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Thursday, 21 July 2005
Xig PreviewTopic: New Game Announcements
CHITAG ChairpersonTopic: Toy & Game Fairs The Chicago InternationalToy & Game Fair Mayor Richard M. Daley named HonoraryChairperson We are proud to announce that Mayor Richard M. Daley(Chicago) will be our Honorary Chair of CHITAG 2005! The Mayor will pen ourWelcome Letter in the Chicago Tribune Special Insert, attend a ribbon cutting (schedulepermitting) and we are working with the City on new programs and publicity. TheMayor’s reputation for innovative and creative programs to reach familiesis known nationwide and we are honored with his support. With this news, we have opened up more space. There is stilltime to get a booth and if you hurry, you can still take advantage of the free1/8th page with a 10 x 10 booth or larger in the Chicago TribuneInsert going to 125,000 targeted households. Ad space is available fornon-exhibitors and smaller exhibitors as well. In addition to the many booths at theFair, there is stage entertainment with appearances from Ronald McDonald, RadioDisney Party Patrol, game shows, improv groups, etc. There are a variety ofmoonwalks, Giant Jengas, Marshmallow Shooters, CarpetSlides, Giant Board Games(you play a piece on a board), JumpSkate, Baseball, and much much more. The Fair dates are: Friday, Sept 2nd 4 pm to 10 pm Saturday, Sept 3rd 10 am to 6 pm Sunday, Sept 4th 10 am to 5 pm. The media loves this event and is thereevery day. It is a feel good and fun show. Families are everywhere. Trade,media and educators are our guests. Come join the fun! Mary Couzin Fair Director www.chitag.com Aaron Gessner PR Maven agessner@chitag.com Anita Daniel Event Maven adaniel@chitag.com www.chitag.com 847-677-8277
Xig announcementTopic: New Game Announcements FOR IMMEDIATERELEASE Contact: Greg Waring 403.289.9441 XIG™ UNLEASHED UPON NORTH AMERICAN KIDS AND FAMILIES Striking NEW GAME combines best features of board games, collectiblecards & puzzle creations – ‘the Original Puzzle Trading CardGame’ Chicago,Il, July 16, 2005– GT?Fun & Games Inc. today announced the North American release of‘XIG™ – The Four Elements Game’ for kids andfamilies. The extremely unique and innovatively designed strategy gamewill officially be unveiled and be available at select game retailersthroughout North America beginning July 27th. “XIG™ is unlike anything in the marketplace today”, said GregScott of GT?. “Most refer to it first as a great new strategy boardgame – others see the fantastic potential as a refreshing brand new arenaand an exciting twist on the collectible card game concept – and othersare simply captivated by the amazing puzzle pathways that the gamecreates.” Earlyfeedback on the game has been tremendous. “The comments have beenawesome. Our testing through focus groups in various areas of North America, as well as feedback from retailers anddistributors, has given us great confidence that the game will be a big hitwith consumers, young and old. The game seems to have captured that magicblend as it continues to garner fantastic response from both kids andparents.” Over the last two years, the GT? team has thoroughlydeveloped, consumer tested, and refined XIG™ to ensure a successfullaunch and a game that will excite both consumers and retailers. “We are really excited about the retailers who have jumped on board forour launch – we plan to take good care of the original group of retailersthat is forming through our distributors.” Asneak peak of the game can be found at www.playxig.com,although the full web-site – including a list of where XIG™ can bepurchased – will not officially be unveiled until the game launch date ofJuly 27. GT? has also announced that they will unveil an interestingtwist to XIG™ at their booth at GenCon (www.gencon.com)in Indianapolis,August 18-21. AboutGT? Fun & Games Inc. GT? is aCalgary, AB andChicago, ILbased entrepreneurial venture founded by 4 seasoned veterans of variousdisciplines, including graphic design, art direction, strategic management andmarketing. GT? is ‘fun’ inspired and hopes to helpcreate great memories through great games. XIG™ represents thefirst product for GT?, with plans well underway for XIG™ extensions intonew languages and markets, licensed products, and later generations of the coregame. For moreinformation contact: Greg Waring or GregScott Ph -403.289.9441 (XIG1) Fax –403.289.9441 greg@playxig.com Monday, 13 June 2005
Toy & Game Inventor's ForumTopic: Toy & Game Fairs The 9th Annual Toy and Game Inventor's Forum™ Thursday - Saturday September 8th - 10th, 2005 Disney's Contemporary Resort - Orlando, FL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bigger than ever before, TGIF rolls into Orlando, FL from September 8-10, 2005 at the Walt Disney Contemporary Resort. TGIF is the only event in the world where attendee and exhibitors get to meet, learn from and sell their ideas or inventions to the "who's who" of the toy & game industry. TGIF boasts a speaking faculty of over 40 key toy and entertainment executives from companies that include: Mattel, Hasbro, Hasbro Games, Fisher-Price, Imagination Entertainment, Pressman Toy, Radica, Binney & Smith, Spin Master Toys, University Games, US Patent and Trademark Office, National Parenting Center, Calendar Club, Think Fun, Wham-O, Infinitoy, Ohio Art, Color Forms, Ravensburger (Germany) and ALGA (Sweden). There will be many high-level buyers, reps, marketing gurus, technology firms, trend tracking organizations, forecasters and much more. Attendees participate in round table discussions, one-on-one sessions and dozens of events over the 3-day program. NEW THIS YEAR….. Product Showcase - A display & preview of the newest offerings from toy companies well before the holiday shopping season. Inventor Contest - Our expert faculty will be choosing winners from inventor entries at the show. KidVention - Is a nationwide contest for children to invent their own toy or game. This unique and educational event is designed to promote intra-industry relations and create new synergistic partnerships. In addition, TGIF gives inventors and entrepreneurs the opportunity to enter the toy and game arena, learning from and potentially selling their product or service to, industry leaders. Join us and rub elbows, share ideas, make connections, exhibit your services, license your idea! For further information or to register for TGIF, please visit our website at www.tgifhome.com or feel free to contact Bob Keegan. Bob Keegan Toy & Game Inventor's Forum bkeegan@toysngames.com 31 West Downer Place, Suite 100 Aurora, IL 60506 Phone: 630.906.1575 Toll Free: 888.683.8443 Fax: 630.906.9388 Sunday, 24 April 2005
CHITAG 2005Topic: Toy & Game Fairs The Chicago Int?l Toy & Game Fair at Navy Pier September 2, 3 and 4, 2005 ? Consumer Show Trade, Educators and Media are our Guests
We are gearing up for the 2005 Fair, September 2nd through 4th, at Chicago's Navy Pier with new hours! This year we will start Friday at 4 pm with a Friday Night Play Night and end Sunday at 5 pm. No need to labor on Labor Day! The new Fair hours are:
Friday, September 2nd, 4 to 10 pm - Friday Night Play Night Saturday, September 3rd, 10 am to 6 pm Sunday, September 4th, 10 am to 5 pm
Fantastic pictures and video from 2004 can be seen at www.chitag.com. Just click on the Pictures & Video button. Comments from last year's exhibitors can be read on the homepage. We still have booths and our new specially priced Inventor Tables & Entrepreneur Booths available, so register now. Chicago?s historic Navy Pier is an extraordinary venue with beautiful views, a variety of activities and hundreds of thousands of people on the Pier that weekend.
To make it easier for you to stay during the Fair, we have negotiated special guest room rates of only $149/night for a suite at The Embassy Suites Lakefront Hotel. The free Navy Pier Trolley stops on its way to and from the Pier which is only 2 blocks away. Embassy Suites offers spacious two room suites with a city or lake view, a private bedroom and a separate living room with a well-lit dining/work table. All overnight guests receive a complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast daily and an evening manager?s reception. Many Fair exhibitors and guests put this benefit to use by networking both mornings and evenings. Reservation Information: 511 N. Columbus Drive Join us! This will be our third year and we are growing by leaps and bounds. Questions? Contact: General - Mary Couzin, mcouzin@chitag.com Media/PR - Aaron Gessner, agessner@chitag.com Events/Sponsorships - Anita Daniel, adaniel@chitag.com 847-677-8277
Wednesday, 17 November 2004
CHITAG: wrap upTopic: Toy & Game Fairs Greetings Toy and Game Industry Professionals!
Another successful Fair!!! If you joined us, thank you. If not, we hope you join us next year. Once again, I think it best to let some of the exhibitors tell you about their experiences:
The Chicago Toy and Game Fair is a proven venue for reaching the general public. Families with children of all ages flowed into our booth throughout the weekend. We were pleased with our sales from the 2003 CHITAG - and sales from this year were even better! See you in 2005! Matt Mariani, Out of the Box Publishing
It was like a whole year's worth of fun packed into one weekend! We will be back. Ken Wickman, National Account Manager ? Sears, Escalade Sports
CHITAG is a wonderful show and one that gives us access to new customers, people we would never see without this show! We?ll be back. Jay M. Tummelson, Rio Grande Games
The show itself was better than I had hoped. Families came and played together all day. Children were accompanied by an adult and they played together. I wasn't a babysitter like I am at some shows. The environment was festive with music and activities everywhere including on the stage. Adults were in a good mood and fortunately buying. I sold 50% more than I expected. I actually profited from a show I hoped to breakeven and get some exposure. I will be back next year. Jay Danner, Classic Golf Gifts
We found CHITAG to be a lively, family-oriented venue where we could interact directly with the consumer, test new ideas and network with industry folks. The added bonus of the media coverage (local TV and print) that we attained due to exhibiting at CHITAG 2004 gave us even broader exposure. Jenna Banks, V.P. MarBan Industries, Inc.
My wife and I attended the Chicago International Toy and Game Fair Saturday. We had so much fun that we came back again on Sunday. We live in McHenry, IL and took the train and then the free shuttles into and out of Navy Pier. We enjoyed having the ability to "test play" games before making decisions on buying them. I've seen many of them advertised before, but being able to play them instead of just relying on the box descriptions was a real plus. I think we were more than "window shoppers" as we spent $274 on 18 games. Thank you so much for making our Labor Day weekend a great one! Bruce Toussaint, Attendee
Great show, kids and parents were all smiles and seemed to have a really fun time enjoying all the new games. Looking forward to another fabulous show next year as it continues to grow. Frank DiLorenzo, R&R Games, Inc.
CHITAG 2004 was even better than last year's success. It was great "work" watching, playing and selling our games to the thousands of attendees. We look forward to CHITAG 2005 which will undoubtedly be even bigger and better. Darlene Calhoun, Chuckle Games - Laughter in a box!
From our point of view CHITAG was a huge success. Will we be back next year? Definitely. I was here in 2003 (as an attendee) and it looked to me that this year was at least double. We?re already planning for CHITAG 2005 when I?m sure it?ll be even bigger. Catherine and Graeme Thomson, HL Games USA Limited
As I expected CHITAG was even bigger and better than last year and I believe it will continue to grow for years to come. We had a great time and certainly enjoyed playing games in our booth. Dave Yearick. Inventor of Tribond, Kuuduck and This Vs That and representative at ToySite/Starbucks's booth
CHITAG was great for us. We were just introducing our first board game and new to the industry. Not only did the show give us the chance to show Roundabout to the public, and get feedback, but we were able to meet many others in the industry, which is very helpful to a company just starting out. Our game even got on local TV. We?ll be back. Greg Otero, Otero Games
As an Exhibitor I found that CHITAG 2004 was a great way for me to get my product out there to the public. My game was showcased on NBC as part of a story about the Fair and I was able to garner more sales by using the live stage at CHITAG to explain and play my product. I'll definitely be back next year! Aaron Gessner, G5 Productions
As a game designer with games at several booths at CHITAG, I was thrilled with the show. I got to watch families enjoying and buying my games and hundreds of other great games, and discovering just how much fun you can have with no computers in sight! CHITAG is right in the center of the current resurgence in America of face to face game playing. This show is here to stay! Aaron Weissblum, Game Designer
The quotes have a common theme ? WE WILL BE BACK. Thousands of toys and games were demoed and sold, attendees enjoyed stage entertainment including Radio Disney Party Patrol, Dr. Cool and Pride, Boots & Lace, Out Of The Box?s Biggest Apples to Apples Game Ever, R & R Smarty Party Live Game Show, The Brainstrain and Celebrity Game Shows, and more. Characters like Cabbage Patch Kids, Captain Pike and Sentence Says Man walked the Fair. The Fiendishly Fun Toy & Game Quiz was a huge hit with a HUGE box of toys and games won by a Fair attendee from Michigan.
Tim Walsh, co-inventor of Tri-Bond and Blurt!, author of The Playmakers, gave an insightful and terrific keynote address to the industry and public to play more. He introduced our special guest, John Spinello, as follows:
In this country, if you create a piece of music that sells a million copies, you?re on the cover of Rolling Stone. If you write a novel that sells that amount ? you?re on the New York Times best-seller list. But if you create the game of Operation ? a game that hasn?t sold a million copies, or 10 million, not 20 million, or 40, but over 50 million copies ? you?re relatively unknown? Unknown perhaps, but no longer uncelebrated. John Spinello the inventor of Operation is here this morning! There are many other inventors here and maybe, just maybe they?ve invented the next 50 million seller. Maybe you?ll be the first to play it here at CHITAG.
Thank you, Tim, and everyone who helped to make 2004 grow to the success it was. We are already making plans for 2005 and we hope you are part of them!
Mary Couzin, Show Manager
Contact mcouzin@chitag.com, www.chitag.com or 847-677-8277 for more information.
Help celebrate National Games Week November 21 - 27!!! Visit www.nationalgamesweek.net for details. Friday, 20 August 2004
More CHITAG infoMood:  party time!Topic: Toy & Game Fairs The Chicago International Toy & Game Fair September 4, 5 and 6, 2004
Come Twist With Us?.
CHITAG?s events team is working around the clock to make everyone a winner! And who wouldn?t be, with the great line up of products and entertainment in store for you at Navy Pier!
If the Pier Pressure gets to be too much, don?t get bent out of shape ? GET TWISTED! Go out on a limb with 2,499 other participants in Chicago?s Biggest Twister Event EVER! Sponsor SBC makes it possible to put your right foot forward. Registration dockside from 10 am Saturday Sept. 4. The event kicks off at 2 pm.
If you need a break from previewing and playing the hottest new toys and games, Game Show Guru is running an excellent program of events on stage ranging from Tim Walsh?s Keynote address featuring the ?surgeon general? himself, John Spinello (the inventor of Operation), to the cure for all that ails you, Dr. Cool and Pride with their hip hop feel good music. Boots & Lace will also be singing their latest hits. Radio Disney Patrol rides out regularly with music, giveaways including Wizards of the Coast Duel Masters. Cabbage Patch Kids, Captain Pike, Sentence Says Man and other characters will be walking the floor. Register to win a trip to Hawaii from Otero Games. Rounding out the events with challenges you can?t refuse are R&R Games? Smarty Party Game Show, Out of the Box?s Biggest Bunch of Apples to Apples Players Ever Assembled, The Brainstrain and The Celebrity Game Show!
In an effort to ensure that show programs don?t simply end up in recycling bins, we?re betting the inclusion of The Fiendishly Fun Toy & Game Quiz sponsored by HL Games will make the program a collector?s item?or at least something worth keeping until the holiday ordering season rolls around! As a sneak preview:
a) The dice game Perudo originated in which country? b) The board game, Snakes and Ladders, originated in which country? c) The Yo-Yo originated in which country? d) The game, Chinese Checkers, originated in which country?
If you can?t get that mapped out, there?s sure to be other questions that don?t require an atlas to set the world spinning!
There are only a few booths still available. Join the following exhibitors and sponsors for a great time and terrific media exposure (already booked on morning TV news programs, print is running, radio calling and cameras will be everywhere at the Fair) with trade and exhibitors from all across the globe.
SBC Discovery Toys Busser Bears R & R Games Gamewalas Dream Makers Inc. Gamewright The Idea Corps The Fitness Challenge ToySite Tri Check North Star Games LLC Out-of-the-Box Arnold Palmer Indoor Golf Game Gotta Laff Games Eagle Games Radio Disney Modernized Toys Inc. UberPlay G5 Productions CTC Publishing Go! The Game Store Chuckle Games Marban Industries Rio Grande Sierra Packaging ACT Games Expert Toy Glow King Kalypso Concepts Hasbro Live Oak Games 444 Games GameBuilders HL Games Game Show Gurus FRV Group Dr. Cool & Pride Rehtmeyer Inc. DiscoverGames.com Kia Cirondo NON Ltd Language Stars Evanston Go Club S & C Trading Cabbage Patch Kids Lowes Oltero Games KidsDadsMoms.com Sassi Games All About Presidents Boots and Lace Poligames S & S Innovations, Inc. Gamer?s Paradise Morning Star Games Keys Publishing Bally?s Fitness Ring Around the Phonics Easy Toys Going Crazy Inc. 1783 Productions Kid?s Juke Box Odyssey Learning Games Go! The Game Store is available to talk to exhibitors who want to demo their products, but not sell. HL Games is putting together a consortium of game companies from Europe. If you are interested, contact them at info@hlgames.com
Here?s just a taster of some of the products at the Fair:
Expert Racers - Puts you in the driver?s seat of your favorite Die-Cast car. Award winning toy.
Girls Nite Out - Treat your girlfriends to a laugh-out-loud good time with this surprisingly revealing & hilarious party game!
OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING - Innovative party, card and board games that provide fresh, fun and engaging ways to enjoy time with friends and family. So easy to learn, we?ll have you playing in no time!
Roundabout - The family game that adults love to play? even without their kids! The challenge of traditional strategy mixed with the excitement of multi-player games.
R&R Games ? The award winning line of fun family and party games. Smarty Party?, Thingamajig?, Time's UP!?, Birds, Bugs & Beans?, First Hand?, Pigpile?, Too Many Cooks?, Flea Circus?, Tin Soldiers?. SOLD!?, Riddles & Riches?.
Chuckle Games - Laughter in a box! brings their award winning games and more! Brainstrain - The No Pain Game! A Who, What, Where Am I? game has never been this much fun. Fabrication - The story game that proves you're FULL OF IT! Twenty-two other exciting games from inventors around the world! offered in a Variety Pack!
The Fitness Challenge - The first-ever reality board game: a personal trainer in box. Start and maintain an eight-week exercise program. Play with a friend, spouse, co-worker or child.
1783 Productions - Debuts the latest gadget for the digital media age: The DVD Rewinder
FORAY! - A 2 player game of strategy, risks and rewards. Penetrate your opponent's defenses to score points but don't run out of air or get captured!
Live Oak Games - Come see us, meet our game designer - and beat him at his own games! Games the whole family can enjoy. Come see SiegeStones and Ice Lake!
Disorderly Conduct ? The game of American federal and state law with players engaging in debate by examining the rules by which we live.
Victory Honor ? The original and clever game of ideas and twists. ?If this is not the pinnacle of trick-taking games, it is awfully close to the peak."
Sentence Says - The brand new, quick-thinking sentence creation game that has transformed the art of English grammar into a fun filled pastime!"
GO mental - The game where all the players are involved all the time. Don?t go mad, GO mental. It?s about the most fun your brain can have!
Rio Grande Games ? New games this year include Fearsome Floors (a monster-themed game), Dawn Under (a vampire memory game), Goldbrau (a beer investment game), and more.
Trivia CasinoT ? The fast-paced party game that combines the most exciting elements of both trivia and gambling.
CluzzleT - Unlike any other sculpting game because players do not need to sculpt realistically. On the contrary, a cluzzle is a clay puzzle.
Arnold Palmer Indoor Golf Game - The fun interactive golf game that is played indoors. It is enjoyed by all ages.
GOING-GOING CRAZY - An Exciting New Children's Educational Board game that?s FUN for the whole Family and will drive you CRAZY!!.
CELEBRITY - Get your team to guess the names of celebrities in 6 different categories ranging from entertainment to sports without ever saying the celebrity's name!
TRI CHECK! - takes the traditional game of checkers taken to a whole new level! 3 dimensional strategy and challenge!
QUINTAGON - a board game designed for family interaction and fun for 2 to 5 players ages 6 to adult. Maximize your moves, avoid home returns, block your opponents, head for free spaces and have fun.
Cirondo ? The inter-stellar strategy game. Beyond chess. Beyond strategy. Beyond this solar system. Accept the challenge.
DiscoverGames - Showcasing 40 games from Indies around the world.
CHITAG. It?s more than just an international toy & game fair. It?s a party! See you there!
Mary Couzin 847-677-8277
Tuesday, 6 July 2004
ChiTAG Hotel dealsMood:  sillyTopic: Toy & Game Fairs
Monday, 21 June 2004
ChiTAG & Radio DisneyTopic: Toy & Game Fairs Dear Toy and Game Industry Professional,
Radio Disney put together the special promotional package below for our exhibitors. If you are not exhibiting, as trade & press, you are our guests and we hope you attend and enjoy the entertainment they are bringing with them - Dr. Kool and Pride, Cabbage Patch Dolls, the Disney Party Patrol and more to come. See you there! Mary Couzin Show Manager mcouzin@chitag.com ENHANCE YOUR CHICAGO TOY & GAME FAIR EXPOSURE WITH A UNIQUE PROMOTIONAL PACKAGE ON RADIO DISNEY AM 1300!
The only radio station in Chicago reaching kids ages 6-12 and their parents is Radio Disney AM 1300. With its enticing mix of Top-40 music, creative on-air promotions and on-site interactive local events, Radio Disney can extend your product messages on air, and showcase your products up close?at high-traffic, family events?within a fun, entertaining, and safe environment.
Radio Disney AM 1300 is proud to announce its partnership with the Chicago International Toy and Game Fair in 2004! Once again, Radio Disney AM 1300 is proud to promote CHITAG throughout the month of August with: ? On air radio and television promos ? Exclusive Radio Disney listener mailings, hotline and website inclusion ? On-site Radio Disney Party Patrol live events featuring exciting new family-friendly artists including: Dr. Kool and Pride!
We invite you to join the many sponsors who have partnered with Radio Disney at the International Toy and Game Fair and other family-friendly community events for great success: ? Zours Candies ? Vitaball Bubblegum vitamins ? Cabbage Patch Dolls ? Nissan Motors ? Pontiac Montana ? Score Learning Centers ? Ocean Potion Skin Care ? Buena Vista Home Video/Hollywood Records/Walt Disney Pictures ? Pella Windows ? Bubble Tape Gum ? And many more!
As a special Toy and Game Fair partner, Radio Disney can extend awareness, exposure and excitement for your toy/game product(s) and/or services on display at the fair. Special opportunities are also presented to take your products ?on the road? with us to a number of key family targeted events that Radio Disney will be visiting this summer.
In addition to the sponsorship package listed within this presentation, Radio Disney can work with you to design a special on-air/on-site integrated marketing program that is customized to your specific needs.
Please read through the enclosed proposal and additional Radio Disney information. Feel free to call us here at the station at 312-984-5299 and ask for Karyn Esken, Station Manager. I will be happy to talk with you in more detail.
Radio Disney/CHITAG Partnership Package
This 4-week program includes both on-air and on-site promotion with Radio Disney and includes:
Commercial schedule: August 16- September 5, 2004? 50: 60 second dedicated commercial messages, including spot production (if necessary) at no additional charge.
Inclusion within Radio Disney?s Toy and Game Fair promotional spots? 50: 60-second promotional spots supporting Toy and Game Fair. Spots designed to generate awareness and excitement for the Fair and promote consumer attendance; sponsor tags included in all spots.
Exclusive, 1-hour, on-site ?Radio Disney Party Patrol? event at Chicago International Toy and Game Fair, themed to your product/service? Completely turnkey at the Toy and Game Fair, our ?Radio Disney Party Patrol? will execute a highly energetic, interactive, 60-minute family event during the fair, themed and designed around your product or service. Show will include games and giveaways surrounding your strategic messages
Couponing and Prize Giveaways of your toy/game products at non-competitive Radio Disney Party Patrol events throughout August/Sept ? Radio Disney will showcase your toy/games at non-competitive events that the station visits throughout August via prize giveaways and coupon distribution (if desired and supplied by client).
Media Investment: $5300 net
Sunday, 9 May 2004
The Chicago Int?l Toy& Game Fair at Navy PierMood:  celebratoryTopic: Toy & Game Fairs The Chicago Int?l Toy& Game Fair at Navy Pier September 4, 5 and 6, 2004 ? Consumer Show The inauguralChicago Int?l Toy & Game Fair was a success! Visit our website at: CHITAG.com for pictures fromthe 2003 Fair We have negotiated an unbeatable deal with Embassy Suitesfor our exhibitors? just 2 blocks from Navy Pier, a 2-room suite with aview of city or lake, a hot breakfast and many more amenities for only$139/night. Visit the website for details. Below are comments from a few of the exhibitors andattendees to tell you about their experience in 2003. We hope you join us thisyear. Booth space is still available. Applications are available both on thewebsite and via postal mail. The first annual Chicago Toy and Game Fairwas an outstanding success for Out of the Box Publishing. Our booth was packedwith families from start to finish, and everyone had a great time. There is nodoubt that CHITAG will grow and prosper into the premier family oriented gamingevent in the country. Sign us up for next year! Mark Alan Osterhaus, Out of theBox Publishing Thanks for doing such a good job puttingtogether the CHITAG show. It turned out great and we really enjoyed it. Weexperienced a steady stream of people trying out and buying games. The Saturdaycrowd was incredible and we could barely keep up. Sales exceeded ourexpectations. Each day was consistently strong, even on the last day when therain kept the traffic much lighter than the previous two. The one comment we heardover and over again from the families attending was... "What a great idea,the kids have had so much fun!" Excellent show Mary, we're already lookingforward to next year's! Frank DiLorenzo, R&R Games CHITAG was great! The turnoutfor the show exceeded my expectations and I am sure that it will grow next yearand for years to come, and will be a necessity to attend for anyone in the gamebusiness. Dave Yearick, Inventor of Kuduuck and This Vs That and representativeat ToySite/Starbucks's booth The Chicago Toy and Game Fair on Chicago'sNavy Pier was a huge success. This amazing venue attracted families, tourists,and game fans from all over the country, and exposed our product-line to awhole new audience. We will be attending this show every year! GlennDrover, Eagle Games, Inc. For a first time event, the show was verywell attended, especially on Sunday when we had a fairly steady stream ofpeople stop by our booth. We were impressed by the local television coverageprovided by all the Chicago stations throughout the holiday weekend. Frank Beres,Patch Products The Chicago International Toy and Game Fairwas a huge success and totally exceeded our expectations. Countlessfamilies and gamers played our games and told us "I saw you ontelevision this morning playing Brainstrain!" The event's media coveragewas terrific and the attendance was actually more than we couldhandle. Games were being played everywhere with an atmosphere ofexcitement. We predict CHITAG will only get bigger and better eachyear. Next year, we'll have to get a double booth and morestaff! Sign us up. Darlene Calhoun, Chuckle Games - Laughter in abox. From the perspective of a game designerrepresented by companies at CHITAG, the show was fantastic. It wasvery exciting to see people wander in off the street and learn about newgames. I'm used to playing games with my inner circle of adult gamegeeks. It was satisfying to see families show the same zeal for thegames I love to play. The show reaffirmed my conviction that themarket for new and varied games is potentially huge in thiscountry. We just need to get games in front ofpeople. CHITAG did a great job in this regard. Although it wassmaller, CHITAG had much more energy than the New York Toy Fair. Why? Becauseplaying games is more exciting than talking about games or just looking at theboxes. Darned if there weren't 1000 people all playing games! I haveno doubt that CHITAG 2003 is the tip of a big iceberg. Aaron Weissblum, GameDesigner We did nearly double the volume weexpected. We will be back next year! Mike Stocchetti, Manager, Go! The GameStore (the retailer for game companies that did not wish to sell retail) Although these quotes are primarily from the game part ofthe industry (my background), there were toy companies. Next year we hope toinclude more toy companies since so many attendees came in search of the newestand hottest toys. In addition, almost every newscaster asked about what toyswould be hot this fall. There were TV cameras at the Fair every day andcoverage in print media and on every major (and many smaller) TV and radiostations repeatedly. All agree that the timing to introduce the fourth quarteritems is perfect and the interactive play encourages attendees to purchase. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the first Fair asuccess. We are excited about 2004 and hope you join us! |