Take the family on a weekend getaway to Chicago Toy and Game Fair!
In the business of toys and games, most showcase events are open to the trade only. For example, each February, retailers flock to the Toy Industry Association’s storied gargantuan Toy Fair New York, to discover the latest in new products sure to dazzle their young customers. Rarely does the public get the chance to touch and see what’s new until it hits store shelves.
That idea gets turned on its head at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG) held at Navy Pier each November. Founded in 2003, ChiTAG is the only non-hobby toy and game show open to the public in the U.S. It gathers families, educators, hobbyists, inventors, industry and media all under one roof for a weekend of larger-than-life entertainment and play.
Called the “best and biggest focus group in the industry,” ChiTAG is hosted in the Midwest, rather than one of the coasts, and creates a unique central meeting ground where families and toymakers intersect. Here, they can discover the hottest new playthings, and meet and mingle with the actual inventors behind those goodies, as the holiday shopping season approaches.
This year’s event includes Cincinnati’s own Jeff Spelman of Flying Pig Games LLC, inventor of the new Jukem Football family card game. At last year’s fair, Jukem was chosen by Chicago Tribune as one of "10 cool games to get your party started.”
Highlights of the fair include numerous hands-on interactive displays and play opportunities. Join Darth Vader and other characters for the wildly popular Star Wars breakfast Saturday morning. (Reservations are required and sell out quickly!)
There is also a fantastic opportunity for child toy and game inventors (ages 6 to 18) to compete for prizes in the Young Inventor Challenge. Registration for the Young Inventor Challenge is free, but the deadline is October 31st. All competition entrants receive complimentary admission to the fair for themselves and their immediate family. Last year, local Tri-State area youngster, Adrik Herbert, 8, of Morris, Indiana, took top honors with his board game invention called "Nutterz."
ChiTAG has earned a reputation among the nation's toymakers as the place to be to get valuable direct feedback from the end users - kids and their parents. It also gives inventors who are new to the industry an opportunity to learn and make valuable industry connections thanks to the Toy & Game Inventor Con, an affiliate event that just precedes the ChiTAG Fair.
Educators also get to cash in on this weekend of excitement. The Play with Purpose Conference coincides with ChiTAG on Saturday, the 19th. This program offers an inspiring day of workshops to help traditional teachers, non-traditional and homeschool educators develop their students' cognitive abilities and inject energy into the learning process through applying games as part of their curriculum.
Chicago Toy & Game Fair is always the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year, it lands on November 19th and 20th. An easy five hour drive, Cincinnati families can make a weekend of it and enjoy the fabulous Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade the night of the 19th.
Watch the video on the left navigation bar to see actual footage of last year's Fair. Learn more about the Chicago Toy and Game Fair at their website www.chitag.com.
Disclosure: The author of this story also serves as an onsite volunteer at this event to support their efforts in providing quality family entertainment and in preserving and building a vibrant Toy and Game industry in the Midwest region.
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