Nov 30, 2008

Toy and Game Inventors Awards Honors Creative Minds

(LINCOLNWOOD, Ill.) — The Chicago Toy and Game Group recognized outstanding toy and game inventors at the first Toy and Game Inventors Event (TAGIE) award ceremony Friday November 21st.

In a nation where we grant industry awards to people in TV, movies, music and books, we have failed to recognize the inventors of toys and games that sell by the hundreds of millions, are in every American household, and have a shelf life of 50-plus years. The first-ever TAGIE awards finally recognize the people who invent the toys and games that are so integral to American culture.

This year’s winners were determined by toy and game fans, who cast their vote online at the TAGIE Web site.

The TAGIE award for Inventor of the Year for Excellence in Toy Design went to Steve and Jeff Rehkemper of Rehkemper Invention & Design (Rehco, LLC); Inventor of the Year for Excellence in Game Design went to Gary Donner and Michael Steer of Random Games & Toys; and Inventor of the Year for Rising Star/Rookie Inventorwent to Colleen McCarthy-Evans and Joyce Johnson of Toying with Games.

Also, Jeffrey Breslow, creator of the popular Ants in the Pantsä board game and many other well-known toys, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the toy and game industry. Breslow, who began his inventing career under the famed Marvin Glass, recently retired as president and co-founder of Big Monster Toys (BMT), the world’s largest toy and game inventing studio. An estimated 78 percent of American households own toys designed by BMT.

“We are thrilled to honor the great minds behind our country’s favorite toys,” said Mary Couzin, executive director of the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. “We recognize the talents of people in many industries, and it’s time these creative individuals receive credit for their contributions.”

Steve and Jeff Rehkemper of Rehco, LLC (winners, Excellence in Toy Design) re-invented re-invented the flying toy category – developing the first remote-controlled toy helicopter. The company’s products have generated more than $1 billion in combined sales and include clients such as Mattel, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Tiger and Spin Master. The Rehkemper brothers are from Breese, Illinois, and founded Rehco in 1983.

Garry Donner and Michael Steer (winners, Excellence in Game Design) of Random Games & Toys gained major success with Pocket Trivia – selling more than 10 million units under the Hoyle brand. Today, Random Games & Toys houses six full-time inventors and is best known for: Tumbling Monkeys ( sold by Mattel), the Express Line (sold by Hasbro), Buzz Word (sold by Patch Products), Last Word (sold by Buffalo Games), Hit the Deck (sold by Fundex) and Chain Game (sold by Out of the Box Publishing). Donner started Random Games & Toys in 1974, and in 1986 Steer joined the company full-time.

Colleen McCarthy-Evans and Joyce Johnson (winners, Rising Star/Rookie) met at a “Game Design for Fun and Profit” class and became business partners in 2002. After only six years, the company has already been recognized for: In a Pickleä and Aunt Millie’s Millionsä (sold by Gamewright); There’s a Fly in My Soupä and Beelineä (sold by Basic Concepts); Pokemon Pokeball Flipä, Be the Expertä, Pandamaniaä and Dig that Dinosaurä (sold by Pressman) and Disney Fairies Fancy Flightä and To Know Me Is To Love Meä (sold by Danawares).

The TAGIE awards dinner and ceremony was sponsored by two of the world’s leading toy and game producers, Hasbro as lead sponsor and Mattel as supporting sponsor.

Speakers at Friday’s ceremony included numerous experts in the field, including those in product acquisition for some of the world’s largest toy companies, toy and game historians and experts, game buyers for large retail companies, consultants, graphic designers, game inventors and more.

For more information, please visit www.toyandgameinventors.com.