by Laurie Schacht, Toy Insider Mom, founder, Blogger Bash
F
or the past four years, The Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite event has been the go-to event for bloggers looking to connect with the top toy companies. During Sweet Suite, each toy company gets a designated play area where they can share their latest products with the top bloggers nationwide. The bloggers get to interact with company representa-
tives face-to-face, while also getting hands-on experience with amazing new products in advance of the holiday season. With hundreds of bloggers attending the event and a growing wait list year after year, we will expand this year’s Sweet Suite into a two-day conference called Blogger Bash. Parent bloggers have become some of the most influential voices when it comes to promoting toy brands and new products. Over the last five to seven years, we’ve seen influential leaders emerge in this space, garnering thousands of followers and creating complete online communities. These women (and often men) are far beyond the basics of blogging, and Blogger Bash will provide them with the next tier of their professional development. With events, parties, round table forums, speed dating sessions with brand representatives, and, of course, lots of swag to enjoy and review, Blogger Bash will give bloggers everything they need to establish new connections with leading manufacturers. Held in New York City on July 17 and 18, this event will draw hundreds of bloggers nationwide. The conference will kickoff on Thursday evening with Sweet Suite, where bloggers will play with new toys, indulge in sweet treats, and leave with tons of swag. From a brand standpoint, why is Blogger Bash for you? Because social media matters, and these bloggers have a lot of influence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. The power lies with the consumers—and that’s exactly what these bloggers are. Sweet Suite generates millions of impressions annually, and bloggers talk about all of the great things they saw well into the holiday season—prime time for manufacturers. If you’re interested in learning more about Sweet Suite ’14 and the upcoming Blogger Bash, please contact me at thetoyinsidermom@gmail.com or (212) 575-4510 and be sure to visit www.bloggerbash.com.
12 • THE TOY BOOK
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MARCH/APRIL 2014