NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The $83 billion global toy industry will descend upon New York City this Sunday, February 12th, when the 109th annual American International Toy Fair opens its doors at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for four, jam-packed days of business deals and trend-spotting for the 33,000 guests in attendance.

Owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and the largest toy tradeshow in the Western Hemisphere, Toy Fair 2012 will showcase 100,000 innovative toys, games and youth entertainment products from more than 1,000 exhibitors – from big name companies to exciting new start-ups – across 366,339 net square feet of exhibit space.

"With guests from 110 countries registered to attend, Toy Fair has proven to be a truly global show, not only opening the doors to the highly lucrative U.S. market but serving as an increasingly important gateway to the world market as well," said Marian Bossard, TIA vice president of meetings and events.

The surge in international attendance at the show encompasses a diverse and powerful sea of close to 15,000 buyers and 1,100 worldwide media representatives, who will scour the show floor for hot new tech toys, innovative playthings, classic games, and everything in between.

Many after-hours events, stimulating seminars and networking activities will also take place during the week:

• The TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards, administered by TIA in support of the Toy Industry Foundation, will be held on Saturday, February 11th at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The event honors the best in toys and children's entertainment in eleven industry award categories plus one overall "Toy of the Year" award; the induction of Arnie Rubin, Founder and CEO of Funrise Toys, Ltd., and Frederick August Otto Schwarz, Founder and President of FAO Schwarz into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame; and pays tribute to the Foundation's work to bring the joy of toys and play to kids in need.
• On Sunday, February 12th at 10 a.m. the Toy Fair Opening Ceremony will take place with live musical entertainment and a parade of popular costumed characters during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
• On Monday, February 13th at 2:00 p.m. media will get the inside scoop on 2012's hottest trends at the Toy Trends Tea; the TIA trends specialist will reveal the freshest developments in toys using examples from the show floor.  
• Toy Fair-hosted educational seminars will also be taking place throughout the week, including a Toy Safety Compliance Update with a keynote from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. View the full schedule of happenings at the show under the Events tab on ToyFairNY.com. 
• Play Happens 2012 is now underway, once again blending the fun of Toy Fair with the energy of NYC by turning Manhattan into a virtual board game. Thanks to a new partnership with PunchTab, the game now offers multiple ways to win! Visit the Toy Fair Blog for details.

Registration is mandatory for access to Toy Fair 2012; verification of media credentials is required. Sign up online at www.ToyFairNY.com or on-site during show hours.  Those who can't make it to the show will be kept in the loop by event staff via Twitter (@ToyFairNY, #TF12 and #TFNY), the TIA Press Room, Facebook and the Toy Fair Blog.

About the American International Toy Fair

Toy Fair is an annual event that is owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, the show brings together more than 1,000 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from over 100 countries to showcase an estimated 100,000 toy and entertainment products to the 8,000+ unique retail outlets scheduled to attend.

About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)

TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing 550 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales.  Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. For more information, please visit www.toyfairny.com, www.toyassociation.org or www.toyinfo.org.

SOURCE Toy Industry Association