From 9-11 September, Kind + Jugend 2025 hosted around 800 exhibitors from 43 countries in Cologne, drawing 15,000 trade visitors from 108 nations to explore new products and trends within the baby and toddler sector.
Commenting is Oliver Frese, chief operating officer of Koelnmesse. “Kind + Jugend 2025 has once more highlighted how vital it is for the international baby and toddler industry. Based on our conversations with exhibitors, their positive feedback – particularly their praise for the high calibre and internationality of trade visitors – confirms that this trade fair is the industry’s foremost business and innovation platform.”
Innovations and trends in focus
Once again, Innovation took centre stage at Kind + Jugend. The new Trend Space showcased products from the Innovation Award winners and nominees in a dedicated area. At the award ceremony on the first day of the trade fair, a jury of midwives also presented the special Midwives’ Choice award in partnership with hebammen-testen.de. Both awards drew significant attention and set the tone for three days of new products and inspiration.
The Consultation & Knowledge Hub featured a diverse lineup of lectures, panels and discussions, providing key insights into upcoming developments and market trends. The programme also included personal consultations with Karin Wahl on POS design and product presentation, as well as with Stefan Barksby from TrendBible on how to leverage micro- and macrotrends.
Prominent trends throughout the exhibition included solutions that provide children with safe yet self-directed spaces to explore. Also, multifunctional grow-with-me concepts that adapt to the changing needs of families. At the same time, sustainable materials and recycling ideas established themselves in the innovation spectrum, along with ergonomic solutions and the growing use of smart, digital technologies to make everyday life more efficient.
Fresh ideas, global inspiration
The New Product Trail again proved to be a popular destination for trade visitors in 2025. Whether as a starting point or inspiring stop, this dedicated area provided a quick orientation and concise overview of the year’s new products.
Meanwhile, in the Start-up Area and the Young Innovators pavilion, around 30 young companies showcased fresh ideas and creative approaches. Nine country pavilions, including the BPIA’s UK Pavilion, also reflected the strong international focus of the trade fair.
Kind + Jugend 2026
The next Kind + Jugend will take place from 15-17 September 2026. For the first time, the trade fair will feature a central theme to provide guidance, inspiration and added business value, while creating an expanded platform for forward-looking ideas, knowledge transfer and industry exchange. For further information, please click here.