Toy Industry Movers and Shakers Announced as Keynotes at People of Play’s Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference
Registered inventors can make appointments now with representatives from more than 80 toy and game companies, including Disney, Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, Moose Games, and more.
October 9, 2024 | Chicago, IL – People of Play’s Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, the largest and longest running toy and game inventor conference in the world, has announced toy industry movers and shakers as keynotes!
This year’s conference, sponsored by Mattel, Moose Games, Longshore, The Michael Kohner Corporation, and TradeShowBooth.com will be held November 6 to 9 at the Embassy Suites in Rosemont, Illinois. Attendees and registered inventors can get ready to learn, pitch, and network their way to success with some of the most recognizable brands in the toy and game industry, with more than 50 companies and 20 countries represented so far.
Azhelle Wade, The Toy Coach, will be this year’s emcee. All attendees will receive a reusable gift tote with treats from Moose Games.
The conference kicks off on November 7 at 9 a.m. with Keynotes:
- Sharon Price John, President & CEO, Build-A-Bear Workshop & Chairperson, Toy Association Board of Directors
- Geoffrey Greenberg, Co-CEO, Just Play & Vice Chairperson, Toy Association Board of Directors
- Anne Carrihill, Director, General Manager, Category Leader, Toys & Entertainment, Amazon & Toy Association board member
- Greg Ahearn, CEO & President of The Toy Association™ - Moderator
Other speakers include:
- Dougal Grimes – Founder, EightyTwo
- Leah Zalinski – Operations Consultant & Growth Strategist
- Rachele Harmuth – Head of Commercial, CrunchLabs
- Amy Friedland – Executive Vice President, Freeman Public Relations (recently acquired by Carve Communications)
- Christopher Byrne – The Toy Guy
- Azhelle Wade – The Toy Coach
- Jason Keener – Intellectual Property Attorney, Irwin IP
- Reid Huefner – Senior Attorney, Irwin IP
Mentoring Day:
Each new inventor and university design student is paired with one of the product acquisition executives as well as given a list of mentors to schedule meetings with, including industry experts such as Nancy Zwiers, Steve Rad, Joe Campos, Amy Friedland, Robert Coleman, Rachel Griffin, Rob Yusim, Lisa Wuennermann, Jason Keener, and many more to be announced.
“If you have a product idea, you need to be at this conference. We pride ourselves in creating the right environment so that both new and professional inventors can learn from each other, make the right connections and move forward — whether they have a winning idea or if it’s a steppingstone to the next one,” said Mary Couzin, senior vice president and founder/leader of People of Play at The Toy Association.
Conference participants can choose from four tracks:
- New Inventor/Innovation Track
- Professional Inventor Track
- Product Acquisition Executive
- University Design Student
Conference Committee Chairperson and Hasbro’s Head of Inventor Relations and External Innovation Angus Walker said: "I look forward to the POP Inventor Conference and The Toy & Game Innovation Awards (The TAGIEs) every year. The toy and game community is an amazing group of people. This event amplifies all that is great about it. Where else can creators, inventors, manufacturers, retailers, and toy & game companies all come together for a few days to learn, share cool ideas and, if lucky, make that connection that leads to the next big thing? The energy is so positive, and it reminds us of how lucky we are to do what we do. The POP Inventor Conference is not just about feeling good and celebrating our great industry, though. It’s an essential component of Hasbro’s external innovation strategy.”
The Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference Committee Members include:
- Angus Walker - Head of Inventor Relations & External Innovation, Hasbro – Committee Chairperson
- Azhelle Wade - The Toy Coach
- Dan Klitsner - Founder, KID Group
- Shannon Swindle - Inventor Relations Manager, Moose Games
- Tara McGrath - Creative Director, Inventor Relations & Innovation, Mattel
Registration details can be found on the ChiTAG website. Conference tickets also include The Toy & Game Innovation Awards (The TAGIEs) on November 8 at 6 p.m. at Joe’s Live, a gala celebrating the outstanding innovations by people in the toy and game industry.
About People of Play™ peopleofplay.com
People of Play (POP), a division of The Toy Association™, supports the global toy and game industry in promoting innovation, creativity, and connectivity. A one-stop source of community for industry professionals, aspiring inventors and people of all ages who love to play, People of Play hosts a play platform packed with resources and connection points as well as a wide range of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conference, and more.
About the POP Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference chitag.com/2024-inventor-pitch-innovation-conference
Founded in 2006, the Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference is the largest gathering of professional inventors, new inventors, student inventors, and product acquisition executives in the world. Attendees come from approximately 25 countries to pitch ideas, network, learn, and celebrate the toy and game inventor community.
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