Inez Tenenbaum, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chairman, will hold a town hall meeting at Toys “R” Us Times Square on November 17 at 9:30 a.m. ET to answer consumers’ questions and concerns about toy safety hazards and requirements. Tenenbaum, who will be joined by Jerry Storch, chairman and CEO of Toys “R” Us, and Alan Korn, executive director and general counsel of Safe Kids USA, will also talk about the steps the agency is taking to ensure that children’s toys are safe.
Chorion has picked Haven Licensing to be the agent for its brands Olivia, The World of Eric Carle, and Noddy. The agreement is for Australia and New Zealand. Haven is already sub-agent for Beatrix Potter in the region, and Chorion’s Mr. Men and Little Miss.
Ubisoft is teaming up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and pop band Honor Society for the launch of new Petz games and Sharing and Caring Month. The new video games for Nintendo DS will allow users to care for their virtual “petz” and send them to other Petz games via wireless interconnectivity. Users can also share their pets on UbiWorld, www.ubiworld.com.
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has announced that the theme for the 2010 Marketplace & Academy in Providence, R.I. will be “Full Speed Ahead. Start Here.” The event recently changed its dates to June 13-16, 2010.
Mega Brands has announced its third quarter results. The company reported net earnings of $72 million, or $1.22 diluted earnings per share, compared to a net loss of $122.1 million, or $3.34 diluted loss per share, in the same quarter of 2008. Net sales in the quarter decreased to $118 million compared to $160.9 million in the third quarter of 2008.
The Walt Disney Co. has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter. Disney reported net income of $895 million, or 47 cents per share, a gain of 18 percent, compared with $760 million, or 40 cents per share, in the same period in 2008. Revenue rose to almost $9.9 billion, up 4 percent from $9.4 billion in the same period last year.
The Upper Deck Company has partnered with Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to U.S. service members across the world, to launch Upper Deck’s Million Pack March for the Troops campaign. As part of the campaign, Upper Deck and other donators will send sealed packs of Upper Deck trading cards to deserving U.S. military members overseas.
Laurie Schacht, from The Toy Insider, shows The Early Show‘s Harry Smith some of the hot toys for this holiday season.
Calico Critters’ website, www.CalicoCritters.com, has re-launched with a new design. On the new website, children enter the world of Cloverleaf Corners by following the village path, passing critters that respond to the touch a computer mouse. The re-designed website includes more than 100 different activities such as coloring pages, word finds, and recipes. The website also includes a link to the Calico Critters YouTube page, which has 20 different videos featuring the animal families.
At the Omni Los Angeles Hotel last Tuesday, Mattel, Inc. donated a $1,850,000 gift to the Otis College of Art and Design, during the school’s annual “Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region.” The 2009 report, Unleashing L.A.’s Creative Potential, discusses the state of creativity in business and the workplace. Mattel International President Bryan Stockton, who is also a member of the Otis Board of Trustees, presented the gift to Samuel Hoi, president of the college. The donation will be used to support Otis student scholarships, the art and design curriculum, and efforts to enhance the facilities.