schedule of events

ASTRA’S Meet, Visit, Play

5:30 - 7:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E – Room 1E06

Open to ASTRA members only. Join ASTRA at their Toy Fair MVP (Meet, Visit, Play) to network with your independent toy industry peers. ASTRA will provide food, drinks, and game play!

Toy Fair’s International Welcome Reception

6:00 - 7:30 PMMember Hospitality Lounge – Level 1, Rear of Hall 1E

This opening night welcome reception, hosted by The Toy Association, is exclusively for registered international Toy Fair attendees and invited trade officials.

CAMP TOY FAIR OPENING NIGHT PARTY

6:30 - 8:30 PMCAMP, 110 5th AVENUE

You’re invited to CAMP’s Toy Fair Opening Night Party to celebrate the creative minds, talent, and people of the toy industry. It’s free. It’s fun. Just show your Toy Fair badge. Guests of CAMP will witness brick and mortar retail’s renaissance that puts the customer experience first.

Young Professionals Network Cocktail Party

6:30 - 9:00 PM79 MADISON AVENUE (BETWEEN 28th AND 29th STREETS), 8th FLOOR

Kick off Toy Fair New York at this social gathering for young professionals – drinks, light bites, panel discussion, and live entertainment – all in a stunning loft-style space in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. Hosted by The Toy Association Young Professionals Network (YPN). Admission is free. For inquiries or to RSVP, contact Jennifer Roldan.

ShopToys365.com for Retailers

11:00 AM - 12:00 PMBuyers' Lounge, Level 1, Room 1B03

The competition never ends! Differentiating your store from all the other retail options is key to your success. The need to continually source new, innovative, and unique items is greater than ever. In this session you will be introduced to ShopToys365.com, The Toy Association's powerful industry-specific social e-commerce marketplace. Learn how to use the platform's product discovery features 24/7 to quickly find products and suppliers that will separate your store from the competition.

Presenter Heidi Murphy, Balluun

Licensing 101

1:30 - 2:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

At this seminar, you'll get a solid grounding in how a trademark licensing deal comes together, including basic terminology and how a deal is structured. What do you need to consider as a brand owner looking to find potential licensees? How should a manufacturer evaluate a brand, character, or children's program? What are some of the keys to forming a rewarding partnership?

The 5-session Licensing Content Connection program is free and open to all Toy Fair registrants. Presented by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA)

License to Play: From Toys to Tennis Shoes and Tableware

3:30 - 4:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

Explore how IPs are fast becoming the most popular brands that extend into other product categories. Find out which toy properties are in demand and how you can jump in on the action.

The 5-session Licensing Content Connection program is free and open to all Toy Fair registrants. Presented by UBM.

The Smart Packaging Tool - What It Is and What It Does

3:30 - 4:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E11

The Smart Packaging Tool is an exciting enhancement for members of The Toy Association (although everyone who is interested is welcome at this session!). It allows packaging designers to easily evaluate the environmental impacts of their designs, as well as to see how they stack up against those of other manufacturers of the same product category. In addition, "what if" capability allow evaluation of potential modifications to see whether they improve or detract from environmental performance.

Presenters: Christian Del Maestro, corporate citizenship manager, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media; and Alan Kaufman, senior vice president, technical affairs, The Toy Association

USPTO: Toys, Patents, and Trademarks: Protecting Your IP Rights in the US and Beyond

11:00 AM - 12:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Hear from an expert on patent and trademark basics. Toy inventors and innovators, learn strategies for pursuing domestic and foreign intellectual property rights protection.

Richard Levy's Ten Immutable Laws of Licensing Toys and Games

12:00 - 1:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

The capacity for creating is shared in measure by everyone. The capacity to pitch and license concepts is known but to a few. Forty-year industry veteran Richard C. Levy has been through it all and has emerged victorious. He will entice you, encourage you, inspire you, and guide you through the perils and pitfalls of IP licensing. His advice is authoritative, practical, eye-opening, and based upon empirical experience. Nothing in his talk is theoretical. Give yourself an added edge. Bring yourself. Bring your questions.

You Have an Idea for a New Product? Now What?

1:00 - 2:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

OK, you have your idea. Your napkin sketch is done. Now what? Join Brett Klisch, president of Peru Meridian Studios, as he lays out the process of taking your idea from a concept to a manufacturable item. Topics will include best design practices, different manual hand building techniques, and the latest digital tools. This primer will help lead those new to product development through designing, prototyping, and engineering their product to present it for licensing or prep it for manufacturing.

Sourcing Products and Manufacturing Overseas

2:00 - 3:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

OK, you have your idea. Your napkin sketch is done. Now what? Join Brett Klisch, president of Peru Meridian Studios, as he lays out the process of taking your idea from a concept to a manufacturable item. Topics will include best design practices, different manual hand building techniques, and the latest digital tools. This primer will help lead those new to product development through designing, prototyping, and engineering their product to present it for licensing or prep it for manufacturing.

3D Modeling for Toy Design with ZBrush

3:00 - 4:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

ZBrush sets the industry standard for digital sculpting. Its features enable you to use customizable brushes to shape, texture, and paint virtual clay in a real-time environment that provides instant feedback. When you use ZBrush you’ll be working with the same tools used by film studios, game developers, toy/collectible makers, jewelry designers, automotive/aviation designers, illustrators, and artists the world over.

5th Anniversary Great Canadian Play Date

6:00 PMMember Hospitality Lounge – Level 1, Rear of Hall 1E

Canadian toy industry members, celebrate the great Canadian experience with your colleagues and leaders of the Canadian Toy Association at the 5th annual Great Canadian Play Date. Enjoy a little play time after the show with friends, drinks, snacks, and a chance to win Canadian themed prizes. This event is only open to Canadians in the toy industry; bring a business card that includes a Canadian telephone number and/or address. RSVP to info@canadiantoyassociation.ca by February 8, 2019.

15th Annual WIT Wonder Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Awards Gala

6:00 PMPier 60, Chelsea Piers, New York City

The annual WIT Gala is a night of celebration and inspiration honoring the brightest female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers for their extraordinary achievements and impact within the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries. For tickets and information, visit www.womenintoys.com.

ASTRA's Night in New York Party

6:30 PMMember Hospitality Lounge – Level 1, Rear of Hall 1E

Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine, 485 Tenth Avenue (entrance at 38th Street), New York City At this happy hour event, connect with ASTRA colleagues over food and drinks, all included in the price of your ticket. Register at www.astratoy.org.

All Toy Fair registrants are welcome to participate in a full schedule of free pitch sessions, roundtables, presentations, workshops, and panels focused on the interests and goals of inventors, designers, and others in the creative community, guided by the new Creative Factor Advisory Board.

Play Innovation Panel

10:00 – 11:00 AMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

The Play Innovation Panel, chaired by Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworthy, brings together the designers driving innovation in the toy and game space through the integration of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. As both toy titans and some of industry’s most exciting new start-ups embrace the opportunities these kinds of developments can bring, this session will shine a spotlight on how emerging tech is set to shape the toys and games of the future and look at how it’s already changing the ways in which kids (and big kids) play.

The Road Not Taken

11:00 AM – 12:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

For a toy company, the traditional way of getting a product to market demands time, money, and, often, relinquishing a degree of control and revenue. Some creative thinkers have bucked the traditional route either by doing it themselves or finding an unusual marketplace tactic. This panel, moderated by Billy Langsworthy, founder, MoJo Nation, will show you how thinking outside the box when it comes to distribution may be the path that makes all the difference.

Screenless is In

12:00 - 1:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Parents are increasingly worried about too much screen time for their kids. We'll examine how the most forward-looking tech toymakers are putting the emphasis on "great play" over "great tech." Presenters: Robin Raskin, Living in Digital Times; Gregg Stein, CRO & GM, Kano Computing.

IP Game Show with Wynne Jones IP

1:00 - 2:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Confused about IP and how to go about protecting your idea or even your product? Worried it’s going to cost you a ‘fortune’? Not sure if you’ll understand all the legal lingo and be even more confused? Wynne-Jones IP is a law firm with a difference; no jargon, no nonsense. The team will be presenting an IP talk with a difference at the Creative Factor in the form of Play Your IP Cards Right, an interactive game show designed to be a fun means of bringing yourself up to speed with IP.

Retail Redux

2:00 - 3:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of The Toy Association, will moderate a panel of retail experts including Nick Tarzia, Stamford Toys; Ben Kaufman, CAMP; and Kimberly Mosley, ASTRA, to share their experiences, wisdom, and strategies for thriving in today's (and tomorrow's) retail environment. The panel will discuss how specialty and mass can both be pipelines for trends, the effect the direct-to-consumer movement is having and how customer experiences are paramount to retaining and growing your customer base. Despite recent reports of retail's demise, these experts are here to tell you that retail is alive and well and ever-evolving.

3D Modeling for Toy Design with ZBrush

3:00 - 4:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

ZBrush sets the industry standard for digital sculpting. Its features enable you to use customizable brushes to shape, texture, and paint virtual clay in a real-time environment that provides instant feedback. When you use ZBrush you’ll be working with the same tools used by film studios, game developers, toy/collectible makers, jewelry designers, automotive/aviation designers, illustrators, and artists the world over.

3D Software/Cyborg 3D

4:00 - 5:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Check back for more information.

Toys That Time Forgot: A Behind the Scenes Look

5:00 - 6:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Author Blake Wright discusses the journey of writing his book, TOYS THAT TIME FORGOT — A Visual History of Unproduced Action Figures, Vol. 1. From the genesis of the idea to the struggle for access, Wright explains what it took to give the project legs and see it through all the way to the successful Kickstarter campaign that concluded in March 2017, and allowed him to self-publish. In total, the two-year journey took the author from a Denny’s dinner in San Bernardino and Rancho Obi-Wan in California to a Radisson Hotel room in Rhode Island and midday margaritas on the Hudson.

Global Market Research: Brazil

9:30 - 10:30 AMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E11

Registration is required for this program, which also includes Global Market Research: China. The program is free for Toy Association members; non-members pay only $99 to attend one or both sessions.

Presenters: Philippe Guinadeau, CEO, Kidz Global; and Anne McConnell, senior director, market research & data strategy, The Toy Association

Global Market Research: China

11:30 AM - 1:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E11

Registration is required for this program, which also includes Global Market Research: Brazil. The program is free for Toy Association members; non-members pay only $99 to attend one or both sessions.

Presenters: Philippe Guinadeau, CEO, Kidz Global; and Anne McConnell, senior director, market research & data strategy, The Toy Association

ShopToys365.com for Retailers

11:00 AM - 12:00 PMBuyers' Lounge, Level 1, Room 1B03

The competition never ends! Differentiating your store from all the other retail options is key to your success. The need to continually source new, innovative, and unique items is greater than ever. In this session you will be introduced to ShopToys365.com, The Toy Association's powerful industry-specific social e-commerce marketplace. Learn how to use the platform's product discovery features 24/7 to quickly find products and suppliers that will separate your store from the competition.

Presenter Heidi Murphy, Balluun

Are You Ready for Licensing?

1:30 - 2:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E11

You have a toy, game, character, or concept. You know licensing can help you move into new product lines and distribution channels, add awareness, generate revenue. But how do you evaluate whether your property is ready for licensing? Leave this session knowing what drives successful licensing programs, how to assess your IP for licensing potential, what licensees/manufacturers expect of you, how to identify the opportunities at retail, and more.

The 5-session Licensing Content Connection program is free and open to all Toy Fair registrants. Presented by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA).

Presenters: Ira Mayer, former publisher & executive editor of The Licensing Letter and Youth Market Alerts; and Karen Raugust, writer, editor & researcher at Raugust Communications

Licensing & Retail Trends

3:30 - 4:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E11

Experts from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA), the global trade organization for companies in trademark licensing, will spotlight the top business trends they see affecting the licensing business, including the changing shape of the retail business, whether bricks-and-mortar or online.

What Makes a Toy a STEM/STEAM Toy?

1:30 - 2:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

A STEM/STEAM toy is more than just a label on a box. Does the toy get kids excited about science, technology, engineering, and math and does it fuel a child's imagination, curiosity, and creativity? Dos the toy support the skills needed in these areas? Come to our interactive panel discussion to learn how to create and promote a toy as STEM/STEAM. Both toy manufacturers and retailers will benefit from this session, which will feature experts from a cross-section of fields including toys, play, education, and STEAM.

Toy Trends Briefing

4:00 - 5:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

Get an exclusive first look at the top toy trends of 2019 at The Toy Association's Toy Trends Briefing. Using examples from the show floor, our trend experts will highlight the hottest trends -- and tell you where to find them at Toy Fair. Free and open to all. No registration required.

ASTRA's Share the Fair

8:00 - 9:00 AMLevel 1, Hall 1E - Room 1E11

Feeling like you just don't have enough time to see all the amazing new products and vendors at Toy Fair? ASTRA's got you covered. At Share the Fair, enjoy a breakfast buffet and coffee while you swap stories and discuss the hot new toys and children's products you've seen in the aisles with your fellow retail members. Open to ASTRA member retailers only.

LIMA Toy Fair Party

6:00 - 8:00 PMCLYDE FRAZIER’S WINE AND DINE, 485 10th AVENUE @38th STREET

Slam Dunk at LIMA NY Toy Fair Party at Clyde Frazier’s! Unwind after a long day of meetings with industry peers a block away from the Javits Center. Join us for a fun night of networking, drinks, and tasty food in Clyde’s signature style. Take a shot in the free throw basketball court and network in the spacious bar and lounge. Headline sponsor JPatton. Register online. LIMA members $85 until 2/11, $105 after 2/1. Non-members $100 until 2/11, $120 after 2/11.

2019 ChiTag NYC Get Together

6:00 PM - 12:00 AMConnolly’s Pub, 121 W. 45th Street, New York City

Celebrate the end of the worldwide Toy Fair season at the last and one of the biggest and best parties during NY Toy Fair. People come and go all evening. Advance tickets are $20 and available online. Proceeds benefit the Young Inventor Challenge supported by the Chicago Toy & Game Foundation. While advance registration is preferred, you are welcome a to pay $25 at the door. Food and beverage costs are additional.

All Toy Fair registrants are welcome to participate in a full schedule of free pitch sessions, roundtables, presentations, workshops, and panels focused on the interests and goals of inventors, designers, and others in the creative community, guided by the new Creative Factor Advisory Board.

VR Character Modeling Workflows for Rapid Prototyping with Oculus Medium

10:00 - 11:00 AMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

New York digital artist Max Hergenrother discusses how to use virtual reality modeling tool Oculus Medium in the pipeline of character modeling for use in the toy industry. Learn how VR sculpting software is utilized to quickly develop and iterate models for rapid prototyping and manufacturing preparation.

Oculus Medium is an immersive creative tool that lets you sculpt, model, and paint digital assets in a VR environment. Create expressive works of art where the limitations of the flat 2D screen no longer apply. With the Oculus Rift, your authentic gestures and movements form a natural, tactile experience, giving you the closest thing to traditional sculpting in a digital creative tool. With the power of the Medium’s versatile toolkit, the potential for artistic creation is boundless.

Building a Brand, Not Just a Product

11:00 AM – 12:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

From Nike to Tom’s of Maine, when your brand takes a stand you not only sell product, you gain a following. In today’s retail environment it’s products with a purpose and a sense of authenticity that attract consumers. Creating your brand’s narrative and the values your company stands for can give you the market advantage. This session will shine a light on various brands of all sizes that have benefited from telling compelling stories as part of their company DNA. Robin Raskin, founder, Living in Digital Times, will guide you through the landscape of some of the social-good campaigns as well as captivating storytelling in the materials that surround your company. She and her panel of experts will provide you with tips and strategies for crafting your story.

Playing with Brands Panel

12:00 - 1:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

The Playing with Brands panel, chaired by Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworthy, will see toy and game designers lift the lid on how they go about creating licensed products, dissecting the creative constraints and potential pitfalls involved in bringing much loved characters and IP to life in the toy aisle, as well as looking at how the industry's relationship with licensing has evolved over the years.

Influencer Marketing at Any Size

1:00 - 2:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Influencer marketing has fundamentally changed the way consumers learn about the toys and games they want for their families. Family vloggers, toy unboxers, momfluencers, and play along channels dominate the attention of your customers, and their endorsement carries extraordinary weight. In the infinite sea of influencers of every shape and size, how do you identify the right match, build a rapport, and get the best return on investment? Join Jonathan Katz and Victoria Fener, co-founders of the family influencer conference Clamour, for a deep dive into making influencer marketing a core part of your brand strategy or just getting started.

The Gig Economy of Toys

2:00 - 3:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

When it comes to getting the job done, the days of one team at one company in one location may be a thing of the past. New tools for collaborating, the digitization of the creation process, and a realization that the best talent for a specific job may be around the corner or halfway around the world has opened the door for the new revolution: the Gig Economy. When you can assemble your dream team — graphics, copywriting, design, packaging, prototyping, and more — with no boundaries or bureaucracies, the world is wide open to your creativity and business growth. But there are tips and tricks you’ll need to make it work. Join moderator Richard Gottlieb for a dynamic discussion of how you can put the Gig Economy to work for you.

3D Modeling for Toy Design with ZBrush

3:00 - 4:00 PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

ZBrush sets the industry standard for digital sculpting. Its features enable you to use customizable brushes to shape, texture, and paint virtual clay in a real-time environment that provides instant feedback. When you use ZBrush you’ll be working with the same tools used by film studios, game developers, toy/collectible makers, jewelry designers, automotive/aviation designers, illustrators, and artists the world over.

ShopToys365.com for Retailers

11:00 AM - 12:00 PMBuyers' Lounge, Level 1, Room 1B03

The competition never ends! Differentiating your store from all the other retail options is key to your success. The need to continually source new, innovative, and unique items is greater than ever. In this session you will be introduced to ShopToys365.com, The Toy Association's powerful industry-specific social e-commerce marketplace. Learn how to use the platform's product discovery features 24/7 to quickly find products and suppliers that will separate your store from the competition.

Presenter Heidi Murphy, Balluun

Toying with Social Media: New Names in the Toy Space

1:30 - 2:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

Presented by UBM, this session examines how social media influencers are shaping the toy industry in support of new licensed toys and products.

Toy Safety & Compliance Update

9:30 AM - 12:30 PMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

The Toy Association will host an update on pending state and federal legislation impacting the toy industry and an overview of the association's efforts to prevent passage of any harmful legislation or regulation. Free and open to all. No registration required. Thank you to our generous sponsors Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, Intertek, QIMA (formerly AsiaInspection), SGS North America, STC, and Unitec Technical Services & Certification (Canada) Inc.

Annual General Meeting of The Toy Association

8:00 - 9:00 AMLevel 1, Hall 1E, Room 1E09

Open to members and non-members and free to all registrants and exhibitors, this year-end wrap-up and look ahead will cover topics including reports from the president and chairman, election of new members of the Board of Directors and any term renewals, a review of accomplishments since the last meeting, and actions planned to address vital issues facing the toy industry. A summary report of 2018 financial results will be presented. Free and open to all. Only members of The Toy Association may vote during the board election. No registration required.

Toy Fair Credit Meeting

9:00 AM - 6:00 PMIntercontinental New York Times Square

The Toy Association's annual Toy Fair Credit Meeting is exclusively for member-manufacturers who are participants in The Toy Association Credit Interchange program. Registration required. For more details, contact Dina Gittings.

ShopToys365.com for Retailers

11:00 AM - 12:00 PMBuyers' Lounge, Level 1, Room 1B03

The competition never ends! Differentiating your store from all the other retail options is key to your success. The need to continually source new, innovative, and unique items is greater than ever. In this session you will be introduced to ShopToys365.com, The Toy Association's powerful industry-specific social e-commerce marketplace. Learn how to use the platform's product discovery features 24/7 to quickly find products and suppliers that will separate your store from the competition.

Presenter Heidi Murphy, Balluun

Successful Kickstarter Campaigns

10:00 - 11:00 AMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

Companies started through successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns share their experiences.

3D Printing for Toy Design: Getting Started with Formlabs Engineering

12:00 - 1:00PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

From durable press-fit components to flexible soft-touch surfaces, 3D printing can be used to efficiently prototype realistic parts before heading into mass production. Formlabs offers these properties - and more - in its library of engineering resins for stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing. In this workshop, you will learn how to pick the right resin for your application and use the Form 2 3D printer to reduce costs, iterate faster, and bring better experiences to market.

About Formlabs: Formlabs is the industry leader in desktop stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing, a technique that uses a laser to cure solid parts from a liquid resin. Worldwide, industry professionals use Formlabs’ intuitive, reliable Form 2 3D printer to deliver high resolution parts at a fraction of the cost and footprint of industrial machines.

The Connected Play Landscape and Beyond: Uncovering Emerging Tech and the Future of Play

2:00 - 3:00PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

With an anticipated growth of 200% in the next five years, connected play is more than fun and games. Valerie Vacante, founder and managing partner of Collabsco, will share her perspective on emerging technologies and the connected play landscape: what it is, how it has evolved, current business opportunities, technology trends across Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, voice, sound, touch, and beyond. Find out about the latest connected play innovations and technologies, and glimpse into the future of play.

3D Modeling for Toy Design with ZBrush

3:00 - 4:00PMLevel 1, Hall 1D Lobby

ZBrush sets the industry standard for digital sculpting. Its features enable you to use customizable brushes to shape, texture, and paint virtual clay in a real-time environment that provides instant feedback. When you use ZBrush you’ll be working with the same tools used by film studios, game developers, toy/collectible makers, jewelry designers, automotive/aviation designers, illustrators, and artists the world over.