Toy Fair New York, annually a rich source of many Transformers reveals, is postponing its 2021 edition originally scheduled for February 13-16, 2021.
We are developing with our members a Toy Fair offering in the spring of 2021 and of course the always anticipated Toy Fair New York in the expanded Javits Center in February 2022. The Toy of The Year awards (TOTY) and Hall of Fame induction will go virtual for 2021.
Toy Fair New York will still happen. The market opportunity will be there. Stay tuned for an official announcement of specific show dates for both spring 2021 and February 2022, coming later this September.
Read the full press release here, stay tuned to this space for updates then sound off on the 2005 boards!
Rubytarn
I’m wondering if Hasbro will do like a big fan first Friday or a similar event in place of Toyfair. Because I originally thought that May was a little late because we’d pretty much be in the middle of the year. Also, doubt Hasbro would want to wait to May to show off product for the whole year.
T-Hybrid
I don't think anything will change the pace of leaks. And as I said earlier, HasTak don't really seem phased by it either. At least not publicly.
Dann86
Thats very true. Shame this will feed the leaks but as you say its better than nothing.
T-Hybrid
At the rate Kingdom is going, we'll likely see them via leaks before any official reveal.
Which I know isn't the same, but it's something.
jestermon
I wonder what convention centers in big cities will be turned into in the future since the companies won't be allowed to use them.
User_124141
made with mematic
SPLIT LIP
Okay Hasbro that's fine just show us Galvatron and it'll all be copacetic.
protostar8
I don't get why this event couldn't have been handled EXACTLY like most anime cons where it's all just online. The toy companies can stream their products via a youtube channel at a given timespot.
Dann86
It sucks its been pushed back. Im sure the likes of Hasbro will continue with the Fan First live streams in the absense of the cons but its still a shame for a lot of companies thats dont operate that way.
Was hoping on Kingdom Galvatron being revealed or even the Commander class. But peoples health comes first.
Pillowman7
View attachment 28909099 I feel you man
GizmoTron
Kind of, but I doubt Hasbro has anything to worry about. They've been using the Fan First events to great success to keep eyes on all of their projects big and small. And lately some of the biggest surprises have been releases that just pop up at a retailer like Walgreens that weren't even at Toy Fair or Comic Con anyway (Hasbro is literally so big that sometimes even they don't remember everything that they make!).
As for the smaller guys, they'll get by, missing this one event won't hurt them, and locking in distributors and retailers is all handled before Toy Fair anyway. It's just a press event, and that press is still functioning, too, albeit virtually. But you're right, not everything will covered, but honestly it never did. Stuff always falls through the cracks.
Anyway things will return to normal in time, just not by March unfortunately, but Toy Fair will return.
T-Hybrid
Targets and Walmarts are open because grocery shopping is something people can do relatively quickly while also masked. It's why restaurants are a risk point (you sit still around a bunch of people for a while and can't eat while masked). Same reason concert venues are shut down and sporting events are in front of sparse/empty arenas.
Florida is "open" but also a hotzone at the moment. And it's also possible that the timing of NYTF would clash with already dense/expensive travel seasons.
The one thing a lack of any physical space does is hurt smaller companies who get a bit of a bump from being in the same area as the bigger companies/brands. If all you care about is Transformers, that's all you're going to read about. But if press is there to cover Transformers, they may happen upon another robot brand or another converting brand and decide to cover it as well.
Hell, it also kinda hurts the smaller brands within the bigger companies. Hasbro can't leverage the attention from people coming to see their Marvel/Star Wars stuff and walk them past the Transformers/Power Rangers/etc. Even someone covering a specific franchise may miss stuff. If you're there for Transformers, you'll take pics of Generations and Studio and likely grab pics of anything else nearby. But online the story may be focused on the high profile stuff (Ark/Rodimus) and then the stuff that doesn't have the chance to grab your eye line from a shelf gets lost in the shuffle.
There's something to be said about being able to get real product shots in displays out in front of people. Especially when Toy Fair was also where you could handle the figures in front of press and take one-on-one questions.
So I doubt they'll go away even if we get a few years without them.
User_124141
Didn't expect this, who knew this would be cancelled?
WishfulThinking
Those logistics are really up to the businesses, not the organizers.
Again, that's up to the businesses. The organizers can't force quarantines. But they would have to deal with half full hotels.
They would if they could make money from it. Casinos in Vegas are open. Target and Walmart are open. Businesses don't usually do things out of altruism. They do what's in their best interest according to their bottom line. Nothing wrong with it because it often benefits the populace unless there's crony capitalism going on. Obviously, Toyfair and CES organizers feel like it's better to either go virtual or cancel this year because there's no money in doing a reduced version of a live event.
GizmoTron
Pretty much. Parents find out about the hottest toys more from store fliers and segments on the Today Show than they do from Toy Fair. The main purpose of fairs has always been for the investors, and even that is a bit of a formality these days. Toy Fair is not even an event like Comic Con where thousands buy tickets and attend, it's really just an expo for the press and photo ops of new product nowadays, which is still fun to see if you're into the toys, but it can easily run virtually this year with little to no change really to 99% of the people and fans who only ever got the news through the internet anyway.
Mister D
Do they? It's not like the kids or parents pay attention to Toy Fair reveals. They just buy things they see in the store or in commercials or someone else playing with. What they company will need is to make pitches to the various retailers to carry their product, but that's going to be a back room think that the customers will never know about.
prfctcellrulz
And The Ark
IronPrime2169
As has IL, and this is from an Illinoisan. Not surprised this is happening tbh. Like, considering how things are going in the states, this is prob for the best. Just give us some Fan First Fridays and another Pulsecon and most won’t notice the difference. Just please give us some Bay movie toy reveals. I want to see Jolt. Also, give us some Galvy pics and maybe some of the Arkbot
Michael Payton
Fan events are okay for collector's lines. Kids lines that adult collectors tend to ignore like BotBots, Cyberverse and Rescue Bots need some form of venue.
Florida is open and certainly a better (and warmer) place for a weeklong event than NYC or event Pawtucket this time of year. Attendance is already limited to toy buyers and the press, mostly on different days. I'm sure the local hotel, restaurant and convention center industry would appreciate the business.
jignat
Maybe Hasbro's online event will be mid Feb to fill in for ToyFair's usual timing?