Booming business for Back-to-Schoolers on first day of Middle East Toy Fair

The three-day trade show, which opened today 13 May, in the Sheikh Rashid Hall at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, is being organised by Messe Frankfurt and is the biggest event of its kind in the region.

Toy Fair Middle East, now in its sixth year has always enjoyed strong support from the educational sector but this year the exhibition has created an opportunity that caters to the needs of Back-to-School buyers and marketers keen to establish a promotional edge within the region's business climate.

Among the 150 exhibitors taking part, those in the education zone include Dubai Library Distributor, Centrum Europa, Educational Supplies Co. (Edu Fun), Vietnam First Stationery, Kids and Teachers and a whole host of expert and international establishments.

Rashed Al Kaitoob, Managing Director of Dubai Library, said the exhibition was an essential opportunity for educational experts, buyers and suppliers to network together.

One of the Key speakers of the event, Neil Griffiths who is a former head teacher and the creator of the internationally acclaimed 'Storysack' concept spoke to John Deykin on Dubai eye The concept of story sacks which is a popular, non-threatening way of encouraging parents and carers to start sharing stories with their children, especially those parents with little positive experience of books. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many adults, after they have been involved in a story sacks project, are motivated to take up opportunities for further study and so improve their own skills.

Monica Schulz Blank, the Exhibition Manager of the Toy Fair, added that the show's popularity with exhibitors was also in part due to the large school-age population in the UAE, and that one of the most contested retail seasons in the calendar is the period leading up to the start of the new academic year.

Toy Fair Middle East is open from 10am until 7pm, tomorrow and Tuesday (15th).