Instagram Builds Toy Fair Momentum, Community

January 23, 2013 By

By Julie Livingston, Senior Account Executive, CarrotNewYork, formerly Senior Director, Public Relations, Toy Industry Association

The adage “a picture tells a thousand words” perfectly describes the free, mobile-sharing app Instagram. The simple act of setting up your Toy Fair product line, exhibit booth, or private showroom can be turned into a compelling narrative easily and effectively. The free application has a simple interface; the bottom part of the app allows you to access the feed and see all of the photos added by you and the individuals you follow. You can click comment to voice your opinion and like a photo by clicking on the heart icon. To give Instagram photos a promotional edge, add a caption including a hashtag or two, such as #BrandXYZ and #TF as well as other, common Instagram tags such as #toys,  #love or #photooftheday that are relevant to your show posts. The site Webstagram is a helpful tool for identifying which hashtags are trending. Remember that although Instagram is a terrific mobile marketing tool, it works best in tandem with other visual content sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr, as these offer the best viral impact for sharing and discussing photos. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, People, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

TIA Webinar on Chemical Management Strategy for Toys

January 14, 2013 By

Courtesy of Toy Industry Association

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) invites toy industry stakeholders to participate in a webinar on January 17 titled Chemical Management Strategy for Toys. The webinar will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m.; it is open to all industry stakeholders and recommended for those who work on toy design, production, manufacturing, and quality. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , ,

TIA Shares Content Connection Session Details

January 11, 2013 By

Courtesy of Toy Industry Association

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) has announced session and speaker details for Content Connection, an educational program scheduled to take place during the first two days of the 110th American International Toy Fair.

Geared toward the growing numbers of licensors, brand owners, and entertainment executives that annually flock to Toy Fair, Content Connection will take place February 10 to 11 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , , , ,

TIA Annual Business Meeting to be Held at Toy Fair

January 10, 2013 By

Courtesy of Toy Industry Association

In a letter to members issued this week, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) announced that its Annual Business Meeting will convene at 8 a.m. on February 12 in room 1E19 of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Held in conjunction with the American International Toy Fair, the one-hour meeting will include reports of the chairman, president, and secretary/treasurer; the election of new Board members; and other such matters as may regularly be brought before the membership. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, People, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , , , ,

What’s Your Toy Fair Product Story?

January 2, 2013 By

By Julie Livingston, Director of Business Development & Accounts,Child’s Play Communications; former Senior Director of Public Relations, Toy Industry Association

Reporters scouting Toy Fair for hot products and overarching trends are pressed for time and attention. On a good day, they may have an hour or so to peruse the aisles overflowing with eye candy. Keep in mind that, in addition to covering the spectacle of the show, they are also looking for alternative story angles of greater depth. Such angles may include:

  • Lifestyle trends and new ways that kids are engaging in play;
  • “Hometown heroes”- stories about unlikely toy inventors or inventions;
  • Emerging entertainment properties and licenses;
  • Made in the USA products; and
  • Brand legacy stories (including special anniversaries of best-loved brands and characters). [Read more...]
Filed Under: Articles, People, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tenth Chicago Toy & Game Fair Sets Attendance Records

January 2, 2013 By

The 10th anniversary Chicago Toy & Game Fair continued its tradition as the nation’s largest public play event, attracting more than 25,000 people to Navy Pier on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Fair was the finale of Chicago Toy & Game Week, which featured industry seminars, a highly celebrated inventor awards gala, and a new toy-inspired fashion show, playCHIC. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Data, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Scrap Plastic Toys Needed for Plastics-To-Energy Pilot Project

December 26, 2012 By

Courtesy of Toy Industry Association

The Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) Environmental Sustainability Committee has approved TIA’s participation in a plastics-to-energy pilot project with Agilyx, an alternative energy company that uses patented technology to convert difficult-to-recycle waste plastics into synthetic crude oil.

TIA is looking for 2,500 pounds of plastic toys of mixed types (including defective or scrap products or components). These plastics must be submitted by mid-January. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , ,

Digital Kids Conference to Explore Digital Games, Innovation, Marketing

December 24, 2012 By

Courtesy of Toy Industry Association

Mobile gaming apps, the business side of digital games, marketing strategies, and innovation in the toy industry are just a few of the topics that will be covered by more than 20 speakers from the kids’ entertainment industry at Engage Digital’s 7th Annual Digital Kids Conference.

Co-locating at the Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) American International Toy Fair in New York City, the Digital Kids Conference will be one of several educational events available to Toy Fair’s 30,000 attendees. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

TIA Launches Online Playground

December 19, 2012 By

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) has launched PlayHappens.org, a digital publication focused on the business of play. This new online resource is an evolution of the former Toy Fair NY Blog and provides readers with go-to-market strategies, business tools, research and trends, and other industry insights contributed by a team of toy industry enthusiasts and experts from multiple disciplines. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , ,

Get a Head Start on Toy Fair

December 19, 2012 By

By Julie Livingston, Director of Business Development & Accounts, Child’s Play Communications; former Senior Director of Public Relations, Toy Industry Association

We all know that the fourth quarter of the current year and first quarter of the new year are a marathon of events and deadlines for the toy industry. First, it is the chaos of closing out holiday orders and enjoying a brief holiday break. Then, for many, it’s on to the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, followed by Nuremberg and then the annual New York Toy Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Center from February 10 to 13. With such a compressed timetable, every minute in pre-Toy Fair planning counts.

The annual event draws approximately 1,000 global media representatives from top tier outlets including The Today Show, The View, CNN, the Associated Press, The New York Times, NY Daily News, Wall Street Journal, and many more. Media publicity affords toy companies with valuable promotion and exposure, which can help to hype “driver products”–those in-demand items expected to be hot sellers for the 2013 holiday season.   [Read more...]

Filed Under: Articles, Guest Blog, Trade Shows/Events Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »