Disney

“This year’s biggest trends underscore the ongoing impact of the pandemic on play; the toy industry’s growing commitment to helping kids become better global citizens; and the many social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of mindful, musical, and ‘kidult’ toys,” said The Toy Association’s Adrienne Appell.

In the first of his new monthly column, Adam Borton looks at how he got his start in the industry and what his new Toy and Game School will look to bring those wanting to kick-start their own careers in play.

“Funko is always discovering new ways to surprise and delight our fans by bringing the best of pop culture directly to them,” said Brian Mariotti, Chief Executive Officer at Funko.

Joel Silverman, CEO at KidsKnowBest, details the firm’s new Growing Pains Accelerator, an initiative designed to help inventors, designers and start-ups with mentoring, collaboration and practical services worth at least £150,000.

“The strong results are due to our incredible team,” said The LEGO Group CEO, Niels B. Christiansen.

This session – featuring Shane Hartley, Art Director at Ravensburger North America and Jake Breish, Graphic Designer at Ravensburger North America – delves into the incredible art direction behind the company’s smash-hit board game series, Villainous.

We caught up with Tim Kilpin, President at PlayMonster, to find out more about his journey in the industry to date, and why PlayMonster’s latest launch – Snap Ships – is something special.

The session will see Ravensburger’s Shane Hartley and Jake Breish discuss the art direction behind the firm’s smash-hit game series.

“I believe that finding ways to build brands that offer quality play experiences for families and kids today is more important than ever and I am excited to be part of that,” said Kilpin.

“To create the tips of their noses, we had to bring back the LEGO Classic Space Helmet in black, which hasn’t been seen since 1987,” said LEGO designer Ollie Gregory.