The Australian Toy Association Serves The Industry In Many Important Ways

Alice Sanderson
Alice Sanderson — Executive Manager at the Australian Toy Association

The annual Toy Fair is the premier Toy industry event in Australia and members of the ATA benefit from a generous discount to exhibit. The fair which sees over 5,000 people through the door attracts both international and domestic visitors, all with the aim to do business and network over the 4-day event. The coveted ATA Industry awards are also presented at the Gala Dinner which is held on the first evening of the Fair. Exhibitors are provided the opportunity to enter these awards which are judged by independent industry professionals. The ATA’s other initiative’s such as the ATACF Charity Arm and the Value of Play program are also important areas that the Association focuses on. The ATA Charitable Foundation was developed through the industry’s commitment to all children, especially those in need. Through special fund-raising events and donations, the money raised goes directly to the causes supported by the ATACF with the Association meeting all administrative costs.

All children have the right to education and play, no matter their background.

The promotion and communication of the Value of Play (VOP) is therefore high on the agenda and we consider this especially important in the age of digitalisation. The VOP website and social media channels are a support to parents and professionals in encouraging play for all children and this message has been particularly helpful at this time of COVID 19. They provide a great resource through these difficult times and offer valuable tips for families spending time together.

Play is about allowing our children to develop physically, emotionally and intellectually and toys are the tools to assist this. That is why the compliance of products our industry provides, is imperative to ensuring the safety of children while they do this. ATA plays a key role in this area as we supply a free compliance query service to our members as well as represent the industry on both national and international standards committees. Our aim where possible is to align standards globally as this reduces barriers to trade for our members.

Alongside our compliance query service, we have also developed a Compliance App that assists our members in identifying the requirements for their product. Once these have been determined, the end report provided by the app can then be supplied to manufacturers, testing houses and their customers. ATA’s major objective is in delivering information and providing services that extend the performance of our industry. We regularly communicate through our monthly newsletters, regular EDM’s and informative webinars. We provide industry reports to assist businesses in identifying statistics and trends.

We have also developed a sustainability committee to identify methods in producing, reusing and recycling the products the industry provides and we are continually evolving to ensure we remain relevant and able to support our members.

For further information on ATA membership please feel free to contact the team by visiting — austoy.com.au

The Australian Toy Association is an independent, financially strong and well-resourced body. We were established in 1983 with our roots in the Toy Industry, however these days, with an ever-changing society, membership has diversified across a larger number of products including toys, hobbies, nursery, clothing, confectionery, games including electronic and video, books, collectibles, car safety, furniture, sports, lifestyle and licensed products. With such an extensive product range represented, the Membership of the ATA has developed and grown to not only include products for children and family leisure but also learning, entertainment and information services.


This article was originally featured in our July 2020 magazine

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