Creative Factor Inventor Day Returns to Toy Fair® in 2025

March 19, 2024 | Following a successful Creative Factor Inventor Day on March 4, during which selected inventors had their concepts reviewed by toy manufacturers, The Toy Association™ has announced that the event will return to Toy Fair® next March 2025. The Creative Factor program provides toy inventors, designers, and artists with a platform to pitch their ideas to top toy and youth entertainment professionals and manufacturing partners.

The Creative Factor Advisory Board — made up of Brett Klisch, president of Peru Meridian Studios, Billy Langsworthy, co-founder of Mojo Nation and Brands Untapped, Trina McFarland, former owner and general manager of TinkerTini and now managing partner at Bright Door Ideas, and Matt Nuccio, president of Design Edge — selected 22 inventors to participate in the recent Creative Factor Inventor Day, during which 16 manufacturers reviewed the inventors’ concepts on McFarland’s Tinkerly platform. Participating companies included VTech, Simba Toys, Spin Master, Moose Toys, Basic Fun!, Goliath, and others.

“Our Creative Factor Advisory Board narrowed down the application pool from nearly 75 inventor submissions for our Inventor Day 2024, showing the remarkable level of interest and enthusiasm in our search for innovative ideas,” said Kimberly Carcone, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. “The result was nothing short of inspiring as we witnessed a diverse array of groundbreaking concepts poised to shape the future of play. We thank Trina McFarland for hosting our event on her Tinkerly platform, and we can’t wait to bring this dynamic community back together at our upcoming Toy Fair!”

"Innovation is the heartbeat of the toy industry and the opportunities Creative Factor provides help creative minds and talent to break into the industry,” McFarland said. “It was an absolute pleasure to hold this year’s event on Tinkerly to support these important connections between inventors and the companies that participated. I look forward to seeing the remarkable ideas that emerge from this community each year, including at the next Creative Factor at Toy Fair 2025.”

Travis Schattle, an inventor who participated in a previous Creative Factor Inventor Day held at Toy Fair last September, recently finalized a licensing agreement with Crayola for his Spiral Tops product. “Creative Factor Inventor Day was an unbelievable opportunity for me to showcase my toy, introduce myself to manufacturers, and have in-depth conversations about my product and lay the path forward toward a licensing deal,” Schattle said. “I cannot thank [The Toy Association team] enough for helping turn my long-shot dream of licensing my toy into a reality, and for such an incredible first experience in the toy world at Toy Fair, where I also got to walk the floor, meet industry leaders, see amazing new toys, and network with other designers.”

Inventor submissions for Creative Factor Inventor Day 2025 will open this fall. Questions about Creative Factor Inventor Day at Toy Fair may be directed to Emily Brown, The Toy Association’s event associate.

Toy Fair® will take place March 1 to 4, 2025, at the Javits Center in New York City. Visit ToyFairNY.com to learn more.