WiT Wonder Women 2023
Events News
WiT Announces Honorees for the 2023 Wonder Women Awards

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT), the preeminent nonprofit trade organization dedicated to the advancement and advocacy of women, has announced the distinguished honorees of its 2023 Wonder Women Awards. These remarkable women will be honored at the WiT Wonder Women Awards Gala, set to take place on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers in New York City. The in-person event honors and celebrates the extraordinary women executives, entrepreneurs and changemakers who are driving the toy, consumer products, licensing and entertainment industries forward.

Hasbro Women Innovators
Events News
Hasbro Announces Women Innovators of Play Event

Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ: HAS), a leading toy and game company, today announced the Hasbro Women Innovators of Play event, held virtually on September 12 between 10 am – 12:30 pm ET. A special key announcement will also be shared during the day’s program. The event will be centered on women’s leadership, innovation, and women-led creativity. Participants will learn about the process of pitching a new toy or game and the journey through the Hasbro pipeline from concept to creation. Attendees can expect a dynamic program that includes discussions with actor, director, and entrepreneur, Aisha Tyler; board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave; Head of Toy at Hasbro, Kim Boyd; and President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming, Cynthia Williams.

Douglas Bird
News
Douglas Introduces a Menagerie of Birds for Spring 2024

Plush toy maker and lifestyle gift creator Douglas has nine new fun feathered friends coming out in Spring 2024. It is up, up, and a way lot of fun with their newest bird intros.  Meet Melody the Robin who recently hopped on the scene with her classic robin looks. You’ll enjoy this little cutie nesting on your windowsill with her bright orange plush belly, soft chocolate plush wings and tail. She is 6” long and has a classic black head with a bright yellow beak. Nectar the Hummingbird also bears a resemblance to his true-to-life counterpart. He is 7.5” long including his long signature narrow beak. His bodice and wings are limey green with a touch of white and bright orange under his beak. Listen for the humming sound as he flits around your toy room.

Yoto Universal Music Group
Licensing News
Yoto Announces New Partnership with Universal Music Group to Bring the Magic of Music to Kids Worldwide

Yoto, the audio platform for kids behind the critically acclaimed and award-winning screen-free Yoto Player and Yoto Mini, is thrilled to announce an industry first agreement with Universal Music Group, the global leader in music-based entertainment to bring iconic music titles and artists from its labels and catalogues, alongside contemporary frontline hits to the platform for the first time. The new distribution partnership will improve the opportunities for children to experience and interact with music and artistry from an early age, fostering true independence putting children as young as three in control of exploring their favorite music.  

Pokemon World Championships 2023
Events News
World’s Top Pokémon Competitors Crowned at the 2023 Pokémon World Championships

The 2023 Pokémon World Championships, hosted by The Pokémon Company International, drew to a close yesterday following three days of intense matches and friendly competition in Yokohama, Japan. The best Trainers from around the world attended the annual event to take part in the premier tournament for Pokémon video games and the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG). This year’s event featured the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE. More than 10,000 players and fans from around the globe gathered at the PACIFICO Yokohama Convention Center for the world’s most prestigious Pokémon event. Winners of each division can be found here.

Clue Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Licensing News
The Op Games Launches CLUE: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Usaopoly (The Op), the board game and puzzle publisher behind best-selling party games including Telestrations, Blank Slate and Hues and Cues, has launched the most humorous version of the classic mystery game with CLUE: Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Under license from leading toy and game company Hasbro and based on Jeff Kinney’s popular book series with over 275 million copies sold worldwide, the game will enable fans to play as their favorite characters from the Wimpy Kid world with a mysterious new twist.

Licensing International Global Study 2023 2024 finalists award excellence hall of fame
Licensing News
2023 Licensing International Annual Global Study Shows Industry Growth of $340.8 Billion in 2022

The 2023 Licensing International Global Licensing Industry Study, conducted by Brandar Consulting, captures the state of the licensing industry and highlights the impressive growth of licensed products in 2022. The 2023 Licensing International Global Licensing Industry Study highlights global sales of licensed merchandise reaching $340.8 billion in sales in 2022, an overall licensing industry growth of 8.02%. Insights from the report show that 2022 was defined by consumers diversifying their spending to navigate the higher pricing of historic inflation levels while shifting to have a very healthy appetite for experiences, entertainment, travel, dining and festive gatherings.

Ynon Kreiz Israel
Events News
Ynon Kreiz, Mattel Chairman and CEO, to be Honored with Industry Leadership Award at 36th Israel Film Festival in LA

Ynon Kreiz, Mattel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who has transformed the company and spearheaded its global blockbuster film, Barbie, will receive the 2023 IFF Industry Leadership Award at the 36th Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles Opening Night Gala on November 1st. Meir Fenigstein, founder and executive director of the Israel Film Festival, made the announcement. Fenigstein noted: “Ynon Kreiz’s visionary leadership and incredible achievements at Mattel, most recently Barbie’s triumph at the worldwide box office, are exciting beyond imagination. In just over five years, Ynon has transformed Mattel into an IP powerhouse, with its first theatrical release shattering records and becoming a showcase for the expertise of the Mattel Films division he created. On a personal note, I fondly recall Ynon as a UCLA Anderson MBA student volunteering at the Israel Film Festival. Now, 30 years later, I am proud to be recognizing and honoring him at the Festival for his own amazing accomplishments.”

Minecraft Playview
Licensing News
Playview Brands Inflates the Fun of Minecraft with New License Acquisition

Playview Brands’ ever-growing catalog of diverse brands and licenses has now partnered with the sandbox-turned-evergreen entertainment franchise Minecraft, with plans to blow up fun all year round. Introducing a collection of summer and winter inflatable products starting this fall, Playview Brands will bring the world-building fun of Minecraft to our own in a unique way! Playview Brands’ line of Minecraft inflatables brings the iconic looks and characters of the best-selling game of all time for real-world fun and thrills. This year, Playview will bring fans Minecraft Winter Fun World, a line of inflatable snow sleds to recreate the game experience on the slopes, alongside the Minecraft 6-Piece Building Block Set, life-size inflatable blocks that transform any indoor or outdoor space into a Minecraft-themed world!