News Navigation
News Navigation
News Navigation
For Messe.TV, the 2018 trade fair year was marked by a strategic realignment. The editorial presence was deliberately more concentrated and the content focus was set more clearly. The focus was on the Spielwarenmesse, which accounted for the majority of reporting this year. It is precisely this consolidation that now allows us to take a precise look at trends and developments in the toy market shortly before the strong digitalisation of the following years.
The 2018 Toy Fair revealed a tension between classic play and technical enhancements. Products such as Robo Chameleon and programmable robots illustrate how early the topic of coding and technology education arrived in children's bedrooms. At the same time, construction kits, marble runs and model lorries remained central components of the range as kits rather than finished products. Remote-controlled vehicles, Carrera racing cars with cockpit cameras and self-balancing skateboards represent a generation of technology-oriented toys. The hybrid multicopter with generator drive also demonstrates the convergence between leisure products and engineering technology.
In addition to technology-driven innovations, traditional themes remained strongly present. Schleich's riding stable play world, anniversaries such as twenty years of Baby Annabell, and Soft Cuddly Friends from Steiff underscore the importance of established brands. Iconic superhero costumes, agent chase games from Schmidt Spiele and The Deep – Nekton's play figures reflect the strong presence of licence-based worlds. At the same time, there was still room for classic rag dolls, natural soft toys and games of skill such as Polar Smash.
A defining motif in 2018 was the ‘principle of open play space’. Toys should not only fulfil a function, but also enable creative expansion. Coffee house-style toy shops, convertible baby walkers and modular scooter kits represent this approach. Suitability for everyday use also came to the fore: beanbags for leisure and living spaces, electric-powered children's vehicles and pedal vehicles show how play and everyday life are converging. Even topics such as professional make-up and sound quiz formats for hearing tests expanded the classic understanding of toys.
The question of how to get gamers away from the screen was openly discussed in 2018. Products that combine the digital and analogue worlds in play were intended to bridge the gap. Programming robots, AR elements and electronic pets were contrasted with classic construction kits and mechanical marble runs. This balance between screen proximity and tactile experience has had a particular impact on the year. Looking back, 2018 appears to have been a transitional phase: digital impulses were clearly visible, but physical play remained dominant.
The 2018 archive is therefore deliberately focused. Due to the strategic reorientation, trade fair reporting was reduced but clearly structured in terms of topics. Today, the articles on the 2018 International Toy Fair offer a concentrated overview of trends ranging from enthusiasm for technology to licensing worlds and classic play culture – in a year that was quieter in terms of editorial coverage but certainly concise in terms of content.
Trade fair reporting Germany - Trade fair knowledge, dates & events
