Nominations now open for 2016 Toy & Game Innovation Awards
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Nominations now open for
2016 Toy & Game Innovation Awards
Nominations for the 9th Annual Toy & Game Innovation Awards are open to Industry Professionals through September 1st
CHICAGO, Ill. (Aug. 18) – Nominations are now open for the 2016 Toy & Game Innovation Awards (TAGIEs), an elegant and playful annual gala event during Chicago Toy & Game Week that celebrates the outstanding achievements of inventors, designers and industry leaders. Through September 1, 2016, toy and gaming industry professionals may submit nominations online at http://www.chitag.com/tagies.
The ninth annual TAGIEs will once again honor the masters of toy and game innovation. The 2016 categories now open for public nomination by all members of the toy and gaming industry include:
Excellence in Toy Design
Excellence in Game Design
Excellence in Digital Toy or Game Design
Rising Star Inventor of the Year
Young Inventor of the Year Finalists for these five categories will be announced on
September 15, 2016, at which time voting will open to the general public, media and industry leaders. A separate committee of industry experts will determine the honorees for the following closed TAGIEs categories:
Hassenfeld Family Initiatives Humanitarian Award
Inventor Advocacy Award
In Memoriam Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
“The TAGIEs nominations are now open to recognize the special individuals from around the world who spend countless hours inventing fun and entertaining toys and games for kids and families to enjoy,” said Mary Couzin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Toy & Game Group. “The awards gala brings together industry leaders for a night of celebration and fashion that will also pay homage to some stand-out inventors for their spirit of fun, philanthropy and humanitarianism.”
The TAGIEs ceremony takes place Friday, November 18, 2016 with an elegant evening of entertainment that includes cocktail hour, a seated dinner, the awards program, and a toy-inspired fashion show. For the first time ever, the TAGIEs and the PlayCHIC Fashion Show will come together to form one star-studded night.
Winners of the 2015 TAGIEs (announced last year), presented by Hasbro, along with category sponsors Mayfair Games and Moose Toys, include:
Excellence in Toy Design—Mark Boudreaux, inventor of Star Wars Millennium Falcon
Excellence in Game Design—Elan Lee, Matthew Inman and Shane Small, designers of Exploding Kittens
Rising Star Inventor of the Year—Laurie Peterson, designer of Malia’s Beach House
Young Inventor of the Year—Duncan and Hayden, inventors of Two Bros Bows
Hassenfeld Family Humanitarian Award—Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan
Chicago-In-Memoriam—Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melin, co-founders of the Wham-O company
Lifetime Achievement—Richard Maddocks, who helped bring Furby and FurReal Friends to the market
About the TAGIEs
Founded in 2008, the Toy & Game Innovation Awards (TAGIEs) celebrate the outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world, by honoring masters of innovation and invention. The evening also pays homage to industry professionals who differentiate themselves with their spirit for fun, philanthropy, inventor advocacy, creativity and humanitarianism. Inventors, designers, manufacturers, retailers, media and the general public come together for this prestigious annual gala event. The TAGIEs are hosted in the fall in conjunction with the Chicago Toy & Game (ChiTAG) Fair, the PlayCHIC toy-inspired Fashion Show and Toy & Game Inventor Conferences. For more information, visit http://www.chitag.com/tagies.
About the Chicago Toy & Game Group, Inc. 2015
The Chicago Toy & Game Group, Inc. oversees toy industry initiatives designed to encourage and promote the power of play and invention in social, educational, and professional environments. Chicago Toy & Game (ChiTAG) Group initiatives include the Chicago Toy & Game (ChiTAG) Fair, the PlayCHIC Fashion Show, the Toy & Game Innovation of the Year (TAGIE) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the New Inventor Conference, the Professional Inventors Conference, Games for Educators, Discover Games and the Chicago Toy & Game (ChiTAG) Foundation. For more information, visit www.ChiTAG.com.
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