For the first time ever, the Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play hot toy preview is going virtual! On October 22, Holiday of Play @ Home will bring all the fun and excitement of the holiday season into the living rooms of press and influencers all over North America.
Holiday of Play @ Home is an invitation-only event and is designed for experienced press, bloggers, YouTube creators, and social media influencers. The online party will bring hundreds of toys, games, playthings, and pop culture products right to your screen.
When, where, how much?
Holiday of Play @ Home will take place on Thursday, October 22 online. It is an invitation-only event, but tickets are free.
What can I expect at Holiday of Play @ Home?
Holiday of Play @ Home is a virtual event with a customized show floor featuring booths from more than 30 toy companies, a main stage, a press lounge, and more. Guests can click around the event and explore sponsors’ booths to find information, videos, and images on the hottest new toys of the year. Each booth also features a one-on-one chat function and Zoom integration so guests can meet with brand representatives live over video and/or text chat.
Who should attend?
Traditional press and digital influencers who have established audiences and cover toys and children’s entertainment are welcome to attend Holiday of Play @ Home. To see if you are eligible to apply for an invite, check out our guidelines. Holiday of Play @ Home is the perfect place to meet new companies, and get inspired for holiday gift guides! Tickets to Holiday of Play @ Home are limited to due to server capacity — so grab yours before they are gone!
What’s included?
Your ticket grants you access to the Holiday of Play @ Home virtual platform. There will be fun giveaways and games for select attendees to win Holiday of Play @ Home prizes from the Toy Insider and its sponsors.
Can my kids or spouse/best friend/partner/contributor participate in Holiday of Play @ Home?
Holiday of Play @ Home is an online, virtual event. While anyone in your household can watch alongside you, it is still a professional event, and content is intended for the invited influencer. We cannot be held responsible for the content/language used by our sponsors and other attendees, nor can we guarantee the content/language used will be suitable for children under the age of 18. Parents and guardians should oversee their children as they would on any other site. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted to navigate the platform on their own. Children under the age of 18 are permitted to participate alongside a parent or legal guardian. However, parents/legal guardians must register on behalf of the minor children.
Do I HAVE to bring my kids, or can I participate on my own?
Adults are more than welcome to join in on the fun without children!
What should I wear?
Holiday of Play @ Home is a business casual event. Anyone participating in video calls (including young children) should be fully and appropriately clothed. Holiday inspired clothing, PJs or onesies are encouraged! (Just kidding … kind of.)
Can I transfer my virtual ticket?
Holiday of Play @ Home tickets are non-transferrable under any circumstances. However, if you can no longer attend, please let us know ASAP! If you have any questions or concerns, please email us
I’d like to interview a Toy Insider or toy brand representative for my outlet, what do I do?
If you are a member of the traditional media looking for interviews, please contact Linda Krebs at LKPR!
How do I access the event?
All guests for holiday of Play @ Home must be pre-registered. At 12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, go to the event URL (coming soon!) and login using your email address and Eventbrite order number.
What if I can’t log in?
If you cannot locate your order number or you need help figuring out your password, just click “forgot password” and our admin team will be in touch with you via email.
Do I need anything special to access Holiday of Play @ Home?
We recommend using a computer (laptop or desktop) to access Holiday of Play @ Home. All of the awesome features will NOT WORK on mobile devices. You will also need an internet connection. The following are our minimum hardware and software specifications for accessing the Virtual Environment. Anything below our recommended hardware and software specifications may result in a sub-optimal virtual experience. These specs are fairly standard, but may not be up to par on older machines.
Hardware:
64-bit dual-core 2Ghz CPU with SSE2 support
4 GB RAM
1280×768 display
Mouse, trackpad or pen+tablet
Graphics card with 1 GB RAM, OpenGL 3.3
Software:
The latest version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome (Recommended)
Microsoft Edge
Apple Safari
Firefox
You will also need to use Zoom video conferencing to engage in live toy demos and meetings with brand representatives. Zoom is completely free to download, so be sure to do so before the start of Holiday of Play.
We also recommend using a pair of headphones with a built-in microphone, but if you don’t have headphones handy or if you have multiple people watching the fun, you’ll be fine using the speakers and mic built into your computer.
Can we access Holiday of Play @ Home on more than one computer?
You can only login with your credentials on one device. If you try to login on a second device, you will be kicked out on the first device. If the whole family wants to get in on the fun, we recommend watching and engaging in the Holiday of Play action together, or taking turns!
Do I need an appointment to meet with sponsors?
No! Some sponsors will have Zoom rooms that are by-appointment only, but they also have open booths you can walk into at any time for toy demonstrations! If you’re not sure where to go or what to do, click on the right Avatar in each booth to chat with a brand rep and they will help guide you around!
Do I have to wait to get into a Zoom room?
Yes. Every sponsoring toy company is different. Some have open-format rooms, others are taking smaller group appointments. You may need to wait in a waiting room within Zoom before you get to speak to a brand rep. If you don’t want to wait too long, you can always leave and come back later!
Will people see my real name?
The only name that will display within the platform is the display name you provided us with at registration. However, you will need to change your Zoom display name/image yourself. Your Zoom name should definitely include your outlet, blog or channel so sponsors know who you are! For more information on how to do that, please read Zoom’s resources!
What if I don’t want anyone to see me?
If you want to watch toy demos, but you don’t want to be on camera, that’s totally OK! Just don’t turn your camera on in Zoom! You can also mute yourself if you just want to listen in. If you need help learning how to use Zoom and utilize its features, feel free to watch some Zoom tutorials!
Do I have to stay the whole time?
Holiday of Play @ Home takes place from 12-7 p.m. EDT. You definitely do not have to stay the whole time, you can pop in or come and go as you please, but you definitely will need at least a few hours to get to every booth and meet with every sponsor– you may not even get to all of them in the allotted time! Don’t forget to also check out the agenda (coming soon!), which is full of exciting giveaways and activations going on throughout the entire event.
Will I be able to talk to brand reps live?
Y.E.S! Of course! While we are so bummed we can’t all be together in person at Holiday of Play in NYC, but we’re doing everything possible to bring you as close to the IRL experience as possible. You can talk to brand reps via chat or Zoom in nearly every single booth. If you cannot find a Zoom link, that might mean that brand has elected not to have a Zoom room open — just ask in the chat if you’re not sure!
What if I’m logged in, but something isn’t working?
If a specific link within a booth is not working or you are confused about something, you can always use the Chat avatar to ask for help! If you think something is wrong with the platform overall or you can’t figure something out, you can always head back to the lobby and ask questions or alert us about anything at the desk using the Help Chat, or come chat with us in the Toy Insider booth! Please note: When first loading Holiday of Play @ Home, it can take up to a minute to load all the features. Please do not refresh while it is loading.
How do I navigate the platform?
Holiday of Play @ Home is super easy to navigate. You can move around with just a few clicks of the mouse. You’ll click on blue circles on the floor to move from booth to booth, and you can click and hold to change your viewpoint. For a better idea of how it works, watch our tutorial video for Sweet Suite @ Home, our latest virtual event!
Can I take screenshots/record what I am seeing?
Yes! It’s great to take screenshots during Holiday of Play @ Home so you can post photos to social media after or during the event! Please note, however: you cannot share the event URL or Zoom links since this is a private event. So make sure those are not visible in your images and/or videos. You may also screen record to share clips in YouTube videos or on social media after the event. You may not livestream the event. If you plan to record a one-on-one meeting, always ask the host permission before you start. You may not record directly in Zoom, you will need your own screen-recording software set up.
Will I get a SWAG box?
SWAG info is coming soon!