sought to navigate a number of rental areas in El Segundo whereas additionally making it out to present toy and recreation producers with everlasting areas all through the higher Los Angeles space, together with JAKKS Pacific, Jazwares, MGA Leisure, Moose Toys, Spin Grasp, Wham-O, and ZURU. By the tip of the journey, I may’ve written a e book entitled The Ubers of El Segundo.

On one facet of city, anchored by Mattel, 1960 on Grand has flourished right into a vibrant middle of motion crammed with pleasant faces and nice merchandise from dozens of corporations. The work of John Ollen and Jonathan Busher is famous and appreciated, as this “new Toy Constructing” stands tall with some new additions, together with exterior signage for Connetix and Sunny Days Leisure, each of which have established stunning ground-floor showrooms.

Different places, together with Regus, OPEN, and Areas at OPEN, had been additionally bustling with exercise regardless of feeling a tad extra “sterile” than the welcoming halls of 1960. In line with a number of sources, the optimistic response to showrooms in these buildings prompted the signing of some 3 to 5-year leases.

Up the street, the large wildcard this yr opened its doorways as The Toy Affiliation performed host to its first official LA Fall Preview with three flooring of a constructing throughout from LAX. There was an extremely optimistic vibe — a welcome change from current years — whereas roaming the flooring within the Affiliation’s area, and I had an awesome assembly with new Toy Affiliation President & CEO Greg Ahearn alongside Folks of Play founder Mary Couzin (keep tuned for extra from that). Regardless of being marketed as an appointment-only affair, almost all exhibitors accepted walk-ins, and a few famous that their appointment books weren’t as full as they’d hoped, however they remained upbeat. That stated, I imagine that the learnings of this yr will positively impression future actions in El Segundo, maybe together with a transfer to get the Affiliation into an area a bit nearer to the cluster of different buildings. There may be some actual potential right here, and I’m excited to see it.

Having created a print listing within the LA Fall Toy Previews problem of The Toy Guide, we, too, have some learnings — together with a request from Worldwide sourcing knowledgeable Thierry Bourret to make it a pull-out subsequent yr (famous!).

With the variety of exhibiting corporations leaping from round 30 just a few years in the past to almost 300 this fall, a great variety of gamers from the worldwide group arrange store in El Segundo with the intention of creating or rising their companies in North America. Outfits like Addo Play, Spinnovation, Heathside Trading, and Blokees are just some of the businesses making noise and doubtlessly making an enormous splash within the yr forward.

The Subsequent Wave of Mega-Franchises Comes from Digital

A private spotlight of this yr’s previews occurred on September 12, due to Steven Ekstract, Genna Rosenberg, Sid Kaufman, and the remainder of the crew that placed on the X Tracks Boards Way forward for Licensing Summit at United Expertise Company in Beverly Hills.

It was an honor to talk alongside Bruce Gersh (Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media), Adam Goodman (INVIZ for Skibidi Rest room), and Elie Dekel (Dekel Manufacturers) in regards to the subsequent wave of mega-franchises which are rising from digital-first content material.

This well timed panel arrived on the cusp of a revolution that I imagine will pressure an overdue acceleration in speed-to-market inside the toy trade. Collaboration between content material creators, toymakers, and retailers would be the key to success as audiences search seamless alternatives to interact — and play — with their favourite new manufacturers. However they received’t wait. They need totally developed worlds with considerate toys, video games, and publishing tie-ins. If these don’t exist, they’ll both create them themselves or transfer on.

Skibidi Toilet and The Amazing Digital Circus are simply two examples of manufacturers about to pop in an enormous means, and the world is watching. For these enjoying alongside at house, Bonkers Toys has Skibidi Rest room on deck whereas Moose Toys is becoming a member of the Circus.

Connecting the Previous, Current, and Future

Whereas our trade is steeped in custom, typically previous partitions should crumble and fall to make means for a brand new period. That is occurring now as trade legends of the previous and current unite to assist to those that will carry the enterprise into the long run. There was no higher instance of this than at The Toy Affiliation’s mixer at Otis College of Art and Design.

The hands-on creativity on show within the pupil galleries is astounding. Even now, because the definition of “play” evolves and corporations flip to doubtful AI to churn out new and untested product concepts, youngsters are nonetheless studying to precise themselves in methods that may guarantee a human contact stays the guiding pressure of recent play experiences created for the long run. Sure, the tech will evolve, hopefully to be used as a useful set of instruments, however a real creator has to information the undertaking. With these gifted college students, the way forward for the trade shines shiny!

Again to New York

After every week in LA, I made a rapid cease house to the Third Coast (Chicago) earlier than regrouping with our Toy Guide workforce at Journey Media & Occasions (AM&E) in New York Metropolis. Final week, our sister publication, The Toy Insider, launched its 19th annual Holiday Gift Guide at Vacation of Play, the toy trade’s unofficial kick-off to the vacation promoting season.

In a packed home, prime press, media, content material creators, and social media influencers went palms on with the merchandise featured on The Toy Insider’s legendary Sizzling 20, STEM 10, and 12 Below $20 lists, all of which had been completely revealed on NBC’s TODAY Show within the hours main as much as the occasion.