The Chicago Toy & Game Group Announces 2013 Toy & Game Inventor of the Year Award Nominees
The nominees for the annual Toy & Game Inventor of the Year (TAGIE) Awards (http://www.tagieawards.com/us/) are in! Recognizing excellence in the categories of Toy Design, Game Design, Young Inventor and Rising Star, the nominees for these categories have been selected by their industry colleagues, and now the public is invited to place their votes before the annual award show takes place this November as part of the 11th Annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
The 2013 Toy & Game Inventor of the Year (TAGIE) Award nominees are:
EXCELLENCE IN TOY DESIGN
· Bruce Lund, inventor of the Dino Construction Company™ Line
· Cheong Choon Ng, inventor of RainbowLoom
· Jon Paul Capriola, inventor of ZippyDo
· Sean Frawley, inventor of AERO FORCE FLIGHT DESIGNS: “Ultra-Light/Extended Flight” Gliders/ Wind Ups/ Power Gliders
· Wim Ouboter, inventor of Microlino Airseat Hybrid
RISING STAR DESIGNER
· Ali Kermani, inventor of Razor Crazy Cart
· Andrew Comfort, inventor of Q-BA Maze
· Ashley Mady, inventor of Scanimalz
· Debra Sterling, inventor of Goldie Blox
· Luke Hooper, inventor of Laser Maze
GAME INVENTOR OF THE YEAR
· Mark Setteducati, inventor of HolograFX
· Matt Leacock, inventor of Forbidden Desert
· Rebecca Bleau and Nicholas Cravotta, inventors of BlueMatter Games
· Tom Quinn, inventor of Game of Things
YOUNG INVENTOR OF THE YEAR
· Ben Guillot, inventor of MasterKitz inspired by Monet’s Water Lilies
· Ishmael King, inventor of King of 20
· Michael Curshellas, inventor of Mission Unboxable
· Nick Metzler, inventor of Squashed!
· William Georges, inventor of Pezo Pals
EXCELLENCE IN ELECTRONIC TOY OR GAME DESIGN
· Activision, Skylanders Swap Force
· Brendan Boyle, IDEO and the Leapfrog team: Audrey Donaldson, Clement Chau, Raphael Kerley and Sarah Baskin, inventors of Creativity Camera App & Case
· Caleb Chung, Dan Judkins, Dave Hampton, Kenny Davis, Richard Levy and their team, inventors of Furby Boom
· Dan Klitsner and KID Group, inventors of BopIt! Tetris
· Disney, inventor of Disney Infinity
In addition to the public votes, honorees from five closed categories, including Excellence in Character Design, Excellence in Inventor Advocacy, Lifetime Achievement, Hassenfeld Family Humanitarian Award and In Memoriam, will also be awarded.
Paying tribute to toy and game inventors from around the world whose creative imaginations and playful inventions resulted in today’s most enjoyable play products, the TAGIE Awards will kick off the 2013 Chicago Toy & Game Fair weekend. The elegant and fun gala will bring together industry leaders including inventors, manufacturers and retailers, to celebrate the inventors behind the hottest and most innovative products of the year.
The winners of this year’s TAGIE Awards will take the stage to accept their awards on Friday, November 22, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the historic Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. The evening will commence with a cocktail hour, followed by a delicious dinner and conclude with the Awards Program. This year’s fun-filled evening is sponsored by Hasbro (Presenting Sponsor), Hassenfeld Family Initiatives, Global Toy News, Mayfair Games, Joyce Johnson Designs, Oxford Games, The Playmakers, Toy Industry Association and Chicago Toy and Game Group.
Voting for the 2013 TAGIE Awards is available to the public through November 1, 2013. Members of the public are invited to cast their votes for the best toy and game inventors here.
Tickets to the TAGIE Awards are also available for the public for $250.00 and require registration through http://www.tagieawards.com/us/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/TAGIE-Awards-2013-Registration.pdf.
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 onFacebook, or follow the fun on Twitter @ChicagoToyNGame.
