In December of 2022, The Toy Coach Team ventured out to the windy city to set up a live podcast recording booth at Chicago Toy and Game Week, also known as CHITAG by Mary Couzin and People of Play. This annual, public toy and game fair is where toy and game brands connect with the consumers who love their products, debut new lines, and marketing activations. During this 2 day fair, I interviewed 10 toy and game creators during this fair to learn about their toy journeys and ask them to share any toy biz wisdom they’d gathered along the way. This is Part 1 of a 3 part interview release series featuring my interviews with Dolphin Hat Games, Eblox, Pockimals, and Project Genius.

Finally, this beloved toy and game innovation conference returns in person. The People of Play Innovation Conference is the largest global innovation conference in the toy and game world, welcoming over 50 companies from across 17 countries to review pitches from students, new inventors, and professional inventors. If you’re new to the toy industry and you’ve heard rumblings about POP week or the Innovation conference, and you weren’t quite sure what either were…then this episode is just what you’ve been waiting for. In today’s podcast episode, we dive into the details of how to register and why you should join the POP Inventor & Innovation conference.

Have you been considering joining Toy Creators Academy to develop your toy or game idea? Do you still have a few questions about how the program works, when it starts, or what it covers? This episode is perfect for you! In today’s podcast episode, The Toy Coach addresses the most frequently asked questions about this 12 week group coaching program. Toy Creators Academy is the only toy education and implementation program of its kind that not only shows you how to fully develop your toy or game idea like a pro — but also how to properly pitch that idea to buyers and toy companies. Are you ready to bring your toy and game ideas to life? Make it happen with the guidance and support provided by Toy Creators Academy.

Searching for a unique way to promote your toy product or toy brand? The ASTRA Toy Boat may be it! On February 20th, 2023 the first ever toy trade show on a boat will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and make its way to the Bahamas. In just a few days you’ll have the opportunity to exhibit your latest products, promote your services, or find the next hit toy to fill your store. The ASTRA Toy Boat is designed for retailers, manufacturers, and inventors to come together for a networking event unlike any you’ve ever experienced.

On September 19th 2022, the WiT Empowerment Day made it possible for over 100 inventors and creators to pitch their ideas and products in 1:1 meeting with the major retailer Walmart and dozens of toy companies including Spinmaster, Jazwares, Hasbro, Educational Insights, and many more! In today’s podcast episode get a play by play of what happened at the 2022 WiT Empowerment Day and learn why you should seriously plan on attending the next event.

If you have a brand or product you should consider adding licensing to your business model. Licensing is a great way for toy manufacturers to borrow the authority of powerful brands and grow their own revenue. A great licensing deal can help growing brands expand to various consumer goods categories while avoiding the added cost of manufacturing. If you’re ready to learn more about how licensing can benefit your toy business, you should consider attending the Las Vegas Licensing Expo next year. But before you sign up, listen to this podcast for 9 tricks and tips for first time visitors to the Licensing Expo.

The Licensing Expo has over 200 exhibitors each year, including notable brands like Netflix, Lego, Paramount, Mattel, and more. In past years, over 16,000 people have attended, coming from more than 60 countries. Attendees include licensees, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, licensing agents, and more. Each show has more than 5,000 products or brands on display, allowing you to catch trends and get innovative ideas. Of course, there are many representatives from the toy industry, but there are also people in attendance from the fashion world, gaming, animation, and more.

In today's episode, I will explain everything about THE event that is known for connecting inventors to pitch their toy ideas to large and small toy companies. People of Play, formerly known as CHITAG, is a weeklong toy fair for industry inventors, manufacturers, and it’s open to the public. With 2020 knocking out all hopes for an in-person fair this year, the CHITAG group, put together a massive innovation summit dubbed People of Play week. This event is designed to keep inventors and toy professionals up to date with the latest in the industry via daily virtual conferences, as well as connect them to plan meetings and pitch ideas much like the original in-person show.

After attending The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) as an exhibitor, you'll definitely need a few days to recover. Your back may ache, your feet may be swollen, and your ego may be bruised. While the wins at NYTF are easy to share with family and friends, and celebrate, the losses we tend to keep to ourselves and not confront. So in today's episode, we walk through how to handle 4 less than perfect scenarios you might have experienced at New York Toy Fair, and how to turn them positive.

The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) is the LARGEST toy show in North America. Over 1,000 exhibitors attend to showcase over a hundred thousand products at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. With the 2020 fair only days away, The Toy Coach pulls back the curtain to give a little insight on what to expect if you attend this industry event in the future. If you are currently developing or selling a toy or game product, and you have not exhibited at NYTF, then THIS is the perfect episode for you.