Fourteen years after presenting her first children's workshop at CBA's international convention, Mary Manz Simon's well-attended trend seminar got a facelift Wednesday morning.

Preceding her popular overview and forecast of the children's market was a character-led children's parade with favorites such as Bob and Larry, the four 3-2-1 Penguins characters and the four Berenstain Bears zigzagging through the exhibit floor before leading the crowd to the Children's Product Carnival in the exhibit floor's event area.

Simon's opening presentation was spot on, identifying growth areas such as Young Adult fiction and toys, the latter the result of an increase in licensed product, and more flexible and attractive merchandising. Simon introduced terms that are becoming important to children and their families such as "conscious living," or product that supports an eco-friendly lifestyle; "multi-platform publishing," products that stores can tie to their Web sites; and "China Plus One," wording on packaging that indicates a product has passed certain safety measures.

Simon was followed in the presentation by Michelle Amster of Integra Interactive, who addressed the near-capacity group on merchandising; Josh Mosey of Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Mich., who offered ideas on event marketing; and Leon Wirth of the Focus on the Family Bookstore in Colorado Springs, Colo., who spotlighted the store's kid-friendly features.

The morning session ended with 23 suppliers donating product to be given away to the retailers in attendance, which ran the gamut from stickers to fashion dolls, a great bargain for the $25 entrance fee.

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