President’s Report

Believe!

This edition of the Toy Times Magazine will be hitting your mailboxes nearly two years to the date of the ASTRA Staff going from nine, down to five.

Orlando’s Marketplace & Academy was canceled and just six months later, we were down to three staffers. It almost sounds like an Agatha Christie mystery.

2021’s Marketplace & Academy was a scaled down version that we were able to just squeeze in before the Delta variant caused other shows to cancel in the late summer/early fall.

Fast forward to 2022: Spielwarenmesse was canceled as was Toy Fair and then the announcement of Toy Fair moving to September in 2023. It’s been more than a roller coaster ride we have all been riding on, climbing up the slopes and then, our hands up in the air, screaming as we swiftly ride down the other side.

We have been on this ride a few times, yet through the tenacity and passion of our board, staff and members, we’ve stepped off each time with new ideas, new convictions and the knowledge that we can accomplish great things together. Maybe the adrenaline rush of the craziness is exactly what we all needed to nudge us out of our comfort zone and see new opportunities.

My mantra for ASTRA as we head into Marketplace & Academy, and as we move through the rest of 2022, and into the coming years, is BELIEVE. Believe that we will meet in Long Beach to connect, see new products, learn from each other and simply have fun as we work through our “new normal.” Believe that we will continue to look at things with a more open mind, looking for new ways to gather and share for the success of all. Believe that we will work harder to bring in more diversity into our industry and become more inclusive in all our endeavors – both in our business and our personal lives. Believe that despite the differences that have been publicly voiced over the past two years, we can focus more on what we have in common than what may divide us. Believe that despite what may be thrown at us in the coming months and years, we will become stronger because of our connections. Believe that ASTRA can become the shining star as we work together with other organizations that embrace the individual, independent, entrepreneurial spirit to make our industry the best it can be. Believe that it is our community – locally, nationally and globally - that can make a difference for us all.

We must first believe that we can accomplish more than we thought we ever could. Then we must work together to make things happen. I hope you will join us in Long Beach as we reach for a future we can all believe in.

Ashlee Cammack is ASTRA’s newest staff member

Ashlee Cammack joined the ASTRA staff on April 1 as the Administrative Assistant.

Cammack graduated from Fox Valley Tech in Appleton, Wisc., with a degree in Criminal Justice. She later returned to receive her Paralegal Certificate.

She is a mother of three daughters, and enjoys spending time with them and watching them grow. She lives and works remotely from Oshkosh, Wisc.

She most recently was employed by her local YMCA for 18 years working in multiple departments and in different roles.

“My passion is working with people,” she said. “Which is why I am so excited to join this community”.

ASTRA is confident Cammack will help all of us make better experiences for our members.

Please welcome Ashlee to the ASTRA team. She can be reached by email at acammack@astratoy.org or by phone at 312-238-9887.

COME PLAY COME PLAY WITH US! WITH US! Booth #1038 Booth #1038