Oct 23, 2013

Chicago Toy & Game Group Unveils Keynote Speakers of its 2013 Toy & Game Innovation Conference

On Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22, 2013, toys and games will be the talk of the town. Chicago Toy & Game Group introduces three keynote speakers to headline sessions of The Toy & Game Innovation Conference (T&GCon), its two-day seminar at Chicago’s Navy Pier: Adi Golad, founder of Goliath Games; Dan Klitsner, founder of KID Group; and Philip Sheppard, acclaimed film and event composer. Mr. Sheppard will extend Thursday’s motivational address on November 21, while Mr. Golad and Mr. Klitsner will serve as Friday morning’s presenters on November 22.

T&GCon, a conference designed by Chicago Toy & Game Group to unite up-and-comers and leaders of the toy and game industries, returns to the Windy City for its seventh year. Two information-filled days will enlighten attendees of topics including prototype presentation, global trends, sales distribution, and the changing nature of the play-scape. Each of the three selected speakers underscores the Chicago Toy & Game Group’s commitment to innovation and inspiration through his own personal and professional endeavors:

Ali Godad founded Goliath Games in 1980 in the Netherlands with one game: Rummikub. The game went on to earn the highest sales figure per capita ever achieved in the Western hemisphere in one year, and has now sold five million copies in its founding Dutch country alone. Today, Goliath is one of the fastest growing toy companies in the world and boasts distribution in more than 60 different countries and offices in France, Spain, Portugal, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Canada, and the Far East.

Dan Klitsner is the founder and creative director of KID Group, a San Francisco-based invention studio that specializes in award-winning interactive games. He has spearheaded a variety of products that include selections from the Bop It line, HyperGames, PC Playsets, and most recently, the 2013 TOTY award winner, Perplexus Epic. Renowned for his design expertise, he has judged the IDSA International Design Competition and the Consumer Electronics Innovation Awards, as well as taught at the California College of Arts and the San Francisco Academy of Art.

Philip Sheppard is a British composer & producer specializing in film soundtracks and live stadium events. Recently, he re-scored & produced the world’s 206 national anthems for the London 2012 Olympics, crafting versions that will be used for the next 25 years. He has written 15 major film soundtracks and collaborated with many other musicians, from David Bowie to Pretty Lights. He is also a solo cellist and professor at the Royal Academy of Music. All of his professional work is deeply rooted in play & gaming.

Since 2006, T&GCon has provided a forum for advocating, educating and bringing together people in the toy and game industry; with unrivaled opportunities for private meetings and knowledge trend sharing, the conference allows attendees to interface with one another directly to pool resources, leverage business leads, and generate invaluable exposure for games and toy inventions. The relaxed, but idea-charged atmosphere encourages discovery and relationship building.

T&GCon will take place on November 21 and 22, 2013 at Navy Pier. For more information or to register, please visit http://tandgcon.com/.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO TOY & GAME GROUP

The Chicago Toy & Game Group, Inc. is a family of toy industry initiatives designed to encourage and promote the power of play and invention in social, educational, and professional environments. The Chicago Toy & Game Group consists of the Chicago Toy & Game Fair; International Toy & Game Inventor and Industry Conference; International Summit for Professional Inventors; playCHIC Fashion Show; Toy & Game Inventor Awards; National ChiTAG Networking Events; Games for Educators; and DiscoverGames.com. For more information, visit www.ChiTAG.com, join in the conversation on Facebook, or follow the fun on Twitter @ChicagoToyNGame.