A prestigious collection of companies have already signed up to exhibit at the 109th American International Toy Fair. And, they won’t be disappointed as 20 of the Top 25 Toy Sellers have already registered to attend the 2012 event. Dubbed “the largest toy box” in North America and the place where trends are born, Toy Fair 2012 is scheduled for 12-15 February at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

With names such as Amazon, Walmart, Disney Store, Meijer, Target, ToysRUs, Harrods, Best Buy Mexico, and Sears Guatemala on the list of heavyweights attending, Toy Fair 2012 has already attracted 39 of the Top 250 Global Powers of Retailing. So far, 86 countries are represented among the nearly 1000 exhibitors further illustrating that Toy Fair in New York is an essential venue for companies seeking distribution in North America and an important stop on the First Quarter global toy show circuit.

“We’re thrilled with the retail outlets planning to attend and the levels of confidence and optimism they express,” commented Marian Bossard, Vice President of Meetings and Events at the U.S. Toy Industry Association. “This kind of positive news reaffirms Toy Fair’s reputation as the epicenter of toy and youth product creativity, originality and excellence in the Western Hemisphere.”

The show looks to be a mix of old and new with some buyers who have been attending Toy Fair for more than 50 years and 10 per cent of all registrants are first-timers, hoping to tap into the lucrative $22 billion U.S. toy market.

A new buyer/exhibitor matching program brings extra benefits for attendees. Buyers are asked to identify what types of products they’re interested in during the registration process. Based on their responses, they are automatically matched with companies who carry those products and are able to immediately send appointment requests to meet with those exhibitors at the show.

Online visitor registration for Toy Fair 2012 is now open at www.ToyFairNY.com.