Hi-tech toys take the spotlight in Hong Kong as makers seek to overcome sales decline
A record 2,100 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions are displaying their wares at the annual toy fair in a bid to overcome market uncertainties
Hi-tech wares stole the limelight at the kickoff of Asia’s largest show for the sector, the 43rd annual Toy and Games Fair, which Hong Kong manufacturers want to use to revive their struggling industry.
The four-day fair, organised by the Trade Development Council, opened in Wan Chai on Monday with a record of more than 2,100 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions
Hong Kong – the world’s second biggest toy exporter – saw the sector falter last year, with exports dropping 24.2 per cent in the first 11 months of last year.
But the industry is looking to capitalise on augmented reality, virtual reality, educational products and licensed toys, the Trade Development Council said.
Hong Kong-based Soap Studio is optimistic about its new smart products, such as a Batman combat game controlled by players’ brainwaves, allowing them to blink and think their way through a game.
“Sales are pretty good for high-technology things,” assistant marketing manager Hung Wing-wing said. “You have to do what the market wants.”