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I have to say that my favourite children’s trade show is Playtime New York. Well, two (main) good reasons for that: it takes place in my favourite city, it is also small (77 brands) and well curated, with a consistent assortment of products. To a few exhibitors, this edition was a bit quiet, but generally speaking it seems that most of the visitors and participants had a good time. I have asked a few of them for their feedback:

“very well curated,  a joy to shop; Playtime makes my job a lot easier” Cristina Villegas / Yoya NY
“It was nice to see everyone I love together in one place. I was crazy about ESP no.1, boy + girl was new and fun AND made in USA (love that!). I’m so happy that more people have figured this out, I think it’s more important than ‘organic’, but if you can do BoTH (like nico nico!) it’s amazing! Lots of good design and not overdone.” Carina Schott / Nonchalant Moms, USA

“Playtime New York is always the highlight of the fair calendar for us and this one was no exception!  We met most of our existing US stockists and some great new customers from cities in the US we do yet have representation. The streets made us fell brand new and the big lights inspired us!” Ian Reynolds / Pale Cloud, Sweden

“Exhibiting at Playtime NYC is always a great experience! Is very important for our US clients to have the opportunity to touch and feel the collection. For them it is very different from buying trough a catalogue. For us it’s a big pleasure and responsibility to meet the clients and share with them passion for our work.” Carla, Bobo Choses / Barcelona, Spain

“Playtime is a fabulous show which doesn’t feel like a typical tradeshow but rather catching up with friends in an intimate space with good vibe, good mood and good food. The brother and sister team, Sebastien and Marie, running Playtime are not only delightful but also have a particular attention to details which we appreciate very much. We had a lot of fun designing our booth and enjoyed presenting our favorite collection yet (we do say that every year, but we mean it!) in such good company. It feels like a home away from home except nicer, much nicer!” Sophie Demenge / Oeuf  NY

I managed children’s trade shows* in the past, so when I visit fairs, people often ask if I am still involved with the organisation. The answer is NO, I am not anymore, I now visit in a relaxed way, for journalistic purposes (Pirouette + Doolittle France and Naif Spain&Brazil, the magazines I represent in the UK). Nothing more…

Next edition of Playtime New York : 4-6 August, 2012

*(Bubble New York/Bubble London, co-founded with Vanessa Boz)