Toy & Game International Excellence Awards - the TAGIEs

Past Attendees Recommend Attending! 

"What an excellent introduction to the toy and game profession! I met acquisition execs, license brokers, experienced game designers and  newbies like myself. And I learned a lot from each group!" -  Luke Fischer, Gamefish LLC

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"The CHITAG Innovation Conference was a great opportunity for me. I walked away with a deeper understanding of the industry and met many inspiring people. Their passion was motivating and provided an excellent experience that I will hang onto as I follow my dream."  Steve Rolland, Game Creator of Yes, and…you are the Comic! 

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The Chicago Toy and Game conference was a great opportunity for me. I walked away with a deeper understanding of the industry and met many inspiring people. Their passion was motivating and provided an excellent experience that I will hang onto as I follow my dream.  -Steve Rolland, Game Creator of Yes, and…you are the Comic!

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 Thank you for all you do, one word describes my experience "Phenomenal". -Susan Polodna

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 "I had been trying over the last 6 months to figure out how and who to license my toy idea to (Evolvems reversible dino plush if you had a chance to see it on the table).  I got not only a ton of great info... but I think I made a deal yesterday with a great company, all through the network of folks who were generous enough to share their insight and make connections.  know there is some saying about chickens and hatching but regardless I think this is the best money I ever spent." - Avram Kaufman, Evolvems

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"T&GCon was amazing and I highly recommend that any and all budding toy and game inventors invest in this opportunity to learn every aspect of the toy and game industry!  Not only do you get to network with the top experts in the industry, but you can get a one-on-one meeting to discuss "your" toy or game with them!  It's a rare and golden opportunity for toy and game inventors!" - Barbara Jenkins, J Links Enterprise

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"Thank you for putting on such a wonderful conference. It definitely exceeded my expectations! As someone who is interested in getting started in the toy and game industry, I found this conference invaluable. The great variety of session topics and quality of presenters helped me gain a better understanding of the industry as a whole. I would recommend it to anyone who thinks toy or game design is something they want to do." - John Berube

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“I just licensed BrainSpin to Winning Moves! I learned so much at the Conferences and Fair and could not have gotten this deal without the work you do supporting newbies like me. I came to understand the value of licensing versus self-publishing; learned the important terms, conditions and gray areas of legal deals; met a Hasbro executive and played my game with him (he later connected me with Winning Moves); and a colleague of his, who kindly offered his advice on who to work with and what I could expect in a deal; and I boosted my credibility by selling more than a hundred copies of BrainSpin at the Fair. Thank you so much!” - Frankie Abralind

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"You can spend years trying to figure out the ropes of a new industry, or you can spend two days at T&GCon and meet those that know, listen to those that know, and then you can move forward with your idea. We listened. When we left we had orders and we had a vision. We went from being a nobody to a somebody. Thank you so much!" - Bill Witt, Founder, Pajaggle, Inc

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"I attended T&GCon and ChiTAG for the first time in 2012 as a newbie inventor looking to gain feedback on our party game, Schmovie. I received invaluable insights from seasoned industry folks and consumers alike, and we ended up making key changes to both our game play and box design as a result. I’m excited to return this year as we celebrate Schmovie’s official launch!"  -BryanWilson, Partner/Creative Director, Galactic Sneeze 

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“T&GCon was first class - ample venue, fine food/beverage, well-credentialed speakers, awards dinner, impressive and well-connected industry execs attending. Your event far exceeded my expectations! A great experience! The face-to-face contact with industry folks is invaluable. I heartily recommend this for anyone hoping to break into the business. Even if a person does not find the news to be good about their proposed toy or game, then they at least know that they gave themselves the very best chance for success. Thanks to T&GCon 2013, my game “Choice Words” was picked up by MindWare.” - Bob Kamp

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I attended T&GCon (New Inventor Conferences) and ChiTAG (Week) for the first time in 2012 as a newbie inventor looking to gain feedback on our party game, Schmovie. I received invaluable insights from seasoned industry folks and consumers alike, and we ended up making key changes to both our game play and box design as a result. I’m excited to return this year as we celebrate Schmovie’s official launch! Bryan Wilson, Partner/Creative Director, Galactic Sneeze

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“We launched in 2012... We went to a Toy Show, and it happened to be the Chicago Toy Fair, and within the first hour we got offered a license agreement.” —  Dustin "Red Dragon" Berk, Ninja Cards on Shark Tank Week 2, 2014