Pitch To Largest Toy Companies In The World
3 Ways New Inventors and Toy Industry Experts Benefit from the TCA Virtual Pitch Event
In September 2020, Azhelle Wade, AKA The Toy Coach, created the Toy Creator’s Academy. This online program is designed to give toy inventors and entrepreneurs essential information and practice in developing, marketing, and selling their unique toy ideas. Throughout the program, Azhelle, a 3x patented toy inventor herself, shares best practices and insider tips that she learned over more than a decade in the toy industry.
The Toy Creator’s Academy also connects participants to toy companies, distributors, and retailers through the TCA Virtual Pitch Event. This is a bi-annual event and only those who are current or former participants of the Toy Creators Academy are eligible to apply. The event gives the inventors the valuable opportunity to put together and present a mini-pitch to experienced toy executives who are seeking products to place in their stores, inventions to license into their lines or show concepts to develop.
The TCA Virtual Pitch Event is being held on January 10, 2022 - January 20, 2022. Meetings between toy companies and aspiring creators will be scheduled place from 10:00 am - 7:45 pm EST.
Both inventors and toy industry experts can benefit from attending this event!
Toy Industry Experts: Why You Should Attend The TCA Virtual Pitch Event
1. Free and fast
This event is completely free for toy industry experts who want to review more high-quality toy pitches in less time. Each participant signs up for a 45-minute slot. In that time you will hear 3-4 mini-pitches. Azhelle curates the toy pitches that would best suit your brand or company for the time slot you choose.
The Toy Coach team invites toy manufacturers who are looking for inventor innovations, which could be the next big toy idea. In May 2021, Toy manufacturers like Hasbro, Mattel, and Publisher Serivces, Inc., met with brand new toy inventors and toy entrepreneurs. These toy companies reviewed dozens of innovative toy ideas in quick 30-minute pitch sessions.
Other manufacturers that attended in 2021 include:
What Do You Meme?
Genius Cat Books
Tinker
Zuru
Ox Eye Media
In 2022, attendees included: PSI, Hasbro, Crazy Aarons, Mattel, Fisher-Price, Learning Express, and more!
Outside of toy manufacturers, the TCA Virtual Pitch event welcomes book publishers, studios seeking show concepts, and retailers looking for new toy products to add to their assortments.
2. Be the first to see fresh ideas and talent
The Toy Coach invests a great deal of time finding and coaching up-and-coming toy industry talent. Azhelle has an eye for innovation and thanks to her over-decade-long toy industry career, she can easily transition between seeing ideas from the perspective of a designer, a manufacturer, and a retailer. The dedication she has to the education and success of her students from Toy Creators Academy is clearly seen in the quality of the concepts and pitch materials they develop.
You never know where your next star toy or game idea is going to come from. The creativity and passion of the toy inventor community was the main inspiration for The TCA Virtual Pitch Event. You could be the first to see a great idea by sponsoring a class of students to go through the Toy Creators Academy program. For more information on how you can become a sponsor contact Azhelle at info@thetoycoach.com.
3. Support new inventors
By participating in this event, you will help new inventors improve their toy pitch process and gain the confidence to communicate with industry executives. Past participants said the TCA Virtual Pitch Event also helped them feel confident to reach out to other toy industry connections, and that the feedback they gained helped them improve their toy pitch for next time, or gave them even more ideas for where to go with their IP or product idea.
Toy Inventors: Why You Should Attend The TCA Virtual Pitch Event
1. Gain confidence and experience
The most valuable thing toy inventors gain from the TCA Virtual Pitch Event is the experience of pitching to major toy companies. But you’re not just going into this toy pitch event cold. Azhelle will review your sizzle reel and pitch deck, and offer suggestions to help improve your toy or game concept or your toy pitch. Additionally, since the TCA Virtual Pitch Event is exclusive to students and alumni of TCA, you'll be prepared by having reviewed extensive educational lessons and templates available for those that have access to the core program.
2. Make connections
In this event, you may meet with someone who could make your product happen. Even if not, it could still be a valuable connection. They will give you feedback on both your toy pitch and your product. You can use this to improve your pitch or ideas for future presentations. Past attendees included representatives from Hasbro, Zuru, Ox Eye Media, and more.
3. Jump Start Your Inventor Career
The TCA Virtual Pitch event is exclusively available to students and alumni of Toy Creators Academy. The Toy Creator’s Academy teaches you how to start your inventor career and build a toy company contact list, so you can reach out to toy companies on your own.
When you pitch directly to toy companies you have to compete with pro inventors that have been pitching in the toy industry for years before you. The TCA Virtual Pitch Event is an opportunity to level the playing field because your toy pitches go up against people who are also new to the toy industry.
If you can make it through that initial round you could get an incredible opportunity to meet with major toy companies and pitch with the support of The Toy Coach.