President’s Letter – June 19, 2012: “No Man is an Island”

Last week, TIA staff was present at two important events for our industry: the ASTRA Marketplace and Academy in Baltimore and the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.

The night before ASTRA’s show opening, TIA participated in a “meet and greet” cocktail reception, where people met up to network with colleagues and connect with TIA staff members before a few great days of business-building on the show floor. I personally enjoyed being there to meet new people and celebrate ASTRA’s 20th anniversary.

On the other side of the country, TIA hosted an “oasis” at Licensing Expo for the second year in a row, open exclusively to our members. With the ever-strengthening relationship between the toy and licensing communities, our presence and support at the Expo is paramount, and the lounge area was bustling with activity. Over the course of the three-day event, dozens of meetings were held by members in the lounge and even more were held across the show floor.

We greatly value our relationships with ASTRA and LIMA and are proud of the benefits we bring to members as a result of our connections. They say that “no man is an island” – and I believe this to be very true. The toy industry wouldn’t thrive without the information, networking, and business opportunities that come out of the meetings and events held by related organizations.

I expect TIA’s partnerships with ASTRA, LIMA, and others to grow in the coming years, as the toy industry expands and overlaps with other industries. Not only do we have a great time at these events, we also improve our understanding of the current marketplace, forge new and lasting connections with our peers and make TIA even more valuable to its members and industry stakeholders.

Warm regards to all,

ckeithley@toyassociation.org