People of Play has announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Industry Game Changer Honorees for the 17th annual Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (The TAGIEs). Mary Danby and Dan Romanelli will be honored as the Lifetime Achievement recipients, while Alan Dorfman will be named the Industry Game Changer.
Danby is a British toy inventor and game designer best known for designing the Mysteries of Old Peking games and Junior Detective. Romanelli is the founder of Warner Bros. Consumer Products, where he headed the global success of franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, and Looney Tunes through marketing and product licensing.
Dan Romanelli | Source: People of Play
Mary Danby | Source: People of Play
“We’re excited to honor and celebrate the life-long contributions and accomplishments that Mary Danby and Dan Romanelli have made in the World of Play,” says John Barbour, Chairperson of the TAGIE Lifetime Achievement Committee. “Both, in their unique ways, have played significant roles in the creative evolution of play, and they have had a positive impact in the lives of millions.”
Dorfman is the co-founder and president of Super Impulse USA, which is known for the World’s Smallest toy line that features functional toys that fit in the palm of your hand. Dorfman was also the founder and president of Basic Fun! from 1991-2011.
“We are so excited to be able to honor these titans of the toy industry with Lifetime Achievement Awards as well as all of the TAGIE nominees and winners,” says Mary Couzin, Senior Vice President and Founder of People of Play. “The toy and game industry is truly a family that celebrates and supports one another. We can’t wait to see you in Chicago on Nov. 8 at this extraordinary event.”
The TAGIEs are happening on Friday, Nov. 8 with the theme “Toys Through Time.” Nine awards will be presented throughout the show: Toy Innovator of the Year, Game Innovator of the Year, Rising Star Innovator of the Year, Most Innovative PR and Marketing Team of the Year, Most Innovative Art and Design Visuals of the Year, Most Innovative Supplier of the Year, Most Innovative Retailer of the Year, Most Innovative License of the Year, and Young Innovator of the Year. Finalists will be announced this month.
Tickets to the TAGIE Awards are available on the Chicago Toy and Game Fair website.
