08/19/2026
by Victoria Ritter
With record crowds and several new features, Astra Marketplace & Academy in Milwaukee, WI was a true success. The Astra team sought to provide the best possible event for all sectors of the specialty toy industry.
“We felt really good about the city,” said Sue Warfield, president of Astra. “We felt that they were super friendly everywhere and were very helpful. People felt safe. Those are pretty important things for members in their experience.”
Upon arriving at the Baird Center, attendees were met with a new check-in system. Those who had pre-registered simply had to type in their name on an iPad at the desk, and a badge would get printed out. The system proved to be fast, efficient and helpful to keep track of how many actually came to the show. Astra worked hard behind the scenes in the weeks leading up to the show to make sure registration ran smoothly.
In total, 2,308 people attended Astra, including vendors, retailers and sales reps; 814 retailers were in attendance. Nearly 2,000 people pre-registered while more than 300 registered on site. “That comes close to some of our highest attended shows,” Warfield observed. “We’ve been bouncing back from COVID, and we’re at pre-COVID numbers.”
Shortly before the show opened, the organization launched the Astra App. The digital tool, which Warfield hopes will be used throughout the year, not only helped people navigate the show but will continue to keep members informed of upcoming events, industry news and more.
Those who visited the show floor were treated to the inaugural Astra Experience. The special area displayed finalists of the dozen Play Award categories. After the Astra Star Awards Gala on June 6, the winners were moved to a front table. Attendees had the opportunity to play with all products — finalists and winners alike — on demo tables.
From set up to tear down, the Astra team continuously took notes of what went well and what to improve in 2027. “We always want to make it better. If there’s one little thing that seemed to be a little cumbersome, we want to fix it for the next year,” Warfield said. “We’re always looking at how we can improve.”
Opportunities for progress include modifying the survey process at registration to help it flow quicker, adapting the hours of the trade show to put less of a strain on vendors, and improving space. The welcome breakfast, lunch and at least a couple of the educational sessions on June 5 were standing room only. Educational session hosts were asked to record their presentations afterwards; these recordings will be made available on astratoy.org, negating the need for attendees to take notes. “We talked about maybe we don’t really need to have classroom seating with tables,” Warfield said. “People can sit in chairs, and that way we can sit more people in the room.”
Warfield encourages everyone who came to Astra Marketplace & Academy to fill out the survey — distributed via emails and the Astra Star newsletter — and give their feedback. She and her team take the results seriously and use them to enhance future shows. “We can’t go by the one person who walks up. We have to know if this is something that many people want us to change. For every person that maybe says to us in person, ‘I don’t like this,’ we’ll get an opposite person saying, ‘I love this,'” Warfield said. “We have to go with what the greater majority is looking for, not just the most vocal.”
Social and networking events continued to be popular. Guests flocked to the Game and Kit Event and opening party at Discovery World on June 5. “We did a lot more marketing and deals for registering for full conference,” Warfield explained. “If you’re there, and you pay for full conference, you’re most likely going to go to those events.”
Tickets to the Astra Star Awards Gala, which was not part of the full conference, sold out once more. “Be sure you get your separate ticket before May,” Warfield advised. “More seats can be added if the gala sells out before then, but after that, it’s hard to add more seating. We have always sold out.”
Overall, the feedback has been positive, and Warfield is already looking forward to next year’s Marketplace & Academy in Pennsylvania.
“We love seeing everybody there,” she said. “We had a great time talking and being with our members and even getting to know some non-members and new members. We hope that people will see us in Pittsburgh next year.”
Honoring Excellence in the Industry
During its Awards Gala on June 6, Astra honored members who have gone above and beyond in the specialty toy industry. This year’s ceremony recognized the following people and organizations with Excellence Awards.
- Young Professional/Rising Star: Chelsea Bogue of Diverse Marketing
- Retailer of the Year: Traci Lyden and Alana Turner of Poopsie’s in Galena, IL
- Sales Representative of the Year: Becky Morrison of Carolina Marketplace & Toys South
- Manufacturer of the Year: Schylling
Additionally, Tammy Joyner of Schylling received the Special in Specialty Award and Gwen Ottenberg was inducted into the Astra Hall of Fame.
2026 Astra Play Awards Winners
- Active Play: Aracana from ZipString
- Arts & Crafts: Hello Blink Sticker Maker from Ceaco
- Baby: Krumples: Krumples Bop & Pop from SMART Toys & Games
- Building: SolarFlower — Ruby Ripple from Thames & Kosmos
- Card Games: Jungo from Happy Camper Games
- Family Games: Purrramid from Goliath
- Kidult: Speks Odds Spurs from Speks
- Plush: Fart Monsters — Cheeky from Scentco
- Preschool: Light-Up Library — Pippa’s Prehistoric Pals from Glo Pals
- Social Emotional: My Calm Down Book from Sourcebooks
- STEM: Rail Cube Starter Set from Meekins Corp
- Toddler: SortAgain from Fat Brain Toy Co.
Nominations for the 2027 Astra Play Awards are open. Visit astratoy.org for more information and to submit a nomination.
