Après le déluge… it’s the Friday Weblog! – Toy World Journal | The enterprise journal with a ardour for toysToy World Journal

Whereas our gross sales director Mark has been doing his greatest to soldier on by means of the 30-degree warmth in Las Vegas on the Licensing Present, I’ve been in Harrogate for the Toymaster Could Present – and it is without doubt one of the few Toymaster Exhibits I can keep in mind the place it has rained so persistently and so closely. The problem within the marquees this yr wasn’t to keep away from passing out within the warmth, it was with the ability to hear conversations with the torrential rain beating down on the roof.

However did we let the climate dampen our spirits? Clearly not; as soon as we had managed to beg, borrow or steal an umbrella from someplace (one thing Rishi Sunak singularly failed to do that week), it was on with the present.

Forward of the occasion, there had been a lacklustre few weeks’ buying and selling, resulting in rumours that a couple of specialist retailers had determined they’d sufficient inventory to tide them over and, as they most likely wouldn’t be writing a lot enterprise, had elected to not make the trek. I nonetheless assume that was the flawed name, however every to his personal – though I do really feel it is very important look past the following few weeks to higher days forward. Had they been right here, they could nicely have been tempted by a number of the wonderful affords and offers accessible – many suppliers had actually put some thought into that this yr, and it paid dividends.

Regardless of a few absentees, there has nonetheless been an excellent turnout, with Toymaster members and different retail specialists nicely represented – and plenty of exhibitors have instructed me that these retailers who had been right here have been writing orders. Given the present financial scenario, I might say that is a superb end result. I’m additionally delighted for the entire Toymaster crew, who put such unbelievable effort into organizing the present.

We loved two great night occasions: the primary noticed John Adams’ Bruno Gallone being awarded a Toymaster Particular Recognition award. That night additionally noticed Bruno lead toy band, Toy Division, by means of a set of classics that took me again over 40 years to my teenage years (Teenage Kicks was the very first track my first band each tried to play). Large kudos to the entire band for placing on such an ideal present after having had solely three observe classes – I do know simply how tough that will need to have been. And respect to Toymaster’s Paul Reader, who took on the position of Bez for the band – a little bit of dancing, a little bit of backing vocals and a variety of encouraging the viewers to rise up and have a very good time. Sure, he could have appeared like a kind of barely eccentric signal language interpreters you see on televised live shows at occasions, however he threw himself into his position with admirable gusto. It was additionally Bruno’s final ever toy truthful, as he’ll shortly be retiring – that’s actually the best way to exit in type.

The second night noticed a Golden Teddy offered to Epoch’s Jon Ward, Brainstorm’s Nick Saunders honoured with a Pals of Toymaster award, a Particular Recognition award given to Philip Kaye of Kayes of Cardiff and Toymaster’s Provider of the Yr being given to Character – congratulations to all of them. After all, the possibility for exhibitors and guests to mingle in relaxed, convivial environment is at all times a trademark of the occasion. The implausible camaraderie and sense of close-knit group are a key a part of what makes the Toymaster present so particular. Members are eager to share what’s working with different members, and sometimes introduce accounts to one another – there may be minimal competitors between particular person members and even different specialist accounts, so the ‘rising tide floats all boats’ angle may be very a lot the best way everybody works.

And at what different present may you see Colin Lisle on an train cycle within the lobby, elevating consciousness (and funds) for the biking journey he’s about to undertake throughout Cuba to boost cash for the Fence Membership. Nice work Colin. To help his implausible efforts through his Simply Giving web page, please click on right here.

Given the actual fact the toy commerce is like an prolonged household, there have additionally been many conversations right here in regards to the desperately unhappy information that Clive Wooster handed away out of the blue final Saturday. The entire Toy World crew was devastated to listen to of Clive’s premature demise – he was not solely a pleasure to work with, however I counted him as a very good pal. Not often would every week go by when he didn’t e-mail me to speak about what he had learn in that week’s Weblog, and we recurrently shared our respective ideas on the altering nature of the fashionable toy market and the toy retail area. Simply final Friday, we joked about establishing a joint seminar known as ‘the misplaced artwork of negotiation’, after I had talked about within the earlier week’s Weblog how interplay with prospects is so completely different as of late.

As two massive soccer supporters, we additionally talked rather a lot about our respective groups – in addition to being a giant Southampton fan, Clive was additionally an ardent supporter of non-league soccer, and sometimes texted me on a Saturday afternoon to replace me on the sport he was watching at Maidenhead, Basingstoke or another grass roots floor – the mark of a real soccer fan. I’m terrible at deleting textual content messages, and searching again by means of all of them, I simply can’t consider he’s gone so out of the blue – and much, far too quickly. Our ideas are together with his spouse Heather, his two daughters and the various buddies he made within the toy group.

In addition to the most recent gossip (there are actually a couple of issues ‘effervescent’) and the state of enterprise, the opposite massive speaking level of the week was the sudden, surprising announcement that we’ve got a normal election to look ahead to – and I exploit that time period very loosely – in six weeks’ time. Just a few retailers had been sad, as they really feel it received’t assist enterprise within the quick time period. I take a barely completely different view: we desperately want to maneuver previous the state of flux we’ve been in for a while. And a November or December election would have probably been disastrous for festive commerce: simply after we need everybody feeling upbeat and constructive, we’d have discovered ourselves within the midst of what I think shall be a vicious, damaging election marketing campaign. It actually would have stretched the ‘goodwill to all males’ mantra to the restrict, Now, we will see mild on the finish of the tunnel – I take a look at it as a case of short-term ache for mid-term achieve. Hopefully we’ll get what soccer followers name ‘new supervisor bounce’ – a renewed sense that the worst is behind us, and we will look ahead as soon as once more. The second half of the yr – and particularly the festive season – could have obtained a really great addition. A minimum of, I very a lot hope that’s the means it seems.

Due to everybody who made time to speak to the Toy World crew in Harrogate and Vegas, and it’s on to Distoy subsequent week – see you in London.