If I had a dollar for every key industry contact that told us the concept of a licensing showcase during American International Toy Fair was nothing short of brilliant, I would have at least $10. Maybe even $12.

After all, what isn’t right about endeavoring to create a “Licensing Upfront” for brand and property owners when all the right people with all the right innovation, influence, and interest are already in New York City for Toy Fair? And, what could be off the mark about bringing together an audience of Madison Avenue marketers, manufacturers from around the world, mass market and independent retailers, and critically important global media available only in New York City? The short answer is nothing. But the short answer just kind of falls short of telling the story.

A venture like this requires that you start with a clear objective, but just as important is the need to remain flexible and open to modification along the way. As it turned out, even with high levels of interest, the formats that prevailed were the small meetings with key partners, invitation-only breakfasts and cocktail receptions, and brand and property exposure through traditional advertising and promotional opportunities. So, while Toy Fair won’t be seeing “big screen showcases” this year, we are pleased that we have provided just the right solutions for these stakeholders’ needs.

The licensing community attends Toy Fair in greater numbers each year. At our 2011 event, we saw a 20 percent combined increase in licensor and entertainment executive attendance. Leading up to Toy Fair 2012, we are tracking double-digit gains year to date. This should come as no surprise.

As we know, there are three key partners who must be at the table when negotiating a license deal: the brand owner, manufacturing partners, and key retailers. Three’s the charm, right? If so, then Toy Fair is charmed because there is no other event in the U.S. that delivers so powerfully these three essential partners.

With great anticipation, we look forward to hosting our toy, youth product, entertainment, retail, and media guests back to Toy Fair. We join them in celebrating the 75th anniversaries of the Tonka and Dr. Seuss’ Mulberry Street brands, as well as the anniversaries of other well-established brands such as Girl Scouts (100 years), Clifford the Big Red Dog (50 years), Masters of the Universe (30 years), Where’s Waldo (25 years), K’nex (20 years), Build-a-Bear (15 years), and more. We are also looking forward to seeing exciting new product lines this year centered on Cinderella, Batman, Spider-Man, and Marvel’s The Avengers.

TIA is very proud of the marketplaces we produce for our members and prospective members. We are constantly looking for ways to better serve the industry we represent. Our base of stakeholders is much more broadly defined this year than it has ever been and we seek business growth opportunities for all of our members, whether they are manufacturers, importers, manufacturers’ reps, inventors and designers, retailers or, of course, licensors. We will continue to provide opportunities for all.

This post was originally written by Marian Bossard and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Hit Entertainment has partnered with BigPlay Studios, a developer of game, education, and book apps, for the launch of Bob the Builder: Muck’s Train to Trouble for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, available in Apple’s App store this week. This marks the first app release for the Bob the Builder brand.

Bob the Builder: Muck’s Train to Trouble is an interactive reading experience, which also features painting activities, video clips, and games. Every page includes narration, character voices, custom animations, and easy-to-read words with highlighted text.

With this first Bob the Builder app, Hit Entertainment adds to its iOS apps portfolio, which includes apps featuring Thomas & Friends, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam, and Barney.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Sun-Mate Corporation has obtained a number of licensing rights to a broad spectrum of entertainment brands, including Star Wars, Spider-Man, Power Rangers, WWE, the recently announced Hello Kitty and KISS joint branding, and the fashion art brand Public Zoo.

For Star Wars, Sun-Mate will develop ATM machines, arcade-style games, tabletop games, and guitars based on the brand.

Spider-Man and other Marvel Heroes, including Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, will be featured among keyboards, drums, ATM machines, and other activities being developed by the company for U.S. consumers. Sun-Mate will also develop various Power Rangers-branded pinball game machines, which will incorporate Power Rangers’ themes of fitness, responsibility, teamwork, and helping others.

For WWE, the company will manufacture a variety of outdoor and backyard games for the entire family, including WWE shooter blasters, pool and beach toys, water guns, and vinyl balls.

Sun-Mate will be developing a range of electronic products for the North American marketplace under the Hello Kitty KISS brand. These products may include cameras, MP3 players, cell phone and iPhone cases, laptop computer cases, microphones, headsets, headphones, SMS text messengers, PDAs, musical instruments, electronic watches, boom boxes, speakers, walkie-talkies, amps, ATM machines, karaoke machines, and doll houses.

Lastly, the company has gained global rights to the Public Zoo license, based on the clothing line, which will allow Sun-Mate to develop personal electronics, such as headphones and iPod and iPhone cases and accessories.

Sun-Mate will continue to manufacture licensed Union Pacific train sets and Chevron Products Company (Chevron, Texaco, and Gulf) toy oil tanker trucks.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Innovation First International is launching Bobble Bots, a new brand and product line. As part of the launch, the company has joined forces with Mind Candy, the brains behind the Moshi Monsters brand, for the debut of Bubble Bots Moshi Monsters. The line will hit store shelves across Europe and North America this spring.

The line of bobblehead mini robotic pets and customizable play sets will feature the patented Hexbug Nano vibration technology. Moshi Monsters will be brought to life in their own customizable environment. The initial assortment of Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters will include 24 battery-operated collectible Moshlings and a variety of configurable, 3-D “dollhouse” replicas of the streets, yards, buildings, and houses found online in Monstro City. Every product will include secret codes to unlock digital assets in the online world. The products will be showcased (by appointment only) at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair, and New York Toy Fair.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Moshi Monsters

Dubit Research has released a new study focused on the popularity of toys based on online worlds. The study looked at Disney’s Club Penguin, Mind Candy’s Moshi Monsters, Build-a-Bearville, Poptropica, and Webkinz.

In the survey of 500 kids, 55 percent of children owned a toy from at least one of these games. Disney’s Club Penguin took the top spot with 32 percent of children owning a Club Penguin-branded toy. Moshi Monsters was a close second with 24 percent, followed by Build-A-Bearville (16 percent), Webkinz (5 percent), and Poptropica (2 percent).

Most of the surveyed children, 73 percent, had played at least one of these online games, with half having played Club Penguin and 47 percent stating that they have played Moshi Monsters.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Hit Entertainment has appointed Techno Source, a division of LF Products, as a  toy licensee for Barney. Under the terms of the deal, the Barney toy range from Techno Source will include plush, play sets, and figurines, launching this spring in the U.S. and Canada.

Barney & Friends can be seen on PBS Kids and Sprout in the U.S., and on Treehouse TV in Canada. Episodes are also available for download through iTunes.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Australian recording artist and teen heartthrob Cody Simpson will appear at Toys “R” Us Times Square this Thursday, December 8 to launch his new doll collection by The Wish Factory. Fans will be able to purchase one of the dolls in the line and also get it signed by Simpson. The event starts at 3 p.m.

Available exclusively at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and toysrus.com, the Cody Simpson doll line includes two basic dolls, both 11.5 inches. The dolls are fashioned after Simpson, complete with his signature side-swept surfer-do. One doll features a Gold Coast T-shirt and khakis, and the other doll features a denim jacket and black pants. Both dolls include a pair of shoes, sunglasses, a microphone, a guitar pick, and a lanyard.

Simpson recently released his EP, Coast to Coast, which debuted Top 15. The album includes hit “On My Mind” and the heartbreak ballad “Not Just You.”

This post was originally written by Ericka Johnson and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Image Credit: ToysRUs.com

The animated family comedy adventure Happy Feet Two premiered last Friday, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) has announced its global collection of licensees for the movie.

Thinkway Toys is the global master toy partner for the property, and has debuted toys that feature dance moves, interactive play features, music, a talk-back mode, and more. Additional offerings from the wide roster of licensees include Rubie’s Costume Co. with an assortment of costumes; Pressman Toy with all-new interactive games; Build-A-Bear Workshop, offering collectible soft plush; MeadWestvaco with themed calendars; Hallmark, offering decorative ornaments and party supplies; Anagram International with party décor; Penguin Children’s Books with books inspired by the film; and more.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

Wildbrain Entertainment has signed seven new licensing deals for its hit series Yo Gabba Gabba!. Funko, manufacturer of entertainment bobblehead products, vinyl action figures, and plush toys, will develop a line of Yo Gabba Gabba! collectible toys, available at specialty, department stores, and mass retailers nationwide starting in April. Nyko, manufacturer of accessories for Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and 3DS, will develop game accessories and an all-new DS docking station/alarm clock for the property, which will be available across all retail channels late next year. Press Pass, Inc., the trading card and licensed collectibles company, will develop a line of Yo Gabba Gabba! trading cards that will be sold across all distribution channels starting in February.

This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.

The “Stardoll by Barbie” collection will feature eight new fashion dolls, based on four of the most popular virtual Stardoll stores in Starplaza. Inspired by Stardoll avatars, “Stardoll by Barbie” dolls come packaged mirroring signature avatar poses. Each doll features details such as rooted eyelashes, a unique face and body sculpt, as well as a distinct signature style.

“Stardoll by Barbie” will be available at retail in the U.S. beginning this month, with another five dolls slated for spring 2012. Three accessory packs let Stardoll fans mix and match the fashions and accessories, and give girls the interchangeable closet experience of the Stardoll virtual world in the real world.

“Stardoll by Barbie” dolls will come with a gift card for complimentary membership on Stardoll.com for new and existing members, Stardollars to spend on all Superstar items on the Stardoll site as well as free exclusive virtual gifts.