Category: Events

VidCon is back and just around the corner! YouTube is excited to return as the title sponsor and exclusive livestream sponsor for VidCon Anaheim 2023, providing attendees with new content and experiential activations across all three of VidCon’s signature tracks, in addition to taking the stage to deliver the Industry Track keynote address. Some of the biggest YouTube creators including Alan Chikin Chow, Blogilates, Colin and Samir, Ian Boggs, Jeenie.Weenie, KallMeKris, Ludwig, Manny MUA, SSSniperwolf, Steven He, Sydney Morgan and more will be attending and diving head first into VidCon – participating in engaging panel conversations, merch pop-ups, meetups, and more.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) just wrapped up their 2023 Marketplace & Academy show in Columbus, OH, where thousands of new toys were featured, from plush to science kits to puzzles to toys you didn’t know your kids needed, but now can’t live without!  The ASTRA team, composed of ASTRA staff, small retailers and Certified Play Experts, scoured the floor and spoke with members to discover the top trends in the industry.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), has officially announced the winners of its coveted ASTRA Play Awards at their annual Marketplace & Academy event in Columbus, OH. The renowned program is the only one of its kind where independent and neighborhood specialty toy retailers vote to select the products that promote happy and healthy play in childhood and beyond! This year, 14 winners were chosen across a wide range of categories.

Intersell, the New Jersey-based brand behind the wildly successful KickerBall showcased at ASTRA in booth #951 in Columbus OH, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Released in 2018 KickerBall has helped soccer fans and athletes master their skill with its unique and revolutionary design and aerodynamic materials. The special panels channel air in ways a standard soccer ball can’t, allowing the KickerBall to swerve, bend and curve with ease. With an impressive celebrity fan base including some of the world’s greatest soccer players, Kickerball has sold over 2 million units globally, amassed over 1 billion views on YouTube and nearly 100 million on TikTok. 

Friendly Unofficial Networking (F.U.N.) launched a series of successful in-person networking events this week in Las Vegas to complement the Licensing Expo 2023 trade show. The week of F.U.N. events kicked off on Monday (June 12) with a Monday F.U.N.day Pool Party in the beach bungalows at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Pool. The bungalows were hosted by Striker Entertainment, Most Management, Reemsborko, Toikido and Studio2pt0. The day party consisted of informal networking, pool food, frozen drinks, and inner tube rides on the lazy river. The informal pool event was packed all day long with guests dropping in and out between meetings and summits.

MGM, an Amazon company, is a leading entertainment company focused on the production of premium film and television content across platforms, announced the winners of the second annual MGM Consumer Products Leo Awards. The MGM Consumer Products Leo Awards honor MGM’s best-in-class licensees from around the world across a variety of categories released in the 2022 calendar year. The winners were announced during a special evening event hosted by MGM at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas.

The winners of the 2023 Licensing International Excellence Awards were unveiled last night in a ceremony that brought together industry executives from around the world to celebrate the best of the global brand licensing industry. The 30 award winners were selected from 201 finalists from across the globe. More than 850 submissions were received, narrowed down by an expert global judging panel and voted on by members of the licensing industry at large. This year’s Excellence Awards were hosted by Cakewalk Entertainment founder and CEO George Leon and La Panadería President and CEO Maca Rotter. The awards were presented by Alifish, Jazwares, Spaceport, and Spirit.

On June 3, 2023, Hasbro and Amazon collaborated on a special Transformers: Battle in Brooklyn free fan event in Brooklyn, NY that celebrated the highly anticipated film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – releasing globally by Paramount Pictures exclusively in theaters on June 9. Thousands of fans lined up to take part in the event’s fun-filled Transformers-themed activities, interactive, shoppable Amazon product displays, and more. Fans took memorable photos and videos in front of the Graffiti-Style Mural from Japanese street artist Dragon76 – showcasing the Transformers brand in a vital, passionate ‘90s art style.