Richard Gottlieb

Heading to ToyCon
May 1, 2008

I am in the airport waiting to board my plane for Phoenix. Its spring and that means it's ToyCon time. ToyCon for those who may not be familiar with it is a conference for toy industry leadership. It allows senior management of the many toy manufacturers to get together in one place and relax, learn as well as talk. 

I like it because it brings together a smart group of people with a common interest. The whole is far more than the sum of the parts and if you do some effective listening there is a great deal to learn.

Some of what I hopet to learn this year is:

• What is the mood of the industry? 
• Are they going to invest in new products as a way of dealing with a slumping economy or are they going to hunker down and take few chances?
• Are they planning on continuing to manufacture exclusively in China or are they broadening their production portfolio?
• Are “Green” and “Made in America” passing fads or will they have traction for the foreseeable future?
• Are they still concerned about safety issues or do they feel it is now under control?

It will be an interesting few days.

Posted by Richard Gottlieb on May 1, 2008 | Comments (1)