Posts Tagged ‘Toy Industry Association’
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How to Best Work With Bloggers and Toy Industry Experts at Toy Fair
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Fourth in a series of posts on preparing for the annual trade event.
by Julie Livingston, director, business development and accounts, Child’s Play Communications
In addition to the hoards of journalists from traditional media channels covering Toy Fair, exhibitors should also consider outreach to bloggers (specifically, mom bloggers who write product reviews) and toy industry experts who cover the annual event. Both influential in their own right, the clout these individuals carry can be particularly valuable to small and mid-sized toy companies, driving brand awareness, social media prominence, and, ultimately, sales.
Getting your toy featured on the right product review blog is a marvelous way to generate grassroots buzz for your product. According to a recent study conducted by Child’s Play Communications and the NPD Group, 79 percent of all American moms with children under the age of 18 are active in social media. Of that number, about one in four have made purchasing decisions as a result of a social media recommendation; more than half (55 percent) said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog
To reach moms where they “live,” it is essential that toy and youth entertainment companies have a strong presence among mom bloggers. To clarify, a mom blogger is a mother, generally with young preschool-aged children, who blogs on a regular basis. Many of the mom bloggers we work with at Child’s Play turned to blogging as an outlet following earlier careers as journalists, writers, and marketers. Some were involved in other aspects of business, and many are moms looking to express themselves while connecting with other moms to share experiences and life lessons. These women are smart, dedicated, and energetic.
Tags: Adrienne Appell, Child's Play Communications, Debbie Bookstaber, Julie Livingston, Laurie Schacht, mom bloggers, Reyne Rice, Toy Fair, Toy Industry Association, Toy Insider
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Toy Fair NY to Feature Three-Meter Touch Screens of Exhibitor Information
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
This year’s American International Toy Fair, to be held in New York in a few weeks, will feature an interactive, digital wall called Fair Necessities. “Fair Necessities will be an interactive gateway to all things Toy Fair,” said Kimberly Carcone, senior director of trade show and event marketing at TIA, in a press release. “With the tap of a finger, multiple users will be able to simultaneously access floor plans, event schedules, exhibitor listings, photos, videos and news clips, apps, and more on the huge three-meter touch screens.” The LCD multi-touch display screen was designed by European IT firm Uma, and will be located in the main concourse of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center during the four days of the show.
For more information of Toy Fair, visit www.ToyFairNY.com.
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.
Tags: American International Toy Fair, New York City, TIA, Toy Fair 2012, Toy Industry Association
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Teams Up with PunchTab for “Play Happens” Toy Fair Game
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Play Happens, the official game for registered attendees of the American International Toy Fair (February 12-15), will be more interactive and engaging, due to a new partnership between the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and PunchTab, an instant loyalty rewards platform.
Play Happens will kick off online in the weeks leading up to the fair before transitioning offline into the streets of New York City during Toy Fair week. PunchTab’s instant loyalty rewards program will enable players to earn Play Happens points by interacting with the Toy Fair blog before and during the show.
Points collected online can be traded in for prizes or stockpiled for the grand prize: a NYC New Year’s Eve 2012 package. During the show, Play Happens players also earn points on a virtual game board by checking-in via their smartphones at different locations throughout New York City. The geo-location component is powered by FourSquare.
Tags: American International Toy Fair, FourSquare, Play Happens, PunchTab, TIA, Toy Industry Association
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
New Juvenile Trade Show to Run Concurrently with TIA’s Fall Toy Preview
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
Next year, Dallas Market Center will premiere a new trade event for mass-market retailers, “PB&J: The Preview for Baby & Juvenile,” created as a joint venture with the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The new show will debut and run concurrently with TIA’s annual Fall Toy Preview, to be held October 2-4 on the Dallas Market Center campus.
PB&J will offer a focused selection of baby and juvenile resources from different manufacturers, with an emphasis on companies in the categories of furniture, bedding, gifts, décor, baby care, accessories, strollers, high chairs, and nursing/feeding. Echoing Fall Toy Preview’s model, PB&J will be a by-appointment-only event that brings together vendors with mass retailers for private meetings and networking events.
Tags: baby and juvenile, Dallas Market Center, Fall Toy Preview, mass-market, PBJ, TIA, Toy Industry Association, trade show
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Reveals New Hall of Fame Inductees
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
The Toy Industry Association (TIA) announced that Arnie Rubin, founder and CEO of Funrise Toy Corporation, and the late Frederick August Otto Schwarz, founder of FAO Schwarz, have been selected as the next inductees into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame comprises a roster of 57 individuals who have been recognized for their significant contributions to the growth and success of the toy industry. The newest inductees were nominated by toy industry members and selected via vote from TIA members and previous Hall of Fame honorees.
Tags: Arnie Rubin, FAO Schwarz, Frederick August Otto Schwarz, Funrise Toy Corporation, TIA, Toy Industry Association, Toy Industry Hall of Fame
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Announces 2012 TOTY Finalists
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
The Toy Industry Association (TIA) has announced the 77 finalists for the 2012 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. Through January 15, toy lovers of all ages can vote for their favorite toys by visiting www.ToyAwards.org.
The finalists, representing 67 unique products or properties from 51 companies, were selected from nearly 600 nominees. TIA invites consumers, mass retailers, specialty retailers, media, and members of the toy industry to vote. Each of the five types of ballots will be weighted and used to determine the winners and the overall “Toy of the Year” award. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony on Saturday, February 11 as the kick-off to the 109th American International Toy Fair.
Tags: TIA, TOTY, Toy Fair, Toy Industry Association, Toy of the Year Awards
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Ballot for Toy Industry Hall of Fame
Monday, October 10th, 2011
Voting for the next inductees into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame has started, and will run through October 14. TIA invites designated points of contact at TIA member companies, former Hall of Fame inductees, and recent TIA Board members to rank their choices in the living and posthumous categories. Each first place ranking will receive four points, each second place ranking will receive three points, and so on.
The candidates for induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame are: Judith (Judy) Ellis, chair, toy design department at the Fashion Institute of Technology; Patrick (Pat) Feely, president of PSF Consulting; Arnie Rubin, founder of Funrise, Inc.; and Jerry Storch, CEO and chairman of Toys “R” Us, Inc.
The candidates for posthumous induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame are: Russell (Russ) Berrie, founder of Russ Berrie, Inc.; Jack Friedman, former chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Jakks Pacific; and Frederick August Otto Schwarz, founder and president of FAO Schwarz.
The 2012 inductees will be announced in conjunction with promotion of the annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) awards program. The inductees will be honored during a ceremony held in conjunction with the TOTY Awards on February 11 at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. For more information, visit www.toy-tia.org.
Tags: TIA, Toy Industry Association, Toy Industry Hall of Fame
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Calls for Candidates for Board of Directors
Monday, October 10th, 2011
The Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) invites all members to submit candidates for seats on the association’s board of directors. The board is responsible for the management and control of the activities, property, and affairs of TIA, including the strategic direction of the association, the annual budget, and the scope of responsibilities of the board and its committees.
The following criteria will be considered by the Nominating Committee for each nominee: commitment to attend regularly scheduled board meetings each year and, as appropriate, other relevant TIA-sponsored events; commitment to act in a neutral manner and represent the best interests of the industry rather than carrying forward individual or corporate agendas; professional skills that may be valuable to the board; holds a senior position within his/her company; experience in the toy industry; contributions to Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and/or membership in the TIF Leaders Circle; and TIA committee participation.
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. ET on October 21. Nominations will be subsequently balloted for election by the TIA membership. Newly elected board members will begin a two-year term beginning at the TIA Annual Meeting at Toy Fair in February. Board members may be re-elected for two additional consecutive two-year terms.
For more information, click here.
Tags: board of directors, candidates, nomination, TIA, Toy Industry Association
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Announces 2011 TOTY Nominees, Toy Industry Hall of Fame Inductees
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
In a special press conference held at New York City’s Bryant Park, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) unveiled the 70 nominees for the 2011 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards and the inductees for the 2011 Toy Industry Hall of Fame. The TOTY finalists were selected from a record pool of 500-plus toys, games, and properties that were submitted for consideration.
TIA announced that through January 14, retailers, media, members of the toy industry, as well as families, can vote for their favorite toys and each ballot will be weighted to determine the 2011 TOTY winners. Winners will be announced during the TOTY Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 12. To see the 2011 nominees, visit www.ToyAwards.org.
Also announced by the Association were the 2011 inductees for the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Al Verrecchia, chairman of the board of directors at Hasbro, and the late Donald Duncan, founder of Duncan Toy Company. Verrecchia and Duncan will be recognized for their contributions and service to the toy industry at the TOTY Awards.
Tags: Al Verrecchia, Donald Duncan, TIA, TOTY Awards, Toy Fair, Toy Industry Association, Toy Industry Hall of Fame
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Video: Anti-Gravity Web Runner, Radio-Controlled Black Widow
Monday, October 4th, 2010
Fantasma Toys is showcasing its new remote-controlled black widow spider, the Anti-Gravity Web Runner, at the Toy Industry Association’s Fall Toy Preview in Dallas.
The Anti-Gravity Web Runner is the first product developed by Fantasma that is based on the company’s comic book A.G. Arachnids. The spider boasts 360-degree spin action and uses patent-pending air suction technology that allows it to operate on the floor, on walls, and even upside down. The Anti-Gravity Web Runner also features a light engineered chassis, life-like articulated legs, and an infrared signal transmitter.
The Anti-Gravity Web Runner sells for a suggested retail price of $39.99 and is recommended for children 8 and up. For more information, visit www.agwebrunner.com.
Fantasma will be showing at Fall Toy Preview, October 5-8 at booth No. 12674.
Tags: A.G. Arachnids, Anti-Gravity Web Runner, Fall Toy Preview, Fantasma, Toy Industry Association
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