Mary Couzin is so game to support the toy industry.
This weekend's Chicago Toy & Game Fair — and a growing list of side events — is part of Couzin's efforts to bring attention to toy and game creators.
Founder of DiscoverGames.com, a game inventor co-op, Couzin said that while an author can become famous and film directors can snag Oscars, toy inventors in this country garner no public recognition — unlike in Europe, where their names are commonly featured on packaging.
"You sell 10 million toys or games (in the U.S.) and nobody knows who you are," said Couzin, 54, who until four years ago worked for a real estate management company.
She estimates her company, Chicago Toy & Game Group, the fair's producer, will spend more than $100,000 on rent, staging and public relations. Open to the public, the fair is Saturday and Sunday at Navy Pier. This year she added a fashion show, featuring outfits inspired by toys and a cruise. Friday marks the fifth awards program, akin to the Oscars, for toy inventors.
The Lincolnwood resident said she modeled the fair after one in Essen, Germany, that she attended in 2001 that attracts more than 150,000 people. Chicago's fair draws about 20,000, up from 5,000 when it launched in 2003. The 110-year-old American International Toy Fair in New York in February attracts about 30,000 and the Fall Toy Preview draws about 4,500; both trade shows are produced by the Toy Industry Association Inc.
Couzin acknowledges that the Chicago fair has struggled; 2010 was the first time it didn't lose money. She said she's lost about $100,000 over the years.
"This is not for the faint of heart," she said. "It's still a tough economy right now. But everybody involved with this has a passion."
Her efforts have won her industry fans.
"Mary recognizes just how amazing Chicago is for the gaming community, and she brought us all back together," said Chicagoan David Hoyt, a syndicated puzzlemaker, who does the Jumble word games for Tribune Media Services, Word Roundup for USA Today and Word Winder board, online and mobile games.
Couzin estimated that the Chicago area has more than 200 independent professional toy and game inventors, including Len Stubenfoll, who invented the Lucky Ducks board game, and Burt Meyer, who created Lite-Brite, Mouse Trap, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Inch Worm.
Toy companies see the fair as an opportunity to hear product pitches.
"Chicago is pretty much the first stop when you go on your tours," said Mike Hirtle, a 40-year industry veteran who headed buying and inventor relations for Hasbro Inc. "If I could only go to one place to meet with inventors, it would be Chicago."
The city has a long history of toy invention. Marvin Glass and Associates, one of the nation's first toy invention and licensing studios, opened in 1941 and came up with Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Mr. Machine, Operation, SIMON, Mystery Date and Ants in the Pants. When it closed in 1988 workers opened shops throughout the area.
Splinter operations include Big Monster Toys, one of the world's largest toy and game inventing companies that has done various Barbie concepts, the Polly Pocket Boutique and Trump the Game; Rehkemper ID Inc.; and Fertig-Stubenfoll Design Group.
The Chicago area boasts a strong toy company presence. Oak Brook is home to Tomy International, which handles North America, South America, Europe and Australia markets of the Japanese toy-maker, and Ty Inc., maker of Beanie Babies; Learning Resources Inc. is in Vernon Hills; Radio Flyer is in Chicago; Vtech's North American Electronics Learning Products office is in Arlington Heights; and The Marketing Store, which designs and manufacturers toys for McDonald's Happy Meals, and the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, are based in Chicago
Still, it's not easy for inventors to land concepts on toy shelves.
Bruce Lund, whose River Forest-based Lund & Co. developed the best-selling TMX Elmo and the 1980s board game Fireball Island, said less than 10 percent of the toys and games it creates lead to a licensing deal with a toy company. He has high hopes this year for Master Moves Mickey, a battery-operated breakdancing toy licensed to Fisher-Price, and Bounce Bounce Tigger, a plush toy licensed to Just Play.
"You need to be constantly thinking of new ideas," Lund said.
Toy fairs like Chicago's may have a leg up on toy shows.
Public fairs attract kids who can play with new toys, which seems a more natural fit than trade shows, said Tim Walsh, author of "The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys."
"There's something very odd about shows with these toys everywhere and no kids," Walsh said. "You've got 50-year-old white men deciding what little girls are going to buy, and what minorities are going to buy and what they're going to love. And they're not always right. And kids are notoriously fickle."
Couzin has picked up on that idea with the fair's young inventor challenge.
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600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Repeat winner Nick Metzler, an 18-year-old from Orland Park, last year scored a licensing deal with PlaSmart Inc. for his Squashed game, which will make its debut in February at the New York Toy and Game Fair.
Meanwhile, Chicago-based Marbles: The Brain Store is tapping college classrooms for ideas. Scott Brown, chief merchant and co-founder of Marbles, said people from outside the toy and game community are "not weighed down with the expectation of that community."
Last year, the 28-store chain sponsored a Columbia College Chicago design course in which students developed toys and competed for cash awards and internships.
Chrissy Quinlan, co-creator of the winning Colorfall tile art toy, was among Columbia students hired by Marbles.
The job in toy and game development has allowed Quinlan, 25, of Lockport, to team up with developers of some her favorite childhood playthings, like Peggy Brown of Girl Talk, Outburst and Pretty Pretty Princess games.
"If I could describe my dream job five years ago, it would be what I'm doing now," Quinlan said.
