The February Overlap
February is a busy month for consumer product safety professionals like me. In the toy industry, the activity leading up to the February Toy Fair and ICPHSO frenzy actually starts a month earlier in January, with the Hong Kong Toy Fair, followed by the London and Nuernberg Toy Fairs. While there were concerns that the poor economy, along with the increased regulatory burden on toy manufacturers, could result in smaller attendance than in past years, attendance at Toy Fair 2010 (US) was reported to have been up by 4 percent.
I love the US Toy Fair, and have been attending it for over 20 years. While the primary purpose of Toy Fair is for manufacturers to sell their new product lines and for buyers to place those orders, Toy Fair offers other great opportunities. As a safety professional, the annual Toy Safety Update seminar is a “must attend.” This year’s highlights included the keynote address by CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum (always good to hear from the top about the Commission’s concerns and priorities), a summary of various state legislative activities (and TIA’s participation in those), and an overview of TIA’s Toy Safety Certification Program (with focus on the benefits particularly for small toy manufacturers). There is also the opportunity to meet with our valued clients and to network with other companies that work hard to help keep toys safe and compliant.
The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) conference, which is also in February, is another “must attend” for consumer product safety professionals. It is not focused specifically on the toy industry but rather addresses the safety of all types of consumer products. This year was ICPHSO’s 17th Annual Meeting and Training Seminar, and attendance was at an all time high. Unlike Toy Fair which focuses more on the creative and marketing side of toys, ICPHSO’s focus is on safety and regulatory requirements. The ICPHSO conference typically includes a “CPSC Day,” which provides a great opportunity to meet and speak with the CPSC staff, along with a “Law” seminar. The first day is typically focused on a particular topic. This year it was International Day, an important topic in this global economy, with product being sold worldwide and standards setting organizations considering harmonization of the various standards.
Unfortunately, attendance at ICPHSO’s International Day was not what it could have been. Why? Because Toy Fair ran from February 14 through 17, and ICPHSO ran from February 15 through 18. Many people who normally attend both important industry events had to choose between the two. Others, like me, spent a few days at each – without being able to fully participate in either one. Toy Fair even cancelled some of its most popular toy safety events such as the Annual Toy Safety Dinner because of the scheduling conflict.
Traditionally ICPHSO followed Toy Fair by a week or two. We need to get back to this schedule. Everyone in the toy industry should speak out and let Toy Fair and ICPHSO organizers know that these conferences should not overlap. These are valuable conferences that benefit the toy and consumer product industry, and the more people that participate the better. Two great shows require two different dates – then everyone wins.
