Shaquille O’Neal to Join Toy Photographer Mitchel Wu in Toy Fair Opening Ceremony

Toy-fair-opens February 18, 2020 | NBA All-Star-turned-businessman Shaquille O’Neal, along with renowned toy photographer Mitchel Wu, will kick off the 117th Toy Fair New York at the show’s opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, February 22 at 9 a.m. at the Crystal Palace 3B Entrance of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Toy Fair New York, the largest toy show in the Western hemisphere, is expected to bring in more than 25,000 attendees from 100 countries to see hundreds of thousands of toys and games across nearly eight football fields of sold-out exhibit space.

Following the ribbon-cutting, O’Neal will join Basic Fun!’s CEO Jay Foreman to help debut the global toy company’s new line of “the toughest, strongest, and most fun” Tonka toys ever at 9:30 a.m. at the Basic Fun! booth (Level 3, Booth 1323).

Wu will share how he built his business and brand in the session “Creativity, Risk-Taking, and Storytelling with Mitchel Wu Toy Photography,” taking place on Sunday, February 23 at 9:30 a.m. in the Creative Factor Theater (the lobby outside Hall 1D). Show attendees can also experience his work up close in the Mitchel Wu Gallery, located on the Crystal Palace Mezzanine throughout the show.

"Toy Fair is known for offering up unique experiences on and off the show floor, and this opportunity to partner with both Shaquille O’Neal and Mitchel Wu could not be a more perfect way to start off another exciting show," said Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. "We can’t wait to open up the floor to global buyers, exhibitors, licensors, entertainment executives, and other play industry professionals for four full days of business, networking, and expanded education!"

To stay up to date on more exciting show events, visit www.ToyFairNY.com and sign up for news alerts from the Toy Fair Press Room. For the latest information on in-booth happenings, educational sessions, and more, download the free Toy Fair Mobile app, available for Apple and Android devices.