Toy Fair New York owner adds Chicago Toy and Game Fair to roster with People of Play buyout
Toy Fair New York owner The Toy Association has bought Chicago Toy and Game Fair operator People of Play, bringing two of North America’s largest toy and game industry events under the same umbrella.
The deal comes three months before Chicago Toy and Game Fair puts on its 22nd annual event in Rosemont, Illinois.
Toy Fair New York, which has been running since 1903, is a key event in the board game industry calendar, giving designers and publishers the chance to pitch ideas, agree licensing deals and get their games in front of mass-market retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Costco, Target and Walmart.
Chicago, while smaller in scale, offers a similar opportunity, with previous pitching events attended by execs from companies include Blue Orange, Amigo and Hachette, as well as toy and game giants such as Hasbro and Goliath.
People of Play also owns and runs The Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards (The TAGIEs), the Bloom Report, Young Inventor Challenge and the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference.
A statement from The Toy Association said, “Aligning with People of Play creates a deeper relationship with the inventor and design community, putting greater focus on creativity and innovation, one of the cornerstones of the toy industry.
“Additionally, with the Chicago Toy and Game Fair, People of Play will leverage The Toy Association resources to continue to grow one of the preeminent consumer experiences during the all-important holiday season.”
Last October The Toy Association was forced into a rapid u-turn over its plans to shift its headline New York event to New Orleans after 119 years in the city, following a backlash from industry figures and long-time attendees.
The company had also come under fire for scheduling its 2023 New York Toy Fair for the weekend before Spiel Essen, giving publishers a headache about how to manage attending both.
No Toy Fair New York is taking place this year, with the next event now scheduled for March 1 to 4, 2025.
Steve Pasierb, the president and CEO of The Toy Association at the time, said in October last year that the move to New Orleans was in response to stakeholder input, saying it had gathered opinions from key retailers, members and exhibitors of The Toy Association, and based the decision on factors including timing, high-quality space availability, access to transportation, and affordability for exhibitors and attendees.
Two weeks later Toy Association board, chair Aaron Muderick revealed in an open letter that the organisation had backtracked on those plans, saying the feedback had not been positive.
He said, “Toy Fair was shifted to the fall with a goal of aligning to evolving dynamics in the industry. However, as it became clear that travel and business behavior was returning to more historical patterns, new feedback was received that would result in a tradeshow returning to the beginning of the year, ideally in January.
“Because the newly requested timeframe could not be accommodated in our current location, a comprehensive nationwide review of cities was launched for a site that could host us in January. While we aimed to adapt to the perceived shifts in our industry, the announcement of that change was met with strong feelings of tradition and enduring memories of toy business conducted in New York.
“We were swiftly reminded of our industry’s passionate bond to a place that no amount of research, conversation and learning had sufficiently surfaced.”
He added, “It has also become abundantly clear that it is not in the best interest of the industry to wait until March 2025 for our next gathering.
“We have been exploring what meaningful role the Association can play around Los Angeles, which has emerged as a hub for early fall previews.
“We are actively exploring ways to support members there, starting in August/September 2024.”
Pasierb stepped down from his role as president and CEO in April, with the positions being taken on by toy industry veteran Greg Ahearn at the start of last month.
