It’s solely September, however the world’s toymakers and designers are converging on El Segundo this week for an trade convention to determine on the most well liked toys for subsequent 12 months.
Town has lengthy been a hub for the toy trade as corporations wish to arrange store within the shadow of Mattel, the maker of Barbie. This week, the trade opened a brand new tower of toys, an workplace advanced that includes 65 showrooms for toy corporations to showcase their merchandise and focus on design with their wholesale clients.
In his toy-filled suite with sprawling views of the industrial neighborhood close to LAX, Italian toy maker Matteo Sarnari ready for the approaching fall onslaught {of professional} patrons he hopes will purchase his wares in bulk.
Sarnari is a enterprise developer for academic toy creator Clementoni, which was established in a small Italian village in 1963 and just lately established a U.S. division to maneuver into the American market.
“In fact, that is a very powerful market on the planet,” Sarnari stated, 41 occasions greater than the Italian market the place Clementoni sells academic toys. “The chance right here is large.”
A glow-in-the-dark “Stranger Issues” puzzle is displayed in Clementoni’s new showroom on the Toy Constructing.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
The corporate has licenses to make “Harry Potter” and “Stranger Issues”-themed puzzles, becoming a member of its line of board video games, science toys and musical toys for babies.
Clementoni’s El Segundo beachhead is the brand new Toy Constructing, which was opened on Monday by the Toy Assn., a commerce group for U.S. toy corporations.
Whereas the February Toy Honest in New York is the trade’s largest annual occasion, the El Segundo toy showroom constructing is the one one within the nation that operates year-round.
Toy Assn. President Greg Ahearn poses for a portrait on the Toy Constructing.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
Los Angeles is a serious hub of the U.S. toy trade, stated Toy Assn. President Greg Ahearn. Many toy corporations are headquartered or have a major presence right here.
Among the many massive gamers are Chatsworth-based MGA Leisure, the corporate behind Bratz and L.O.L. Shock! dolls, Canadian toy and leisure firm Spin Grasp and Santa Monica’s Jakks Pacific, a maker of licensed toys akin to Sonic the Hedgehog.
The headquarters of trade big Mattel is a brief stroll from the Toy Constructing and looms massive within the views from the renovated Seventies workplace constructing in a neighborhood that used to accommodate extra aerospace corporations.
The Toy Constructing on Wednesday in El Segundo.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
As aerospace has scaled again because the finish of the Chilly Battle, El Segundo has emerged as a hub for a lot of inventive companies, together with toys.
Town is “extremely handy” to the toy trade and individuals who do enterprise with them, Ahearn stated, as a result of it’s close to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport and a number of massive and small toy corporations are positioned there. Amongst them are the U.S. workplace of Moose Toys, an Australian maker of collectible mini-figures.
“El Segundo represents the best focus of toy producers within the U.S.,” he stated.
Toys are an enormous enterprise — the trade generated $42 billion in gross sales within the U.S. final 12 months. Gross sales remained flat in contrast with the earlier 12 months.
The opening of the Toy Constructing coincides with the annual fall preview of toys producers hope will probably be on Christmas want lists the next 12 months, he stated. “That’s how far forward our trade works.”
Clementoni child toys are displayed of their new showroom on the Toy Constructing.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
On the fall preview, retailers and licensors of toys akin to Paramount, Common and Disney be part of others within the toy enterprise to “descend on Los Angeles to truly see product that’s going to be accessible for vacation 2026,” Ahearn stated.
Licensed toys are an enormous class, he stated, as massive leisure suppliers serve up branded fare akin to Star Wars motion figures, SpongeBob SquarePants plush toys and Paw Patrol toddler tricycles.
Even on-line media personalities akin to MrBeast and Ms. Rachel have toy strains.
“All of them often have some degree of toy licensing and merchandising that’s accessible to shoppers as a part of their plan,” Ahearn stated.
A Clementoni model “Pen Creator Studio” toy is displayed in a brand new showroom on the Toy Constructing.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
The Toy Constructing’s 4 flooring have been designed to function a “mini conference heart” for the trade working year-round, stated Nelson Algaze, chief govt of SAA Interiors + Structure, which created the house.
It has 65 showrooms and is to date house to such manufacturers as Crayola, Funko and Hasbro. Every ground has about 20,000 sq. ft and a lot of the showrooms are between 625 and a couple of,500 sq. ft. The showrooms are almost 70% leased.
Though it has lounges and assembly rooms, the Toy Constructing additionally has a component of secrecy not usually related to a conference facility as some toymakers preserve their merchandise hidden from the competitors with obstacles that stop passersby from seeing inside.
Images is generally forbidden.
Extra immediately looming over the trade is the fallout from President Trump’s tariffs on imported items, that are anticipated to drive up the price of toys.
In April, the Toy Assn. urged the U.S. authorities to grant a right away reprieve from tariffs on toys imported from China to maintain them on retail cabinets and accessible for the vacation season.
“As we transfer into the important vacation season, there may be now some trepidation with what the affect of tariffs is finally going to be,” Ahearn stated.
Toys are displayed in Clementoni’s new showroom on the Toy Constructing.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
