FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women in Toys Selects The Toy Association as Management Services Provider
Outsourcing Keeps WIT Laser-Focused on Mission and Members
New York, NY | October 23, 2017 – Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT), the leading global career development and networking organization for professional women working in the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries, announced today that they are outsourcing association management services to The Toy Association.
To best keep pace with its expansive growth while maintaining control of administrative costs, WIT will outsource to The Toy Association a variety of services including administrative, financial management, legal coordination, and back-end membership support. This will afford WIT the opportunity to improve productivity and efficiency, and allow its volunteers and small staff to place even greater focus on its mission, member services, and programming. With this agreement, WIT will continue to run as an independent nonprofit organization, without any changes to its governance structure.
“As WIT has grown and gained greater momentum, we have realized the value of adding the expert services and resources that The Toy Association has to offer,” says Ashley Mady, president of WIT and founder of Brandberry, Inc. “We’re excited to free up our volunteers and staff so they can focus their expertise on WIT’s mission and goals, and we’re thrilled to be working with The Toy Association to help take us to the next level.”
The Toy Association is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses that design, produce, license, and deliver toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. As a global leader, The Toy Association sustains the Canadian Toy Association and acts as secretariat for: the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI), the governance board of ICTI CARE, and the International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable. The Toy Association also chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s ASTM F963 toy safety standard – one of the most respected and strictest toy safety standards in the world. The Toy Association is headquartered in the heart of Manhattan with advocacy offices in Washington, DC.
“We’re passionate believers in WIT, its leadership, and the thousands of professionals it serves every year,” says Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “It’s both a distinct honor and a fantastic opportunity to bring our organizations closer together, to strengthen WIT’s operations, and look for opportunities to help take this great organization to the next level.”
WIT has more than 1,200 members worldwide and chapters across the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, France, the UK, and Australia. WIT’s resources, events, educational and empowerment initiatives, and scholarship programs are funded in part by its generous sponsors and partners, including Mattel, Nickelodeon, Spin Master, Hasbro, PlayMonster, Bandai, and Toys“R”Us.
About Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment www.womenintoys.com
Founded in 1991, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) is the leading nonprofit global career development and networking organization whose mission is to support, inspire, educate and promote growth and opportunity for women working or seeking to work in the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries. WIT provides educational and empowerment opportunities and grants scholarships to students enrolled in industry-related undergraduate programs. WIT has chapters throughout the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, France, the UK, and Australia, with liaisons in Finland, Germany, and Lebanon.
About The Toy Association www.toyassociation.org / www.thegeniusofplay.org / www.playsafe.org
Founded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $107.5 billion, and its 950+ members drive the annual $26.5 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play, and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.
As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned North American International Toy Fair and Fall Toy Preview; advocates on behalf of members around the world; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard.