The Fantastic Factory’s David Snow looks at the cycle of success and rejection in life as an invention company, and how designers can apply their own creativity to help revamp tired game aisles

We asked the toy and game design community for their thoughts on the issue of copycats (products that attempt to convince the consumer it’s a cheaper version of an existing popular product) and how retailers support them.

“We’re hoping the event is going to be a great way to meet with inventors that are relevant to us, helping us to find our next key concept or idea,” said Mookie’s Claire Olewnik.

“We are really excited to make new connections while visiting with some of our established inventors in the toy community,” said Fat Brain Toys’ Erik Quam.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Mojo Nation on their first ever Awards, which champion the industry’s leading products, individuals and companies,” said Wynne-Jones IP’s Jayne Nation.

We caught up So Sound’s TJ Morrison, to learn more about the studio’s evolution into toy design, and how collaboration helps to fuel the team’s creativity.

2018 was a great year for Ooba, with a raft of new games hitting the market and recent launches performing above expectations. We caught up with the team – Max Ford, Joeri Hoste and Sally Jacobs – to find out what this year has in store and how they stay creative.

Worlds Apart’s head of R&D and product design, James Austin-Smith, looks at the revolution that’s changing mainstream toy design (for the better).

The secret weapon for many toy firms, design agencies and invention studios are the unsung heroes of our industry. This category celebrates a firm that deserves recognition for exceptional work over the last 12 months.

We caught up with Hargrave to learn more about where the idea for Wingspan came from and what the industry can do to better champion female game designers.