We told you in the last post earlier today that the news was going to come at you fast and furious. Digital Kids Conference @ Toy Fair takes place Feb. 15-16-17, 2014 in New York and by the look of it this will be our best show yet (naturally, we think so). Earlybird registration ends next week. We have three full days scheduled: Toys, Learning and Play presented by NCFL, plus Digital Kids Con Entertainement Day 1 and Digital Kids Con Entertainment Day 2. Let’s bring you up to speed on new speakers and sessions of interest >>>

The lines between entertainment and learning are blurring and names that might not be top of mind when you think learning are looking to change that with expanded product offerings.  And of course entertainment play and toys as we know them continue to evolve around this digital generation at an astounding pace.

In this post we are pleased to welcome the following new speakers:

Jordana Drell, Vice President of Preschool Games, Nickelodeon Group joined the panel New Media Mash Up: Learning As Entertainment

Carrie Feigel Bischke, Director of Brand Integrations, Brand Marketing, Ubisoft join talk about Building Strategic Partnerships with Schools

Alice Brooks, Co-Founder, Roominate has just been added to Forbes 30 Under 30 List and she is also speaking at Digital Kids.  She is joined by Jocelyn Leavitt, CEO and Co-founder, Hopscotch, Raul Gutierrez, Founder and CEO, Tinybop, Jeremy Scheinberg, Co-Founder and CEO, TROBO the Storytelling Robot and David Grandison, Jr., Executive Producer, BrainPop on the session Blending the Pink and Blue Gender Barriers: Innovative Entrepreneurs Analyze the Development of S.T.E.M. Toys, Apps and Online Games

Joost van Dreunen, Co-founder and CEO, SuperData Research will bring you key market research on Mobile Games for the Next Generation.  As a recent Gamasutra article put it:almost perfect gender equality is observed in the US gaming industry on the whole (source – ESA: male – 52%, female – 48%), but in mobile gaming segment alone female players dominate the male ones: it’s 57% vs. 43% (according to SuperData research).” Come find out more about the top trends in the mobile market.

In a session that talks about digital tech outside of the home we have the fantastic Jennifer Contrucci, Director of Digital Production, Scholastic Media, the wonderful Miles Kingston, Marketing Director, PC Client Group, Intel Corporation, the great Jesse Schell, CEO, Schell Games and the outstanding Keith Ostfeld, Director of Digital Learning, Children’s Museum of Houston (CMH) hosting a session entitled Taking Digital Family Fun Out of the Home and into the Museum. They will provide insight in how traditional institutions like the Houston Children’s Museum are making exhibits more interactive, thanks to partnerships with game developers, app developers and national organizations.

Launching, Marketing and Distributing Toys to Today’s Parents and Kids is on everyone’s mind at Toy Fair, and it should be. More toy products exist in both physical and digital forms and savvy companies are using advanced marketing methods to stay ahead of the curve.  As the toy space evolves, more products exist in both physical and digital forms and savvy companies are using advanced marketing methods to stay ahead of the curve. Digital experts Ryan Rebello, Digital Marketing Manager, Spin Master, Brad Powers, CEO, Cupcake Digital, Alice Taylor, CEO, MakieLab and  Jim Silver, Editor-in-Chief, TTPM will discuss how to leverage new technology as well as digital and social media marketing channels.

There is much more to talk about.  We’ll be back with another post soon.  In the mean time check out the schedule pages: Toys, Learning and Play presented by NCFL, plus Digital Kids Con Entertainement Day 1 and Digital Kids Con Entertainment Day 2.   Check out the speaker roster. And don’t forget to register. Earlybird registration ends next week, Friday, January 16, 2015.