It was an exciting night at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL, where People of Play hosted its 17th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards on the eve of the Chicago Toy & Game Show.
Disney’s Karri Bean returns as host and time traveler as he steps into Time Booth 5000 and embarks on a journey through more than 100 years of toy, gaming and licensing history. Barry McLaughlin and Jason Lautenschlager (Barry & Jason Entertainment) return as Bean travels along the sacred timeline to visit the founders of Walt Disney and Pressman Toys, As they skipped town, they looked at more “toys that didn’t make it,” prompting laughter.
The 2024 TAGIE Award winners are…
The most innovative art and design visuals of the year
Presented by James Zahn and Grant Lyon
- Wildflower by Brady Lang and Brittney Hassinger for Moose Games
Annual Innovation Star
Presented by Amy Friedland and Chris Byrne
- Hasbro’s Ava Garfinkel for Monopoly Go! board game
Young Innovator of the Year (under 18 years old)
Hosted by Tim Walsh and Tony Celebrini
- Photo by Evelyn Halbach for EcoFrenzy
Most Innovative PR and Marketing Team of the Year
Lectured by Ray Adler
- The LEGO and Disney Spark Joy campaign is a joint effort between the LEGO Global PMD Team, Disney Global Franchise Team, Disney Global Marketing and LEGO Creative Agency
game changer
Lectured by Robert Fuller
- Alan Dorfman — Co-Founder and President, Super Impulse USA
Most Innovative Retailer of the Year
Presented by Mike Bissanio and Lani Crimpert
- Hillary Key to Toy Box
Most Innovative License of the Year
Presented by Rachel Griffin and Donna Moore
- BBC Studios and Bluey’s Moose Toy
Most Innovative Supplier of the Year
Presented by Angus Walker and Naomi Brugnatelli
- Robert Useem, Product Consultant
Game Innovator of the Year
Presented by Michael Corner
- April Mitchell has worked on Foxmind’s Slanguage (co-designer Ed Gartin), John Adam’s Am I a Dirtbag (co-designer Carine Rosalia), MoCo Games’ Danger Hugs (co-designer Serena Fadlun), Hootenanny Games’ Exciting Game (co-design Ed Gartin), Martinex’s FormWorms, and BamzBall.
Toy Innovator of the Year
Presented by Peggy Brown and Shannon Swindell
- Yair Shilo and Nextoy build Goliath’s power sword
lifetime achievement
Presented by Elizabeth Moody and Eleanor Black
- Mary Danby, Game Inventor
lifetime achievement
Presented by David Fuller
- Dan Romanelli, founder of Warner Bros. Consumer Products
This year’s TAGIE is the first awards ceremony since People of Play merged with the Toy Association earlier this year. People of Play hosts events including the Chicago Toy and Game (CHITAG) Expo, Young Inventors Challenge, Toy and Game Inventor Promotion and Innovation Conference, and more.
The post People of Play Honors 2024 TAGIE Award Winners appeared first on The Toy Book.
