Customer Stories: Toys and Nuremberg Are Deeply Connected for Bruder

Customer Stories – Where Connections Shape the Future: Trade shows are more than just places where products are displayed. They are moments of connection. Here, conversations take shape that spark new ideas, partnerships that grow, and perspectives that endure. In the “Customer Stories” series, exhibitors explain why NürnbergMesse is exactly that kind of place for them – each trade fair with its own focus, each story with its own perspective.

Written by Stefan Jablonka

A man with short gray hair wearing a black suit at the Bruder booth at the Toy Fair.

When Paul Heinz Bruder thinks of NürnbergMesse, he thinks of the Toy Fair. For him, the two are inseparably linked. “For me, it’s always the association of Nuremberg, the trade fair, and the Toy Fair,” he says. The family owned company Bruder has been exhibiting since 1975 – almost as long as the exhibition grounds have existed in their current form. In his view, the origins of NürnbergMesse are closely tied to the toy industry in Nuremberg: “The very foundation of NürnbergMesse goes back to the toy industry here in Nuremberg.”

Early influence and personal involvement

Paul Heinz Bruder first encountered the Toy Fair as a teenager. At the time, he had no active role in the company but still felt a sense of pride in being part of this special place. “As a teenager, you were naturally proud to be taken along to the Toy Fair,” he recalls.

He has been present in person since 1987 and has witnessed the fair’s transformation first hand – from a traditional order focused event to an international platform for exchange, relationships, and global networking.

Three men and a woman in business attire sitting in a circle at the Spielwarenmesse booth. — Personal exchange at the Toy Fair forms the foundation of Bruder’s long term partnerships.

From orders to relationships

In the past, trade fair success was measured largely by the number of immediate orders. Today, business deals are often concluded later and increasingly through digital channels.

What has remained unchanged is the core of the Toy Fair: personal contact. “Personal relationships are especially important,” he says. For Paul Heinz Bruder, Nuremberg remains the most important international trade fair for the toy industry – a place where the key players of the global toy world come together once a year. When it comes to global networking, his assessment is clear: Nuremberg is “the place to be.”

The Toy Fair as a global platform

The Toy Fair in Nuremberg is one of the most important trade fairs in the industry worldwide. At its 74th edition in 2025, around 2,362 exhibitors from 71 countries showcased their products, while approximately 57,500 trade visitors from 126 nations used the fair as a central platform for market insight, product innovation and exchange.

For Bruder, this international reach is the decisive factor: “Once a year, having the opportunity to meet all key contacts in one place – that’s what makes it special.”

An employee with long blonde hair and gold earrings, wearing a black sweater, assembles a toy model in a production setting while wearing white gloves. — For Bruder, trade fairs are about people and trustworthy relationships, not just products.

Paul Heinz Bruder connects many memorable moments with the Toy Fair. These include milestones in the company’s own trade fair presence, such as the growth of the booth or special installations – like the presentation of a full scale Liebherr wheel loader in the outdoor exhibition area. “That was a real highlight,” he recalls.

Such moments symbolize the company’s path: realistic, detailed, and with a clear brand identity. Not without reason, the slogan was: “just like the real thing.”

Partnership and continuous development

Bruder also describes the collaboration with NürnbergMesse as reliable and partnership based. “Overall, we are very satisfied with the cooperation,” he says.

He views investments in modern halls, new entrance areas and the continuous modernization of the venue positively, as well as fixed contacts and short communication paths. The key factor, he emphasizes, is ongoing development: “It doesn’t stand still – and that’s crucial.”

At the heart of his understanding of trade fairs are quality, reliability and consistency. “In the end, reliability and continuity are what matter,” says Bruder.

For him, personal encounters take center stage at a trade fair: building trust, getting to know people and developing long term partnerships. It’s not just about the product, but about the people behind it. He sees the same attitude reflected at NürnbergMesse – as a shared foundation of a cooperation that has grown over decades.

A man with short gray hair in a black suit looks at toy models in a glass display case. — For decades, the Toy Fair has accompanied Bruder as a global platform.

Tradition with a forward view

The Bruder family has been active in the toy industry since 1926 and present at the Toy Fair since 1975. The name “Paul Heinz” combines generations – named after his grandfather Paul and his father Heinz. This year marks 100 years of toy industry history for the family, while the Toy Fair celebrates its 75th anniversary.

For Paul Heinz Bruder, this is more than just an anniversary – it stands for continuity and future at the same time. “We want to show that we will still be here tomorrow,” he says.

Author

Stefan Jablonka

Freelance journalist