More 2022 Toy Fair cancellations: Melbourne Toy Hobby Licensing Fair, Hasbro presence at London Toy Fair

Some unfortunate updates today: the hits just keep coming as the Omicron variant continues to be a going concern across the globe. Where Hasbro had previously stepped back from the 2022 New York Toy Fair (which was eventually canceled anyway), they’ve also signified that they won’t be participating in the 2022 London Toy Fair (which opens January 25).

Also a casualty is the 2022 Melbourne Toy Hobby Licensing Fair, which will no longer be having its in-person exhibition in March but, per this official statement from the organizers, will have digital online presentations from March 28 to April 1:

“It is with much regret that the ATA Board and Management inform our members and the industry that the 2022 Toy Hobby Licensing Fair, which was set to take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, will not go ahead.

The current situation is quite concerning with the spread of COVID through the community and while borders are remaining open, this not only raises concerns around the safety of an event but also its success due to a potential low attendance rate.

Both are vitally important for a successful in-person event.

We understand that this is a disappointing outcome for all and while there was so much positivity prior to Christmas, the current environment proves that things can change quite rapidly and there are no guarantees of improvement in time for the Fair in March.

We are pleased to confirm that the Digital Fair will still take place and with the new dates of Monday 28th March to Friday 1st April. The online fair will provide a platform to promote and source brands and products safely and effectively. While nothing can replace a live event, this will still bring the industry together again in March.

For any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].”

This follows the earlier cancellations of both the New York Toy Fair and the Nuremberg Toy Fair, which were both pegged to be key returns to form after such events were not an option in 2021.

Looks like we’ll continue with the streaming reveals and events for a while longer. For updates on what those might be, let’s stay tuned to the Allspark Facebook page, on our partnered Discord at discord.gg/allspark, and on the Allspark Forums.