Zusammenspiel und Mitgliederversammlung 2026 at Zollhof Nuremberg

DVSI Expands Its Range of Services

Association and advocacy work means drilling through thick boards – requiring persistence, patience, and often an uncertain outcome. As DVSI Managing Director Ulrich Brobeil emphasized in his annual and financial report, it remains largely a matter for top management. Throughout 2025 and 2026, DVSI continued to work intensively on numerous issues and at many levels to improve framework conditions for its members and the toy industry while promoting fair competition.

Among the key topics were the implications of the EmpCo Directive, the Toy Safety Regulation, the Deforestation Regulation, the PPWR, the introduction of the Digital Product Passport, and online marketplaces that do not comply with European legislation. According to DVSI, the intensive dialogue with policymakers and decision-makers in ministries has paid off. The association is increasingly being heard and recognized, its expertise is sought after, and political representatives are appearing more frequently at industry events. To achieve its objectives, DVSI is also placing greater emphasis on strategic partnerships with other associations, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by low-cost online shopping platforms. “We are moving forward with strong momentum,” Ulrich Brobeil stressed.

DVSI is also benefiting from strong support from its members. Since 2012, the association has pursued the strategy “From Members, For Members, With Members.” The member survey DVSI Strategy Perspective 2030+, conducted last autumn, confirmed this fundamental approach. Members value the association as an important partner for its expertise and services. Through its market research activities and its three industry indices (overall market, games, and model railways/model making), DVSI provides valuable insights into markets and trends.

At Zollhof, Ulrich Brobeil announced a further expansion of DVSI’s services. This autumn, the association will launch ARENA, a new quarterly format designed to foster exchange among members on topics relevant to the industry. The inaugural edition will focus on EU sustainability regulations. In addition, a comprehensive toy industry study is currently being prepared in cooperation with the Technical University of Nuremberg.

DVSI’s flagship topic, Value of Play, continues to prove highly effective as a door opener in both political and cultural circles. This year, DVSI became an official member of the German Design Council (a section within the German Cultural Council) and joined the Alliance for Education. Efforts are continuing to position play as a cultural asset within public discourse. Discussions with the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs of the Bavarian State Parliament are scheduled for mid-July.

The recruitment of new members through attractive trial and supporting membership models will be intensified further, with existing members also encouraged to play an active role in this process. Financially, the association remains on solid footing. DVSI closed 2025 with a positive annual result, and both the Executive Board and the Management Board were unanimously discharged.

The subsequent fifth edition of Zusammenspiel, jointly organized by DVSI and BVS and attended by around 100 participants, focused on the theme Innovation & Start-up Mindset. Dr. Sebastian Engel from ZOLLHOF explored the question of how innovations make their way into the world.

Expectations surrounding innovation are often high, while outcomes do not always meet those expectations. What, then, is required to make change successful? The consensus in Nuremberg was clear: courage and openness to view things from a different perspective are essential. Yet people often struggle with change because it creates stress and uncertainty, whereas the familiar provides a sense of security.

Andreas Nüßle from the medium-sized company I.K. Hofmann emphasized that innovation should never be an end in itself. Rather, it is the result of systems adapting to changing conditions in order to create economic value – a pragmatic interpretation of creative destruction.

At the same time, simply embracing “wild thinking” and generating a new idea every day is not the answer either, as Tobias Bäumler, Co-Founder and COO of VITAS, a Nuremberg-based scale-up specializing in AI-powered telephone assistants, pointed out. Innovation requires courage, but also structure, focus, and clearly defined goals to succeed.

Participants left Nuremberg not only with fresh perspectives but also with concrete plans for personal change initiatives that they had formulated during the event. A final motivational boost was provided above the rooftops of Nuremberg during a flying buffet accompanied by refreshing drinks. Some traditions, it seems, are worth preserving exactly as they are.

Your contact at DVSI:Ulrich Brobeil, Managing DirectorT: +49 911 477112-11E: brobeil@dvsi.de