A Friend of Your Friend Is My Friend: Connections at the L.A. Fall Toy Preview

EL SEGUNDO, CA — September 2025 — The Toy Industry Association’s Fall Toy Preview, part of the Market Week in its new El Segundo beautiful toybox, opened this past week with ribbon-cuttings, celebration, and the kind of serendipitous encounters that remind us why trade events can’t be beat. In a business built on imagination, connections are the glue that holds ideas, deals, and even lifelong friendships together.

For me, this year’s show has been less about product reveals and more about people. After years of Teams calls and LinkedIn messages, I arrived in Los Angeles determined to turn virtual connections into real-world encounters. LinkedIn is a powerful tool to track leads, swap advice, and follow peers’ journeys. But in an industry that thrives on energy and play, there’s no substitute for being in the same room, on the same show floor, or—sometimes—sharing the same TopGolf bay. (For the record, one lucky TIF donor won the $10,000 hole-in-one prize; it must have been a portal opening up from the blood moon that hung overhead. Personally, I like to think of it as a moon-sized portal to good luck. Whether that luck manifests in golf shots, toy deals, or stronger friendships…well, the jury is still out.) Either way, @Katherine

If you’ve been in toys long enough, you know that stories unfold in ways you can’t script. The best conversations rarely happen at the places you plan. They happen in the elevator between floors, or in line for coffee, or under a lunar eclipse with a rental 7-iron. A design school friend from Spain recently told me an old saying: “A friend of your friend is my friend.” After this week, I’ve found it to be true. Introductions have unfolded like blind-box toys — you never know who you’ll find inside, but each surprise adds to the collection.

One casual “Do you know so-and-so?” can lead to a new partnership, a shared laugh, or even the start of a deal. Sometimes it’s as simple as a hearty back-slapping hug between colleagues who haven’t seen each other in a decade. One I witnessed this week began with the tentative “Are we doing this?” and ended in an embrace that could have cracked a blister pack.

Not every moment was that cinematic, but even the smallest connections added up. A chance hallway conversation sparks a memory: “Didn’t you work at [X company]?” “Yes—but years ago. Is Voldemort still there?” Cue the chuckles: “Totally, I don’t think they’ll ever leave.” And just like that, plans are made for the evening event, where another hour of shop talk and shared war stories adds a new friend to the roster.

It’s worth saying: these exchanges don’t feel competitive. In other industries, conversations are guarded, every introduction hedged. In my experience, in toys and games, people are quick to extend a hand, pass along an angle you hadn’t considered, or connect you with someone else entirely—looping right back to the original theme of our reading endeavor. Of course, deals still have to be earned and products still have to perform, but the “big family with lots of cousins” dynamic makes it all more human.

My own team is spread across multiple locations, often spending days in back-to-back workshops with partners and keeping our teams back at the HQ rolling. And yes, we get a lot done. But where do those partner meetings really originate? They start here: in the common spaces, the small talk, industry events, the unexpected overlaps in careers. In other words, relationships.

The toy industry is overwhelming at times, lonely at others, but mostly it’s a kaleidoscope of cousins, aunties, that goofy uncle and long-lost playmates—all connected by the same mission: to bring joy to children, families, and maybe even ourselves, while hopefully turning a profit.

So as I walked the halls in El Segundo this past week, I kept circling back to the same reminder: every introduction matters. A friend of your friend really can become your friend. And in the toy industry, that can mean more than just camaraderie—it can be the spark that launches the next big idea. Or at the very least, another good story told under a blood moon, where someone swears they hit that $10,000 shot.

The Path Forward

In the dynamic world of toys, strategic consulting can be a game-changer. By leveraging expert insights, implementing effective strategies, and embracing innovation, you can position your toy business for long-term success.

Remember, the journey may not always be easy, but with the right guidance and a commitment to growth, your toy business can thrive in this competitive landscape.

A vibrant toy store filled with various colorful toys.

As you embark on this journey, keep your goals in sight and remain adaptable to change. The toy industry is full of possibilities, and with strategic consulting, you can unlock your business's full potential.