Day four of the annual weeklong Toy & Game International Innovation Summit focused on marketing, PR, and social media.
Beijing to Paris Race and More!
Industry veterans, Adi Golad (Goliath) and Gerry Crown (Crown & Andrews), launched day four with a heartfelt conversation about their time in the play industry and their experiences building their own companies. The peers spoke about inspiration, the keys to happiness, and of course, the industry in general. Their advice for entrepreneurs: go and do it! But, be authentic in your approach and the relationships you foster along the way.
Key takeaways include: there’s no success without failure (a sentiment echoed by Spin Master during Wednesday’s keynote discussion); selling toys and games takes massive effort and you have to put in the hard work if you want to succeed; and, even a small differentiator in a product can mean the difference between a consumer hit or miss.
Marketing, PR, and Social Media
Six panel discussions about the role of marketing, PR, and social media in the toy, game, and play industries followed throughout the day, including:
- Public Relations Has Changed!
- Social Media Tips and Tricks for Brands, Companies and Inventors
- Working with Influencers
- Inventor and Tabletop Media Networks
- Global Perspective: Future of Toy Fairs and International Markets
- Activism and Inclusion in our Industry
The panels featured creative directors, influencers, YouTube personalities, podcasters, entrepreneurs, executives, managers, content creators, and others working in the industry.
Highlights include: how the pandemic offers opportunities to connect in different – and perhaps more meaningful ways – with consumers; the all-important “pester power” factor in kids getting their parents to buy new toys and games; the increasing presence of social media influencers in the lives of young consumers; and, being intentional in our conversations about improving diversity in the industry.
Speed Pitch
The day ended with a two-hour speed-pitch session in which new inventors and design students pitched their toy and game ideas to industry insiders.
More Information
Read our recap of Day One, Day Two, and Day Three of the Toy & Game International Innovation Summit.
About People of Play
People of Play (POP), formerly Chicago Toy & Game Group, celebrates and empowers toy and game innovation worldwide by providing educational opportunities, recognition and community for industry professionals, amateur inventors and people of all ages who love to play. People of Play oversees a number of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the New Inventor Conference, the Professional Inventors Conference, Play in Education Conference, the Bloom Report and the People of Play Foundation.
