Category: Events

An animated game to create movie magic, an activity table to drop musical beets, and an 8-foot inflatable obstacle course to spark endless outdoor fun are among the inventive finalists for the prestigious Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards for 2023.  The Toy Foundation (TTF) has announced the top 122 toys, games, and properties across 17 product categories that are advancing the world of play. Consumers are invited to visit ToyAwards.org to see the complete list of product category finalists and vote for their favorites to help determine the category winners through September 8.

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT), the preeminent nonprofit trade organization dedicated to the advancement and advocacy of women, has announced the distinguished honorees of its 2023 Wonder Women Awards. These remarkable women will be honored at the WiT Wonder Women Awards Gala, set to take place on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers in New York City. The in-person event honors and celebrates the extraordinary women executives, entrepreneurs and changemakers who are driving the toy, consumer products, licensing and entertainment industries forward.

Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ: HAS), a leading toy and game company, today announced the Hasbro Women Innovators of Play event, held virtually on September 12 between 10 am – 12:30 pm ET. A special key announcement will also be shared during the day’s program. The event will be centered on women’s leadership, innovation, and women-led creativity. Participants will learn about the process of pitching a new toy or game and the journey through the Hasbro pipeline from concept to creation. Attendees can expect a dynamic program that includes discussions with actor, director, and entrepreneur, Aisha Tyler; board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave; Head of Toy at Hasbro, Kim Boyd; and President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming, Cynthia Williams.

The 2023 Pokémon World Championships, hosted by The Pokémon Company International, drew to a close yesterday following three days of intense matches and friendly competition in Yokohama, Japan. The best Trainers from around the world attended the annual event to take part in the premier tournament for Pokémon video games and the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG). This year’s event featured the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games, the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE. More than 10,000 players and fans from around the globe gathered at the PACIFICO Yokohama Convention Center for the world’s most prestigious Pokémon event. Winners of each division can be found here.

Ynon Kreiz, Mattel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who has transformed the company and spearheaded its global blockbuster film, Barbie, will receive the 2023 IFF Industry Leadership Award at the 36th Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles Opening Night Gala on November 1st. Meir Fenigstein, founder and executive director of the Israel Film Festival, made the announcement. Fenigstein noted: “Ynon Kreiz’s visionary leadership and incredible achievements at Mattel, most recently Barbie’s triumph at the worldwide box office, are exciting beyond imagination. In just over five years, Ynon has transformed Mattel into an IP powerhouse, with its first theatrical release shattering records and becoming a showcase for the expertise of the Mattel Films division he created. On a personal note, I fondly recall Ynon as a UCLA Anderson MBA student volunteering at the Israel Film Festival. Now, 30 years later, I am proud to be recognizing and honoring him at the Festival for his own amazing accomplishments.”

A search is underway to find an enthusiastic young wildlife explorer to take the role of a Kangaroo Cleanup Crewmember (KCC) for a day, at one of the most popular wildlife conservation parks in the world. As part of the retail release of its newest kids’ game, Doo Doo Kangaroo, Moose Games—the gaming innovation division of award-winning Moose Toys— is seeking one kangaroo-loving youth (or “joey,” in kangaroo), who will win $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to San Diego with their family in late October. In partnership with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the lucky KCC will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime conservation-based learning experience, going behind the scenes with a real wildlife care specialist in the popular Walkabout Australia kangaroo habitat at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

For real life! The beloved Blue Heeler family is set to meet even more fans across North America with new performance dates added to the 2024 schedule for the hit live show, Bluey’s Big Play the Stage Show! The theatrical production, based on the Emmy-winning animated series, is extending the tour schedule by 12 months to meet the demand of Bluey fans for more opportunities to experience the fun of a live show. Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show launched in New York City in November 2022 and is now extended through July 2024, stopping in another 120 cities from coast-to-coast. The extension includes returns to numerous cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Denver and more. Even more cities and dates will be added in the coming months.

Veteran independent game company All Things Equal announces The Mid-Life Crisis Tour to launch Loaded Questions Greatest Hits and celebrate the 26th anniversary of the popular family and party game. Kicking-off in September 2023, inventor Eric Poses will set out on a 20-state tour, proving life is just a game with the brand that started it all – Loaded Questions.  

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) proudly reveals the highly anticipated slate of finalists for the prestigious 2023 Wonder Women Awards. This esteemed recognition honors outstanding female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and change-makers, whose exceptional accomplishments have made a profound impact on the toy, licensing and entertainment industries.