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Small Toy Makers Aim for Big Break at NY Toy Fair 2025

  A group of small manufacturers are rolling up their sleeves to compete with major brands at the Toy Fair NY , taking place March 1-4, 2025 at the Javits Center in New York City. With smaller budgets and plenty of creative hustle, these entrepreneurs are working tirelessly to gain traction by being a part of a newly launched Petit Pavilion.     “The Petite Pavilion, a pilot program launching at Toy Fair 2025, was created to provide even more opportunity for small and emerging companies to showcase their limited products in smaller and lower cost spaces,” said Kimberly Carcone, EVP of Global Market Events at The Toy Association. “In partnership with Sari Wiaz of Baby Paper, Toy Fair continues to offer innovative market entry to maintain, foster and strengthen the toy and play community.”     Attendees and exhibitors from nearly 100 countries around the globe will be in NYC to forge new connections and see exciting product innovations, including those found in the Petite Pavilion at Toy Fair.     Small businesses like Baby Paper, and ChattySnaps face an uphill battle to stand out against big-name companies dominating the industry. Their shared challenge is creating impact with limited resources. They hope that attending Toy Fair, will help give them a competitive edge.       Wiaz is enthusiastic that this opportunity for the Baby Paper brand will help her gain visibility, reconnect with existing contacts, attract new potential partners, and establish credibility in a very competitive market. She is also looking forward to the many networking opportunities that await her in New York.     “We are excited to be part of Toy Fair this year and meet new retailers we wouldn't meet anywhere else,” said Alicia Schwartz and Annalee Oakley, co-founders of ChattySnaps. "We look forward to sharing our passion for conversation through our designs. Our goal has always been to create fun, engaging, wholesome products that resonate with kids and families."       Baby Paper, soft, crinkly toys for babies, was born from a mom’s creativity to keep her own children engaged. “Baby Paper came from my real-life experience as a mom,” says Wiaz. “I created something simple yet joyful for babies, not a gimmick dreamed up by a marketing team.”     ChattySnaps offers personalized snap buttons and colorful gear, helping kids of all ages express themselves with adorable, customizable flair.     These business owners are part of a Nationwide group of Toy, Game, Baby & Gift small manufacturers who, while competitors, work together to help one another grow. ChattySnaps Baby Paper The Toy Association

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Tom Neville Delivers Experience and Toy Industry Insight to CONNETIX!

  Hi, Tom! We didn't get much time to chat at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair and I'm looking forward to seeing you at NY Toy Fair. Thank you for taking time for a tBR interview now! Please share with our readers what you do in our industry.   I’m the Vice President in Sales for CONNETIX across North America, Latin America and South Africa, my role focuses on driving sales growth and building our brand across local teams. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in the toy industry since 1988, and have enjoyed my time immensely in all those years. I started my career with Lego, one of the largest construction and toy companies in the world, and now I’m here with CONNETIX, a new company on the scene that’s making big waves in the 80+ countries we sell in, and we’re just getting started in the United States!    Having had a lot of experience across all areas of the industry, from sales to marketing, operations, inventor relations, manufacturing (you name it!), as well as being an active committee member of the Toy Industry Association and the Toy Foundation, I’ve always enjoyed the strong sense of community and opportunities to collaborate with some really incredible people – and at CONNETIX, we have a full bench of talented and experienced individuals with their own expertise.     Why and how did you get into the Toy and Game industry?    After finishing college, I had an opportunity to work for Lego to run a territory in South Texas, which ignited my passion and love for the industry. As a role that offered extensive travel that massively appealed to me, from travelling to Billund in Denmark to attending my first New York Toy Fair, and breaking barriers in the international market in Hong Kong, they were such defining moments in my early career.   Fast-forward to today, I've covered a few million airmiles all across Asia, Latin America, South America, Europe and North America – which I'm incredibly grateful for and why I'm thrilled to be a part of the global CONNETIX team. Travelling has always been about building relationships, finding out how we can best service and deliver products to each of those countries, and that’s exactly what we’re all about at CONNETIX. We work together to leverage our strengths and knowledge of diverse international markets to build strong, long-term partnerships – that ultimately create valuable opportunities for our brand.     What trends do you see in toys or games that excite or worry you?    Experiencing high, double-digit growth it’s pleasing to see the Construction Toy category trending really well. Obviously, there’s a lot happening in the creative play space and with the rise of kidulting, but we’re also seeing brands like CONNETIX placing a strong focus on the importance of STEAM and MESH learning through play. Parents just want to give their kids something they can help create and expand their minds in an incidental, yet fun way.     What advice can you give to inventors who are presenting new toy or game ideas to you?    I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of inventors, they’re just the nicest people, they try to figure out a way to enhance your product or create something entirely new. What I would say to our inventor community is take a look at our core line of CONNETIX, and think about how we can bring new dimensions or themes that enhance and complement the open-ended play value of our range. At the same time, wondering how we can extend play possibilities for kids as well as older children, as we know play starts to become more sophisticated and with a bigger focus on game-like features at that age.     What advice would you give a young adult graduating from high school or college today? / What advice do you have for people starting in the industry?    What I always share the biggest thing is to listen a lot, take notes, say less, ask smart questions, but most importantly – network, network, network! I have friends right out of college that I still tap into today, there’s always an opportunity to learn from others and that will help to figure out what interests you – and if you want to be really good at anything, you have to genuinely enjoy what you’re doing.     For me, as I enter the ultimate phase of my career, what drives me is the wins, and the whole process of developing and planning that can lead to success. Nothing is so cool and gratifying as putting something together and landing it, knowing that it should stick – although, we know that’s not the end of it all!    What and/or who inspires you?    Waking up each day, knowing there is a challenge out there, an opportunity that might lead to something to grow the company sales or the distribution, in a country or space we hadn’t figured out yet.     I really am inspired by our leadership; put simply, you get what you see and see what you get! Brea and Dave lead by positivity, and they’re consistent in the way they manage the company and support our team. I can honestly say the people of CONNETIX put a smile on my face every time I see them. Having the opportunity to work so closely across all departments – it’s all positive. We’re all driven by a shared vision to inspire learning through play, and that’s what I love, there’s something special going on here!     (The end of Tom's cycle ride from Houston to New Orleans in 6 days - the Tour du Rouge, a charity event for the Red Cross.)   How do you recharge or take a break?    Personally, I stay physically active doing a mix of different things I enjoy, like going to the gym, cycling and yoga. I often head up to Colorado where I unwind by doing lots of mountain bike riding, climbing and fly fishing. And of course, reading, I love thrillers! Spy stories by Jack Carr, he’s one of my new favorite authors – the ex-Navy SEALs guys, they’re just so talented!    (Tom and his niece fly fishing in Colorado, where Tom grew up! )   Thank you for taking time to answer our questions thoughtfully and with a sense of play!  

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Toy Fair® 2025 Unlocks Opportunities for Inventor Community

From top-tier industry education to an exclusive product pitch session, Toy Fair® will showcase its support for the inventor and designer community on and off the show floor. The global event, taking place at the Javits Center in New York City from March 1 to 4, promises to be a hub for innovators to connect and network.   “The inventor and designer community is the creative heartbeat of the toy industry, and Toy Fair serves as the ultimate platform where their innovations come to life,” said Kimberly Carcone, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association™. “From organizing world-class education to a ‘how-to’ guide to enter the world of toys, we are dedicated to providing our unwavering support to the community that drives our industry forward.”   People of Play (POP) Pub PartyThe POP Pub Party during Toy Fair — taking place at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 3 at Connolly’s Pub — is a networking gathering for inventors, designers, and industry professionals to connect and celebrate the spirit of innovation. Tickets are $20, with all proceeds directly supporting the Young Inventor Challenge and the next generation of inventors.   Toy Fair UniversityMore than 50 experts are set to present 25 sessions over the four-day event, including a wealth of educational content for inventors, designers, and the creative community. Click here to access the full slate of programming.   United Inventors AssociationThe United Inventors Association (UIA) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to providing resources, education, and advocacy to the inventing community. Representatives from the organization will be at Toy Fair in booth 3152 to talk to inventors and offer free resources.   The UIA is also hosting a “Meet the Inventor” series at Toy Fair, where attendees have a chance to meet inventors behind several Toy of the Year® finalist product. Click here for more information and to view the session schedule. Inventors are encouraged to join the “Inventor Meetup: Coffee, Conversation, and Community” session alongside the UIA’s Toy Hub, to network at the Toy PLAYce lounge on Monday, March 3 at 1 p.m. This meet-up will directly follow the Toy Hub panel presentation as part of Toy Fair University in the Theatre on Level 3 at 12:10 p.m. The Toy Association and UIA Toy Hub have also collaborated on the latest edition of the Toy Inventor & Designer Guide, which features important tips to successfully bring a toy to market, including information on how to gauge whether an idea is unique, cost-effective, safe, and legally protected. The guide also offers resources on selling an idea/invention to a toy manufacturer and bringing a product to market, in addition to a list of organizations and state and federal government agencies that are available to help. Creative Factor Inventor DayFourteen selected toy inventors and designers will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to top toy professionals and manufacturing partners at Creative Factor Inventor Day, taking place March 4 at Toy Fair. Click here for more resources for the inventor and design community from The Toy Association™. Toy Fair® will take place March 1 to 4, 2025 at the Javits Center in New York City. Attendee registration and hotel bookings are now open. Limited space is available to secure a spot to exhibit. Visit ToyFairNY.com to learn more and follow #ToyFairLife for the latest show updates.

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Parallel Marketing

Parallel Marketing is the sugar-coated term for blatant plagiarism.

Submitted by Peggy Brown

3 Truths & a Lie Mini-Game

Tait & Lily, Inventors of Betcha Can't!