Toys, games, baby products and stationery are all being showcased in concurrent trade fairs at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next week.
More than 2900 global exhibitors will be featured at the three fairs from Monday to Friday – the 43rd HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, the eighth HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the 17th Hong Kong International Stationery Fair.
There is growing confidence about toy exports for this year, says Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) acting executive director Benjamin Chau, who notes that Hong Kong’s major export products, including toys, are still being affected by the lacklustre global economy.
He says toy exports reached HK$33.8 billion (US$4.3 billion) in the first 11 months of last year, with the industry the only sector to report a higher reading in the HKTDC Export Index for the fourth quarter.
On the other hand, Christmas sales grew in major traditional markets as well as emerging markets such as China. Chau says that under the mainland’s two-child policy, opportunities are expected to emerge in the coming years for the toy and baby-product markets.
He say there is a growing demand for Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) toys, as well as licensed products and toys using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.
Help for buyers
The HKTDC.com Small Orders zone at the HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, along with the HKTDC.com Small Orders Online Transaction Platform and business-matching service offered by the HKTDC will help with product sourcing and building business connections, says Chau.
A record 2100-plus exhibitors from 42 countries and regions will showcase their products at the fair, with first-time participants from Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Denmark. The event is the largest of its kind in Asia and second-largest in the world.
Five group pavilions will feature this year – China, Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the UK. The Smart-Tech Toys zone will feature products with innovative technology capabilities, including mobile apps. New this year are two thematic zones, Pet Toys and Fireworks.
Meanwhile, the HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair also has a record number of exhibitors – nearly 540 companies from 27 countries and regions, including first-time exhibitors from Turkey and Qatar.
Korea’s pavilion will have 32 exhibitors, up by more than 80 per cent from last year. The Brand Name Gallery will feature about 50 brands from 14 countries and regions, while the Baby Tech zone has 22 exhibitors.
Jointly organised by the HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK), the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair will feature more than 250 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions, including the debut of exhibitors from Bangladesh, Finland, India, the Netherlands and Spain. The show includes art and craft supplies, back-to-school items, paper packaging and printing goods, office supplies and gift stationery.

Special events
There will also be industry events held in conjunction with the trade fairs. The Hong Kong Toys Industry Conference 2017 will be held on Tuesday, plus there will be seminars about Stem toys, virtual toys and baby product trends. “Stationery king” Masayuki Takabatake from Japan stationery brand Kokuyo will speak about forthcoming design trends.
Other activities include product demonstrations and launches, as well as buyer forums.
Another highlight will be the Hong Kong Toys and Baby Products Awards 2017 presentation ceremony on Monday, with winning products to feature in a special display.
Also concurrent with the trade fairs is the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show, the largest of its kind in Asia. It will feature more than 370 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions and showcase more than 900 brands and properties.