Message from the Board

ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, originally scheduled for June 7-10, 2020, in Orlando, has been canceled.

The ASTRA Board of Directors and ASTRA staff care deeply about the safety and health of our members and their families. We determined there would be too great of a risk to members’ health, families and businesses by traveling in light of COVID-19. Although the in-person connections and business conducted at the show is extremely important to the ASTRA community and our industry, we ultimately decided it would be irresponsible to move forward with the show, even if it were postponed because there are too many unknowns about how the situation surrounding COVID-19 would unfold. In addition, we recognized that attending the show could present an undue financial burden during a time when many members of our community are struggling.

Read Cancellation Memo

Attendee Cancellation FAQs

After weeks of carefully monitoring the ongoing spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Board of Directors of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has made the decision to cancel Marketplace & Academy 2020, originally scheduled to be held June 7-10, 2020 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

Over the years and with the help of the ASTRA community, Marketplace & Academy has become the premier event for the specialty toy industry. We recognize that exhibitors and attendees rely on the show for connecting to colleagues and successful business operations. Ultimately, the safety and health of our community is paramount and our number one priority. In guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection on large gatherings, it became clear that the cancellation of the show was the best decision forward.

Thank you for your patience and understanding over the past few weeks as we evaluated all factors to make this decision. We ask for your continued support as we work through next steps.

Is it true that ASTRA's Marketplace & Academy 2020 has been canceled?

Yes. Due to ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the evolving restrictions and recommendations from government bodies around travel and gatherings, the ASTRA Board of Directors made the decision to cancel Marketplace & Academy.

Will ASTRA's Marketplace & Academy 2020 be rescheduled?

Unfortunately, Marketplace & Academy cannot be rescheduled. Instead, we look forward to welcoming you to ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy 2021, held June 6-9, 2021 in Minneapolis, MN. Look in the coming weeks for information on other ways to stay connected with industry members throughout the year in an online setting.

What are the dates of ASTRA's Marketplace & Academy 2021?

ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy 2021 will be held June 6-9, 2021 in Minneapolis, MN.

Will the cost of registration be refunded for attendees?

All registration costs for attendees including full conference registrations, trade show registrations, welcome reception tickets and the Lip Sync Battle tickets will be refunded to the original payment method used for the purchase by June 30, 2020.

Attendees may opt to donate their registration fees to support the ASTRA Foundation’s mission to increase the awareness of the importance of play and its impact across the lifespan by emailing foundation@astratoy.org by May 31, 2020 to designate their registration fees or a portion of fees.

Unless otherwise specified, refunds will be processed by June 30, 2020 and may take up to two weeks to appear on a credit card statement. We ask for your patience as we work to refund these fees to you. If you have questions about registration refunds, send an email to info@astratoy.org or call (312) 222-0984.

If I booked my hotel through the official housing provider, Experient, how do I cancel my reservation?

By April 3, 2020 all hotel reservations made through Experient Housing will be canceled on your behalf. You will receive an email confirming this cancellation. If you do not receive the email, you may call Experient customer service at (800) 424-5249 or email astra@experient-inc.com

If you booked outside of the official hotel block and not through Experient Housing, please contact your hotel directly to address cancellations or fees.

I still have questions. Who can I talk to?

For more information, please contact ASTRA at (312) 222-0984 or info@astratoy.org.

Exhibitor Questions?

For a full list of exhibitor questions and answers, visit the Exhibitor Resource Center.

Exhibitor Cancellation FAQs