New York,
NY
June 22, 2009:
The Toy
Industry Association (TIA) and
Show
Initiative, LLC, announced today that
Engage! Expo (previously Virtual World Expo) will co-locate
with American
International Toy Fair at the Jacob
K. Javits
Convention Center in New York City in February 2010.
Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the
Western Hemisphere, bringing together more than 1,100
manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from nearly
90 countries and over 361,000 net square feet of space to showcase
their toy and entertainment products. Engage! offers both a full
conference program and a tradeshow floor to help major entertainment
companies, youth brands and advertising agencies learn how to
combine existing products with the unparalleled engagement
opportunities and revenue streams of online media.
Engagement was highlighted as one of the top four toy trends
identified during Toy Fair 2009 as digitally-native kids, video
game-savvy dads and connected moms continue to embrace the
relationship between technology, digital media and toys. Youth
entertainment companies are already capitalizing on digital tools
such as cameras, communication and music devices, online Internet
sharing software, social media, virtual worlds and web-connected
toys and games to further enhance consumer interaction with their
brands.
Toy Fair exhibitors are constantly introducing new ways to engage
children, said Marian Bossard, TIA vice-president of meetings and
events. The Engage! Expo conference will expose Toy Fair exhibitors
and attendees to best practices, current trends, and effective
strategies behind the most successful online brand extensions.
These conversations will be of tremendous interest and value to our
audience.
Every toy company should be considering an online component of
their brand to engage audiences, agreed Christopher Sherman, Show
Initiative LLC executive director. Combining toys with new
technology solutions creates a powerful range of opportunities.
Engage! Expo 2010 will combine demonstrations of the latest tools,
technologies, products, and services being used in virtual worlds,
the immersive web and interactive entertainment with conference
programs that deliver insights into new monetization strategies,
proven ways to strengthen customer relationships, and essential
marketing solutions to maximize reach.
The 107th
annual Toy Fair will be held February 14-17, 2010; Engage! Expo will
overlap with Toy Fair on February 16-17. The two events
will bring more than 25,000 attendees and exhibitor personnel to
New York City
and the Javits Center.
Bringing these two important events for the youth entertainment
market under one roof will make it easier for our shared audiences
to capitalize on the digital media concepts and programming
presented at Engage! Expo and the exposure to buyers and exhibitors
that can be found at Toy Fair, added Bossard.
All Engage! Expo attendees will receive access to the show floor at
Toy Fair and all Toy Fair attendees will receive access to the
Engage! show floor. In addition, TIA members who exhibit at
Toy Fair are entitled to half-price registration discounts for the
Engage! conference program.
About
Toy Industry Association (TIA)
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and
importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North
America, representing over 500 companies who account for
approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the
number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of
leadership in toy safety including development of the first
comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and
working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs
to ensure safe play.
For more information visit
www.toyassociation.org.
About Show Initiative, LLC
Engage! Expo is owned and operated by Show Initiative, LLC.
Show Initiative is a leading producer of trade events and media that
focus on social media, virtual worlds, user engagement and games.
Events include Engage! Expo, Engage! Expo
San Jose, Digital Law Conference, Virtual
Goods Conference, and 3D Training Learning and Collaboration (3DTLC)
Conference. The company also publishes timely market research and
leading industry news blogs
www.VirtualWorldsNews.com and
www.VirtualGoodsNews.com.
More information can be found at
www.ShowInitiative.com.
Contact:
Adrienne Citrin
Toy Industry Association (TIA)
646.520.4863
acitrin @ toyassociation.org
Tim Williams
Sales and Marketing Director
tim @ showinitiative.com
512-289-8687
Virtual Worlds
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