The Dallas Market Centre was abuzz last week during the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) Fall Toy Preview® where 2,662 members of the international toy industry came together to broker business deals for 2012. Buyers from around the world – including 493 U.S. buyers and 191 international buyers – represented 116 retail outlets from 30 countries.

Held October 4-6, 2011, this year’s event welcomed 17 of the top 25 toy sellers in North America and 30 of the Top 250 Global Powers of Retailing (including Wal-Mart, Target, Big Lots, Costco, CVS, Toys R Us GameStop and Williams-Sonoma) who viewed products from 284 exhibiting toy companies with closed, open or combination booths – including Big Time Toys, Cardinal Industries, Funrise, Leapfrog, Melissa and Doug, Playmobil, Silverlit, Asmodee, Talicor, Thames & Kosmos and Zike. The top five countries/international cities represented by buyers were Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Mexico and Panama.

“This year’s show saw a significant international presence,” said Joan Wyche, director of buyer relations & attendee services at TIA. “Fourteen percent of all manufacturers’ reps at the show were international compared to only 8% last year, and 29% of all buyers at the show were from foreign countries.”

The 2011 iteration of the event was one day shorter than in past years, which was positively received by all, according to Marian Bossard, TIA vice president of meetings and events.

“Fall Toy Preview 2011 was a resounding success,” said Bossard. “Early feedback from exhibitors showed that some had twice as many appointments than in the past, with one company reporting that they had 92 appointments scheduled over the three days.”

Bossard added that the new, open-concept floor plan helped attendees navigate the show with ease, and the opening night party, with a performance by Kidz Bop (sponsored by Imperial Toy), allowed attendees to mingle and have some fun before getting down to business.

Fall Toy Preview is a by-appointment-only event designed to give toy buyers from long lead and mass market retail outlets a central marketplace in which to meet one-on-one with their vendors 12-15 months in advance of in-store delivery. To participate, exhibitors must currently sell to mass market accounts; all products shown must be available for fourth quarter sales in the following year.

Information about Fall Toy Preview 2012 will be made available in the coming months at FallToyPreview.org.