President’s Letter: You Never Really Leave the Toy Business

June 18, 2024 | While being outside the toy industry the last five years, all my former toy industry colleagues would say that same thing: “You never really leave.” And they were so right!!! The toy business gets into your soul. Over the past few weeks, it’s been amazing to connect with so many colleagues, both old and new, across the toy community. Re-joining this industry filled with the most creative people in the world has felt a lot like coming home, and I couldn’t be more excited and energized to be of service to members and partners of The Toy Association™.

Listening and taking to heart what you need from your association was one of Andy Keimach’s major goals. Andy did an outstanding job leading the Association through a transition period, and that goal will continue to be a key priority of mine. From Licensing Expo in Las Vegas and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy in St. Louis, to visits to both DC and LA and the many individual meetings I have had in my first few weeks, the focus of the association delivering even more to our members – through marketplace events, impactful regulatory and advocacy work, educational resources, and much more – will be a major cornerstone of our efforts.

On June 11, I was honored to see the global industry come together for the first-ever International Day of Play to drive a global play movement that will benefit generations to come. A personal highlight was celebrating at the United Nations headquarters alongside leadership from the LEGO Group and prior Toy Association chair, Aaron Muderick. In honor of the inaugural celebration, our Toy Foundation collected nearly $900,000 in donations from generous toy companies benefiting close to 75,000 children in need. I’d like to extend our gratitude to the many association members that donated over 95,000 toys, allowing kids to experience the many benefits of play not just on International Day of Play, but throughout the entire year.

Looking ahead, The Toy Association is gearing up for the industry’s LA Fall Preview throughout September. This market week from September 9 to 13 will be filled with opportunities for manufacturers to connect with buyers in our dedicated toy space and be a part of industry networking events, including The Toy Foundation’s Party with a Purpose fundraiser for children’s hospitals (Sept. 9 at TAO Los Angeles), The Toy Association’s free, come-one, come-all LA Fall Preview Networking Party (Sept. 10 at Otis College of Art & Design), and WiT’s Wonder Women Awards (Sept. 13 at the Beverly Hilton). The superpower of our industry is our community of extraordinary people and personalities, so don’t miss an opportunity to network with the best and brightest this September.

The Toy Association has incredible aspirations for what the industry can be, and I have already shared a few fresh ideas to engage and energize some members about what is possible. Personally, I will be working with all our members – large, medium and emerging companies – to be a unifying force that can help shape the future of our industry. More importantly, we are committed to being more than just a trade organization. The Toy Association is in service of our community – to create opportunities where creative collaboration can flourish and every member can continue to grow.

To those who I have already connected with: thank you for making me feel like I never left and for your trust and support. To those I have yet to meet: I look forward to learning more about you, your business, and your aspirations in the weeks and months to come.

With warm regards,

Greg Ahearn
President & CEO
The Toy Association