Oriented on making people closer

The first hours of the Kids Expo 2025 exhibition and fair that opened in Ashgabat set the tone for the three-day marathon: lively pavilions, bright shop windows and joyful children's exclamations in the noisy crowded traffic. In the general leisurely flow, islands are formed here and there, here people gathered near the podium, where a children's fashion show was held.

Cute outfits with ethnic and fashionable accents on equally cute little models - the eyes of the watching girls lit up, and mothers recorded style trends for their young beauties in notes.

If fashion creates images, then literally after a few steps, attention is concentrated on something else - on the power of the mind. A completely different look - calm and focused - is seen in the participants of the mental arithmetic competition, where the guest of honor was the world-famous “mentalist” (in the intellectual sense) Melik Duyar, who is among the top ten people with the strongest memory on the planet.

Right there, just a few steps away, there are robots and cyber games, next to life-size dolls and artists on stilts, bookshelves, improvised workshops for budding "craftsmen"... Such a kaleidoscope immediately created an atmosphere for learning and creativity: the childhood industry is always a combination of serious and fun, education and entertainment, traditions and advanced technologies.

At first glance, it is a real holiday, a festival of emotions. But if you look closely, a whole range of industries is presented in a colorful and large-scale exposition: from clothing and toys to education, food, sports, furniture, medicine and digital services. Kids Expo, which has gathered all this in one space: from school uniforms to healthy snacks and equipment, is a mirror in which the domestic market of goods and services for children sees itself in its entirety.

The main items of family expenses in the "children's basket" are clear: everything for study, health, full development, leisure and comfort, and the gadgets that are essential in our time. And in recent years, a real "fashion" for additional education has formed in Turkmenistan - courses in foreign languages and programming have become a kind of must-have for teenagers. Demand creates supply, and the exhibition clearly demonstrates how the private sector is adapting to the new demands of parents and expectations of children.

At the same time, another trend is noticeable: consolidation. Educational centers are merging with event agencies, food manufacturers are looking for points of interaction with service providers. This is how the business landscape of the childhood industry in the country is formed - and as children grow, the market also grows, because not with each new generation, but every day, new demands and preferences appear.

For Turkmen entrepreneurs, Kids Expo is not just a showcase. Here you can not only show the product, but also collect contacts, discuss certification, logistics, packaging, enter neighboring markets. This is work for the result, an opportunity to get direct feedback right here and there, hear the opinions of consumers, see what niches are still free, and immediately try your project on the real "size" of demand.

Here is a simple scene: a mother leafs through a catalog, a seller patiently explains the advantages of the product, a child holds a new device in his hands - does not release. The decision to buy goes through a small family referendum, and the market listens attentively to the arguments "for" and "against".

It is no coincidence that the exhibition is also interesting for foreign partners. Representatives of companies from the UAE (Tuimada real estate), China (New plastic limited, Bidy toys), Turkey (Uni zone, Dalin), Russia (Prof-press, Relyes-centr), Uzbekistan (Gold Quality Invest) and others, working in such market segments as educational and consulting services, publishing, healthy food, child care products, toys, etc., arrived at Kids Expo. Some are looking for a local contractor, some are looking for a logistics or franchise partner, some are looking for a distributor in the region.

Investments in childhood are the most correct and always strategic investments. This is the demand "here and now" and capitalization of the future. Today, manufacturers who are capable of building a full industrial cycle, which opens the way to a new technological order in the national economy are emerging in Turkmenistan. For the domestic market, this means not only increased competition, but also the formation of industry etiquette that works in the interests of society as a whole - to create a healthy, active and responsible generation.

The Kids Expo exhibition showed that the childhood industry is not just goods and services. It is a mirror of society that reflects the values of today and outlines the contours of tomorrow.

...When the exhibition's working day comes to an end and the noise dies down, you can hear a child asking: "Can I come here again tomorrow?" This simple question contains the answer - the best test of any strategy. This means that the industry is moving in the right direction.

ORIENT

Photo: orient.tm