Otis College Hosted The Toy Association’s L.A. Fall Preview Networking Party

Alumni, Students, Programs, Blog | October 01, 2024

Toy Design Students and Alumni Networked with Toy Industry Professionals During Market Event

Lexi Manalili (’25 Toy Design). Photograph by Matthew Parish/Otis College of Art and Design.

The Toy Association recently hosted its Fall Preview Networking Party on the Otis College campus, where professionals from across the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries networked with each other and with Otis Toy Design students. The event was timed to coincide with the Toy Association’s dedicated market week amid activity taking place throughout the month of September. Toy industry retailers, licensors, and international partners converged in the L.A. area to buy, sell, and discover the latest games and toys that will be making waves next year.

Jennifer Caveza, Chair of the Toy Design and Product Design programs at Otis, also welcomed the Toy Association and the Toy Foundation for their board meetings, held on campus as part of an effort to host more industry meetings, tours, panels, and other networking opportunities. “It’s important and meaningful for our industry leaders to know about Otis and to support our program; after all, Otis Toy Design is the future of our industry,” she said.

From left: Greg Ahearn, President and CEO of The Toy Association; Jennifer Caveza, Chair of Toy Design and Product Design at Otis College; and Pamela Mastrota, Executive Director of The Toy Association. Photographed by Matthew Parish/Otis College of Art and Design.

L.A. Fall Preview market week marked the first time The Toy Association set up in a temporary meeting space in El Segundo, near the headquarters of Mattel and several other major toy brands. Nearly 300 toy companies similarly hosted permanent or temporary showrooms during the week in a lead-up to Toy Fair New York taking place next March. Plushies, cars, dolls, action figures, and every category in between was on display for industry decision-makers to see and feel.

After a day of appointments and meetings, toy industry professionals were able to unwind in Otis’s Commons for drinks and snacks before making their way up to the seventh floor of Ahmanson Hall, where Toy Design students were ready to show off their work.

“It was a fantastic chance for industry professionals to not only connect but also to see firsthand the creative space where our students bring their innovative toy designs to life,” Caveza said. “Attendees got to explore our toy design floor and see the impressive projects that highlight the incredible talent and creativity nurtured here at Otis. It was a wonderful way for the industry to celebrate together and for us to demonstrate the pipeline of creative talent we’re developing.”

Otis’s Toy Design program is one of the only fully accredited four-year degrees in toy design in the world. Students build technical skills across a range of categories, gain an understanding of the evolution of toys from concept to consumer, and acquire industry experience through internships and mentorships.

“By the time they graduate, they’re highly sought after by leading toy and entertainment companies,” Caveza said, adding that hosting The Toy Association's Networking Party “provided a platform for students to connect with industry leaders, showcase their work, and open doors to potential career opportunities.”

More information about Otis Toy Design.

See more photos from the networking event below.