Abu Dhabi: Think of geeks in a comic book store or a comic book convention. Multiply that by about $200 million, replace the geeks with high net worth individuals, and that’s what you get in Big Boys Toys.
The retail exhibition showcases products from automotives and technology to fashion and art, and is set to grow this year when it comes to Abu Dhabi from November 23 with products exceeding a net worth of $200 million.
Atif Malik, exhibition director at Artaaj, organisers of Big Boys Toys, said demand has been growing for this year’s event, with many consumers calling in advance to inquire about products.
“Judging by our current registration process, we expect about 20,000 people to come this year compared to roughly 16,000 last year. Our target audience is made up of hobbyists, high net worth individuals, VIPs, and some as far as royal family members … so we don’t really expect (the global drop) in consumer spending to impact demand for our products,” Malik said.
Around 60-65 per cent of high net worth individuals that frequent the event are based in the UAE, with the rest based mostly in the GCC, India, China, and Russia. Malik said he expected Big Boys Toys this year to see around 1,500-2,000 high net worth individuals attending.
This year’s edition will feature 200 products from 39 countries, and 21 global product launches. Among the highlights of this year’s event is Letrons, a car that transforms into a robot (like a real-life Transformers). It is run through a remote control, and as a car, goes at around 20km/h. It will be auctioned at Big Boys Toys in Abu Dhabi later this week with a starting price of $600,000.
Other products that will be launched at Big Boys Toys include the world’s smallest and fastest single-engine jet, and the fastest street legal production bike.
The event will also host a section for women’s products including jewellery, beauty products, travel, and lifestyle products.
