DAY 1 - Updates from the Annual Biz Meeting

Retreating to the air-conditoned comfort of a conference room, TIA chairman Al Verrecchia called to order the TIA 2009 Annual Business Meeting and provided a brief overview of the past year’s opportunities and challenges as well as the accomplishments and successes. Topping the list was his synopsis of the industry’s efforts to respond to and address the ramifications of the Consumer Product safety improvement Act (CPSIA) and the onslaught of state-level legislative activities.

“Our industry was built on a foundation of creativity and innovation,” said Verrecchia. “These are trademarks that have carried us through challenging times in the past . . . we have always risen to meet these challenges. And new will continue to do so by managing our businesses intelligently. We will create toys, market our products, and work with our retailer partners to restore the flow of customers into stores by the 2009 holiday season.”

Birthday boy Carter Keithley, TIA president, complemented the chairman’s remarks by providing a brief report that highlighted the Association’s government advocacy initiatives and the launch efforts of the Toy Safety Certification Program (TSCP). He set the stage for more detailed remarks that were presented later in the meeting by TIA staff supporting the respective programs.

Nominating Committee chair Danny Grossman (Wild Planet Entertainment, Inc.) led a member vote to elect five new Board members for two-year terms that will expire in April 2011. Members present unanimously approved the election of:

- ­Joel Berger, Cardinal Industries, Inc.
­- Leigh Ann Brodsky, Nickelodeon Consumer Products
­- John Gessert, American Plastic Toys, Inc.
­- Peter Henseler, Learning Curve Brands, Inc.
­- Jeffrey Katz, LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.

Four of the five members of the Board Executive Committee were elected for second terms:

­- Chairman of the Board, Al Verrecchia, Hasbro, Inc.
­- Vice-chairman and chairman-elect of the Board, Bryan Stockton, Mattel, Inc.
­- Members Jamie Gallagher, Faber-Castell USA/Creativity for Kids and James Pressman, Pressman Toy Corporation

- And appointed for a first term is the new secretary-treasurer of the Board, Jim Engle of Little Kids, Inc.

Retiring Board members were recognized by the audience with rounds of applause, and by the chair with expressions of appreciation and presentation of a “thank you” plaque:

­- Nurit Amdur, ALEX
­- Bill Beebe, Hoogaloo Toys
­- Marc Bertrand, MEGA Brands, Inc.
­- Jessi Dunne, Disney Consumer Products
­- Soren Torp Laursen, The LEGO Company

TIA distributed a press release (http://www.toyassociation.org) and within minutes Playthings magazine had distributed a Playthings Extra bulletin. All this before the annual business meeting had ended.

News does travel fast!