CHITAG is a showcase for toys, games and related products for people of all ages looking for fun and interaction, according to a press release announcing the event.
In 2003, almost 10,000 people attended CHITAG over three days: kids, families, parents with baby-strollers all previewing, playing with and buying the latest toys and games direct from the manufacturers and the inventors. Attendees came from all over the United States and from overseas. Exhibitors came from as far away as Australia.
Organizer Mary Couzin believes that 2004 will be even bigger and better.
CHITAG 2004's venue, Chicago's Historic Navy Pier, is the Midwest's top tourist attraction. The fair will be held under one roof in the huge Festival Hall (located about two-thirds of the way down the Pier) and cover a 113,400 square feet -- about the size of two football fields.
The emphasis is on involvement and enjoyment. In addition to the hundreds of demonstration booths, there will be interactive display areas, game-playing tables and more to encourage everyone to sit down and play, to touch, feel and enjoy the toys and games.
Exhibitors will be attending from across the country and around the world. Many of the exhibitors are not sales reps or industry employees -- they're the actual inventors of the toys and games.
Also at CHITAG 2004 will be a wide range of on-going attractions and entertainment, including live music, game shows and comedy specials. There's even a chance to take part in a record-breaking giant game of Twister and get a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. More specials will be announced as the event approaches.
The driving force behind CHITAG is Couzin, the founder and owner of DiscoverGames.com and Game Geste. "What this country needs is more people having fun and interacting with each other, not just their computer screens," she said in the press release. "Let's get away from the 24/7 mentality and sit down to play a game or share a toy with a child and get to know each other again." CHITAG aims to fill a gap in the toy and game industry. Although in Europe there are toy and game fairs that appeal to the general public (notably Germany's Game Fair at Essen which each year attracts more than 100,000 people), there were no such events in North America -- or anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere -- until CHITAG's first fair in 2003.
Like European shows such as Essen, CHITAG appeals to more than just dedicated gamers and specialist hobbyists: it's about the general public and families.
The fair's schedule is:
Saturday, Sept. 4: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 5: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 6: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ticket prices are:
Individual Single Day: $5
Individual Weekend: $10
Family Single Day: $10
Family Weekend: $20
Discounted admission tickets are available to staff and members of children's organizations such as museums, schools, day care centers, and child care/protection agencies. In addition, teachers and educators are eligible for free admission to the Fair and are eligible to win "The Big Box of Toys and Games" for their classroom. (See the CHITAG web site for more details.)
