This year’s Chicago Toy & Game Week will include the Innovation and Play in Education Conferences, Toy & Game Innovation (TAGIE) Awards Gala, the 14th annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG), the Blogger and Media Breakfast Event, Young Inventor Challenge, and Young Tech Challenge. The events will take place at Navy Pier from Nov. 17 to 20.
The headline event, ChiTAG, is the largest toy and game fair in the U.S. open to the general public. The event brings together consumers, families, inventors, manufacturers, retailers, educators, hobbyists, social media influencers, and the media to play, celebrate, and support the creation of toys and games. Other events include:
- Innovation Conferences —Nov. 17-18, 2016: This year’s keynote speakers include Kathleen Campisano (VP GMM Toys, Games, Hobby & Collectibles at Barnes & Noble), Andy Roo Forrest (Partner, Forrest-Pruzan Creative), Jim McCafferty (Owner, JMP Creative), Tim Walsh (Chief Playmaker, The Playmakers), and Michelle Thaller (Assistant Director of Science, NASA Headquarters). The conference is held on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 and Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 at Navy Pier. Both days kick off with a Continental Breakfast at 7 a.m. with speakers beginning at 8 a.m.
- TAGIE Awards Gala—Nov. 18, 2016: The 9th Annual Toy and Game Inventor of the Year (TAGIE) Awards Gala will take place at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 from 6 to 11 p.m. The TAGIE Awards ceremony brings together toy industry leaders from around the world for a night of celebration to pay homage to masters of invention in categories such as Toy Designer of the Year and Rising Star Designer. The gala ends with the playCHIC Fashion Show.
- playCHIC Fashion Show—Nov. 18, 2016: Haute couture fashion designers team up with playful toy and game brands to create delightfully stunning and fresh runway looks. The 5th Annual playCHIC Fashion Show takes place Friday, November 18, 2016 at 8 p.m. directly following the TAGIE Awards Gala.
- Blogger and Media Breakfast Event—Nov. 19, 2016: Media and social media influencers from around the country bring their families to be entertained, hear presentations, try products, receive product samples directly from sponsors as well as enjoy early access to the Fair with a surprise event just for them. For more information or to register for the Breakfast, visit chitag.com/media-and-blogger-breakfast.
- Play in Education – Nov. 19, 2016: The Chicago Toy & Game Group has been sharing the importance of play in education for nearly ten years. This year’s keynote speaker is Leslie Scott, the inventor of Jenga.
- Young Inventor Challenge—Nov. 19, 2016: Children from the ages of 6 to 18 are encouraged to use their creativity to make and showcase their own original toy & game inventions. This free experience provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the play industry. Winning inventors will take home grand prizes and have the opportunity to get their invention produced and sold at retail. Registration for the Young Inventor Challenge is now open through Nov. 1, 2016.
- Young Tech Challenge—Nov. 20, 2016: Chicago Toy & Game Week adds a new challenge to its lineup this year for young creators called the Young Tech Challenge. Inventors from the ages of 8 to 22 years are encouraged to bring together imagination, play, and tech to create an original tech idea. Registration for the Young Tech Challenge is now open through Nov. 1, 2016.
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