ABC SEC: Bigger and Better Than Ever

“This year’s educational sessions were sponsored by Brixy^® [a new trade association that supports businesses in the juvenile industry] and were the best ever,” explains Larry Schur, president of All Baby & Child. The 5th Annual ABC Spring Educational Conference, held in Las Vegas from May 7-9, attracted the largest number of exhibiters and attendees to date for the spring event. “The three networking events were the main attractions, and we received an overwhelming number of positive comments about the quality of the events.” The educational meetings garnered positive ratings (98%+ for every session), indicating that the timely topics were on-target for meeting industry needs. Over 160 retailers attended the conference, representing 301 buyers. Some companies that got in on the action were Kore Design, Ragtales, Béaba and Rubens Barn.

Sitting Around with Kore Design

Kore Design, LLC focuses on creating innovative chairs made in the USA. Bob Machol, VP Sales and Marketing, was pleased with the ABC experience: “…we were pleasantly surprised at the amount of attention that we received as a new vendor… normally, it takes years for attendees even to notice that you were exhibiting.”

But it’s not hard to see what attracted all the attention. After all, Kore Design just went home with the 2013 Academics’ Choice Mind Spring Award. The award was given in recognition of Kore Design’s deceptively simple Wobble Chair. The Kids Kore 14” Wobble Chairs call to mind the fun, brightly-colored pieces from a board game. The chairs boast a slightly rounded bottom that allows for kids to find a natural seated position. This makes activities like doing homework or working on a project more comfortable and suitable to a child’s disposition. Since the chair allows for movement, the child actually safely exercises back and leg muscles.

Available in white, red, green, yellow and blue, the stools are a wonderful match for ever-moving children (and would be a boon for those with ADD or ADHD). Kore Design also offers a larger version of its Wobble Chair, the Teen Chair (18” tall, available in green).

For more information, visit www.KoreStool.com

Ragtales Allures with English Charm

Ragtales, an English company that creates sweet, nostalgic toys that draw sighs from both young and old alike, was pleased with the ABC experience. “Great response, several new customers and we have just received our first reorder after only 5 weeks shipping,” notes Blair Everett. “We were surprised at the interest in the cloth books boxed items as well as the mid-range series.”

Ragtales’ cloth books, with classics like the Princess and the Pea and nursery rhymes, are 8 soft pages that engage toddlers and encourage a love of reading. But Ragtales also offers the full range of British charm, from sweet dolls to accessories. Ragtales dolls come in 8 different animal characters, from the neutral-colored Dylan the lamb to the cuddly pink velour Rosie the bunny.

The company also offers a line of Fairytales, characters drawn from our collective imaginations, like The Tooth Fairy and The Princess and the Pea. The fun-to-hold Dollytales line is a collection of pink-cheeked little girls like Molly, with her soft chestnut hair and freckles, and blonde Megan with her polka-dot dress with velour cardigan. The Beartales line is a tribute to the Teddy Bear. Soft white fur makes Darcy a special friend, and her jointed legs and weighted body make for an easy playtime. Fun accessories round out the Ragtales collection.

English charm always warms the heart: www.Ragtales.co.uk

Béaba Overwhelmed — and Overwhelms

One of the most important parts of any show or conference is garnering an understanding of your target audience. “We were overwhelmed by the great feedback.” Béaba CEO Olivier Foglizzo was thrilled about the response to the company at the ABC show. “We got to talk to current and new customers firsthand. It’s really great to put faces to names and to be able to hear from customers what they love about our products, what they want to see more of, and take their suggestions for any improvement. This way we can react faster and help each other sell more.”

Béaba’s popularity is due to its overwhelming penchant for finding real solutions to the issues families face every day. The BabyCook Pro, a combination of food processor and steamer, allows busy parents to create healthy meals for their little ones in less than 15 minutes. This BPA-, Phthalate-, and lead-free device saves time and money. Families can save more by custom-making food ahead of time and freezing it in the Multiportions Freezer Trays. These silicone trays come with seven 2-oz. sections, perfect for storing baby food.

Overwhelm your customers with cooking and feeding solutions from Béaba: www.beaba-usa.com

Rubens Barn: “Handmade Happiness” for Every Child

Rubens Barn — “barn” is Swedish for children — brought its global appeal and individualized touch to the show. Retailers got an eyeful of old world charm. “Handmade Happiness” is the Rubens Barn motto, with a strong emphasis on handcrafted quality that parents appreciate and children adore. There’s a lot for customers to love at Rubens Barn, where the quality toys become more than playmates: they become cherished heirlooms.

The original line of dolls, from cherubic Anna with her petite pigtails to the doe-eyed Meiya, make squeezable companions for children 3 and up. Each life-like doll boasts its own distinct attributes characteristic of hand-made products. Tiny tots can dance their ways into fairytale fantasies with the Mini Ballerinas. Blonde Sara delights with her bright blue eyes and matching leotard.

The popularity of Rubens Barn dolls has spurred the company to branch out into a complete line of custom accessories, including a lightweight wicker Baby Basket and Blanket. The sweet Carrycot 4-in-1 lets children keep their dollies close, mimicking the behavior of good parents everywhere.

The continental nostalgia of Rubens Barn is a fashion that never goes out of style: www.RubensBarn.com

The 2013 ABC Kids Expo and 2014 ABC SEC
The ABC Kids Expo will be held October 15-18, 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Visit www.TheABCshow.com or call (210) 691-4848 for registration and information.

The 6th Annual ABC Spring Educational Conference & Trade Show will be held May 20-22, 2014 at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida.