Category: Events

Jada Toys, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of finely crafted die-cast and collectibles has announced its title sponsorship of the Las Vegas Die-Cast Super Convention, February 29 to March 3, 2024 at the Ahern Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Hosted by Mad Mike, Die-Cast SuperCon returns bigger and better than ever with special events and a full size car show. With 25 years in the industry, Jada’s expertise in die-cast vehicles is unmatched and remains a favorite among the die-cast and collector community, car shows and conventions alike. Jada’s leadership team will be present throughout the event hosting over five thousand die-cast enthusiasts, industry experts and the general public will get to experience four full days of activations, convention exclusives, shopping, and panels.

Catastrophe of Hairballs, Hike the Spike, and Blanket Kingdom were among the top place finishers at People of Play’s 18th Annual Young Inventor Challenge (YIC) held in 2023 on November 4th at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair. The YIC is a yearly competition where students between the ages of 6 and 18 have the opportunity to create an original play product and pitch it to professional toy and game inventors for a chance to win big prizes. Past winners have seen their entries licensed, manufactured, and sold in both specialty toy stores and in major retailers including Target and Amazon. Leading up to the Young Inventor Challenge in November, regional events are hosted at independent toy stores, day camps, and summer school programs to inspire and engage kids to create toys and games to be judged in the annual competition.

In celebration of Pokémon Day 2024 and the upcoming U.S. premiere of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, The Pokémon Company International (TPCi), in collaboration with longstanding charitable partner The Toy Foundation, has teamed up with New York’s iconic Empire State Building to illuminate its world-famous tower lights the evening of Feb. 27, 2024. The renowned landmark will light up New York’s skyline in blue and yellow, inspired by the highly recognizable Pokémon logo, between sunset and 2 a.m. EST.

Make-A-Wish North Texas is delighted to announce a partnership with Hey Buddy Hey Pal and their hugely successful EggMazing Egg Decorator line this March for the “My True Wish” sweepstakes. Running from February 15th to March 15th, the highly anticipated winner will be revealed March 30th. The sweepstakes will conclude with an egg hunt extravaganza at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, providing an exciting community event to cap off this special collaboration. This landmark sweepstakes, the first of its kind for the non-profit organization, is an exciting opportunity to showcase the transformative power of a wish for one fortunate recipient. Make-A-Wish North Texas, renowned for granting life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses, is adding a touch of joy to this initiative by collaborating with Hey Buddy Hey Pal.

Wild Republic was established more than forty years ago to support its founder, G.B. Pillai and his wife, Kamala Pillai’s love for children and wildlife, a promise the company has successfully delivered on for four decades. Its diverse and creatively-designed product line of toys and stuffed animals fosters curiosity about wildlife and educates children about the wonders of nature. Today, this mission still holds true for the company, which unveiled its Rainforest plush line in support of rainforest conservation along with hundreds of new plush and playsets at Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, January 30- February 3, in Hall 1, Stand E-16.

Dallas Market Center announced that its recently held Total Home & Gift Market experienced a dramatic increase in buyers attending for the first time, especially from the western US states. The number of buyers attending for the first time was at its second-highest level in five years; attendance by buyers from the western U.S. including California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington was up 27% compared with January 2023; southwest U.S. buyer attendance including from Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico was up 30%.

Gear up for a week of innovation and fun, because People of Play (POP) is announcing a lineup of blockbuster events for both the trade as well as kids and their families this November. POP Week events bring together consumers, families, inventors, manufacturers, retailers, educators, hobbyists, social media influencers and the media – at the beginning of the holiday season – to play, celebrate, discover, support and promote the creation of toys and games.

The highly acclaimed video game music concert ‘Heroes: A Video Game Symphony’ is adding music from legendary and award-winning composers Jesper Kyd and Inon Zur to its special 2024 lineup. Kyd’s music from the smash hit “Assassins Creed” and Zur’s music from “Starfield” (the latest role-playing game from Bethesda Softworks) will be highlighted in the unprecedented concert series. Upcoming performances include Jan. 18 in Portland, OR at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall; Jan. 31 in Monterrey, Mexico at Arena Monterrey; Feb. 1 in Mexico City at Arena CDMX; May 11 in Tampa Bay at Morsani Hall; and Jul. 13 in Chicago at Auditorium Theater. To purchase tickets and see an updated schedule, please visit www.heroes-symphony.com.

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) concluded its 41st annual Veterinary Meeting and Expo (VMX 2024) January 17, kicking off the new year with the latest product introductions and innovations and setting the direction for the $104 billion animal health care industry in 2024. More than 27,000 people attended the event from 82 countries with 8,700 first-time attendees. Nearly 26,000 were in person, representing a local economic impact exceeding $65.3 million.