“Twenty years on, the Force is still with us and there’s still so much more to come,” said LEGO’s Jens Kronvold Frederiksen.

“It is a key event on our yearly calendar as we meet with talented students, inventors (new and old) and industry colleagues in a great and innovative environment.”

We caught up with Gilbert to learn more about where the idea came from for his Rubik’s card game, and whether the constraints of our Design Challenge event helped (or hindered) his creative process.

We caught up with Wu to learn more about his creative process, and why he believes we’re living in ‘the golden age of toys’.

“This elite group of nominees is truly representative of the global licensing community, showcasing the creativity and innovation that is part of our industry’s DNA,” said LIMA president Maura Regan.

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.

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’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 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.