The live events will return to London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium from

Tuesday June 24th to Thursday June 26th. These will include:

• Tuesday, June 23rd: Play Creators Awards

• Wednesday, June 24th: Play Creators Conference

• Wednesday, June 24th (evening): Play Creators Meet-Up

• Thursday, June 25th: Mojo Pitch

The 2026 Festival will also welcome the return of the Virtual Mojo Pitch, with the digital event taking place the following month across July 14th, 15th and 16th.

WHAT’S ON…
• Play Creators Conference: This event unites the industry’s design and inventor community for an inspirational day of talks, panels and networking opportunities.

• Play Creators Awards: The awards will celebrate recent stellar achievements of both inventors and in-house R&D teams across a raft of categories.

• Mojo Pitch: The Mojo Pitch will give inventors and design studios the opportunity to pitch concepts to over 30 toy and game firms, each housed within their own private box at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium.

• Virtual Mojo Pitch: The Virtual Mojo Pitch provides more pitching opportunities on Mojo’s dedicated digital platform.

More information on conference speakers, award nominations and companies participating in the 2026 Mojo Pitch will be announced over the next few weeks and months.

If you’re a toy or game company interested in meeting inventors at next year’s Mojo Pitch, please email Mojo’s Adam Butler at adam@mojo-nation.com.

If you’re an inventor or design agency interested in attending 2026’s Play Creators Festival, please email Mojo’s Billy Langsworthy at billy@mojo-nation.com for more information.

For sponsorship enquires across 2026’s Play Creators Festival, please email Mojo’s Adam Butler at adam@mojo-nation.com.

–

To stay in the loop with the latest news, interviews and features from the world of toy and game design, sign up to our weekly newsletter here

The post Mojo Nation dates Play Creators Festival 2026 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

As nominated by their peers, the winners are:

Toy Designer of the Year (Sponsored by Jazwares)
• Carlyle Nuera (Mattel) – Barbie You Create (Mattel)
• Designbytouch & Chris Lutchen, Matt Synowicz, Brennan Hunt and Beth Boudin (TOMY) – Doteki (TOMY)
• Emily Ruether (MindWare) – Run the Runway (MindWare)
• Gilad Podgor & Roy Kfir – Tattoomeez (Golden Bear)
• Josh Carlson, Nick Grisolia & Paul Von Mohr (Gee Tree & Mee) – Cheeky Chonks (Spin Master)
• KID Group – FigBands (Jazwares)
• Make It Real Advanced Design Team – Swift Click Heishi Bracelet Maker (Make It Real)
• Moose Toys Girls Team – Gui Gui (Moose Toys)
• WINNER: Triclops Studio – Terror Fried (Character Options)

—

Game Designer of the Year (Kids & Family Game) (Sponsored by ThinkFun)
• Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment – Feelin’ Cute (Hootenanny Games)
• David Yakos (Streamline Design) – Ringer (MindWare)
• Elodie Clément & Théo Rivière – Potion Express (Kiwizou)
• Emma Ribbens (Smart Toys and Games) – The Wolf & The 7 Goats (Smart Toys and Games)
• Fun-Damental Invention & Matt Jordan and Tom Yamazaki (TOMY) – Extreme Silence (TOMY)
• WINNER: JM Duparc and Identity Games Team – Birdy Call (Identity Games)
• KID Group – Snack-O-Saurus Rex (Spin Master)
• Kim Vandenbroucke – ThinkFun Friends: Tree House (ThinkFun)
• Paul Martinsen (Fuse) – Crash Cats (ThinkFun)

—

Game Designer of the Year (Party Game) (Sponsored by Playtime PR)
• Alena Istif, Chiara Bellavite, Isabeau Rosen, Josh West, Sébastien Eme, Shanon Lyon, Riccardo Fabiani & Valentin Köberlein (Ravensburger) – Oh My Pigeons (Ravensburger)
• Alice & Nick Payne – Bean Counters Inc. (Gibsons)
• Chrissy Fagerholt – Girls in Bar Bathrooms (Mattel)
• Danielle Reynolds & Scott Brady – Caution Signs (Wacky Wizard Games)
• Dyce Studios – First to Worst (Dyce)
• WINNER: Eric Olsen – Flip 7 (The Op)
• Nextoy & Matt Jordan (TOMY) – Human Controller (TOMY)
• Rodrigo Rego – QuizWiz (Brain Games)
• Ted Getschman & Big Potato Games – Whirly Derby (Big Potato Games)

—

R&D Team of the Year (Sponsored by the British Toy & Hobby Association)
• Bitzee Development Team (Spin Master)
• EXG Pro
• Lucky Egg
• Make It Real Advanced Design Team
• Hot Wheels Speed Snap Track System Design Team (Mattel)
• Moose Toys
• WINNER: SMART Toys & Games
• Strikesphere Team (Golden Bear)
• TOMY
• YuMe Toys

—

Invention Studio of the Year (Sponsored by Hasbro)
• 7pips
• Bang Zoom
• Fun-Damental Invention
• Fuse
• Indy Toy Lab
• JMP Creative
• Open 2 Design
• WINNER: Seven Towns
• So Sound
• Tantrum Innovation

—

Inventor Relations Exec of the Year (Sponsored by 7Towns)
• Adam Carson, Chris Lutchen & James Wing – TOMY/Fat Brain Toys
• Alex & Whitney Kimerling – Hootenanny Games
• Audrey Watanabe – Mattel
• Brent Geppert – Educational Insights
• Heath Saber – Moose Toys
• Helen De La Cruz – Spin Master
• Mark Garcia – Hasbro
• Magdalena Eichhorn – Jazwares
• Sarah Franco – Mattel
• WINNER: Tony Serebriany – The Op Games

—

Toy Designer of the Year (Licensed Product) (Sponsored by The Wyld Bunch)
• Bang Zoom & Hasbro Preschool Team – Talk & Sing Peppa (Hasbro)
• BMT – Spidey & His Amazing Friends: Spidey Team Split Racer (Jazwares)
• Fuse – Pokémon Beach Battle Playset (Jazwares)
• Moose Licensed Team – Tile Town Bluey Heeler Family Home (Moose Toys)
• WINNER: Sergio Anna (Craft Buddy) – Disney Crystal Art 2-in-1 Pin Badges (Craft Buddy)
• So Sound – Star Wars Darth Vader Ultimate Mech Force Suit (Hasbro)
• Ste Smith (WITH Creative) – National Geographic Motorized Models (Blue Marble)
• Tantrum Innovation & MBCreations Ltd – Minecraft Click and Switch Sword and Pickaxe (Mattel)
• Tantrum Innovation & MBCreations Ltd – Rubble & Crew Power Tool Pups (Spin Master)

—

Game Designer of the Year (Licensed Product)
• April Mitchell & Serena Fadlun – RHS Swapple (Gibsons)
• Bryan Bornmueller – The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick Taking Game (Office Dog)
• Daryl Andrews & Wolfgang Kramer – Donald Duck in Happy Camper (Maestro Media)
• David Gordon & TAM – LEGO Monkey Palace (Dotted Games)
• Dmitrijus Babičius, Justina Lapinskienė, Marijus Lapinskas & Tadas Kastanauskas – Flow (Brain Games)
• EastPoint Sports Design Team – Tetris Tumble (EastPoint Sports)
• Erica Bouyouris (Spin Master) – Wicked: The Game (Spin Master)
• Brooke Foster, Gavin Waxkirsh & Jim Harrison – The Polaroid Game (Fuel for Fun)
• WINNER: Tim Walsh (The Playmakers) – A Daily Cloud: The Game (MindWare)

—

Outstanding Contribution
Doug Morrison – So Sound

—

Play Innovator of the Year (Sponsored by Toyzone)
• Austin Hillam & Stephen Fazio (ZipString) – ZipString Luma (ZipString)
• Fun-Damental Invention & Blue Marble – Tie-Dye Dots (Blue Marble)
• WINNER: JMP Creative & Sky Castle Toys – Sticki Rolls (Sky Castle Toys)
• Ken Scheel – FOROS (KEVA Planks)
• Make It Real Advanced Design Team – Polish & Shine Bead Tumbler (Make It Real)
• Mark Grote (Spin Master)– Tech Deck SK8 Crew 2-in-1 Transforming Ultra SK8 Bus (Spin Master)
• Moose Boys Team – MrBeast Lab Mutators (Moose Toys)
• Nextoy & Yair Shilo – Power Saber (Goliath)
• Raf Peeters (Smart Toys and Games) – IQ Deluxe Series (Smart Toys and Games)

—

Rising Star
• Austin Hillam & Stephen Fazio (ZipString)
• Brooke Cherry (Big Potato Games)
• Grace Newman-Lapinski (Educational Insights)
• Harry Newman (EXG Pro)
• James Sheeler (Mattel)
• Jeremy Shank (TOMY)
• Lauren Heywood-Law (Gibsons)
• Rinat Alima & Tom Dor (Designers)
• WINNER: Serena Fadlun (Game Designer)
• Shauna McKeon (Big Potato Games)

—

Unsung Hero
• Adex Costa (EXG Pro)
• Alex Murty (Joking Hazard)
• Christopher Aja (Schylling)
• WINNER: Gareth Lloyd (Golden Bear)
• Geizi Guevara (Jazwares)
• Jeff Arnold (Sponge Creative)
• Judi Stonecipher (Mattel)
• Lauren Stallard (Gibsons)
• Ryo Yoshihara (YuMe)
• Shaylyn Berntson (IDEO)

—

Debut of the Year
• Alfie Dix – That’s Crypto, Bro (Bubblegum Stuff)
• Ammon Anderson – Gnome Hollow (The Op)
• Anna Wielach & James Clayson – How to Train Your Dragon 12” Toothless Feature Plush (Spin Master)
• Jamie Smart – Jamie Smart’s Hero Slam (Laurence King Publishing)
• Leonie Grundler – Biome (Lioness Games)
• Michael Bergmann – MAGNA-TILES Rail Racers (MAGNA-TILES)
• WINNER: Sabrina Gareau (Cheeky Donkey) – Cool Maker Stack’d Heishi Bracelet Studio (Spin Master)
• Stephen Wilson – Bish Bash Bosh (Ginger Fox)
• Rinat Alima & Tom Dor – Roll ‘N’ Hatch (Hape)

—

Icon
WINNER: Tony Serebriany – The Op Games

The post Play Creators Awards 2025 winners revealed appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The session will see Great Ormond Street Hospital, Licensing Link, Pophouse Entertainment, Pop Paper City, Reemsborko and Two Daughters Entertainment detail opportunities around their brands to a room full of toy and game companies and inventors.

“I’m delighted that we can bring together brands, toy companies and inventors to explore exciting new opportunities at this year’s Play Creators Conference,” said Billy Langsworthy of Mojo Nation, organisers of the Play Creators Conference.

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Play Creators Conference 2025 to host ‘Brand Showcase’ session appeared first on Brands Untapped.

His session – titled ‘Everything You Wanted to Know About Inventor Relations (But Were Afraid to Ask)’ – will be an open look at how ThinkFun’s creative team approaches engaging with the inventor community.

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post ThinkFun’s Josh West to reveal ‘Everything You Wanted to Know About Inventor Relations (But Were Afraid to Ask)’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Taking part this year are:
Eleanor Black, VP of Business Development, Seven Towns

Matt Burtonwood, Director, Open 2 Design

JM Duparc, Creative Director, Identity Games

All three will try to convince the host – Mojo Nation’s Deej Johnson – that their industry pet hate deserves consigning to Room 101… Never to see the light of day again!

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Seven Towns’ Eleanor Black, Open 2 Design’s Matt Burtonwood and Identity Games’ JM Duparc join Toy Room 101 panel at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The session will look at the categories and types of brands that are thriving in this space, what considerations come into play when creating for kidults – and whether it’s an area that inventors could, or should, be focusing on at the moment.

Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworythy will chair the session, which features panellists:

Gurdeep Bains, Global Creative Director at YuMe Toys

Danny Kishon, MD at All in 1 Products

Lucy Salisbury, Director of Group Licensing & Retail Development for EMEA & APAC at Funko

This year’s Play Creators Conference takes place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Funko’s Lucy Salisbury, YuMe Toys’ Gurdeep Bains and All in 1 Products’ Danny Kishon to explore ‘Creating for Kidults’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The session will explore what sparks partnerships and the key to successful collaborations, as well as looking at recent toyco team-ups – and other ways the community can help each other in difficult times.

Hasbro’s Naomi Brugnatelli will chair the session, which features panellists:

Tony Serebriany, VP of Inventor Relations, The Op Games

Danielle Reynolds, Game Inventor & Project Director at Wise Wizard Games

Paul Boucher, Creative Director at DesignbyTouch

This year’s Play Creators Conference takes place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Industry figures to discuss ‘Collaboration & Community’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Ellie’s session, titled ‘Designing with your Dog – and Other Ideas’, will explore idea generation and creative thinking as she details 20 different ways to have ideas for games and toys.

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th.

To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Game designer Ellie Dix to discuss ‘Designing with your Dog – and Other Ideas’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

Gabi’s session – titled ‘Creating with True Value’ – will look at how values-based storytelling builds brands that connect, move and extend their reach.

Tela is a Milan-based creative agency that provides expertise and creative consultancy within the licensing industry. Tela’s clients include Playmobil, Hasbro, Perfetti Van Melle, Jeep and more.

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th. To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Tela’s Gabi Drew to explore ‘Creating with True Value’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.

His session – titled ‘Chasing Play and Designing Without Permission’ – will explore how Fat Brain looks to make toys by breaking the mold.

Fat Brain Toys is behind recent ranges like Air Toobz, Pretendables, Plip, Foosbots and PlayTab.

This year’s Play Creators Conference is taking place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 25th. To book your ticket, head to: https://playcreatorsconference.co.uk/product/play-creators-conference-ticket/

The post Fat Brain Toys’ Adam Carson to explore ‘Designing Without Permission’ at Play Creators Conference 2025 appeared first on Brands Untapped.