Pleased by the vibrant atmosphere, Ms Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “It is rewarding to hear positive feedback across the six halls, particularly for our key zones and highlights. The enthusiastic reception of the AI and trendy toy segments proves that the industry is pivoting toward smart technology and design-driven innovation. By integrating these trends with our traditional toys, evolving baby products and expanding licensing sectors, we offer a more comprehensive and future-ready platform for our participants, and the results clearly demonstrate that this multi-sector synergy is what the global market needs.”
Growing internationality and stronger buyer profile
The three trade fairs together hosted 1,495 exhibitors from eight countries and regions – a higher number than the previous editions – covering toy, baby, and licensing brands. The show floor was elevated by the latest industry innovations, most notably within the debut AI & Intelligent Toys Zone, as well as the expanded trendy toys and collectibles segment which included over 300 brands.
The forward-looking product showcases drew high-calibre overseas visitors who praised the fairs as an effective sourcing platform, including seven international buyer delegations from Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand, and a range of VIP buyers. Mainly sourcing trendy toys and baby products for distribution to Africa, Mr David Yaacov Raichlin, CEO of Raichlin Industries (South Africa) said: “Working with brands like McDonald’s and Burger King, I find this three-in-one platform amazing – huge yet easy to explore, featuring quality, professional exhibitors open to product customisation. Some offer ready-made English packaging – a real game changer for the international market. We’ve already found potential collaborators and ordered thousands of samples across different products.”
The future is now: AI and trendy toys take centre stage
At Toy & Hobby China, the AI & Intelligent Toys Zone and the Trendy Toys & Collectibles Zone presented in-demand, cutting-edge, and market-ready designs to a global pool of targeted buyers, setting the tone for the season ahead.
Anhui YODO Intelligent Robot Co Ltd saw positive results on their exhibiting debut, with Sales Director, Ms Lin Tianqi, highlighting the show’s timely focus on AI: “We have garnered immense interest and the visitor profile here has been outstanding, ranging from domestic e-commerce and livestreaming platforms to numerous international clients. The demand for AI-driven toys is growing rapidly, and Toy & Hobby China’s ability to precisely gather active buyers has provided an efficient bridge for us to reach our core customers.”
The same momentum is evident in the trendy toys and collectibles sector, with returning exhibitors like FUNKO noting the growing opportunities and diverse buyer profile, while visitors acknowledged that this year’s richer trendy toy category aligned closely with current trends, meeting rising demand for emotionally meaningful items.
Baby & Stroller China fuelling growth in a resilient market
With overseas buyer brands deeming the fair valuable, third-time exhibitor Mr Li Xianfan, Sales Manager at Zhejiang Tongnian Tongqu Amusement Equipment Co Ltd, likewise appreciated the opportunity for diverse business connections: “The platform enables us to build relationships with overseas buyers, including hard-to-reach offline customers such as wholesalers from Poland. The synergy with the concurrent toy and licensing fairs allows visitors from other categories to discover our products, generating valuable cross-sector footfall and visitor flow.”
Expanded product offerings at Licensing China unlock new opportunities
This edition welcomed the debut participation of several publishing houses. “This marks the first time we showcase our IPs and cultural and creative products at any licensing fair,” said Mr Xu Zhenghui, Cultural and Creative Department Director at People’s Education Press. “We aim to explore suppliers within the Pearl River Delta to diversify our supply chain and sales channels, as well as initiate new collaborations from an IP licensing perspective. The scale of this fair help to attract high calibre collaborators. In just one day, I’ve connected with around 100 potential contacts. We will definitely return next year.”
Returning exhibitor Mr John Sun, Licensing Director at the China Office of FC Internazionale Milano SpA (Italy), was also satisfied with the results for sports licensing – one of the key highlights this year: “Shenzhen is a priority market for us, especially given its concentration of renowned domestic and export brands. This year, the fair has offered even more potential customers. Many trendy toy industry players visited our booth, and we also want to focus on this segment to better engage our younger fans. We’ve seen a significant increase in international buyers and have connected with several overseas clients.”
Fringe events sparked in-depth dialogue among global experts and attendees
Over 10 fringe events addressed the shifts in the worldwide marketplace, ranging from the ‘World of Play’ Summit and the Greater Bay Area Brand Licensing Industry Development Forum to several AI and game / IP focused seminars. Meanwhile, the Toy Award and Hobby Award display areas also drew strong engagement across the three days.
Invited to speak about the influence of social media in marketing, Mr Jerry Phlippeau, CEO of Flipo (USA), highlighted key export potential: “The exhibitors here focus more on brand-building than just product-selling, and the response is overwhelming. I have been receiving many enquiries from manufacturers, including those producing AI toys – who are eager to launch their own brands into the US market. The number of emerging brands in China is eye-opening, which US buyers should consider coming here to see.”
Toy & Hobby China, Baby & Stroller China and Licensing China are organised by the Guangdong Toy Association, Guangzhou Li Tong Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. For more information, please visit:
• Toy & Hobby China
• Baby & Stroller China
• Licensing China
Press information and photographic material:
https://shenzhen-international-toy-and-hobby-fair.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shenzhen/en/press.html
Social media and website:
https://www.facebook.com/sztoybabyfair/
https://www.facebook.com/szlicensingfair/
https://www.twitter.com/sztoybabyfair
https://www.twitter.com/szlicensingfair
https://www.instagram.com/toyandbabyfair.china/
https://www.youtube.com/@sztoybabylicensingfair
https://shenzhen-international-toy-and-hobby-fair.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shenzhen/en.html
https://shenzhen-international-stroller-mother-and-baby-product-fair.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shenzhen/en.html
https://licensing-china.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shenzhen/en.html
Your contact:
Peggy Sou
Phone: +852 2230 9235
peggy.sou@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd
35/F, China Resources Building
26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
www.messefrankfurt.com.hk
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Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,700* people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2025 were around € 766* million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
*Preliminary figures 2025
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