STC exhibits at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2026
【USA, 9 June 2026】STC (Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre) exhibited at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy 2026, North America's premier event for the toy industry taking place from 5 June to 8 June in Milwaukee, the USA.
The 2026 edition brought together over 350 specialty toy manufacturers, independent retailers and industry professionals from around the globe. Under this year’s central theme, The Art & Science of Play, the event marked the debut of the Astra Experience interactive zone where attendees could test innovative toys first-hand, alongside a series of deep-dive, expert-led educational seminars addressing the latest retail strategies and regulatory shifts.
Throughout the four-day event, STC's professional team engaged with industry representatives ranging from homegrown local labels to major global brands. The discussions centred on the latest trends in the toy industry, recent product regulations and market developments across North America, providing clients with professional strategic advice to expand their businesses overseas, as well as STC’s bespoke TIC Direct Validation services for Amazon sellers, ensuring robust compliance pathways for brands looking to enter international e-commerce markets smoothly and efficiently.
"This year's theme perfectly mirrors our core mission. Whilst toy design is an art, ensuring consumer safety is a rigorous science," noted Mr Norman ARONOWITZ, Sales Director of North America at STC. "With North American and global jurisdictions tightening restrictions on toy safety and chemical compliance, manufacturers and retailers face heightened hurdles while pursuing innovation. STC provides a comprehensive suite of TIC services from product R&D through to pre-shipment, ensuring that products comply with all safety and performance standards before entering the market."
For more information about STC's TIC services in the USA, please feel free to contact us.
About STC
Established in 1963, Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre (STC) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, providing over 60 years of testing, inspection, and certification expertise. It offers a wide range of conformity assessment services for myriad products including Toys, Children’s Products, Textiles, Apparel, Footwear, Furniture, Electrical and Electronic Products, Food, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Products, and Medical Devices, as well as Rail Transit and Automotive Parts. To meet the growing global demand for testing and certification services, not only has STC set up cutting-edge testing laboratories and offices in China’s major regions, such as Guangdong, Shanghai, Changzhou and Guangxi, but it has also established offices and testing laboratories in Vietnam, Japan, the USA and Germany. Simultaneously, STC is expanding its business scale to offer comprehensive, professional testing and inspection services to clients from all sectors. For more details about STC, please visit our website: www.stc.group.
