Networking guru Sarah Michel and innovative retailer Bob Negen will headline the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s 2015 Marketplace & Academy. This year’s event will take place from June 7 to 10 in Charlotte.

Michel will open Marketplace & Academy with an interactive keynote on Where Community and Connections Intersect, which will show the ASTRA community how to connect effectively in their neighborhoods. Participants will learn how to communicate and increase their access and influence within their communities.

Negen’s closing keynote, Retail Success: How to Create a Store that People Love, Runs Like a Dream and Makes Lots of Money, will show retailers how their stories can boost business and other skills critical for toy retailers to know. Participants will learn how to stress less and have more fun in their business.

Locally-owned retail stores beat the 2014 holiday performance of many national chains, according to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA) annual post-holiday national survey of independent businesses.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in partnership with the Advocates for Independent Business, surveyed 3,000 locally-owned businesses for the data. Among independent retailers, which made up roughly half of the sample, revenue increased overall by 5.1 percent in 2014, versus 2.3 percent in 2013. Holiday sales at specialty stores grew by an average of 4.8 percent, ahead of the 0.9 percent decline in December retail sales reported by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

However, nearly three-quarters of the local retailers surveyed said that online retailers not needing to collect sales tax has negatively impacted their sales. In addition, difficulty accessing credit continues to be a barrier for new and growing small businesses.

The Toy Book (TTB): How can specialty retailers compete in 2015?

Kathleen McHugh (KM): ASTRA is launching an exciting new program that is designed to help independent specialty retailers position their stores as destinations. The program will offer exclusive products for ASTRA member retailers that will not be available elsewhere.

What’s unique about this effort is that manufacturers have submitted proposals for exclusive ASTRA products, and a committee of retailers is reviewing them to ensure that they are good fits with what our store owners need. In addition to offering the products only to ASTRA stores, the manufacturers who are selected will also provide marketing support. This is one way that we are helping retailers compete in an environment where so many manufacturers are offering their products at different price points online.

We are also building systems that will make it easier for ASTRA members to get member-only discounts on product, and we are increasing our capacity to coordinate co-op advertising and play day information. Working together in the specialty toy industry to synchronize all these resources will save time and money.

TTB: What challenges are facing the specialty toy industry and how is ASTRA addressing them?

KM: Big ticket items moved slowly in 2014, so we will help retailers share their strategies either for increasing sales of those items or making the decision to limit the amount of those items they carry. We continue to see the disappearance of Generation X from brick-and-mortar stores, thanks to their preference for the convenience of buying online. We will continue to help retailers broadcast the Shop Local message, which resonates with those shoppers, and to make their stores more of a destination for family outings and events.

Professional education specialist Greg Choyke has joined the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) as its director of education. In the newly created position, Choyke will lead ASTRA’s effort to increase access to and participation in innovative professional educational programs that will help ASTRA members strengthen their business.

ASTRA will be introducing a new education initiative for independent toy retailers at its annual Marketplace & Academy, to be held June 7 to 10.

According to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), 89 toy manufacturers will be participating for the first time in its exhibit hall at ASTRA’s upcoming Marketplace & Academy. The exhibit hall, which will represent ASTRA’s largest ever, includes a total of 15 percent more exhibitors than last year.

ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy will be held on June 7 to 10 in Charlotte, N.C., and admission to the exhibit hall is free to specialty toy retailers by registering at www.astramarketplace.org. Many exhibitors will be showing products not available yet on the Internet, which gives specialty retailers the opportunity to be the first to offer them in their communities.

“Specialty toy retailers need innovative products with high play value that consumers cannot find elsewhere, and ASTRA’s Marketplace is where store owners can go to discover them,” said Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Innovative new products help retailers position themselves as a hands-on shopping experience that is more creative and more fun than what they can find at big box stores.”

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is giving independent toy retailers registered for ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy up to five hours over the course of the event to play with new-to-market games and kits.

At a session entitled, “Kits, Kits, and More Kits,” to be held on June 7 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., manufacturers will demonstrate products, while retailers will have a hands-on opportunity to assemble new kits available at market. On June 8, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., ASTRA will host its trademark Game Night, featuring three hours of play with new products.

“Games and kits are profitable categories for most specialty toy retailers, so ASTRA is committed to getting the best new products in the hands of those who will be selling them, so they can try them out,” says Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Retailers who participate in our game and kit play time say it is one of the most valuable parts of Marketplace & Academy for their businesses. And certainly it is one of the most fun!”

ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy will be held June 7 to 10 in Charlotte, N.C.

A number of advocacy groups representing manufacturers and sellers throughout the toy industry favor a lawsuit filed in Federal District Court against Albany County. The lawsuit, filed by the Safe to Play Coalition, alleges that by passing Albany County Local Law No. J, the county acted with gross disregard of extensive federal laws regulating the safety of toys and children’s products.

The lawsuit alleges that Albany County Local Law No. J is unnecessary and illegal, since it bans and criminalizes the sale of toys and children’s products that otherwise meet federal safety laws under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The lawsuit asks for the law to be declared unconstitutional.

The coalition includes such organizations as the Halloween Industry Association and the Toy Industry Association. The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has also come out in support of the Safe to Play Coalition’s lawsuit.

“The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association agrees with the stand that the Safe to Play Coalition has taken against Albany County Local Law No. J.,” says Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Introducing laws at the county and state level to regulate toy safety are unnecessary and burdensome. Manufacturers and retailers nationwide are complying with federal laws and regulations that are effective in ensuring toy safety.”

Effective October 6, Kathleen McHugh will resign her position as president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA).

“It is bittersweet to be moving on at a time when ASTRA is stronger, more financially stable, and more of a force in the toy industry than it has ever been,” says McHugh. “It will be difficult to leave an organization with such an important mission and so full of many valued friends, colleagues, and mentors.

“However, ASTRA is well positioned to continue growing and to bring to fruition the business-strengthening programs we have worked together to create. I see my departure as a leave-at-the-top-of-your-game proposition, and I’d like to thank all of you who supported me with your wise counsel, your fresh ideas, and your unwavering commitment to ASTRA’s work.”

McHugh has been a member of ASTRA for more than 15 years, helping to create its annual trade show, ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy, and grow the organization in both size and importance to the toy industry. Membership grew from just under 400 people in 1999 to more than 1,600 this year.

ASTRA’s programs have expanded in size and scope to include a range of business services, a library of publications, and programs that support fourth quarter sales, such as Neighborhood Toy Store Day.

The ASTRA board will have an opportunity at its next meeting to discuss the direction, skills, and traits for new leadership to inform a search committee headed up by ASTRA Board Chair Michael Levins and Chair-Elect Dean May.

“It is with regret that I have accepted, on behalf of ASTRA’s Board of Directors and its membership, Kathleen McHugh’s resignation,” says Levins. “While we are sorry that Kathleen made the decision to resign, she has shown her commitment to ASTRA by choosing a time when ASTRA is fiscally and programmatically stronger than it ever has been. She will be working with the board of directors to ensure a smooth transition. The talented and committed staff she has built is ready and well-equipped to deliver top-notch member services during and after this transition.

“In the coming weeks, the board of directors will provide information to the membership about our search for the next president of ASTRA. We hope you will join us to honor and thank Kathleen at her last Marketplace & Academy in Charlotte, N.C. [on] June 7 to 10.”

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) will honor Jonny Girson of The Learning Tree toy stores with ASTRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual awards ceremony will take place on June 8, during the annual Marketplace and Academy at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC.

A 20-year veteran in the toy industry, Girson founded The Learning Tree in Prairie Village, Kan. and became an ASTRA volunteer leader. Girson also served on the ASTRA board of directors, and as its chair during a critical time in the organization’s development. Today he serves as chair of the Good Toy Group and on several manufacturers’ retail advisory boards.

In addition, Katherine McHenry, owner of Building Blocks Toy Store will receive the Retailer Excellence Award. Schylling will receive the Manufacturer Excellence Award, and Sandy Ruben from Sandy Ruben and Associates will receive the Sales Representative Excellence Award.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has launched the Certified Master Retailer program, a professional education initiative to help toy retailers strengthen their businesses.

The program provides seven core areas of instruction in business and finance; merchandising; marketing; personnel management and coaching; customer and vendor relations; technology; and children and play. The staff at the retail stores can access the course through on-demand webinars and can earn a Certified Master Retailer credential  by demonstrating their mastery of the material.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) unveiled its 2015 Best Toys for Kids award winners. This year’s list includes 18 winning toys in 14 categories.

“The list of winners is a well-balanced representation of the fun, top-quality, high play value products consumers can find in locally-owned neighborhood toy stores around the country,” says Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA.

This year’s Best Toys for Kids winners are:

Active Play: The Swurfer, The Rob Company

Choose Your Own Category: Mixed By Me Thinking Putty Kit, Crazy Aaron’s Puttyworld

Classic Play, 0 to 7 Years: Pretend and Play Teaching Cash Register, Learning Resources

Classic Play, 8+ Years: Fashion Plates Deluxe Kit, Kahootz; Mini Ogodisk, OgoSport LLC

Constructive Play: Modarri Surf & Turf Combo, Modarri/Thoughtfull Toys Inc.

Creative Arts Play: 3D PlushCraft Puppy, The Orb Factory; Craft-tastic Yarn Tree Kit, Ann Williams Group

Early Play: Rolligo, Fat Brain Toy Co.

Game Play, 3 to 5 Years: Super Genius—First Words, Blue Orange Games; Three Little Piggies, Smart Toys & Games

Game Play, 6+ Years: Laser Maze Jr., ThinkFun; Bugs in the Kitchen, Ravensburger USA Inc.

Game Play, 8+ Years: Bellz Magnetic Games, Wiggles 3D

Pretend—Doll Play: Mon Premier Bebe Calin Ballerina, Corolle Dolls

Pretend—Fantasy Play: Winged Dragon Puppet, Folkmanis Inc.

Pretend—Role Play: Kidoozie Pop-Up Theater Tent, International Playthings

Scientific Play: Snap Circuits Arcade, Elenco

Lyla Tov Monsters is a line of plush dolls created by the mother-daughter team of Erin Black, and her daughter, Lyla Black. Recently, The Toy Book had a chance to sit down with Erin and talk to her about doll-making, launching a Kickstarter campaign, the future of the specialty doll space, and more.

The Toy Book (TTB): Starting from the moment that you first saw Lyla’s design for the dolls, can you take us through the development process?

Erin Black (EB): When Lyla was three years old, she drew a picture of a “good” monster and asked me to help her, “make it real,” as a gift for her daddy. We raided my bins of fabric scraps, and she picked out the perfect fur for the monster body, a well as appropriate fabric for all his limbs and accessories.

My husband loved the monster and suggested we make more to sell. I had a booth reserved at a local craft fair to sell some other products I had made, so Lyla and I decided to make a batch of 20 monsters for her to sell there as well. The monsters flew off the table and into the hands of eager customers, and Lyla Tov Monsters was born.

We first sold a few Monsters on Etsy, and then quickly moved to having a web site of our own, from which people could order their one-of-a-kind Lyla Tov Monster. Soon we had some local retail shops interested in carrying Lyla Tov Monsters, and the demand for our product outgrew what Lyla and I could produce off the dining room table.

We ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund our first run of factory-produced Monsters. Once we had sold enough of these initial two Monsters, we reinvested the money to create two more styles. We now have four limited edition Lyla Tov Monsters in our line.

TTB: The doll space is a very competitive one. How do Lyla Tov Monsters stand out amidst a crowded field?

EB: I think Lyla Tov Monsters are appealing for several reasons. Their bright colors and interesting patterns and textures make them stand out on a store shelf. Also, they are somewhere between doll and plush toy, so children can hug and snuggle them like they might a teddy bear, but also give them the same life and personality that they might with a doll. Because Lyla Tov Monsters were designed by a child, they resonate well with a young audience that connects to their simple shape and cheerful faces.

TTB: According to the Lyla Tov Monsters home page, you oversaw patterning and fabrication for the doll line. For readers who may not know much about those aspects, can you talk about what that entails, and how it’s important for making a good doll?

EB: Before diving into the world of toy production, I was a costume designer for the Jim Henson Company. Part of my job there was to make patterns, choose fabrics, and stitch garments.  These skills all came into play when I started to fabricate the initial Lyla Tov Monsters prototype from Lyla’s sketch.

I’m used to interpreting a two-dimensional drawing and turning it into a three-dimensional object, so I was able to stay true to the spirit of Lyla’s vision while making sure to create a toy that was interesting and well-constructed. This was especially useful when we started to use a factory for production, as I could send them a finished prototype as well as my flat pattern pieces to work from. This saved us a lot of back and forth in the early stages of our relationship with our factory.

TTB: Kickstarter seems to have become a viable new way for launching a toy. From your experience, what would you say were the greatest advantages and disadvantages of using it as a fundraising tool?

Lyla Black, with monsters

EB: We were thrilled when we met our Kickstarter funding goal within the first eight days! It was a fantastic way to not only get the seed money we needed to produce our first factory-run Monsters, but also to test the waters and make sure there was an audience for our product.

It felt like less of a risk to take the plunge into mass production knowing that people out in cyberspace believed in what we were doing and were willing to back our idea. The only real downside was that it took a lot of work to create the video, and to set up and promote our Kickstarter campaign. It was well worth it because we reached our goal, but it would have been frustrating to have invested that time and energy and come up short.

TTB: What is the current retail situation for Lyla Tov Monsters? Besides Amazon and at craft fairs, where else can they be found?

EB: We do a lot of our Lyla Tov Monsters sales direct to consumers from our website at www.lylatov.com! We are also in several boutique toy and gift shops across the country.

TTB: You recently attended the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (ASTRA) Marketplace and Academy. What was the experience like? Did you encounter many specialty retailers who hadn’t encountered Lyla Tov Monsters before, and how were their reactions?

EB: We had a fantastic time at the ASTRA show. We had the chance to meet and network with shop owners as well as other toy manufacturers. We were thrilled by the number of people who had heard of Lyla Tov Monsters and knew our story prior to the show, and excited about all the new orders we wrote at the show.

Some people came to our booth because they had read about Lyla Tov Monsters prior to the show and knew they wanted to carry them in their shop. Others stopped as they were walking by because they were drawn in by our display. The response we got was very positive and we thoroughly enjoyed everyone we met!

TTB: Given the success of the first wave of dolls, what does the future hold for the line? 

EB: We hope to expand our line in the next few months so that it will include six varieties of Lyla Tov Monsters. We have found that customers really love to have a choice and spend a lot of time deciding which is the perfect Monster to buy as a gift, and that retailers are eager to display an assortment of Lyla Tov Monsters. Lyla is already working on the designs for the next two Monsters we will make!

TTB: What do you think the future holds for the specialty doll space? What is it about this type of dolls that’s so appealing to consumers?

EB: There is a bright future ahead for specialty dolls and toys. I think these days people are really drawn to small manufacturers, supporting family businesses, and having the chance to give a gift or buy a product that isn’t available on every corner. Boutique stores like to sell toys that have a story to go with them, and customers feel more invested in their purchases if they feel part of that story.

by Sara Erickson, owner, Rook’s Comics and Games

Sitting in my game store on a warm Saturday afternoon, I watch as customers stream in with tote bags full of games they plan on playing during the next three or four hours. I know most of them by name and would consider many of them my friends. They’ve been shopping and playing at my store for the past nine years, and I’ve seen them grow from awkward teenagers into professional adults. Many have even outgrown my store and are now shopping at the local toy store across the street for their own kids. Eventually, the cycle will repeat and I’ll be selling the newest hot game to the next generation.

On the surface, game stores such as mine are similar in many ways to toy stores, so I was recently surprised to realize how differently we operate. I think there’s a lot we can learn from each other; and with the growing threat of online sales and big box stores, it seems like a good time to share a bit of knowledge.

What I’ve Learned from the Toy Industry:

• Game Stores Have a Ways to Go: My store is a lot like an old pair of jeans on a dorm room floor. It’s very comfy, but smells a bit on hot days. By comparison, toy stores always seem to be brighter, more colorful, and more organized than most game stores. Their staff members are well trained and there are procedures in place for most situations. There certainly are professionally run game stores, but for the most part, we simply haven’t been around as long and the barrier to entry is lower. As such, we still have a bit of growing up to do before the average shopper will take us seriously.

• Retailer Trade Organization Are Important: I attended the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) Marketplace & Academy for the first time this year, and was overwhelmed by how well it was organized, how much help I was offered by other attendees, and how much information I gained from the seminars. There is no retailer-specific trade organization in the game industry, so we are really missing out. Both ASTRA and the Toy Industry Association (TIA) are doing some really cool stuff to promote their members. I really look forward to getting more involved with both of them over the next year.

• Plan Ahead:  I was very surprised to find store owners placing orders for the holiday season in June. I order products each week, and I have very little information about what products will be available beyond that time frame. Because of this, it is difficult to plan purchases far in advance and my customers expect brand new products every week. So I think it would be worth it for game stores to take note of how toy stores budget for the holiday season to avoid missing out on fourth quarter sales due to cash flow issues.

What Toy Stores Could Learn from Game Stores:

• Engage Through Events: I host at least 10 weekly, organized events in my store, plus extra special events. Most toy stores do the occasional sale or holiday celebration, but few do regular weekly events. While many toy store shoppers are crunched for time and fear that their kids will bankrupt them if they stay any longer in wonderland, I think there’s room for a bit more customer engagement. Afternoon board game events, weekday morning science kit demos, or Saturday scooter races in the parking lot can all give parents an excuse to stop by and support their favorite local business.

• Not Just Products, but Play Space: About 3,000 square feet of my 5,300 square-foot store is dedicated play space for my customers. If you buy a game in my store, I want to make sure you have a place and a community to help you enjoy it. Events and play space are the reasons why I can charge full MSRP when the same games are deeply discounted online.

• Promotional Exclusives Add an Incentive to Shop Offline: Many of the games that we sell have some sort of a collectible aspect or accessories that are used to upgrade the product. This allows manufacturers to create brick-and-mortar exclusive items that we can use to add value to the products we sell. If you are considering purchasing King of Tokyo online, you’re going to miss out on that extra game card you could get by driving down to your friendly local game store instead. While it might be challenging for toy manufacturers, many game publishers would probably send you a ton of free exclusive items. Just ask!

• The Board Game Revolution Is On: Board games are undergoing a transformation in the U.S. right now, and are spreading like wildfire through social groups. People are looking for a way to spend time together face-to-face and board games a great way to do that. Unfortunately, most old school games just aren’t fun—four hours of rolling dice to randomly decide who should own a railroad doesn’t appeal to the Y Generation, which was raised on deeply strategic video games.

Right now there is huge potential in strategy games that kids and adults both enjoy. Parents love the educational aspect of strategy games for their kids, and these titles are also suitable for grown-up dinner parties. More of these types of games are coming out each week; however, they are strangely absent from most toy store shelves.

Personally, I feel that I’ve only uncovered the tip of the iceberg for things game stores and toy stores can learn from each other. Toy stores may be the older, wiser sibling—and game stores are the crazy, creative younger child—but with pressures mounting against all brick and mortar retail stores, we have a lot to gain by sticking together.

Sara Erickson owns Rook’s Comics and Games in Bozeman, Mont. She is also the sales and organized play manager for Iello, a board game publisher. Erickson served on the retailer board for the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) from 2011 to 2012, and enjoys organizing exciting events and mentoring new game stores.

A version of this commentary first appeared in the July/August issue of The Toy Book.

ASTRA Game Night took place in Ballroom CD of the Charlotte Convention Center.

Game nights are a terrific way to unwind, and the one hosted by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) during its Marketplace & Academy in Charlotte, N.C., this past June was no exception.

Co-sponsored by Blue Orange Games and Games Workshop, ASTRA’s Game Night featured more than 30 game companies, eager to show off their latest titles to hundreds of retailers and members of the press. With each company situated at its own table within a sprawling ballroom, dozens of individual games took place at the same time. Every 10 minutes, all players stood up and moved on to other tables to begin the next round of games.

This year’s Game Night was the largest in the history of ASTRA’s Marketplace & Academy. Yet despite the sheer breadth of games on-hand and the extended three-hour playtime, the event still couldn’t keep up with retailer demand, according to ASTRA President Kathleen McHugh.

“Game Night is one of the most popular events at ASTRA’s annual Marketplace & Academy,” says McHugh. “Over the years, we have expanded the hours and the number of games that are featured—yet somehow we always have more demand for Game Night than we have seats in the room.”

Many retailers acknowledged the difficulties imposed by the event’s time constraints. Nevertheless, they were satisfied by the experience and knowledge they obtained, which they hoped would translate into game sales.

Elisa Moriconi, manager of The Learning Tree, said she was looking forward to teaching her employees how to play several of the games. She was also excited to share what she learned about the most effective ways to sell games to customers.

“If you’re excited about a game, [the customer] is going to get excited,” says Moriconi, whose store is in Prairie Village, Kan. “If you love a game and you’re telling someone about it, they’re going to love it, too.”

Other attendees, such as Devoney Wolfus, the owner of Los Angeles-based game store Landis’ Labyrinth Inc., appreciated the opportunity to play a variety of games without having to purchase them first.

“To be hands-on, to get to know the product, that gives me the confidence to go and place orders,” says Wolfus.

(L to r) Ted McGuire, president of Thames & Kosmos, enjoys a round of Dohdles! with Elisa Moriconi, manager of The Learning Tree, and Fay Parker of Deanna Dash’s Toy Shop.

From the manufacturers’ points of view, events like Game Night allow them to make a face-to-face case for their products. Ted McGuire, president of Thames & Kosmos, was on-hand to personally demonstrate Dohdles!, one of his company’s games.

McGuire acknowledged the need to simplify games for 10-minute demonstrations, which is not always easy.

“The challenge is in deciding which aspects of the game are most important to teach, so that a retailer gets a good sense of why the game is fun, why it is valuable, what the selling points are, and why someone would play it,” he says. “And then we try to stay on message, and not get too bogged down in the less important elements of game rules and so on.”

Game Night presents retailers and manufacturers a unique opportunity to come together for a fun night of gameplay.

“It’s about business and exercising the due diligence of learning your products and getting tips for selling them,” says McHugh. “But it’s also fun and a great way for ASTRA’s retailers and sales representatives to strengthen their working relationships.”

For more commentary from Phil, check back often. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and interviewees, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

Kimberly Mosley, MBA, CAE has been appointed president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), its board of directors announced today.

“Kim is an experienced, award-winning, results-oriented association executive with a long track record of success in managing association operations, developing innovative programs, and growing revenue,” says Dean May, chair of the ASTRA board of directors.

“A skill set of particular interest to ASTRA is her background in leveraging technology to better serve members and to try new business strategies,” notes May. “Kim is the right person to lead ASTRA through the opportunities and challenges we see ahead for the specialty toy industry.”

ASTRA conducted a nationwide search to fill the position that was held by previous president, Kathleen McHugh. Mosley comes to ASTRA from the American College of Healthcare Executives. She will assume the role of president on Monday, September 28, 2015.

“It is with great excitement that I have accepted the role of ASTRA’s president,” says Mosley. “ASTRA is a fiscally and programmatically strong organization with a long tradition of responsiveness to the business needs of its members. I will continue that important tradition. I am eager to work with members to strengthen the segment of the toy industry that is committed to quality toys with high play value, and to bring specialty toy professionals together to help each other succeed.”

Booth space is sold out for ASTRA’s 2016 Marketplace & Academy, but the exhibitor waitlist is now open. One 10×5 corner booth is still available for 2016 but is only for new, first-time ASTRA exhibitors with five or fewer product lines or types.

In order to be added to the waitlist, exhibitors must complete the updated 2016 Exhibit Space Application and Contact with a 50 percent deposit payment and accept the rules and regulations. All five pages of the contract and payment can be submitted to Laura Dann, preferably via email at exhibit@astratoy.org, or otherwise by fax at (312) 222-0986. ASTRA staff will then send a confirmation email that the application has been received for the wait list.

ASTRA staff can be contacted by email at exhibit@astratoy.org or by phone at (312) 222-0984 with any questions.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA’s) Certified Play Expert program is now open for enrollment. The program is a new education initiative to help specialty toy professionals strengthen their businesses.

The Certified Play Expert program provides research-based instruction in several core areas, including theories of child development, characteristics of major developmental stages, play for children with disabilities, types of play and their benefits, toy safety, choosing toys and play activities, advocating for play, and making sense of play. Program participants can access the course content through on-demand webinars and can demonstrate their mastery of the material to earn a Certified Play Expert credential.

Stress management guru Colette Carlson and Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor, will headline the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (ASTRA’s) 2016 Marketplace & Academy taking place June 5-8, 2016 in Denver, Colo.

Carlson will open the event with an interactive keynote with tips ASTRA members can use to produce more in less time with fewer resources, while staying focused, positive and engaged, and Phibbs will give members creative new ideas for attracting and training better employees, ideas for reinventing the in-store experience, and tools for engaging their customers.

Registration is now open, and early bird registration ends Feb. 29. Visit www.astramarketplace.org for the complete ASTRA Marketplace & Academy program.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s 2016 Marketplace & Academy will feature a record-breaking 400 exhibitors. Eighty five of those exhibitors will be new to ASTRA.

This year’s Marketplace & Academy will be held in Denver, Colo. from June 5 to 8. Retailers and other industry professionals can discover new products for the fourth quarter in the exhibit hall. Additionally, ASTRA’s Academy will include educational sessions on specialty toy industry business operations, financial management, industry trends, channel relationships, sales, and marketing.

Independent toy retailers registered for the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s Marketplace & Academy will have access to more than 30 hours of professional education, with five of those hours dedicated to sessions designed to strengthen their use of social media.

Sessions that feature messaging and social media strategies include: “Don’t Just ‘Like’ Facebook, Love It!,” “Social Media Strategy: Your Digital Playbook,” “Instagood Retailer Instagramming,” and “Google+: Socializing Your Internal Communication.”

Other breakouts at ASTRA’s Academy cover business operations, financial management, industry trends, channel relationships, and additional sales and marketing issues.