ChiTAG showcases products from around the world just in time for theholidays, Saturday November 22 and Sunday November 23 at Navy Pier, FestivalHall A. Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley serves as the honorary chair.

"We are thrilled to bring ChiTAG back to Chicago -- a city that ourindustry considers the toy and game capital of the world," said Mary Couzin,ChiTAG organizer. "We want to emphasize the importance of play in all of ourlives -- children and adults alike."

In addition to a concentration on fun, ChiTAG focuses on the importance ofgames in education, incorporating play into family life and securing safe toysin the market.

In a nation where we grant industry awards to people in TV, movies, musicand books, we fail to recognize the inventors of toys and games that sell bythe hundreds of millions, are in every American household, and have a shelflife of 50+ years. The first-ever Toy and Game Inventors Event (TAGIE) awardswill recognize the people who invent the toys and games that are so integralto American culture.

The TAGIE awards dinner takes place November 21 at Chicago's Museum ofContemporary Art, and will announce winners of Inventor of the Year forExcellence in Toy Design, Inventor of the Year for Excellence in Game Designand Inventor of the Year for Rising Star (rookie) Inventor. They will alsohonor Jeffrey Breslow, retiring president and co-founder of Big Monster Toys(creator of such well-known toys as Ants in the Pants), with a LifetimeAchievement Award for his contribution to the toy and game industry. Theawards dinner is open to the public, and is sponsored by Hasbro(R) andMattel(R). For nominee profiles and to vote for a winner, visithttp://www.toyandgameinventors.com/ and click CAST YOUR VOTE!

Additional features of this year's fair include: -- Star Wars Breakfast and Integrity Toys' Dynamite Girls Breakfast -- 501st Star Wars Legion Walking Fair and Star Wars Droid Hunt -- The Young Inventor Challenge, open to youth under 18 -- Renaissance Knights Chess Tournaments -- Inventor Forum -- Brookfield Zoo Characters -- Radio Disney on stage -- Track-tested NASCAR race car and NASCAR tailgate games at Fundex Games booth ChiTAG is working with American Library Association and Chicago PublicLibrary System, Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the U.S.A, BrookfieldZoo, CARES Mentoring, Games for Educators, Girls on the Run -- Chicago, Kohl'sChildren's Museum, Mayor's Office of Special Events, Museum of Science andIndustry, Renaissance Knights chess organization and more.

For general event information, please visit: http://www.chitag.com For entire press kit, including schedule of show, please visit: http://proofs.jtpr.com/103008/CHITAG/ For TAGIE information including finalist profiles, please visit: http://www.toyandgameinventors.comSOURCE Chicago Toy and Game Fair