Chicken and Egg

Clearly, an event like KidsFest reinforces and maintains customer loyalty and identification with the brand. But the brand did a lot of the work too. "LEGO is white-hot right now," Rubino says. Company research shows that in the tough economy, consumers see LEGO bricks and kits as offering value. "It's not a ‘one and done' toy. It's a toy that continually comes out of the toy chest," he says. And parents see the activity as more than playing. "Kids are learning while they are playing, they are exercising their brains and their imaginations while they're building."

KidsFest shows are planned for Boston and New York/New Jersey, and Guinan is booking this fall's dates in Hartford. But for 2010, Rubino emphasizes, there will be a bigger space and improved traffic flow so that no one has a long wait to get in—or worse, to get shut out. "It's frustrating that we disappointed some families," Rubino acknowledges. On the other hand, he says, overwhelming attendance is a good problem to have.

The Hartford show's 90,000 square feet will be increased to 140,000 square feet, the list of exhibitors will be refined, and all of the show's activities will be reviewed to ensure that customers have as much fun and interaction as possible during their day with LEGO. "When you do an event well," Rubino says, "it reinforces the brand and strengthens the relationship consumers have with the brand."

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