Registration Deadlines Approaching for TIA Webinars on “Green Marketing” and “Invention Success”;  TIA-Co-Sponsored 2010 Sandbox Summit

TIA reminds its members and toy industry constituents of the following programs that are being offered as part of the Association’s ongoing education and training services program:

The FTC and Environmental Marketing Claims: An Overview for the Toy Industry
Wednesday, April 21 | 1:30 – 2:30 pm (Eastern)
Registration:  Free for TIA members; $49 for non-members

A senior attorney in the FTC’s division of enforcement will provide an overview of the “Do’s and Don’ts” of environmental marketing, beginning with an introduction to the Commission’s role in helping marketers avoid making unfair or deceptive environmental claims and continuing through the general principles of FTC’s advertising law.  A primary focus of the session will be an introduction to the FTC’s Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, also known as the Green Guides.

Compliance officers, public relations, marketing, and sales professionals at toy, youth and entertainment companies who need to know how to responsibly (and legally) communicate environmental claims relating to toy products, packages or services are encouraged to attend.

Steps to Toy Invention and Success: How to Pitch, License and Cash-in on Your Ideas
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 1:00 pm (Eastern)
Registration is free

Richard Levy and Ron Weingartner, authors of The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook, will lead this session focused on how to present, protect and sell new ideas for toys, games and other kid-focused products.

“If the inventing world is to have a resurgence bringing fresh ideas to the industry, the marketers need to be informed of all the ‘product idea talent’ out there,” explains Richard Levy.

Topics to be discussed will include a mix of concepts for both the inventors and implementers involved in bringing a toy to market. As such, inventors, product developers, marketers and managers up to the CEO suite will all find value in this session. 

NOTE:  Though safety is a vitally important element of the toy design and development process, this session will not include a technical discussion of toy development or safety issues.

2010 Sandbox Summit:  iPlay, YouPlay, WiiPlay: How Play is Changing Media & Media is Changing Play
May 18-19, 2010 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Registration:  $695

The two-day 2010 Sandbox Summit conference, iPlay, YouPlay, WiiPlay: How Play is Changing Media & Media is Changing Play brings together leading innovators in children’s media, books, toys, virtual worlds, and education for an exploration of the impact that emerging media and technology platforms have on kids’ play – and to share their predictions on how the new playrooms will impact 21st century literacy.

“We are looking at how children and technology are reshaping the play environment,” explained the event organizers. 
Keynote presentations will be delivered by Henry Jenkins, provost’s professor of communication, journalism and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, and Laura Seargeant Richardson, principial designer of frog design Inc.  Panel sessions will include “A New Chapter for Books: Innovative Approaches to the Oldest Form of Media” and “Design Breakthroughs: When Toys Meet Technology – and it Works”.

TIA is a sponsor of the Sandbox Summit.   Registration is $695 per person and can be completed via the conference website.