NY NOW to Launch Toy Destination at Winter Show on the Heels of a Successful Summer Market

November 4, 2022

NY NOW, the leading national gift and home wholesale trade show owned by Emerald Holding, will unveil a new dedicated toy destination, PLAY USA, to its market, beginning with the 2023 winter edition. PLAY USA at NY NOW will be the first national destination in 2023 for retailers, wholesalers and distributors to source the latest and greatest toy and trend merchandise.

Taking place Feb. 5-8 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York, NY NOW 2023 Winter Market’s PLAY USA will showcase toys, games and trend merchandise and will capture the spirit of discovery, whimsy and joy that the products on display are created to evoke.

PLAY USA will provide a venue for the vibrant and essential specialty toy market in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states, as well as national accounts across the U.S. beginning in February 2023, which is traditionally the most important time of the year to discover new and exciting product introductions. The timing of NY NOW creates a viable and important new toy and trend resource for buyers as they look to discover new merchandise for their stores after the end of the year holiday cycle.

“The toy industry is thriving despite pandemic-related challenges, and toy sales have continued to spike, with the toy market expected to reach $231 billion by 2028,” said Alana Branston, group vice president, gift and home for NY NOW. “We are excited to create a home at NY NOW PLAY USA for the toy, game and trend professionals who want to continue doing business in the industry’s epicenter: New York City.”


Branston added that NY NOW is looking forward to inviting some of the toy brands on Bulletin, such as Candylab Toys, Green Sprouts, Pebble Child, Kaspiland and others.

“PLAY USA is guaranteed to be a vibrant and successful ‘show within a show’ for toy manufacturers, distributors and retailers alike,” Branston said.

It is expected that hundreds of companies will be featured, covering toys, arts and crafts, publishing and trend in more than 20,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Early brands who have signed up to exhibit at PLAY USA include Ty, Schylling, Ravensburger, Tonies, Fat Brain Toy Co., Playmobil, Mindware, Thames & Kosmos, Crazy Aaron Puttyworld, Tangle, Super Impulse, License-2-Play, Daron Worldwide, Baby Paper, Spincopter, Uniche, Fantasma, Fun Express and Dreamgearmand Brightz.

NY NOW 2023 Summer Market Success

The new PLAY USA venture comes following a greatly successful NY NOW 2022 summer edition in August, which showed significant increases in both brand and buyer participation compared to the 2021 edition.

Exhibitor participation increased by 54%, and buyer attendance increased by 10%. In addition, NY NOW’s international footprint significantly rose, with 221 global brands from across 48 countries, including Morocco, France, Chile, Ghana, El Salvador and many more. Exhibitors highlighted products from general gifts, accessories, home goods and apparel.

“NY NOW’s summer market exuded the power of transformation as the industry welcomed Alana, Ali and the Bulletin team to the NY NOW marketplace,” said Karalynn Sprouse, EVP, retail at Emerald. “There is a renewed, collective drive amongst retailers to connect with their current brands while sourcing new and emerging designers for their customers.

Sprouse added, “With over 250 new brands and a full schedule of panels, talks and guest appearances throughout the four days, it was inspirational to see how NY NOW reignited the power of small businesses, especially as we head toward the market’s milestone 100th anniversary.”

The NY NOW and recently acquired Bulletin teams have united and will collectively reimagine the wholesale gift and home landscape with a shared commitment to providing small businesses, designers and artisans an opportunity to have their brands discovered and shared with the masses.

“This was an exciting four days for all of us at Bulletin, joining the NY NOW market for the first time,” Branston said. “Many of our brands have never experienced a market on this scale. The exposure to the Bulletin team was definitely educational and will help firm up our strategy on ways to evolve the show for 2023.”

Support and mentorship for exhibitors was the main priority throughout the summer market’s activations, as emerging brands continue to recover from the pandemic and crushing supply chain demands. This year’s event featured a range of conversations that offered attendees expert advice, from how to engage with Gen Z to design and licensing expertise and trends for spring/summer 2023.

Buyers and exhibitors alike raved about the show.

Buyer Barbara Mooney, owner of Daisy’s has been coming to NY NOW twice a year for 15 years. 

“It’s a can’t miss show for me because you get to enjoy the energy of the show and the excitement in a magically creative place,” Mooney said. “NY NOW is important for us because we need to bring the newest and the most exciting products to our customers, and this market stays very current with what’s happening.”

Exhibitor Lisa Watkins, co-founder of Wanderfull Bags said NY NOW was the company’s first-ever trade show, and she couldn’t believe how successful it was.

“We got enough orders by lunch on the first day to recoup our entire investment in exhibiting at NY NOW,” Watkins said. “The volume of retail orders was huge, from small boutiques to large buyers, including the Marriott Hotel, a museum in Seattle and a bunch of chain stores in Texas. And we’ve made incredible connections at the market. We are beyond thrilled.”

NY NOW 2023 Summer Market will be held Aug. 13-16 at the Javits Center.

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.