Category: Events

The Canadian Toy Association (CTA) is pleased to announce the 2023 inductees into the Canadian Toy Industry Hall of Fame. Jon Levy, Founder of Mastermind, Paule Rancourt, Managing Director of KID Toy and Kelly Woon, Vice President of North America Sales of Funrise, will be showcased and awarded for their contributions to the industry on November 16, 2023, at the Hall of Fame Gala Reception and Dinner at the Mississauga Convention Center.

Licensing International is pleased to announce that six licensing professionals will receive the 2023 Global Rising Star Award. For more than a decade, Rising Stars from around the world have been nominated by their peers and recognized for their contributions to, and passion for, the global brand licensing industry. “Licensing International is thrilled to shine a spotlight on the talented young professionals who will become the future leaders of the global brand licensing industry,” said Maura Regan, President of Licensing International. “We would also like to say a huge thank you to our Rising Stars committee members, who have the difficult task of selecting among the best of the best.”

People of Play, the organization known for championing toy and game innovators around the world, will honor outstanding achievements at the 16th Annual Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (The TAGIEs) on November 3, 2023. With the theme “Heroes of Play” and sponsored by Disney, Oxford Games, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), Longshore and Nextoy, the evening’s festivities, which kick-off at 6:00pm with a preview of the PlayCHIC toy inspired looks that will be on the runway the next day at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair. In a year of Barbie everything and everywhere, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award will go to two people that changed the trajectory of Barbie to new heights years ago: Jill Barad, Consultant and former CEO and Chairman of Mattel, and Rouben Terzian, Founder of Terzian Enterprises and Co-Founder of BMT – Big Monster Toy.

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) celebrates the success of its first NAVC HiVE event this week with the Vet Nurse+Tech HiVE in Austin, TX. Veterinary professionals from across the country were at the Palmer Events Center for this three day event designed to elevate and advance the careers of veterinary nurses and technicians. Many of the registrants and attendees were first-time participants in any event, anywhere, fulfilling the NAVC’s goal of providing accessible learning and networking opportunities to all members of the community.

Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ: HAS), a leading toy and game company, announced Hasbro Girl Innovators of Play at the Girls Leading Change event. In partnership with Girl Up, a girl-centered leadership development initiative of the United Nations Foundation, the program will launch in early 2024 and build on the recent Hasbro Women Innovators of Play, a Challenge that calls for the next great women-led mass-market toy or game. Girl Innovators of Play will include a robust STEM-based bootcamp and invitation to girls between the ages of 13-24 to submit a social impact project idea focused on a cause they are passionate about and receive up to $1,000 in funding to transform that vision into reality.

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) is proud to announce its 2023 Wonder Women Winners, who were celebrated at the 18th annual Wonder Women Awards at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers in New York City. The leading global organization focused on advancing and advocating for women in the toy, consumer products, licensing and entertainment industries, also honored Laura Zebersky with the Visionary Leader Award; Lisa McKnight, who received the Trailblazer Award, and Nyla Hayes, recipient of the Future Leader Award. The Wonder Women Awards honors top female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and other changemakers for their extraordinary accomplishments and impact within the toy, licensing and the entertainment industries.

Moose Toys, an innovative leader in the toy industry, won two prestigious accolades, including Champion of Diversity & Inclusion for Art Director Brent Bell in the inaugural people-focused awards, and an inaugural Marketing Campaign of the Year Award (Silver) at the Toy Foundation’s 24th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The TOTY Award winners were announced at an awards ceremony at Cipriani’s 42nd Street in New York City, opening day of The Toy Association’s 2024 Preview and 2023 Holiday Market. “A dynamic, dedicated and zealously active leader, Brent was the catalyst for adding the LQBTQIA+ Workstream to Moose’s global workplace D&I initiatives,” said Paul Solomon, CEO, Moose Toys. “Under his leadership, Brent and his small team of volunteers designed a program that supports Moose’s commitment to building a workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We look forward to becoming further educated and enlightened under his thoughtful leadership and are so proud that his important efforts are being recognized and rewarded.”

Toy Fair 2023 (aka the North American International Toy Fair) opened its doors at the Javits Center in New York City, bringing together thousands of global play professionals to scout the hottest toys, games, and youth entertainment products of the holiday season and beyond from more than 1,000 exhibiting toy companies. Produced by The Toy Association, the sold-out show is a massive celebration of play and provides unparalleled access to the lucrative $40 billion U.S. toy marketplace and key markets around the globe. Taking place Saturday, September 30 through Tuesday, October 3, the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere has been reimagined for 2023 to feature more exciting experiences and insights than ever before, while maintaining its legacy as the place to spot the latest innovations in play. Toy Fair continues to be a vital marketplace, and the proof is in the numbers – in 2020, the show hosted 890 exhibitors, and that number has grown to 1,021 for 2023.

wards, philanthropy, and entertainment on the eve of Toy Fair in New York City. Barbie, LEGO, Squishmallows, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were among the top winners of the evening, along with standout wins for Blue Marble, Thames & Kosmos, WowWee, and others that were honored with a prestigious award before Grammy Award winner Wyclef Jean took the stage. Hosted by and in support of The Toy Foundation (TTF), the TOTY Awards are an opportunity for the toy industry to unite behind their Foundation’s work delivering the extraordinary benefits of play to children in need. Collectively, approximately $800,000 was raised to support TTF’s programs benefitting the mission partners that participated in the celebration — Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Metro World Child, and University of Maryland — as well as hundreds of additional national and international nonprofits. The TOTY Awards’ Presenting Sponsors — Amazon, Mattel, Inc., and Spin Master — all joined TTF on stage to highlight the importance and impact of the mission partners’ work.