People of Play (POP) has announced the event schedule for its 22nd annual POP Week, where inventors, manufacturers, retailers, media and consumers gather in Rosemont, Illinois to celebrate, play and discover the latest toy innovations.
A variety of industry-focused events will take place from November 6-10, starting with the Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conference from November 6-9. More than 80 product purchasing executives from more than 50 companies around the world will be looking for new toy and game ideas. On November 8, the 17th Annual TAGIE Awards Gala was hosted by Senior Licensing Manager Karri Bean and held at Disney Consumer Products, Experiences and Consumers
The product launch kicks off at Joe’s LIVE concert venue, where toy industry players will gather to celebrate the innovations of the past year. Mary Danby and Dan Romanelli will be honored as Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, and Alan Dorfman will be honored as an Industry Game Changer.
Two events will be held on November 9: the Play in Education (PIE) conference and the 19th Annual Young Inventors Challenge. This conference will bring together toy industry leaders and PIE experts to discuss the future of MESH. and STEAM-themed toys, while the challenge invites kids from around the world to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to create the next big toy.
The 22nd Annual Chicago Toy & Game Show (CHITAG) is open for everyone to enjoy on November 9th and 10th! Event highlights include Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana opening the fair with Rosemont Mayor Stephens for a ribbon cutting, Star Wars Character Lunch (Nov. 10 only), Duncan Yo-Yo Pro Championship and Illinois Yo-Yo-Yo Contest, Giant Jenga, Klask, Eat Your Words and Flip7 tournaments, meetings with various toy developers and inventors and more. For more details about the show’s activities and other events during POP Week, please visit the CHITAG website.
