BTHA 80th Anniversary

What is the importance of the BTHA to the industry?
Firstly the BTHA gives members a powerful voice with government and NGO’s and as such is an invaluable lobbying asset. Secondly it also can offer free and prompt advice to members and thus avoid incurring costs on challenging trading and legal issues . Thirdly it offers an array of key services (eg toy fair access ) that help toy companies to connect with customers both domestically and internationally .
What has been a highlight for you whilst you were on the BTHA board?
The BTHA support for us in our first year of trading enabled us ( Vivid) to navigate a way through a China/EU quota trade dispute that otherwise could have left us with no access to sourcing from China factories … a real life and death situation for our fledgling business . Thankfully a solution was found …( and 8 years later we became the UK’s number one toy company ! ) We owed our existence to the BTHA and its successful lobbying with government both in UK and China .  

What are your experiences with the BTHA?
When I first joined the BTHA I must confess to being a little daunted by all the leading lights of the industry who had so much more insight and knowledge than myself and from who I have learned such a lot over the years. It has been an honour and a privilege to have worked with individuals who could impart their views and opinions in such an erudite and passionate way. I was and remain really impressed by how much work goes on behind the scenes to protect, promote, educate and advance the toy industry as a whole; to members, government, media and the wider public. There are a lot of very committed and talented people involved in the various activities of the Association and the Committees (Toy Fair, Charity, Safety, Sustainability, Public Relations and Finance); both in terms of the secretariat (who never cease to garner my admiration), and the industry volunteers who give their time freely for the good of the industry.  The BTHA is also respected worldwide by similar Associations as I have witnessed first-hand during my many international conferences. To have been involved with Association initiatives such as Make Time 2 Play, The Toy Industry Awards and the ICTI programme makes me immensely proud. Thanks to Roland and the team for doing such a fantastic job for the toy industry.

How important is Toy Fair for the industry and what do you enjoy the most about organising the show?
Toy Fair is ultimately the first opportunity of the year in the UK for visitors to get hands-on with thousands of new products from more than 250 exhibiting companies across 23,000m2 of exhibition space. We welcome exhibitors of all sizes, and as well as the large brands we have seen many start-ups thrive and expand their space over the years. Our objective is to create a platform for the industry to network productively and achieve a successful three days of business. BTHA full members benefit from a 24% discount on exhibiting space. I am fortunate to have been organising Toy Fair for 10 years now with just one fallow year due to Covid. To be able to provide a platform to bring the whole toy industry together under one roof, kickstarting the business year, is a really satisfying and rewarding job to have. I am very grateful to work with such a fantastic team at the BTHA as well as a very experienced and hardworking wider team of suppliers. It is thanks to the continuous support of our loyal exhibitors and visitors that makes Toy Fair such a successful and key event in the industry calendar.

How would you describe the work of the BTHA committees? BTHA committee work is relatively unique in that it is competing members working together in a non-competitive way to benefit all BTHA member companies. Our committee members will give their resources and time to produce work that will benefit many other members as well as themselves. We work as the complete committee but also members give their time to smaller sub-groups working on particular issues. Many committee members also sit on standards development committees and report back on progress with standards. Can you talk about the BTHA's relationship with important organisations that impact toys?
The BTHA has always had a close working relationship with Trading Standards and enforcement bodies. We sponsor events and support Trading Standards with free training. We work closely with UK government bodies involved with legislation and product safety primarily the Office for Product Safety and Standards. The BTHA is I think seen as a reputable and capable association that is a key stakeholder for toys but also beyond toys into general legislative issues. The BTHA runs the Toy Retailer Safety Forum which has been a useful forum to raise issues that we would otherwise not be able to communicate directly. We have close contact with the British Retailer Consortium (BRC) as well. In our work with online marketplaces we have forged relationships with other key associations across the UK that have the same issue with dangerous products in their industry.

How would you describe the BTHA? The BTHA feels like a family. A family of people that share a passion for play, for toys, for games and for the success of our industry. A family that supports each other with expertise, knowledge and camaraderie - expertly led by the fantastic BTHA team. From wonderful toy fairs to incredible Toy Trust fundraising efforts to world leading technical and toy safety support - the BTHA is always steadfast and professional but with a welcome dose of fun and friendship.

In what relation have you worked/been involved with the BTHA over the years? It was in 1982 whilst Managing Director of Milton Bradley Limited that I was invited to join the board of the British Toy and Hobby Manufactures Association as it was then named. Up until that time, the Association board comprised of only British toy companies many of who still had manufacturing units in the UK. Milton Bradley Limited being an American company, was the first non-British company to be represented. I was appointed chairman in 1991 -1992 during which period we undertook a number of key changes and developments including, the following: to reflect the changes in the industry, given that there were more toys being made overseas, the name of the association was changed by dropping ‘Manufacturers’ from the title, and a a new branding and logo created. Toy Manufactures of Europe (TME) was formed, later changed to TIE, to enable a closer interaction with the European Commission. Work started on the Lion Mark to provide consumer recognition for quality and safe toys. The Toy Trust Committee was formed to raise and distribute funds to charities supporting children. I served as President from 2001 -2004 and retired in June 2005 but I am still pleased to be involved with the Toy Trust committee.

What do you get out of your BTHA membership? The information and communication from the BTHA is fantastic, covering very relevant and topical subjects. Free seminars and training sessions and priority tickets to the annual Toy Industry Day with guest speakers.
What's the one thing people should know about the BTHA?
The BTHA team cover topics to support product design, toy safety, ethical manufacturing, environmental issues, and responsible marketing, to support and protect over 140 members. They also do a great deal to support the industry Toy trust charities, with events that allow the whole industry to get involved in fund raising too.

How has the BTHA changed over the years?
The BTHA of 2024 is an entirely different entity to that of 1995, I see the BTHA of firstly being far more inclusive, in 1995 there were no female Council Members, Christine Nicholls and Rosie Bales were later elected and I was pleased to choose Christine as my vice Chairman. It is also significantly more proactive, efficient and effective. I consider the BTHA of 2024 is reflective of the needs and requirements of the 21st Century and Roland Earl and his team should be congratulated on the excellent work that they do on behalf of the UK toy industry.

What are the main benefits you've experienced from BTHA membership?
The BTHA provides a huge support to its members. From toy safety and sustainability, to trade and ethical manufacturing, the vast range of guidance available to members is extremely comprehensive and invaluable. The regular news updates are always of interest and help to keep up with the latest news and activities. The annual Toy Fair at Olympia London is always an important and exciting event within the calendar year and the BTHA member discount for exhibiting is a great benefit too!
What did you enjoy the most about being BTHA Chairman?
The role of Chairman gave me a wonderful opportunity to get more deeply involved with industry topics both in the UK and abroad. It was always interesting to meet up with like-minded toy people and it continues to be an absolute pleasure working closely with the BTHA team who look after all our interests so well. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working together towards a common goal of supporting and promoting the wonderful toy industry that we are all very lucky to work in.

How does the BTHA support its members? The BTHA offers a vast array of support for its members by providing guidance in the form of webinars, seminars and guidance documents across a range of topics including toy safety, responsible marketing, sustainability, data protection, connected toys plus many more. The Association also runs some great events, including the annual Toy Industry Day, which is perfect for networking with industry colleagues and hearing from inspiring keynote speakers, as well as organising many events through the Toy Trust, raising money to support disadvantaged children. Of course, the BTHA also organises Toy Fair which is such an important event in the industry calendar, kickstarting the business year with a great buzz, and BTHA members can benefit with a 24% discount on exhibition space.

How important is Toy Fair for the industry and what do you enjoy the most about organising the show?
Toy Fair is ultimately the first opportunity of the year in the UK for visitors to get hands-on with thousands of new products from more than 250 exhibiting companies across 23,000m2 of exhibition space. We welcome exhibitors of all sizes, and as well as the large brands we have seen many start-ups thrive and expand their space over the years. Our objective is to create a platform for the industry to network productively and achieve a successful three days of business. BTHA full members benefit from a 24% discount on exhibiting space. I am fortunate to have been organising Toy Fair for 10 years now with just one fallow year due to Covid. To be able to provide a platform to bring the whole toy industry together under one roof, kickstarting the business year, is a really satisfying and rewarding job to have. I am very grateful to work with such a fantastic team at the BTHA as well as a very experienced and hardworking wider team of suppliers. It is thanks to the continuous support of our loyal exhibitors and visitors that makes Toy Fair such a successful and key event in the industry calendar.

How has the BTHA’s work with government changed?
The BTHA’s work with government has been an integral part of the Association’s activities since the beginning. The main changes are the number and type of issues the BTHA has had to lobby on in the last 80 years which have increase and are now much more complex, as well as the different government decision-makers the Association has engaged with during this time.
However, a lot of things are the same as governments have always favoured engaging with trade associations who can represent common interests, enabling them to act with confidence on information and evidence given by the whole sector. This is the same today as it was then and the BTHA as an active association has upheld a good reputation spanning many decades that has helped the toy industry be listened to. I put this down to the trust governments can put into the BTHA and our members of reputable toy companies as they continually show they are committed to making good quality toys in a responsible way.

CTSI is immensely proud of our long-standing and important relationship with the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) and we are delighted to wish them well as they celebrate their 80th year anniversary. BTHA play a vital role in the consumer protection jigsaw – protecting consumers, especially children, and maintaining high standards across the toy and hobby sector. BTHA is a staunch supporter of the Trading Standards profession, and we collaborate and work together closely in a number of key areas. This has included providing ongoing training and development for Trading Standards professionals at the CTSI Annual Conference; supporting CTSI’s prestigious Hero Awards which celebrates those working in consumer protection; and collaborating with BTHA on key policy priorities and campaigns. BTHA consistently go above and beyond to create a fair playing field for legitimate toy manufacturers and ensure that product safety is at the forefront of thinking across the toy sector.

What can members expect from the BTHA in future years? As someone joked once ,"I don’t like to make predictions … especially about the future". The Association is all about its members – in every aspect of our work. The challenges we tackle with members’ support and through our team do change and evolve – and the Association has a history of both trying to prepare for future challenges and in adapting to face them in a measured and effective way. It also has tried to do this with opportunities too, such as helping members with business development through a well-organised Toy Fair… and in other areas such as being a staunch supporter of the critical importance of the value of play. The loyal support of members, the diligence of the team working with the Association at HQ and elsewhere and the huge contribution of our valued advisers has been key in our work throughout our life to date and will continue to be so. We love thinking about the future in the same way as this incredible industry loves thinking of new playthings for kids of all ages from 0 to 100 and look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead. The Association is here to move forward with its members and to do its utmost to help members steer a course for success, in whatever seas we find ourselves.