The Toy Fair announced this past Sunday that it is moving to New Orleans for shows in 2026, 2027 and 2028.
This event will bring over 20,000 attendees from around the globe annually for the largest toy experience that unifies the toy industry. The respective staffs of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and New Orleans & Company have collaborated to make this event possible.
Toy Fair Show Announces Move to New Orleans
"After gathering opinions from key retailers, members/exhibitors of The Toy Association and based on a number of evaluation factors including timing, high-quality space availability, access to transportation, and affordability for exhibitors and attendees, it became clear that New Orleans would be the best fit for the Toy Fair - and best meet the needs of all our diverse guests," says Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of The Toy Association.
"New Orleans has state of the art facilities including a brand-new airport, renowned restaurants, museums, music, an array of event spaces, and a strong collaborative partnership between the Convention Center, New Orleans & Company, and the business community, making it a perfect, welcoming fit for Toy Fair," says Pasierb.
An event of this size and scope is normally years in the making, similar to other major shows, conventions and championship events regularly hosted in New Orleans.
"New Orleans is globally celebrated as a center of creativity and innovation—a perfect fit for Toy Fair. While we know our community is uniquely built to host events like this one, this major win for our city is a testimony to the hard work and professionalism of our respective staffs as well as how we have positioned New Orleans to attract and take advantage of these opportunities," says Walt Leger, III, President & CEO of New Orleans & Company.
"Our teams are among the most respected in the industry and their work in attracting this event will sustain thousands of jobs, result in tens of millions of dollars in direct economic impact and generate millions in local and state taxes," says Leger, III.
For the past two years, New Orleans & Company and the Convention Center have promoted New Orleans as "Built To Host," which is a moniker that speaks for itself. Toy Fair chose New Orleans because of the city's state-of-the-art facilities, including a new airport, renowned restaurants, museums, music and an array of event spaces. New Orleans' compact and walkable footprint is a great fit for Toy Fair.
"We are very excited for the opportunity to host Toy Fair's 20,000 attendees, and over 700,000 square feet of fun and I commend our staff and New Orleans & Company staff for putting in the hard work to make it happen swiftly," says Michael J. Sawaya, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center President and CEO.
Toy Fair Show
The Toy Fair Show has been active in New York City for the past 118 years. Founded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is a not-for-profit trade association that represents all businesses involved in creating and delivering youth entertainment products for kids of all ages.
