The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) will honor this year’s winners of the ASTRA Excellence Awards at the 2019 Marketplace & Academy.
The awards recognize leading retailers, manufacturers, sales representatives, and young professionals who represent the best of the specialty toy industry, as nominated by the ASTRA membership.
“Our annual gathering at Marketplace & Academy is an appropriate time to pause and recognize those leaders who have had a big impact on growing the toy industry,” says ASTRA President Kimberly Mosley. “Our honorees exemplify what makes the specialty toy industry special — an appreciation for the role of play in healthy child development; a commitment to top-notch service; and a willingness to help others in the industry succeed.”
Winners of the 2019 ASTRA Excellence Awards:
Retailer of the Year: Play, Chicago | Ann Kienzle, Owner
Manufacturer of the Year: Fat Brain Toy Co., Elkhorn, Nebraska
Sales Representative of the Year: Bill St. John | Diverse Marketing & Be Smart Toys LLC, Dallas
Young Professional/Rising Star: Nick Guffey | The Toy Store, Lawrence, Kansas
Industry Innovator: Cassidy Smith | Hape, Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
The award ceremony will take place at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 10, 2019 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh during ASTRA’s annual Business Meeting and Awards Breakfast at Marketplace & Academy.