It’s solely September, however the world’s toymakers and designers are converging on El Segundo this week for an trade convention to resolve on the most popular toys for subsequent yr.
The 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 complicated 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} consumers he hopes will purchase his wares in bulk.
Sarnari is a enterprise developer for instructional 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.
“Of course, this is the most important market in the world,” Sarnari mentioned, 41 occasions larger than the Italian market the place Clementoni sells instructional toys. “The opportunity here is huge.”
A glow-in-the-dark “Stranger Things” 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 Things”-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 significant hub of the U.S. toy trade, mentioned Toy Assn. President Greg Ahearn. Many toy corporations are headquartered or have a major presence right here.
Among the many huge 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 resembling Sonic the Hedgehog.
The headquarters of trade big Mattel is a brief stroll from the Toy Constructing and looms giant within the views from the renovated Seventies workplace constructing in a neighborhood that used to deal with 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.
The town is “incredibly convenient” to the toy trade and individuals who do enterprise with them, Ahearn mentioned, as a result of it’s close to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport and a number of giant 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 greatest concentration of toy manufacturers in the U.S.,” he mentioned.
Toys are an enormous enterprise — the trade generated $42 billion in gross sales within the U.S. final yr. Gross sales remained flat in contrast with the earlier yr.
The opening of the Toy Constructing coincides with the annual fall preview of toys producers hope shall be on Christmas want lists the next yr, he mentioned. “That’s how far ahead our industry 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 resembling Paramount, Common and Disney be part of others within the toy enterprise to “descend on Los Angeles to actually see product that is going to be available for holiday 2026,” Ahearn mentioned.
Licensed toys are an enormous class, he mentioned, as huge leisure suppliers serve up branded fare resembling Star Wars motion figures, SpongeBob SquarePants plush toys and Paw Patrol toddler tricycles.
Even on-line media personalities resembling MrBeast and Ms. Rachel have toy traces.
“All of them usually have some level of toy licensing and merchandising that is available to consumers as part of their plan,” Ahearn mentioned.
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 had been designed to function a “mini convention center” for the trade working year-round, mentioned Nelson Algaze, chief government of SAA Interiors + Structure, which created the area.
It has 65 showrooms and is thus far house to such manufacturers as Crayola, Funko and Hasbro. Every flooring has about 20,000 sq. ft and many of the showrooms are between 625 and a pair 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 maintain their merchandise hidden from the competitors with boundaries that stop passersby from seeing inside.
Images is generally forbidden.
Extra straight 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 an instantaneous reprieve from tariffs on toys imported from China to maintain them on retail cabinets and obtainable for the vacation season.
“As we move into the critical holiday season, there is now some trepidation with what the impact of tariffs is ultimately going to be,” Ahearn mentioned.
Toys are displayed in Clementoni’s new showroom on the Toy Constructing.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Occasions)
