tia happenings
NEW TOTY CATEGORIES REFLECT MILLENNIAL SHOPPING HABITS & PLAY PATTERNS THE TOY OF THE YEAR (TOTY) AWARDS will be especially exciting next year as the Toy Industry Association (TIA) has unveiled several new categories and a new judging process. Toy companies, inventors, and industry representatives have until Sept. 30 to submit their favorite picks in 14 TOTY categories, including several new ones, such as Action Figure of the Year, Collectible of the Year, Construction Toy of the Year, Doll of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Vehicle of the Year. TIA has also implemented a more efficient and transparent judging system to help determine the award finalists. “With the introduction of new categories, we are ensuring that the awards program reflects the current marketplace and parents’ shopping habits,” says Ken Seiter, TIA vice president of marketing communications. “A more straightforward judging process enables the outcome of the event to remain relevant and representative of the ingenious creations that originate from toy companies of all sizes.” Twenty-five judges, including toy and play experts, retailers, academics, and journalists, will use an online form to review, comment on, and rank hundreds of products submitted in specific categories that are relevant to their areas of expertise. Aspects they will consider include the product’s creativity, originality, and innovation; its design and promotion; excellence; and marketplace acceptance. Finally, the judges will participate in a live discussion to debate any categories that did not draw an undisputed roster of finalists during the online judging period. The TOTY finalists will be announced in November, and five ballots will open for consumers, retailers (one each for mass and specialty), media, and TIA members. Public voting will also start and remain open online through mid-January 2017 at toyawards.org. One winner in each category—as well as the overall Toy of the Year and the People’s
Choice Award categories (the latter based solely on votes from the general public)— will be announced at the Toy of the Year Awards ceremony on February 17, 2017 at The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan. This event will kick off New York Toy Fair week with a celebration to honor the
most outstanding new toy products to hit the marketplace, salute the industry icons being inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, and support the inspiring work of the Toy Industry Foundation. For more information, visit the TOTY website or email toty@toyassociation.org. »
2017 TOTY CATEGORIES ACTION FIGURE OF THE YEAR (NEW) • Toys that include action figures and their play sets/accessories ACTIVE/OUTDOOR TOY OF THE YEAR (FORMERLY OUTDOOR) • Toys designed for active, outdoor play ACTIVITY TOY OF THE YEAR Arts and crafts, construction, and other indoor toys that inspire creative play through various forms of activity COLLECTIBLE OF THE YEAR (NEW) • Toys that compose a set; can include novelty playthings, miniature versions of existing lines, licensed collectibles, etc.
INNOVATIVE TOY OF THE YEAR Toys that utilize innovative design, technology, or manufacturing processes to enhance play value LICENSE OF THE YEAR (FORMERLY PROPERTY) • Character or property that has had success spreading its brand throughout the industry ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (NEW) • A new company (created within the past two years) that has brought to market an outstanding toy SPECIALTY TOY OF THE YEAR Toys that are primarily distributed through specialty retailers
CONSTRUCTION TOY OF THE YEAR (NEW) • TECH TOY OF THE YEAR Toys that include building and engineer(FORMERLY E-CONNECTED) • ing sets Physical toys that are electronic or interact with a smartphone, tablet, or gaming device DOLL OF THE YEAR (NEW) • Toys that include fashion and plush dolls and their play sets/accessories VEHICLE OF THE YEAR (NEW) • Powered or non-powered vehicles and their play sets/accessories GAME OF THE YEAR Children’s board, card, electronic, or other physical game formats and puzzles (does PEOPLE’S CHOICE TOY OF THE YEAR not include video games or apps) Toy decided by consumers who vote at toyawards.org INFANT/PRESCHOOL TOY OF THE YEAR TOY OF THE YEAR (FORMERLY TWO SEPARATE CATEGORIES) • Overall best toy of the year decided by reToys that are developed for infants/pretailers, consumers, media, and TIA members schoolers (kids up to age 5)
20 THE TOY BOOK | September/October 2016 | TOYBOOK.COM